CRICKET.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 11 January 1928, Page 10

CRICKET.

competition fixtures RESUMED. LEADING TEAMS HOLD POSITIONS During the first round, Okaiawa, the leaders in the competition for the : championship in South. Taranaki, had several close calls, but they always managed to gjet home. On Saturday the odds at one time looked very much against them when paying Old Boys at the Park. They had only a moderate total on the score .sheet, 138, being without the .services of Pratt, and having lost their skipper. Penny, run out, when he was going strongly, when O’/d Boys opened their innings. The latter began badly til] Hayes and Lay were associated, and these two, playing excellent- sound cricket, took the total from three for 14 to four for 83, and the next wicket put oil 16. Old Boys’ chances looked good, with five wickets to fall and only 30 to get to win. But the rest, of the. team made a very poor showing, and ware all out for 14 runs, eight of which were put on by the ninth wicket. So Okaiawa once more came through unbeaten. Penny and Betts pnt up 3S for the first wicket for Okaiawa, and the second and third wickets added 24 and 29 respectively, but then the wickets fell pretty fast except the last, which made a very serviceable stand. Penny’s 36 was the best knock of the innings, but the Okaiawa skipper was much slower in getting his runs, than usual. He had only onu four in hiis total. Lay howled well and thoroughly deserved his four wickets, while Moloney, who came on late, .secured three at a cost of two runs per wicker. Okaiawa went in again at six o’clock and lost fine wickets- It is worth special notice that of the fifteen wickets which fell no less than eleven were caught. McDonald gained, the greatest credit bv taking four catches, all good, but two really excellent, while Hughes and Cheevers took two each, a most creditable result. Lay’s batting was full of fire, freedom and confidence. Ho defended his wicket well, but any half volley or any loose ball he punished severely. One straight carpet drive in particular to the off between the bowler and cover was a great .stroke. In all he got .six fours, three in successive shots. He got out in trying to pull ian easy straight ball from Penny to square-kg. Hayes, too, played nice cricket; showing capital defence, and watching the. ball carefully. His innings was of the utmost value to’ his team. Hammond, who has returned recently to Hawera, played rather streakxly, but has some nice ebots. and helped materially by his useful total of eleven. Old Boys, had bad luck in losing Cheevers 1.b.w., just, as he was getting his eye in, and tliey also lost Moloney and McDonald the same-way. Dow die had bad luck in getting out hv a ball from Penny hitting the keeper’s pads and rebounding on to the wicket, the batsman being out of his crease*. A similar incident happened a few balls later, but the batsman was wisely in his crea.se. Midlands had a day out against. Pate a, just failing to get an innings victory- Actually the win was by an j even greater margin, because they lost only five wickets in their first innings. Seager. and Giblin had a' merry opening partnership, playing bright cricket and making the pace warm. They were also active between the wickets. Seagar continued the brisk work, wdth Little, and 121 was hoisted before thje second wicket fell. Three more went cheaply, and at 150 a declaration was made. Patea went in both innings for small scores, 82 and 77, Giblin, WorraLl, McCarthy and Seager all bowling very consistently. I The Excelsior players have shown much improvement, and have proved much stronger than was lamtioinated. J. Mills, one of the veterans, ha® made a number of capital scores and proved himself a hard wicket to take. On Saturday lie! put up his* beet score* for the season, getting 65 against Ivaponga, and with McCarthy rattling up 17 out of a, total of 179. the young batsman scoring a capital. 52, which total included a six and four fours. Thp- Kanonga batsmen replied with 1.31. Laurie playing a good innings, 55 eight fours and a. six—and showing very sound form. S. and V. Betts both batted well, for 22 and 27 respectively, the latter laying on the wood to much, purnose. Laurie wae the star bowler, getting no less than six Excelsior wickets, while Priest secured three, and for the Hawera team Machin, _ a veteran w»ho rarelv fails to secure wicket®, took five for 37. Johns backing up the attack by annexing four for 37-