Cricket: "They're Off" at Last

Evening Star, Issue 25956, 22 November 1946, Page 5

Cricket: "They're Off" at Last

Some Very " Mixed " Batting

(By Wallaby.)

While cricketers in other parts of the South Island were, on Saturday, deprived of their game because of adverse weather conditions, we in Dunedin were able to »et a belated start with the senior and some junior competitions. It was only on this third time of asking that the weathet gods answered “ Yes,” and even then the atmospheric conditions were anything but summer-like. Wickets were heavy and in most cases “ hairy.” However, compared with Christchurch, we are fortunate, for in that city the seaon, - which should have opened on October . 39,-has not yet begun; there have been five successive, postponements. Batsmen Fail Badly. While other senior teams on adjacent wickets were knocking up something like 250 runs each for the afternoon’s play, Carisbrook, last year’s champions, and Albion-Y.M.C.A. on Logan Park main ground were drooling along at SO runs or so an -hour, and 7 runs a man on a pitch which players confessed was “ easy.” Batsmen admittedly were short of practice after weeks of “ keep off the grass ” weather, but then so were the bowlers, yet the latter were able to send down maiden after maiden and consistently worry the men at the wickets. A total of 142 runs, was taken off 554 balls. Negative batting if you like. Even Hadlee took 92 minutes to make 27, while L. Watson's 27,' which included 17 singles, - occupied 105 minutes. Only three boundary hits were made all day. However, the match is in an interesting position, with Albion-Y.M.C.A. -needing 14 runs with two wickets to fall to pass Carisbrook’s meagre total of 85. In view of the continued uncertainty of the weather, Albion batsmen l might well have forced • the pace a tiny bit in an endeavour to get the extra runs. Considerable interest was manifested in.the hist appearance in Dunedin club cricket of the . association coach, Ray Robinson. The newcomer put up a remarkably good bowling performance for Albion-Y.M.C.A., taking five wickets for 13 runs in 12 overs, seven of which were maidens. Robinson, who howls yight-hand, medium pace, with a crisp delivery, uses the top-spinner very effectively. At one stage lie had five : wickets for 5 runs Hadlee’s among them—though he was perhaps a little lucky with one or two of his three lbw decisions. He did not get foing with the bat, being well caught y uttley at mid-on for 6 when he failed to quite get over a rising ball from McDougall. His style, however, is one which' will doubtless bring him plenty of runs.- McDougall and Carter were Carisbrook’s outstanding bowlers, the former taking three for 18 off 15 overs, and the slow spinner four for 31 off 14 overs. Hadlee handled his bowling well, liiabihg frequent changes against the stolid batsmen. Colt and Veteran. * Young St. John and the veteran Alby Roberts were together responsible for more than half the Old Boys total of 217 against Dunedin. St. John is indeed a promising lad. After leaving Otago High School last year he played a few games with Old Boys, shaping well. During the. winter he was one of the trainees who won .the high opinion of the O.C.A. coach, Ray Robinson, and on Saturday the form displayed by him'in getting 66 fully justified that opinion. He has already . developed some excellent strokes on both, sides of . the wicket. Roberts played a characteristic knock for 55,: he and St. John adding 84 for the third wicket. Dunedin, who have lost three wickets for 12, look to be in a sticky spot. Kruskoff, who has returned to his old love after a season with the League, bowled well. The left-hander sent down 35, overs for 60 runs and six wickets, none of the batsmen being able to treat him with anything but respect. He was ably supported by O’Sullivan (four for 79 off 29 overs), these being the only likely-looking wicket-takers on the side.

Valley Go Cheaply. North-east Valley made a poor showing against University bowling which would be flattered in being described as mediocre. Valley were all out for 105, got in unenterprising fashion, their skipper, R. Peart, being easily top scorer with 34. It is possible that the other batsmen may have fallen into a, doze waiting for Coombe’s slows to reach them, and then wakened up just too late.. Anyway the former Carisbrook junior took four wickets for 19 runs, while ex-Old Boy, McCoy, got three for 15. Lawson’s Patience.

Though the Grange bowlers on Saturday were steady enough, they were faced with something steadier still in the Kaikorai opening batsman, A. N. Lawson, who “ played the rock ” for over three hours while making 63 runs. Certainly he hit seven 4’s, but in between times he “ just sat.” It was, however, quite a valuable innings, and laid the foundation of a satisfactory total of 244 for nine.. But Watt’s display was a much brighter one. This young batsman, who represented Otago three years ago, played a free-driving knock for 55, in which were eight 4’s. Boock, too, opened out, a nice straight drive for 6 and two 4’s being included in his 27. The Grange attack, though steady, lacked variety. Brabin Shield Matches. The Wellington Cricket Association has decided to advise the Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago Associations that it is willing to fall into line with the proposed arrangements for Brabin Cup (meaning Shield) matches. At the Wellington meeting Mr W. M. King said that it had not been the intention of the New Zealand Cricket Council that the proposed tours by coifs’ teams should cut across the Brabin Shield matches. Mr J. R. Lamason remarked that that must, to some extent, be so. In his opinion, however, there were sufficient young senior cricketers of promise who were not eligible for the Brabin series who would qualify for the colts’ teams. “ The Duck Pond.” One Of. the cricket grounds in Melbourne has, because of its “ stickiness ” after rain, been called “ the glue pot.” But there is another ground in Victoria which, surely, has earned the title of “ the duck pond.” That is the ground upon which, in a Northern Peninsula A grade match, a bowler named Gordon Allan, in two

overs, took all 10 wickets for no runs, every one of the batting side failing to score. Allen took six wickets in his first over and four in his second, so that there must have been at least one hat. trick, possibly more. The Australians stdl cling to the eight-ball over, not having reached the state of exhaustion experienced by the bowlers in New Zealand. One is not aware of the standard of cricket in the Northern Peninsula competition, but that of the duck-making side (Somerville). must be fairly low, or else the winning side Bittern) must be rare birds. Preparing for the Tests. Now that good food and sunshine have built up the English team physically, states a report from Sydney, thev have been set special exercises to develop stamina. Tom Langridge. who has had charge of the Davis Cup squad, and who has handled the physical side of 30 international teams during tours of Australia, is constantly observing the English players while they practise or play. He lias set every man a special set of exercises, and they make no bones about admitting that they are not going to fail in the tests through Tack pf stamina. They are confident that tliev can make 600 themselves whenever occasion demands.