CRICKET.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 31 October 1928, Page 9

CRICKET.

SOUTHERN COMPETITION. SATURDAY’S GAMES REVIEWED. Although conditions were not ideal, cricketers were favoured with fine weather on Saturday, the wickets, however, being rather soft as a, result of the week’s heavy rain. In most centres the ball -triumphed over the bat, there being only a few- isolated instances of high scores. OLD BOYS v. KAPON6A, At Kaponga Old Boys rau out victors over the home side in a, very exciting contest. Batting first, Old Boys rattled up 'the good total of 166 for three wickets and declared, but the margin proved almost too narrow: for comfort. Kaponga, thanks to a hardhitting effort by Abbott, and sound support from Harrison, reached 162, and a sigh of relief won't up from Old Bovs as the las'; wicket fell. Old Boys opened with Moloney and Milroy, the former going l.b.w. to Twist after making 47. Six lours were in his total, the rest being twos and singles. 'Milroy hit seven fours, five being collected successively. Hayes, who was first wicket, “totalled 69. his effort being somewhat restrained, only four of his shots reaching the boundary. Cheevers w:as undefeated with 27, after playing a careful innings, only two fours coming off his bat, the rest being mostly singles. Seven Kaponga bowlers were tried, howling a-total of 31 overs between them, and having an average of over five runs an over suoredj off them. The only maiden ever was Twist’s first, in which he also secured a wicket, getting Moloney l.b.w. with his second ball. In the second innings Old Boys reversed the batting order, giving the rest- of the team a strike. L. "Walker, in a bright effort quickly rattled up 42 out of a total of 63. for six wickets. His effort included seven fours and one six. Sadler, with four wickets for 12 runs secured good bonding figures, for Kaponga. . , , kaponga’s opening pair, S. and Betts, were separated with only five runs on the board. Ghadwick securing V. Betts’s wicket through a catch by Hayes. Twist was next in, only to loose S. Betts with but one run added. Abbott then took his stand and right merrily lie set out to gather runs. As is generally the case with hitters, he gave a few chances, but these were not accepted, until at 93 Moloney held a high one from him off Lay. Nine sixes and six fours were his boundary strokes and in addition he collected one three, two two’s and only eight singles. Harrison, with 39, was more restrained, and reached the fence jjn only four occasions, including a six. Most of , his scoring strokes produced two, proving that on the somewhat dead outfield there was power in liis strokes. Twenty-eight overs were howled by six Old "Boys bowlers used, seven of , these being maidens. Chadwick and Haves with nine overs each bore the brunt of the attack, Hayes having four maidens to his credit. OKAIAWA V. MIDLAND. The meeting of Okaiawa and Midland at Okaiawa resulted in a two-pomt win for the home ceam, Okaiaw a be- ( iu <T unfortunate in having an appeal against Midland’s last batsman disallowed on call of time. Midland vere (>4 runs behind on the two innings and the last batsman was facing Fenny to take his last delivery. The ball a-p----peaYed to strike the oil wicket without dislodging the bail, but, unseen by the umpire, the leg bail tell off. On an appeal the umpire gave not- out, being unaware that a bail, was off, as lus view was obstructed by the batsman. Of the Okaiawa team, who had firs’: use of the wicket, five batsmen, reach-., ed double figures, A. Betts heading the list- with a score xff 36. He was miss-, cd ill slips in the first over oft Giblm, ill fact the whole innings was a story of missed catches and bad fielding by the Midland players. This no doub: was the big factor in their defeat. Midland have been disappointing in thenfirst two matches, but have themselves to blame, as very few of the team hate nut- in an appearance at the nets so far Thomas was Okaiawa’s second top scorer with 29, which he made m a- very cautious manner, altogether contrary to his. usual methods. Atkins and Hughes were both a- long while getting 19. and 14 respectively. For the second time Okaiawa had the moi afieatioii of seeing Penny dismissed early, McKenzie getting lnm m his first ovei . Malone was Midland’s most successful bowler, although Nielsen proved vety difficult to play. Slands’'reply of 38 was a very poor effort for a team that on paper should lis good- enough -•for -150. per innings'. Young contributed 20, including two foursr and the rest tailed ofi baulv Jennings with 6 being the next highest scoter. Penny reaped a hanest o. wickets, taking seven for lo runs. Midlands’ .second effort was oxen worse. Giblin - this time top-scoring with 13, all in ■ singles. Penny again did the damage, taking six lor Jnms The wicket was inclined to bump, but this was not the cause of Midlands’ downfall. Unenterprising catting and joking fit the bowling was the mistake made. EXCELSIOR V. ELTHAM. ’ Excelsior, after a bad start the .previous week, retrieved themseives on Saturdav by ■ defeating -Elthani, thus avengino the defeat of. their clubmates by the same team. Elthani had first strike on a wicket which, although' true, was soft and yielding and made the bowling- rather difficult to judge. Only two batsmen reached doiiTjle figure's in Elthani’s first inn- . nos, LLoptvins mul (jhristAiKi.s •gcttnig each. I-JL Douneiiy was not out with j, alter j*oinis iu third -wicket clownJfc was* kept quiet, however, and was never conuoi table, giving a couple ol ciuuiccs in the innuigs. Busing came ait wxLJI a- good average, lour wickets i-ur ID' runs. His judicious mixing ol slows with his fast stuft played havoc with the Bithaiu batting. , Excelsior s grouncl fieiding was goon, but- the catching was weak, ..showing a- want or practice in this department, in tact I the -membens of the team are equal ,\ m want oi net practice as the jMkiuvih . team are. and very few -or them have vet been, seen on the ground or an evening. . • Fxce.isior’« batting reawisod’ fine lair total of 128 for eight wicseis when a declaration was made. Crombie and Hobday opened, Hobday being troubled by Donnelly in his second over w ith •jiilv five runs up. Hughes partnered Crombie, and together (they took the score to ICKJ before Crombie went to a catch oft Hopkins. . Crombie * effort ts-.r 4was marred by a few uppish strokes, hut he gave a glimpse of good form and should produce a lot -m runs this season. He scored by singles anil twos, bis only i-our coming oil Ins last I shot. Hughes was bowled with the score at IU9, his own total being o/. His first 22 runs wore singles' and twos, and then he brightened up and notched throe fours and two. Ibices. The rest of the side was somewhat disappointing. most of the batsmen going

out to comparatively easy bulls through mistiming. Storing throughout was considerably slower than in some of the other games. Elthani bowling 38 overs costing a shade over three runs an over. Eitham’s record innings was a good sporting effort against odds, and H. Donnelly, the skipper, led his men for a brightly played 31 not out. A nsford with 11 was the only other to appear in double -figures. A sensational finish was provided when Busing, with three balls to bowl in the last over, captured two successive wickets and missed the next and last wicket by a -hair’d breadth. Busing once more secured a fine average, tnk-i ing seven for 20 runs, mostly obtained j with a tricky slow. The awkward ques- j f.ion of knowing when to declare was! in evidence here as also in the Old ' Boys—Kaponga game. Had 1 Excelsior declared sooner they might have hall a better chance of a three point win, , bat it was only afterwards that these points could be realised. HIGH SCHOOL v. STRATFORD | Playing on No I wicket, oil the Ha-j 1 wera, Park, .High School gained a • comfortable .three point win over the visiting-Stratford team. Stra-tlcrd ,w: s without Gole who is playing-bin the home matches only. Earrie originally interfiled not playing, but on, the pass ing of the- extra half-hour of s miner time he decided to come out for the home games. <■ Stratford batted hirst ami . except for 18 by Court, and 16 by W.lscn, the scoring was poor, the total reaching only 68. The High School bowling was evenly distributed, threebowlers taking three- wickets each for small figures." - With 122 bn for seven wickets, High School declared, Peter-, sen heading the batting with 45. Five of liis strokes reached the boundary, and shots' for two . were frequent. Three other batsmen. Barker, Mornsson, and Thomas scored 12- each, Morrisson’s effort being a particularly careful one of 12 singles. Turnbull’* 18 not out, included seven twos. "Wilson bore the brunt of the Stratford attack, taking in fifteen overs, lire for 60 runs. . Stratford; again fared badly in their second essay, "Young topscoring with 17 and Gatton being next highest with ten. Patterson’s catch off A\ ilson in the longfield , was the gem of the mat'll. The school fielding was, as usual, excellent, very little being let past. Four school bowlers shared the wickets, Barker with three for two doing best. This is the school’s second three-point win, and they are now in the lead for the championship. , Old Boys have also had two win*, but have gained only two points The meeting of these two teams will be looked forward to with interest.