WICKETS PLAY WELL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20966, 14 December 1942, Page 5

WICKETS PLAY WELL

CRICKET IN GISBORNE AIR FORCE B’S WIN FIRST ARMY SUCCESS The Poverty Bay Cricket Association’s club competition games were played under ideal conditions on the Oval on Saturda> afternoon. Wickets were hard, and played well, but it was difficult to ascertain whether they were of more advantage to • the" batsmen or to the bowlers. ' ' One 6f ; the most exciting games of the < day was that between Air Force A and Air Force B, when five minutes before stumps were'to be drawn Bs needed five runs lor a first innings win and' had only one wicket to fall. F. Symotl decided the issue by hitti.ng a four and then with his next shot a single. The' A’ tea’m batted first and had, 100 on the. hoard When the fifth wicket fell. This total was mainly due to the 'efforts of Gardner, who made 41, and Hunt, 28. These two batsmen were together for a short time, during which they put up a creditable display of batting. The innings closed after a tdtal of 135 had been reached. The B side's prospects of a win did Hot look too 1 bright when the sixth wicket fell at 75, but W. Newfield, 20, and F. Symon, 15 not out, who. Were seventh "and eighth wickets down on the list respectively, went a Ipiig way to bringing, success within their team's reach. Scholium, who took six wickets for’ the loss of 58 runs, did the most damage for the A team.’ ' Army wore credited with their first win when they defeated Air Force C on the first • innings. With Renshaw top-scoring at 39, the airmen could, only manage 96 in their knajk. R. Parry, was the Army’s most consistent bowler,' arid he finished the innings with seven wickets to his‘credit at a cost of 35 runs. In reply to the Air Force total, the Army knocked up .7,16, a score which' was contributed to mainly by Parry. 30, LofHer, 23, and W. Wilkie, 20. As usual, Wilkie’s score included a six. Young secured the best bowling aveiage for the air force team by taking three wickets for 14’ runs. .Marshall dismissed three batsmen at a cost of 37 runs. Two Catches to Hardacre As was the cast when Air Training Corps A. met Nomads previously they were outclassed by the age and experience of their opponents. Nomads batted first and declared their innings closed shortly after the afternoon tea interval when they had reached 200. At this stage they had lost nine wickets. I, Stewart, who opened with E. Bridge, made 59 before being dismissed by a bright catch at square leg by C Hardacre off a ball from L. Roderick. C. Fraser, second wicket down, made 35 before being caught at long field by Hardacre. The- two. catches' taken

by Hardacre were difficult ones. *" He has a safe pair of hands, and it is not the first time that he has dismissed batsmen by catching them well out in the field near the boj.idary. R. Phillpotts made 35 before

he was run out. R. Pettit bowled well for Air Training Corps, taking four wickets for 43 runs.

From the outset of their innings, the air cadets’ chances of staving ofT a first-innings’ defeat seemed black, and quite justifiably so too, for J. Crawford-Smith struck form with his bowling and dismissed five batsmen for the loss of only 19 runs. C. Hardacre made a determined stand, and although he only made 22, he was at the wickets for a greater number of minutes/ 'The innings dosed at 77, and his was the last wicket to fall after going into bat at second wicket. In the Senior B, Grade Marist secured an outright win over Air Training Corps B. Both teams played- short. SENIOR A GRADE

Air Force A v. Air Force B.—Air Force A, .first innings 135 (Stokes 11, Gardner 41, ’Hunt 28, Moncur 10, Alridge 16, F. two wickets for 37 runs, Lowsett one for 14, Shearer five for 27); Air Force B, first innings 136 for nine wickets declared (M. Metcaiffe 18, D. McDonald 40, C. G.‘Vickers 10, F. Shearer 20, W. Newfield 20, F. Symon 15 not out, Twist one wickets for eight runs, Scholium six for 5,8, Alridge one for 24). Army v. Air Force C.—Air Force C, first innings 96 (Keong 18, Renshaw 39, G. Sheppard 1.1, R. Parry seven wickets for 35 runs. W. Wilkie three for 39) ; Army, first innings 116 (R. Parry 30, LofTler 23, W. Wilkie 20, McKeague 10, Marshall three wickets for 37 runs, Farrelly one for 26, Thompson one for 11, Young three for 14, Benfield two for six).

Nomads v. Air Training Corps A.— Nomads, first innings 200 for nine ? ’wicketf* declared (E. Bridge 14, 1. Stewart 59, C. Fraser 28, U. Phillpotts 35, A. IJignall 11, G. Revell 17 riot out, j. Stokes one 1 wicket for 45 runs, J. Revell two for 31, L. Roderick one for 40, R. Pettit four for 43) ; Air Training Corps, first innings 7.7 (L. Roderick 10, C, Hardacre 22, R. Pettit 12, D. Jones two wickets for' 19 runs, J. Crawford-Smith fivo for 19, G. Revell one for 10). SENIOR B GRADE

Air Training Corps B v. Marist. —Marist, first innings 115 (Ji Gardner 12, M. Allen 47 not out, Blanc 23, Donovan 17, Phelps two wickets for 29 runs, J. White one for 10, A. McKay two for eight, second innings 97 for three wickets declared (J. Gardner 42, Blane 24, White one wicket for 18 run's, McKay one for 19. B. Garland one for 10; Air Training Corps, first innings 61 (White 40, L. Parker two for 10, Gardner one wicket for four runs, Allen one for five), seoond innings 75 (McKay 10, White 38, Hansen 11, Parker four wickets for 35, Allen one for 31, Gardner one for nine).