CRICKET.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 27 January 1926, Page 3

CRICKET.

INTISR-STATE MATCH. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. BRISBANE, Jan. 26. I'lie cricket match between South Australia and Queensland was resumed to-day in hot weather and on a good wicket. South Australia, which made 198 ,in the first innings, were all out for 200 in the second (Grimmett 23). Mayes took three wickets for 38 runs and Noyes three for 60. Queensland, which made 183 in the first innings, requires 216 to win. When stumps were drawn the score was 116 for eight wickets (R. Oxenham 34, O’Connor 26). SHEFFIELD SHIELD.

ANOTHER BIG SCORE FOR NEW SOUTH WALES. , SYDNEY, Jan. 26. The Sheffield Shield match between " New South Wales and Victoria was continued tc-day’. The weather was fine and the wicket good. Carrying on from the overnight score of 372 for three wickets, New South Wales completed the first innings for 708 runs (Kellcway 68, Rock 39, Oldfield 49, Kippax 271 not out). Hendry* Ufok three wickets for 122, and Royson three for 148.

The Victorians, who had made 290 in the first innings, had two wickets douu for 72 in the second innings when stumps were drawn for the day'. The principal scorers were Love 22 and Ponsforil 43 not out.

.The scoring by New South Wales was fast throughout. ‘ Kippax gave a .magnificent display’, executing m-uiy super]), shots. He was never troubled by the bowling. Kippax batted for 432 minutes and his score, is the greatest. individual score by a New South Wales batsman in the Sheffield SliieM niatidies. SATUR DA Y’S MATCHES. NOTES ON THE PLAY. The results of Saturday’s games alter the position of the teams in the senior contest very materially, but Okaiawa is in the lead and more strongly than before. This club is now two points ahead of Excelsior and five ahead of Stratford, while the others are well behind. Two rounds are completed, and a third round follows, but. Okaiawa.will be hard to displace. 'l’lie position is as below:

EXCELSIOR v. STRATFORD.

Tiiis mutch created great interest I localise the two teams Jay next to Okainwa in the list for the championship. Since then the position has been altered by I lie forfeit' of Stratford to Manaia. I hough i lie order Mas not changed. The two teams playing on Saturday began their innings in a totally different way, for whereas Stratford made a very fair opening stand, Cole especially playing well, and the first four all doing good work, Excelsior made a poor showing at the outset, and it was only when Lay and Little got together that the complexion of the game altered. They took the score to 100, and again there was a collapse, and one run still was required when "Wills, the tenth man, went in. He •nd up nine while Lay continued to score solidly, and the match was won by them. hay played a remarkably fine innings, unbeaten, and while he did not hit so vigorously as usual, his defence ••s perfect. He is one of the younger iiliuwk who is shaping very well, and makes one regret the want of a coach fo** the country associations. Little scored very freely in making 39. and made a number of fine on drives. His play all round was good, but Hs shots to the on are his best. Cole and Hoe re were the best bowlers for Stratford. Cole has been vew consistent with hi- batting, and has been the mainstav of the Stratford team, especially since file departure of Lambert. He was

'•• tting very solidlv, and looked likelv to stay when McCarthy, with a ball that recalled hia best days, dislodged

his hails. It was a trimmer, a good length ball that came in from the off, just hail high, one that would have taxed most batsmen.

.Dobbs, after making 12 by good cricket, was caught in the slips by Lay, a good effort, in which lie had to reach right down to tlie left—a difficult chance well taken. Court and Cottier both hatted nicely in getting 15 and 19, and then Lay got on the job with the hall, and the remaining five put on only five runs. Wood was the only man who could play him, and he rattled up 22 in quick style and was unbeaten at th© close of the innings. Lay came through with the excellent figures of six- wickets for 37. Nine overs he bowled for only one wicket costing 26 runs. Then, changing ends, lie came down on the opposing batsmen like “the wolf on the fold,” getting five for ]l. Tt was very unfortunate for Stratford that Cottier, just after the beginning of the match, who was keeping wickets, was struck in the face bv a hall from Cole that got up very quickly. As he shapes well at the wickets, his being put out of action so early was a distinct handicap to the visiting team. MIDLANDS HEAT MANAIA. Quite outstanding was the batting of Cheevers, ex-Hawera Technical High School hoy, for Midlands against Manaia. He made 89 by excellent cricket, and showed great patience in compiling his runs, for he can hit vigorously when he likes. Only eight boundaries did he get, but the Manaia ground does not. conduce to big scores unless a player lifts the hall and can bit hard enough to keep over the fieldsmen’s heads.

Monaghan also made a good stand, ami played really good cricket in getting bis 28. Ciiblin. a right-hander, although he howls left, is a big hitter, and smote lustily and got twenty in a six, two fours, a two and four singles. McKenzie was th© howler who did most of the damage to Manaia. He got six wickets for only 22 runs! He bowled only seven overs, and was on the spot. Stephenson was the only Manaia batsman to dp any good, getting 19 by good cricket. H. Hughes, who has for some time bowled without luck, came into his own, and in a score of 173 got. five wickets for 55. Tt was a good performance. PLF.NKET SHIELD MATCH. The unexpected lias happened once more in cricket-—the glorious game of chance—and Otago has beaten Wellington by a margin of five wickets. And the result is,.of considerable interest, to Hnwepa players because it was largely due to the hatting of E. O. Blamires. an ex-liawera cricketer, who, when his team was in a sorry position—five wickets down for 77 —- made a great stand, iust as he did in Auckland, and the result was that the team notched well over 200 runs, and only an inconsiderable number short of the Wellington total. Then Wellington failed, and Otago ran up the 180

required for five wickets. This it is, which is one of the great charms of cricket. Suck events are the “red wine” of sport. Wellington had done so well before in Plunket Shield matches that it was confidently anticipated the team would go right through, but it was not to be —the unexpected has happened—and the result in the series is inconclusive. OKAIAWA OVERWHELM ELTHAM. Okaiawa liad a real day out when they met ETcharu. on Saturday, and gave their opponents no chance of winning. They piled np a very good sjore, and mowed down the Eltham wickets for small scores. The only Eltham batsman to do any good was * Donnelly, who top-scored in both’ innings with 25 and 23. He played nice defensive cricket. C. Little just appeared to be going well on both occasions with 11 and 13 when Thomas got his wicket. He was also in fair bowling form. A. Betts and Penny made one of the best opening partnerships seen this season, and rattled on over 100 before th© former fell to C. Little. Betts is an improving batsman, and shows a consistent ability to make runs.

Penny went on after his partner had •gone, and totalled 82, got in really good style, before Donnelly got one past him. Penny is a nice effective hat- when in tlie humour, and hits hard all round the wicket. It was one of his best disnlays this season.

Le Fleming got 11, and was not out when the innings closed, but none of the rest did much good. The Betts representatives all got runs, and A 7, and H. looked like stayill g a long time when they were both caught by Hemingway off C. Little. H, Betts was not beaten when the inninvs was declared. Penny was right on the job in his bowling in the second innings, and accounted for six batsmen —five clean bowled—for only 30 runs. In the first Pratt took four for an average of 1.5 rufis each, and Thomas also got four.

SOUTH TARANAKI CRICKET DIVISION. THIRD ROUND FIXTURES. Seniors. Jan. 30 —Midland v. Okaiawa, at Haworn ; Stratford v. Eltham, at Eltliani; Excelsior v. Manaia, at M anaia. Feb. 6 —Midland v. Stratford. at Stratford; Excelsior v. Eltham, at ITawera; Okaiawa v. Manaia, at Manaia. Fell. 13 —Midland v. Excelsior, at Hawora; Eltham v. Manaia, at Elthain; Stratford v. Okaiawa, at Okaiawa, Feb. 20—Midland v. Eltham, at Hawora ; Excelsior v. Okaiawa, at Okaiawa; Manaia v. Stratford, at Stratford. Feli. • 27—Midland v. Manaia, at Manaia ; Excelsior v. Stratford, at Haweva; Okaiawa v. Eltham, at 1 Eltham. The question of locale for the matches was decided bv toss of coin as the only fair method.

Okaiuwji First. Second. 11 Total. 18 Excelsior 9 7 16 Stratford 7 7 14 Midlands 6 2 8 Manaia 5 1 6 Eltham 0 4 ■ 4