CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume L, 20 December 1930, Page 13

CRICKET

SOUTH TARANAKI CHAMPIONSHIP LAST WEBK : s MATCHES The end of jnay on Saturday in the South Taranaki championship m cricket .leaves Stratford in the lead by a point from Okaiawa, but they have' played one match less. They having won all their matches to date, one being a three pointer. They have to finish; n match with Haw-era and will probably have a difficult task, because the fatter have made the good start of one wicket for S 6 and are a steadily improving team. Keen interest will be taken in the result of the fixture between Okaiawa and Stratford which is set down for to-day. Both teams have been showing fine form and the match should he a great contest if .both have a f ull team. ■Kaponga, and Old Boys A also have a match to piny that was postponed: during the bad weather at the early part of the season. That will bring all teams un to date. HAIWER.A AND KAPONGA. In the .fixture between Hnwera and •Kaponga. last Saturday, the Jkitfcor had hacl luck in. being without “their star 'batsman, S. Betts, who was battling •successfully for his province in the: Hawke Gup match and they .sufleml severely by his absence. .McKenzie and Neilseu were in .fine howling form lor Hnwera. and dismissed them very cheaply, only three batsmen in the two innings reaching double figures. Brit for Jefcoate’s sterling innings in his second essay, Hnwera would almost certainly have got an easy three-point win.

IT. Hughes, the veteran of the team, showed that he is still a. force to be reckoned with, and he defied the bowling of the Kaponga men while he ran up 70 runs and was unbeaten when tliev declared. HIGH SCHOOL v. OLD BOYS B. Scoring was quite good in the High School-Old Boys B match, a feature being the number of batsmen—twelve—who got double figures. In scores of 141 and 153 this is decidedly unusual. Air Extras, too, lutlped each team with 13 and 12. Sturroek and Whitehead were the •star howlers, both doing remarkably wel I. OKAIAWA v. OLD BOYS A. Okaiawa bad a. fairly easy win from Old Boys A, who were without Lay, their host all-rounder. The latter, however, made a, fair score of 110, Moloney and Foster scoring 34 and 30, Eden being too good for most of the others. Eden went on to put up also an excellent hatting figure with his 68. compiled mainly when partnered with. A, Betts, who scored 59. They put on 127 out of the total of IS9.

PATE'A v. STRATFORD. Scores in the .Patea-Strattord match were surprisingly good. Patea played the best innings they have had this season, Smith, JPalmer, Patterson, and Lord all being in fine form. Wilson, of Stratford, once more came off with bis googlies and secured a fine average. Purvey, of Stratford, played one of the breeziest innings seen this season when be annexed 55 of a total of 192. He. is a fine forcing bat, who shows .much .power in his strokes and excellent defence. He will be a, decided acquisition to the South Taranaki team If available at the end of the month. His club mates, Dounelly, F. Young aiul Gatton, also showed fine form and ran up their totals in very quick time. HAWKE CUP. The outstanding interest of the week was the elimination match for the Hawke Clip in which Taranaki scored a narrow and exciting win from Wanganui after being over a hundred hell ind ill the first innings. S. Betts, of Kaponga. bad a big hand in the victory for, besides scoring 16 and 25 (the later when runs were badly wanted), lie came oft’ in his bowling in the second innings, getting four wickets for only 18 runs. Nasmith was .the outstanding batsman for Taranaki with Jiis 39 and 48. The finish of the match was one of those incidents that delight the onlookers and brings them to their toes in the fever of excitement as; wickets fall and still a few runs are wanted. They .are the “champagne” of cricket. Y\ aiknto are to be congratulated on their achievement in winning from Blangitikei. They have challenged often, but have not had much success.. Taranaki players, who. have met Waikato be!ore, will join in the congratulations. The visit of the Victorian College touring team will create keen interest, at the end or the month. Tliev are a fine sporting combination and 'will be cut to play a fast, open game and to put sparkle into their play.

NEW ZEALAND TOUR,

LORD’S FIXTURES FOR 1939

Following are the dates of the chief matches to be played at Lord's next season : May 13, 18, 19.—M.C-.C. v. New Zealand June 2 1 , 29, 30.—■ England v. New Zealand, Test match. July 6,7, B.—Oxford v. Cambridge. July 10.11.—Eton v. Harrow. July 15, 16, 17.—Gentlemen v. Flayers. In order to finance the tour of the team to England a company is being 1 formed ■ as was done three years ago with a share capital of £12,699. I no' moving spirits in the scheme are -Messrs. D. Reese, A. IJ. Donnelly, E. R. C'aygul and D. E. Wanklyn. New Zealand is definitely rising to a higher status in the cricket world, and the aim is to have the Dominion placed on such a pedestal that it will take rank as the third best cricketing country, says “Not Out,” in the Post. The writer recently compared the performances of the last (Vest Indies; team to visit England with those of the New Zealand team which visited England in* 1927. The figures were distinctly in New Zealands’s favour' and. if the right opportunity is given to the Dominion, there is no reason why its representatives should not be able to prove that cricket, in this country is worthy of better recognition that it: has been given in (ho past. New Zealanders at various times whenresiding in England have performed to advantage in first -class cricket. PLUXKET 8/1 i ELi) MATCHED. Dates arranged so far for Plunked Shield matches this cricket season are: - Deeember 25. 25, 27. 29- —Auckland v. Canteijoury. at Lancaster Park; "Wellington v. Otago, at Wellington. January I. 2,3, and s—Wellingtons—Wellington v. Canterbury, at Lancaster Park; Auckland v. Otago, at Dunedin. VISIT OF AUSTRALIANS. The visit of an Australian team, which is practically an All Australian combination will mark another epoch in the history of the game in N e ' v Zealand. It will make a fine prelude to the tour by New Zealand to the Old Country,