CRICKET

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 11, 24 December 1925, Page 15

CRICKET

TTERETAUNGA did not take full •*-L advantage of the excellent start they had made on the previous Saturday in their match with United, and had in the end to be content with a two-point win. They got rid of United cheaply enough in the first innings, the whole side being out for 118. Brown (36), Mardon (36) and Hunter (16) being the only double figure scorers. M. Booth bowled very finely, keeping a splendid length. He got great figures, coining out with four for 14. Mitchell and C. Beuth also bowled very ably, the former getting three tor 30 and Beuth two for 19. The Hcretaunga fielding in this innings was very fine, M. Beuth in particular showing veryfine form. White’s one-handed catch to dismiss Earney was a spectacular effort.

A change came o'er Ihe scene in United’s second innings, thanks chiefly to good innings by Mardbn and Schofield, with 106 and 90 respectively. Schofield batted very well indeed, and had hard luck in being run out when so close to his century. Still it was a very fine piece of fielding 011 M BeuHi’s part that led to, his dismissal. Mardon was enterprising and aggressive, but had more than his fair share of luck. Mitchell was the best of the Hcretaunga bowler.s. getting three for 54. None of the others tried did any good, and the fielding, good at the start, fell awav later in the innings, and before the finish was very poor.

Rouse was again the destructive element in the Scinde-H.5.0.8. match, for he followed up his good nerlormance in the first innings by taking lour for 21 in the second. His howling was very accurate anil of good length, and Old Boys found him exceedingly hard to score off. O’Connor also bowled fairly well. The H. 5.0.8. batting was very poor, and the whole side were out for <B3, only nine men batting. Scinde got an easy three-pointer.

The next meeting between Heretaunga and Scinde should produce a good game, and the chances a<re apparently very even. Hcretaunga are likely to have the services of Patterson. who is so far recovered from his recent operation as to feel fit for play again. Needless to say, Patterson would make a great deal of difference to the Heretaunga team, and would stiffen up the. batting appreciably.

Notwithstanding X icto-ria’s huge score against New Zealand, our men can fairly be said to have done well 111 uie match. Considerably more than half the Victorian score was put up by Jticndry, who is recognised as one 01 the nnesc all-rounders at present playing in Australia. The New Zealand team's bowling was admittedly weak when the team left New Zealand, and its lack of variety would be a fatal handicap in games with Australian State elevens. Dickinson’s defection was a very serious blow, for there seems no doubt that lie is the fastest bowler at present playing in New Zealand. and probably the nearest approach to a real express bowler we have ever had. The weakness of the New Zealand bowling is well exemplified by the fact that blunt, who was regarded as a very ordinary change bowler before he left New Zealand, has 10 be relied’ on as probably the most dangerous bowler on the side. • The batting anil fielding have both been first-class in this last match, and though the Victorian team is certainly very far f rom the best that could bo picked, it is a very judicious mixture oi colts and veterans, capable of extending the best of Australian State teams. The team contained two promising fast bowlers in Ebeling and Gamble, the latterhaving sonio great performances to his credit in Pennant matches in Melbourne. Hendry’s mammoth score is the largest that has ever been hit up against a representative New Zealand side. Hendry scored 110 lor New South Wales against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1921. His bowling performance at Wellington during the same tour was a most remarkable one. Ono that occasion he was mainly responsible lor New Zealand’s paltry score of 89 in the first innings, his figures being—2s.s overs, 15 maidens, 33 runs. 8 wickets. The batting and fielding in this match are encouraging signs, and it begins to look as if cricket in New Zealand is coming into its own at last.

The team picked to represent Hawke’s Bay in the Hawke Cup match at Nelson was not too strong in the first place, but wo understand that there have been many defections, and at time of writing it seems likely enough that the match will have to bo

called off. The best Hawke’s Bay team would have its work cut out to lift the Cup, and there seems to be little point in sending a second or third rate team across to make the attempt. Nelson’s comparative inaccessibility is a great asset in the. matter of retention of the trophy, lor it is pretty safe to assume that very few of the teams which venture across the straits travel at full strength. AVanganuj intend sending a team over a little later, but it seems problematical whether even they, though much more handily situated than file Bay. will get anything like a lull team away.

JI. L. Collins writes interestingly m the Sydney •‘.Referee’’ on the trial game recently played in Sydney, Australia v. “The Rest.” He considers Scott, at one period in the match, bowled faster than anyone he has played against for years, hut considers Scott overdoes the cheerful practice of bowling at the batsman. Blackic he regards as a gifted bowler, who can spin the ball back from the off more than anyone playing to-day, but finds it hard to understand why the hitter persisted in bowling leg theory, thereby setting file most obvious of traps. Grimmett comes in for praise lor his fine length. Kippax has done well against Grimmett many times, but he was trapped very simply in the second innings of this match. 'Hie first ball he received from Grimmett turned away a good deal. The next one. delivered with the same action, went straight through very quickly, and cleaned bowled liim. Grimmett’s batting also impressed Collins, who says some of his strokes were worthy of anyone, and he can see no reason why he should no big scores. Collins considers Hendry looked more like getting wickets than anyone else on the ** ' * Australian side, for he camo back sharply at times, and made a lot of pace from the pitch. He thought Hornibrook unlucky, and Mailey also. Gregory’s century he describes as magnificent. and considers he is one ol the finest players in the world at r ! pinch, with a great, defence, and a wonderful runner I'etween the wickets 1 Macartney ho found more difficult that any other bowler at one period oi tin match, and the little Sydney ?uan’.haiiin... is al • h.n k !<> -miici hiii*'. lik<

The Australian team for England is to be announced on December 30th, and the Australian papers are at present lull of speculative teams picked by various enthusiasts. A of these efforts which wilt interest New Zealanders is the fact that Grimmett figures in probably nine out of ten selections.

“The Referee” considers Blackic a bowler of high class, and thinks lie would do well in England, though he is far past the age when most men pack their kits for the big tour. Blackic is considered to come nearer to the true Australian type of off-break medium-pace bowler than anyone who has appeared in Australian cricket for years past.

Grimmett's performances in the trial match in Sydney acquire further merit when it is remembered that he was handicapped by a nasty injury to a finger of his right hand, which he damaged in trying to hold a catch given by Ponsford off Scott's fast bowling. lie flatted very solidly, and his bowling was very fine.

“Not Out.” in the Sydney “Referee’': “In selecting the fifteen players for England, the three cricketers upon whom the. responsibility will fall will have to bear in mind that the team will be without two of the most successful elements in the attack of 1921, that is E. A. McDonald and W. AV. Armstrong. The loss of McDonald cannot be made good from the talent seen in action this season. That of Arnistrong may be made good by C. V. Grimmett on good wickets, and by a good left-hander on impaired wickets. It will be most interesting to note how the selectors solve this problem, to note their attitude towards the nlethora of right-hand medium-pace bowlers offering, and to note to what degree they are prepared to bring in youth for the batting with so many old players bidding for positions.”