CRICKET.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 November 1924, Page 9

CRICKET.

Cricketers had a mixture of weather last Saturday, but were able to finish their, matches, except at Patea, -where a draw resulted. Stratford easily beat Okaiawa at Okaiawa; Eltham accounted for Midland in a good scoring game, while Excelsior let Patea score too many runs and left themselves with too little time to get the runs. The features of the afternoon were the scores by Philpotts (Eltham) 103 not out. Vowless (Midland) 83, Lambert (Stratford) 63, and Hamel (Patea) 50. The bowling, of Cole (Stratford), eight for .31 and three for 8, and Lambert (Stratford), six for 13, also merits special mention.

PATEA v. EXCELSIOR

The Patea players did much better than they anticipated in getting 170. Hamel led the way with a well-played 50. He played some powerful strokes on both sides of the wicket, and if some were uppish they had pow 7 er behind them. A couple of chances were noted against him. Oakes, in getting 26, hit very hard and trounced one over of Machin’s to the tune of 17. Findlay 24, after a let off in the second over, showed sound defence. Some capital shots to the on were made, and he generally made some use of a loose ball. Palmer 12 and Smith 10 both show promise, while Tinney w 7 as not long in gathering his 12. Excelsior had to bat in a very dull light, and some of the players found it difficult to time the bull. Crombie 38 played with great freedom and collected his runs by shots to leg. Some full tosses given him were smacked most unmercifully. Fulton, 36, played steadily and scored, ‘as usual, most ot his runs on the leg side. Galvin, 22, was playing very well, and m'ade some rather good off strokes. Bowling for Excelsior, McCarthy was in good form, but was unlucky. He got five for 65, and the balls that bowled Gibbs and Findlay were right out of the box. Of the Patea bowlers Palmer got the best results with five for 32. He is a slow 7 bow ler with a peculiar action/ and the ball with a low flight seemed to gather distance. Gibbs bowled the best and kept all the batsmen quiet. Although a couple of fairly easy chances were missed, the fielding on both sides w r as very fair.

MIDLAND v. ELTHAM

Midland. w 7 ho batted first, put up the good score of 189 and seemed to be in a safe position. Eltham came to light, however, and reached 203 for nine wickets. Philpotts led the way with a well-hit 103. He scored with the utmost .freedom all round the wicket, timing his leg hits especially w r ell. Little, 48. hit in liis customary manner, with cuts and drives his best shots. For once he w r as outpaced by bis partner, Philpotts. Parker, 15, and Priest, 14, also rendered valuable help in keeping their ends up. ■ For Midlands. Vowless with 83 played a snlendid innings, and showed the marked improvement made by this player. His defence was first rate, and he put plenty of power into his scoring strokes. Thomas made 43 in good style and will be a most valuable man for the Midland. He has good strokes and a sound knowledge of the game. Plank 12 Inch 10. and Brodie 10 were the other double figure scorers.

Of +he howlers. Giblin for Midland wa«s the most successful, and bowled with some sting. His analysis of six

for 51 was very good bowling indeed. Tiddy with two for 33 was hit about freely, but still he bowled some good stuff. Priest, four for 47, has been very successful for Eltham this season, while C. Little, four for 37, did well last Saturday. Both these men are steady and straight, and have to be watched carefully. STRATFORD v. OKAIAWA. Okaiawa went down badly at home against Stratford. .Okaiawa, batting first, got 82, and Penny (44) made more than a. fair proportion. This player has been batting rather consistently this season, and is certainly the mainstay of his team. In the second innings of Okaiawa the poor score of only 21 was made, gnd out of this number Betts made 11. Seven men failed to score. For Stratford, Lambert hit up 63 in his usual free manner, and with the advent of this player Stratford will he a hard nut to crack. Claridge made 26 very steadily, and Knight hit up 22 not out. Furrie got doubles also, and wall trouble the scorers some more before the end of the season. Cole .and Lambert were right on the spot with the ball. In the first innings the former got eight wickets for 31, and in the second three for 8, while Lambert in the second took six for 12. For Okaiawa Brooke got four for 29, and Penny four for 59. Okaiawa badly missed the .services of Pratt in this game. !

JUNIOR CRICKET. The junior matches wer e chiefly noticeable for the fact of bowlers having mostly the better of things, and it was only in the Technical A game that, any batting to speak of was seen. Cheevers 48 and Church 45 both did well and gave promising displays. A new player named Smales played in the Excelsior B match at Eltham. and showed some form in getting 33 .not out and 20. CHRISTCHURCH GAMES. Riccarton 177' (Cox 37) v. Limvood 104 for four wickets. East Christchurch 157 (Bugg 43) v. West Christchurch 177 for four wickets (Blunt 83 not out). . St. Albans 216 (Woods 76 Sandman 40) v. Sydenham 134 for two wickets (Gasson 82 not out). AUCKLAND RESULTS. Playing against Grafton Eden scored 164 in the first innings (H. Gillespie, not out, 93). Grafton scored 60 for two wickets ’ University made 126 (W. Garrard, not out, 62) against Parnell, who made 72 for two wickets.

Ponsonby made 183 (Smith 66) against North Shore.

DUNEDIN MATCHES.

In first grade cricket, Albion 260 beat Dunedin 144 and 274 for nine wickets on the first innings. In the first innings for Dunedin Strang ivas not out 46, Cherry 29. Keast took ivve wickets for 20. In the second innings M’Cardie scored 77, Casey 39, Higgins 36 - Bennett hot out 29 Shepherd took three wickets for. 45, Grange 328, declared, beat Carisbrook, 96 and 202 for. eight wickets on the first innings. For Grange M’-Mull-an made 117. A. W. Alloo 66, Conradi 43, Jalland 41, and Dickinson three for 80. For Carisbrook in the second innings, A. P Alloo made 46, Dunning 44, Worker 38, Ramsden not for- 88"* "■' to °k TOWN v. COUNTRY. The Wellington association has decided to play the Town and .Country match again this season, and intends asking the various associations within the boundary to nominate a selector each for the purpose of selecting the Country team. If the team has any luck its quiti possible that the major body will not hg,ve things quite its own way There are lots of players in the country who only want some big games to develop their resources and give them experience, to show that they are quit© capable of playing m the best class in the Dominion. Even if the results of the scheme are of a comparatively negative character tor a year or so, there is hound to be good obtained in, the long run and the advocates for the further development of the system, will ultimately win out.

THE ENGLISH TEAM,

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

(“J.W. ” Australasian.) There is siomething fascinating in seeing a visiting cricket team at the nets, aifd gathering first impressions irrespective of what one may read about the prowess of the individual members. After all it is somebody else,s opinion formed, may be, after the person concerned has proved himself, and th’at opinion founded, as it may well be, on actual results and figures may easily prove a hindrance instead' of assisting one's own judgment. On the other hand, watching players for the first time, especially towards the end of the practice when the bowlers are feeling a bit tired after their exertions, is not altogether a. reliable guide on which to form an absolutely definite opinion. Spea-xing personally, 1 always prefer gauging a cricketer s capabilities when lie is in harness and his side is up againstodds. "While this is all very well in ■its way, however, it is one’s' first im-pre-ssons that really count, and many are waiting for them.

The English Invasion. The interest of the sport and the concern manifested in this happily termed “English invasion” Land J flatter myself that I was the- author of the phrase), ate almost- beyond behef. The questions that arise are. “Wliix i- likely to prove the strength of the English band, and have they a weakness?” In the first place, it is raHiei " remarkable that in Gilligan and Howell they possess two expresses, or at least two fast bowlers ; in Tate and Douglas two fast mediums; while Freeman, Tyldesley, Ivihier, and, perhaps. Woolley, supply the slows. Itis not a bail combination of attackers by any means, though legitimate medium pace bowling—unless Woolley can be classed as in that category—i's at a premium. It might- have been better to have -a right band medium bowler, and someone else excluded. Quantity is not lacking, and time alone will prove whether it is the right quality, though it is evident that the Englishmen have no serious doubts on the matter.

Then comes the question, “Wba-t of the batting?” My first impression was that it was principally of the sound order; in fact, most of those chosen were, in fhe opinion of many judges, picked exclusively for that reason, as it was felt that those in authority in England were acting on a set scheme. A team of men who will never take a risk may be depended upon more than a team of dashers,

but in my opinion, it is the happy medium, a mixture of both' with a leaven of dash, that provided the ideal combination. There appears to be a concensus of opinion among the Englishmen themselves—and seeing them practising supports the view—'that, notwithstanding Hobbs’ great name and record the two best batsmen on the side are Woolley and Sutcliffe. Fgures are not by any means a reliable guide, as even those with but a modicum of cricket knowledge ought to know, and several of the visitors, though not wishing to say too much, conveyed the impression that the best bat in England last season was Woolley. He scored much more freely than his compatriots, and it was the’ style, combined with the result of his efforts, that made him the master tradesman. It is his easy, graceful methods at the wickets that make the ball travel like a thing possessed without any apparent force. That forces one to the conclusion that this ought to be his great year. Sutcliffe is a real typical example of the ultra-modern batsman. His watching- of the ball and his strength in on play promise well for his success. Ask any Englishman what he thinks of our fast wickets, and the answer received is, “We have not sampled them yet.” The newcomers are liecoming rather sceptical about them, but certain of the bowlers 6aid, with ominous shakes of the head, “Oh, they’ll come along all right.’’ Hobbs More Sedate. It may be only fancy, but the thought kept obtruding itself upon me all the while he was batting that Hobbs was not as certain in his execution as in years gone by,, but that is frequently a way with these old champions. They are not particularly anxious in impressing onlookers about their form, invariably reproducing their best in matches, and it may be. so with Hobbs. One sees it frequently in print that Hobbs is not the dasher of yore. That perhaps is true. The Surrey man has been for a long time champion batsman of the world, with a faculty of taking toll from anything that deserves it, yet he was never a dasher in the real sense of the word. The First Practice. Sandham is another typical modern batsman, and only needs to strike form to prove very troublesome to our bowlers. They are to have another practice this afternoon, and a better idea of his skill will be given. And what applies to Sandham also applies to Bryan. The first practice was not worked on scientific lines, just a go-as-you-please affair—the Australian style of picking from a hat, and taking one’s turn, evidently is not. approved by Englishmen—but .the exercise made them all perspire freely. Tate is a big boyish chap, and always smiling. Like Douglas he will bowl all day in practice, for he loves it. I will be a bad judge if he turns out a -squeaker, for like Chapman he is open and breezy and cheery. Tyldesley is a big, broad, burly Lancastrian, brother of the Tyldesley that was here with Maclaren’s team, but no relation whatever to the great little batsman, “Johnny ” Tyldesley, England’s chamgioii sticky wicket batsman. He is a ail fellow well met, and a most likable man, but the gem of the party, I think, is Gilligan, the captain. The Captain’s Personality.

The first impression of Gilligan is that he is a born leader. “The main thought,” he said to me, and he was hacked up by Douglas, “is that the tests provide first-class cricket. We have come out here to do our best, and we trust to take whatever comes our way in the sport of the game. ” In fight man in the right place. As a fast bowler, as well as leader, fie is filling a difficult position, though those under him consider • that his judgment and love of fair play will prove equal to the task. M. A. Noble proved, and H. F. Boyle before him, that with the right man at the helm there is nothing to fear. Douglas was very noncommittal over the experiment of the eight-ball over. “We have not had enough experience as yet,” he said, “to form any definite opinions on the subject. Our real knowledge will commence in the match against South Australia, after which we may be able to speak as individuals who have been through the mill.” Gilligan is fortunate in having Douglas as an understudy ; for, with the cares and worries of captainship freed from his broad shoulders, his value to the side will be increased enormously. Hendren has not as yet struck anything like his proper form. He has boils, blisters, and colds, and is keen to be included against South Australia in order to obtain proper-match practice. He is the same jovial, active, little CockneyIrishman, and laughed heartily at the remembrance of the spectator on the Melbourne ground offering him a bottle of beer, “and my Juck was dead out,” he added, “in circumstances that made me refuse it.” He is such a grand field, and sticks it to the end, however hot the day, that he is always a favourite with the crowd, who dearly love a cheerful trier. Strudwick takes every opportunity of going behind at the nets, and is one of those steady and reliable little sporting chaps that is always doing good work. He* stands by himself as England’s best keeper, and is the soul of honour behind the wickets. Hearne, like Hobbs, is not the dasher of old either, and he seems destined to provide many weary moments. I predict that this, team will be most popular, and deservedly so. Thev are a band of brothers, with the impishness of the boy in many of them, and though they reckon their first duty is to the game of cricket they all readily admit the tour’s educational influence.