Cricket

Grey River Argus, 14 January 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

Cricket

(By “Cover Point.”) Grade cricket was resumed last week-end, after the Canterbury and Ashburton rep. fixtures had occupied the preceding two week-ends. United B had a much depicted team to meet Cobden, only five regulars being available, who wore reinforced by a couple of juniors and au emergency. Cobden opened with Barlow and C. Dewar, and the former got busy from the word “go,” square cutting both Casey and Revell to the boundary. He quickly ran into the forties when a change if bowling steadied the rate of scoring. Beard bowled better than in previous efforts, keeping a better length. The one that got Dewar came back a little—a difficult ball when delivered round the wicket, as Beard invariably bowls. Dewar had beeq comparatively subdued, the total being 47 and his tally 9 of that number when the first wicket fell. Kelly filled the vacancy, and, after scoring a single, pulled away from a fast one from Casey and had his stumps spreadeaglecl. Knapp quickly got to work, showing better form than in any previous game this season. He should have been caught at the leg boundary by Kittelty (fielding substitute), the fieldsman making a poor effort to reach the ball. Apart from this, George gave a glimpse of the form that made his batting a. treat to witness in past seasons, the leg glance, square cut and off drive being his best scoring strokes. Barlow was well taken behind the wicket by Adams, who was keeping wicket remarkably well for one who was not in practice. Knapp, on reaching his half century, had a go and was held by Merriman (fielding substitute), at mid off. J. Thomas showed good strokes in the com pilation of his 18, and was well caught by Kittelty at cover of an uppish stroke. A. Thomas was given out lbw, | a decision that did not please the batsman a little bit. Two juniors, Eggloton and Hyndman, defied the attack for quite a while, knocking up 36 and 21 not out respectively, and the innings was declared at 204 for six wickets.

United B opened with Adams and Denton to the bowling of Knapp and Dewar. The latter beat Denton with a yorker that the batsman tried to force to the on. Adams was bowled by Knapp when his tally was one short of double figures. Casey and Beard took the total to the seventies by good cricket, Casey in particular showing good form, and his driving is easily the best of any player in Coast cricket at present. Barlow came on with his tempting slows and quickly got both the batsmen out, Casey being well caught by Kittelty off a straight hit, and Beard being snapped up close in by Sparks. The remaining batsman gave ho trouble, and the innings closed ifor 85 the B team batting only eight men. STARS V. UNITED A. Very poor cricket was shown by these teams in the above fixture at the Rec during the week-end, the only feature worse than the batting being the fielding. Stars opened with Mclntosh and Thompson. The former was scratchy and early gave a chance of stumping which Clarke did not accept. Jamicso" came on vice King and quickly got wickets, Thompson being well caught in the slips by Warnes; Reynolds suffered the same fate, and Ryan was clean bowled—Jamieson getting rid of the first three wickets at small cost. He was bowling a good length, with a nice, nippy off break occasionally. Merriman relieved him and got Mclntosh caught at mid off by Matthews. Nelson was apparently clean bowled, the umpire being unsighted by the bowler. He afterwards went on and made 20. It makes one wonder what Stars total would have been had Mclntosh been stumped before making his 27, and Nelson given out. The total would have been about 40 less. Merriman was bowling an awkward ball, swinging and kicking after lauding, and he secured 4 for for 25 runs. Fass came on late and cleaned up the tail, 3 for .13 being his average. McIntosh and Nelson were the only bats men to reach double figures for the Stars.

Spender ami Matthews were the opening pair for United, Mullins and Davey being entrusted with the attack. The former bowler appealed three times for Matthews lbw to balls well on the leg side. He was eventually given out, but whether lbw or stumped, it is hard to say, as both were appealed for. Spender was missing a lot of leg stuff and gave an easy chance of stumping before he had scored. He was very severe on loose off balls afterwards, but gave another chance to Nelson in the outfield that was badly misjudged. Spender eventually played a ball from Thompson down into his block, and the ball rolled back and just removed the bails. The outgoing batsman had made 36 out of 47 on the scoreboard at his departure. King was beaten and bowled by Mullins with a good one that came back and took the leg stick. Merriman was clean bowled by Davy for 3, Warnes was run out for a duck, and five wickets were down for under 50. Jamieson and Walton had a bit of luck; bad fielding and worse catching helping the score along. The former made 28 and the latter 23. Fass and Clarke hit up 17 and 16 respectively and the innings realised 134 after one of the poorest games of the season.

The Management-Committee decided to close the senior and third grade competitions and declare United A and Marist the winners of their divisions. Marist have a splendid record of 3 point wins and United A are also m an unbeatable position. Fresh competitions will be staged for senior and third grade until the end of the season.

The following appears in an interview with Alloo the Otago Captain in the Christchurch “Sun.”:—A big fault with young cricketers, Alloo considers, is that they do not pay enough attention to the gner joints of the

game, such as throwing correctly to the bowler and so forth. Fielding is a department in which young players do not take enough interest. They think that if they make runs they are cricketers, even if they miss catches and lose their side valuable runs in the field. They do. not concentrate sufficiently and are not on their toes the whole time. They stand flat-foot-ed too often. That is the big fault with fieldsmen in front of the bat. Me-' Mullan (who was present): “Wfien I was a youngster, I used to get up at I 5 o’clock in the morning for cricket practice. Galland ' (also present): When I was a boy, I remember how we used to field for the Dunedin play-1 ers until io was dark. That was before we wore even members of the club. Alloo said that things were different nowadays. He claimed that umpires had as much need to study cricket as the players, as their part in the game was quite as important. A grievance that Alloo expressed was that the bowler did not get enough credit for what The batsmen received all the prominence, and that was one reason why young players thought that they were complete cricketers. He considered that in some instances the Press Avas to blame for this. “A run saved is a run gained,” said Alloo. All players should practise fielding if they are to be complete players.’’

A writer in “The Cricketer,” concerning the settling of New Zealand players in the Old Country: “It has been mooted that one or two of the side may eventually settle down in England, but it is to be hoped that it is idle rumour and nothing else, for, now that the ship is on the way. every endeavour h|c made to keep steam up. We have plenty of cricketers in England—and to spare—but they have not got too many good players in New Zealand to export them. They must keep their good men. This traffic in cricketers has never appealed to me, It began with Midwinter, then on to J. J. Ferris, and so on to Albert Trott, Roche, Harry, McDonald, and others. It will be a great pity if those responsible in New Zealand do not, as far as they can, put their foot down on this sort of thing. Some clause should be inserted m the agreement signed, which might prevent it.”

“Second Slip” in “The Cricketer,” rwites of K. C. James: Of the New Zealanders’ wicket-keeper, K. C. James, it has been said by some of those most qualified to know that at the present moment he is probably second to W. A. Oldfield, the Australian, as the best in the world. Having seen James on several occasions, the writer has very little hesitation in placing him in the same class as Strudwick, Lilley, Halliwell, Sherwell, Blackham, Jarvis, McGregor, and many others, who have all been so good.