CRICKET

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 December 1929, Page 4

CRICKET

THE M.C.C. CAPTAIN Harold Gilligan, the smiling captain of the M.C.C. team which will be in New Zealand very soon, had some thrilling experiences during the war, but none more so than when his ’plane was hit by German gunners when he and a companion were flying over the German fleet in the Kiel Canal. With a damaged radiator, the two Englishmen took a long chance of getting back to England or, failing that, of landing in Holland, but their luck was out, and they came down in the Channel. For 20 minutes they' were swimming about in the water until a companion ’plane arrived, and they were taken aboard. More bad luck followed. The extra weight prevented the ’plane from taking off. To make matters worse, a wing broke. For three days and nights they drifted about at the mercy of the waves. They were saved by a carrier pigeon. Four were sent off. Three were never heard of again, but the fourth dropped dead with its message at the feet of a Yarmouth coastguardsman. The four intrepid Englishmen, were just about “all in” when rescued. FRANK WOOLLEY Hobbs heads the season’s final cricket averages with 66 as his score m each innings, but Frank Woolley (2,804, average 56), has the highest aggregate and is the batsman of the year ‘(says the English Athletic News).

Hammond second at 64. Richard Tyldesley heads the bowling with 154 wickets, at an average cost of 15. Free-. man has most wickets, 267 (average 18) The “find” of the year is Goddard, whose haul of 184 wickets runs second to the figures of Freeman, his bowling average being 16. Mr. Thomas Baird, of Invercargill, who has returned from a holiday yisit to Australia, was very much impressed with Giligan’s M.C.C. tetam. Mr Baird had the pleasure of witnessing the Englishmen’s game with Victoria at Melbourne, and stated in a chat with “Onlooker” that the visitors would certainly gain favour with the New Zealand public. “They arG a very fine all-round side,” said Mr. Baird, “with special strength in the

fielding department. Their fielding against Victoria was magnificent and in this respect their bowling, which is solid if not strong, was greatly strengthened. Woolley took two wonderful slip catches, and the work of the third man was splendid. He cut off fnany runs by grand anticipation, accurate fielding, and smart returning. In the fielding department the Englishmen should certainly impress New Zealanders.” Mr. Baird saw Duleepsinhji batting and considered him a fine bat with all the strokes. His ease and u-p.rp. outstanding. Probably the

grace were uuiotauuiub. player who took Mr. Baird’s fancy inost was a member of the Victorian side —Rigg, the Melbourne University player. Mr. Baird was very enthusiastic about this colt and predicted a great future for him. “It would not surprise me to see him selected for the Australian team next season,” he said. “His batting is enterprising and resourceful. There was never a dull moment in his innings of 49 runs and he attacked the bowling from the very first ball. I liked him very much,” added Mr. Baird. Asked how he thought New Zealand would fare with the M.C.C. team, Mr. Baird prophesied that the visitors would win the majority of their games in New Zealand but that the test matches should prove good even contests. NOTES " i

With, half a dozen matches played Marist Club has 13 points in the junior competition. This puts the Club at the top of the list, but as Brunner A is but one, and Kumara two points behind the contest is at an interesting stage. United requires a three points win to be on even terms with Marist. Cobden is a game side as so far it. has not won a match. It was unfortunate that the weather interfered with cricket at the weekend, and especially was it bad luck for the seniors who are having a lean time of it this season. It is hard upon cricketers when they cannot find someone to oppose them every week-end. There was a sensational climax in a cricket competition match at Whangarei on Saturday. Railways set Nomads

65 runs to get in 20 minutes. R. J. Dunn, a stalwart young cricketer received seven balls ajid scored as follows: 6,1, 6,6, 6,6, 4, making 35. Nomads won the match with two minutes to spare. The rare feat of taking all 10 wickets in an innings was performed by J. Jones, of Marists, against Working Men’s Club, in the Christchurch Suburban Cricket Association’s competition on Saturday. The cost of the wickets was 21 runs. Jones is a right-hand bowler. Of a tricky length, his slow breaks confound the batsmen, often coming in from 18 inches outside the off-pin. He sent down 10.2 overs, of which two were maidens.

Playing for the Papatoetoe fourthgrade eleven at Papatoetoe on Saturday, against St. Stephen’s, Gordon White distinguished himself by registering a double hat trick, and by disposing of the last batsman with a beau-' tiful one-handed catch. There is a likelohood that the Christchurch Boys’ High School team Will go to Auckland 1 next month in an endeavour to re-capture the Heathcote

Williams Shield, at present held by Auckland Grammar School. Although he has been very successful in Australian club cricket, R. H. Bettington’s friends consider it unlikely that he will be seen in England next year with the test team. After returning to Australia in 1928 after an absence of pine years, he married T. fi. Lowry’s sister, and went as junior partner to a well-known Sydney nose and throat surgeon, whose death soon afterwards left Bettington in charge of the practice. He has, therefore, a great chance of doing well, but ah invitation to play for Australia would take a good deal of resisting. Mrs Bettington is a sister of Mrs : Percy; Chapman.