Cricket: The Curtain Comes Down

Evening Star, Issue 26067, 3 April 1947, Page 5

Cricket: The Curtain Comes Down

Cyril Allcott Retires

[By Wallaby. 1 ]

The finale to the cricket season was ; » kind of -“.mixed grill,” the senior, intermediate, and second grade A teams playing a series of what are known as “friendly” (which description is a sinister suggestion that grade competition games are unfriendly affairs), which lasted all day, while the lower grades still carried on battling for points. • The outcome of this “ cricket with the lid off ’’ was quite a bright display of "batting On • the part of several of the seniors, who, like test, match players released from the grim necessity for fighting for a win, showed that a little -hitting l now and then could be relished even by the habitually cautious • men. In the match between Albion-Y.M.C.A. and University, 501 runs were made in about sis hours, while - the Carisbrook and Old Boys batsmen fell only 3 runs short, of this, Carisbrook’s total of 305 for eight being got at the rate of over 100 an hour. The finish in the Albion-University match was exciting, the respective scores being 251 and 250. The' highest' individual scores registered - were those by Lankford Smith (85 not out ’ for Albion-Y.M.C.A.), Cyril Allcott (84 for Kailkorai), and Jack O’Sullivan- 81 (of a .total of 131 from the bat) for Dunedin'. There was nothing remarkable about the performances of the bowlers, except that the •Carisbrook fireworks experts showed such poor respect for Les Groves that the ; 01d (Boys slow spinner finished as a- centurion, having 100 runs hit off his 16 overs and failing to claim a single wicket as recompense. True Sportsman. Cyril Allcott "played bis last game of cricket op -Saturday, and his was a very fitting farewell. As one of the openers for Kaikorai against Northeast Valley, the veteran played a sound innings—except for one chance before he had scored—for 84, which included a 6 and eight 4’s. In addition to this, he took five wickets for 14 runs in less than 10 overs.

; ■ Wisden ’ gives Allcott’s birth date 7, 1896, so that Cyril had passed his half-century of years before be - gave up the game. He is a product of the Marlborough High School, Blenheim, and while, at school he represented - Marlborough for two years. He then moved to Napier, after which he was transferred to Auckland, where, in 1921, he represented that province, and also the North Island. New Zealand honours came to him on several occascions, and in 1925 he was a member of the New Zealand team that toured Australia, and lie also toured England with the 1927 and 1931 sides. Though resident of Wellington for a period, Allcott did not represent that province, but when transferred to Timaru he palyed for South Canterbury against Holmes’s Englishmen in I. He came to 'Dunedin in 1938, and represented Otago last season , against Auckland. H? has been a . woiiderful asset to Kaikorai, both in hatting and bowling, and has frequently been a match-winning factor. In regard' to liis appearance for , Otago' last season, it will be remembered that Allcott, while batting, received a heavy blow on the foot from a ball from Cowie. He carried on, however, and subsequently bowled 38 overs for, 91 runs and three wickets. It was not until after the match that it was discovered that a small bone.in the foot had been fractured, an injury which necessitated plaster and crutches for several wdefcs. Cyril Allcott, besides being a great all-round player, was an ornament to the -game, being a thorough sportsman. Averages. { The following batting and bowling averages" have been supplied to us:— Carisbrook - .—-Batting: H. R. Cameron, 3 innings, 1 not out-, 100, highest score. 88 not out. average 50.0; A. R. Knight, 5,1, 188, 89 not out, 47.0: li. M. Uttley, 8,1, 172, 60, 24.57; L'. Miller, 6, 0, 140, 73, 23.33; S. Lambert, 5,3, 43, 22, 2115; L. A. Milnes, .7, 2, 105, 34 not out, 21.0; W. A. Hadlee, 8,1, 130, 31, 18.57; R. Caradus, 4,1, 55, 32, 18.33; T. F. C. Geary, 8. 2; 106, 70, 17.67; I. W. Gallaway, 7,3,. 70, 24, 17.5; A. W. McDougall, 8 1, 115, 52 not out, 16.43; T. G. Fraser. 7,0, 100, 34, 14.28; !R. Carter, !5. :2, 7 4, 2.33. Bowling: Geary, 17 overs, 5 maidens, 39 runs, 5 wickets, overage 7.8; McDougall, 169, 49, 323, 31, 10.42; Carter, 146, 30, 387. 27. 11. ; Lambert, 93, 27, 207, 12 17.25; Hadlee, 102, 41, 197, 10, 19.7; J. Valentine, 27, 11, 61, 3, 20.33; Knight, 61, 23, 146, 6, 24.33; Fraser, 35, 5. 81. 3, 27.0. •

Albion-Y.M.C.A. —Batting: H. Miller, . 5 innings, 2 not outs, 164 runs, highest score 69, average 54.69; R. H. Robinson, 10, 1. 311,104 not out, 34.55; A. S. Mills, 10, 1. 209, 57, 23.22 ; E. Watson, 11, 2, 208, 53, 23.11; L. D. Smith. 7,1, 125, 38, 20.6; S. Duncan, 6. 0, 124, 41. 20.7; L. Watson, 10, 3, 136. 46, 19.43; L. Chisholm, 2, 0. 38, 25. 19.0; A. Wood, 3,0, 47, 34, 15.66; A. Keegan 3, 0. 44, 41, 14.69; J. Deuchrass,- 7,1, 52. 22, 8.66; L. Rankin, 6, 1 27, 7, 5.4; N. Deuchrass, 4,1, 13, 9, 4.30; P. Miller. 5,4, .3, 2 3.0. Bowling; Robinson 169 overs, 52 maidens, 4.15 runs. 41 wickets, average 10.12; Smith, 77. 17, 139, 12; 11.59; E. Watson, 66. 23. 130, 9, 14.44; Miller, 148, 37; 301, 19. 15.84; Duncan, 125, 38, 217. 10, 21.70. High School Old Boys.—Batting: A. W. Roberts, 8 innings, 1 not out, 507 runs, highest score 189 not out, average 72.43; D. St. John, 8. 1. 214, 66. 30.57; L. J. Groves, 8. 0. 183, 46, 22.88; R. Couper,’s. 2. 64. 22 not out, 21.33; W. Gough; 8. 1. 140. 47. 20.0; J. R. McLachlan, 8. 1. 78. 29. 11.14; H. .T. Otwav. 7. 1. 61. 20. 10.17: G. H. Mills, 7.' 0. 65. 23. 9.29: R. Chalmers, 5, 1. 34. 13. 8.5: V. J. Leader. 7. 1. 44, 14. 7.33 ; R. Gough, 5. 1, 23. 11. 5.75. Bowling: Roberts. 225 overs, 92 maidens. 312 runs; 35 wickets, average 8.92; Groves. 179. ,26. 520. 35, H.B6;.Leader. 137. 29.'298. 20. 14.9; Conner, 41,’ 11. 75.- 3. 25.0. Green Island.—Rat.tinw: Intermedi*>to grade—-E. Tn'bot 43.5. A. Rerry r, a.o.' L. Gore 23.0. A Grant 22.3. O. Wvnn, 18 2. Second grade B—M n nttereon 18.6. F. Btev>henson 17.6. F. Dickson 11.8. Bowlinn- Intermediate nrafi"—W. Rer’-v 8.43. F. Barnes 10.83 Wvnn’e 13.27. Seconrl oracle R—F no.l-enri 7.1. S. Barnes 9 9. M. Patterson 9.4.