CRICKET

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 12, 27 December 1930, Page 10

CRICKET

(By

“Mid-Off")

DOING IN THE BAY. COMMENT ON HASTINGS MATCHES. For the first time this season • double innings win was recorded in each game in Hastings. 'Whakatu and Tomoana increased their lead substantially at the expense of Hastings and Old Boys respectively. Whakatu’s victory was a keenly contested one, but that of Tomoana, who have been uunbeaten as yet this season, was a comparatively easy matter. The following tabic gives the positions of the various ream to date:— Double Single. W. L. W. L. Dr. Pt Tomoana .... 2—- 3 — 17 Whakatu ~ 1 —2 1 — 1Old Boys ..— 11217 Hastings .. —2 — 1 2 4 Note: The points are based on four for an outright win, three for a win on the first innings only, two for a draw or a tie, and one for a loss on the first innings. With a deficiency of 96 on the first innings count Old Boys set about the second visit to the crease in great style. Over seventy runs were put on the board by Sdppard and Symons and prospects of hold the fort for a lengthy period were bright. The pair had certainly bested the truundlers. Lourie broke the partnership by clean bowling Fippard then Harold Carr was put on to trundler. Ho started a “rot” going in the second over and Old Boys, who were three men short found themselves all out for 107. It was a very poor finish. Carr, who took five wickets for 23 runs, found the area to his liking and bowling against the breeze he secured a deceptive turn with the ball. Tomoana had no trouble in putting the finishing touches to an outright victory by knocking up the necessary 14 runs without loss. Over at Cornwall Park Hastings gave Whakatu a great run for the honours, and there was an exciting race against time. Replying to Hastings’s 139 Whakatu knocked up 215, all but three-batsmen reaching double figures. Smith and Fisher followed the example set by the opening batsmen, Campbell and Gardiner the previous week, and they made a first innings lead a certainty. Fitzgerald, the ex-Heretaunga, struck form with the bail and made a haul of half a dozen wickets at a cost of a little over 12 runs a piece.

In their second strike Hustings did not do so well as in their Initial effort though it was the tail end that put up the greatest resistance. Martin and Fizgerald knocked up nearly eighty between them, this being about 70 per cent of the aggregate. The pair laid in the wood hard and gave splendid displays. Their main opponent was Birch, who mixed deliveries were deceiving, sometimes being wide of the mark and at other times dangerous. He finished up with seven wickets for 60, a good quota. Whakatu wanted 48 to win on the double innings and reversing the batting order somewhat they set out to knock up the runs in quick time. There was to be no delay for time was short. The batsmen followed orders and took many risks, but tho seventh wicket partnership managed to make the winning runs just on the call of time. » » • A Great All-rounder! By the drowning of G. W. H. T. Douglas in tho wreck of the steamer Oberon early this week, England has lost one of her greatest all-round cricketers of recent times. It was in cricket circles that Johnny Douglas was best known in New Zealand. Born on September 3, 1883, he was educated at Felsted School, and while still in his ’teens hi played county cricket for Essex, showing great promise with the ball and also with the bat. For two seasons he played for London County until that club went out of existence in 1904. The following year, op behalf of Essex he created a sensation by doing the “hat trick” and capturing five wickets with 8 balls for no runs against Yorkshire. He rapidly developed into a great all-round cricket, and in 1907 he camo to Now Zealand as a member of the M.C.C. team captained by Captain E. G. Wynyard, who on account of leg injuries, gave way tn C. E. do Trafford. In Now Zealand Douglas took 84 wickets at an average of 10.58 runs apiece and scored 433 runs at an average of 27 runs per innings.

In 1911 he was appointed captain of Essex and in tho same season was selected as a member of the M.C.C. team to visit Australia. Owing to the illness of P. F. Warner tho cloak of captaincy of the tourists fell on the shoulder of Douglas who led his side to victory in four our of the five tests. He next visited South Africa in tho 1913-14 season, when ho made his only century in test cricket. After serving in the WBr he resumed cricket, and captained the English team of 1920-21 Australia, failing to regain the Ashes, which had been lot ’ in England in 1912, In 1921 he captained England at home in the first two tests against. Armstrong’s band of Australians. In nil he played in 17 tests against Australians, six at Home and eleven in Australia. He took 35 wickets costing 35.05 runs apiece and scored 696 runs nt an average of 27.76. His highest score was .5. In addition he played in six tests against Fouth Africa and was captain of Essex from 1911 until last season. Johnny was also an excellent boxer and in 1905 ho was amateur middleheight champion of England. Three later ho won the middleweight hoxlng championship of the world at the Olvinpie Games, defeating the

well-known Australian R. L. (“Snowy”) Baker in the final. In later years he was well known as a referee. He was also noted as a fine runner, a swimmer and a Soccer football player. His father, J. H. Douglas, though not so well known, was also notable in sport. For three years, in 1875-76-77, J. H. Douglas held the amateur middleweight boxing championship of England, under the old Queensberry rules. In later life he was for many years president of the Amateur Boxing Association of England, and was also widely known as an honorary referee for the National Sporting Club, for which he refereed a great number of championship and other contests. Indeed, next to Eugene Corri, he was for many years England’s best-known boxing referee. Games In Napier.

United, beyond their one good innings against Teo 0.8. a week or two hack, are again resuming their bad habits. Against the bowling of M. Beuth T. Reaney and Gilbertson last Saturday they were impotent, George Stevens again occupying the position of top scorer, although it took but 18 runs to gain this honour this time. Out for 85 United, assisted by some good bowling by Temperton. began to treat H.S O B similarly, until M. Beuth became partnered by H. Reaney, this pair putting a different complexion on the game. From six for 96 the tally was carried to 165 at stumps without further loss. Fresh from his triumphs in Auckland the youthful High Schoo! boy, H. Reaney quickly settled down to his first senior game scoring quickly all round the wicket Ho never looked like getting out. Apart from the not out batsmen. Cvri] Beuth was the only other batsman to make headway against Temoerton and his 39 was made at a faster rate than usual. Colts with' eight down for 100 looked in a sorry plight but Hodge, Fitzwater, and Percy as a tai! wagged so vigorously that the total had reached 153 before Hodge was run out. This young player in his 45 employed many nice shots and moreover used his feet effectively. Too many of our present day seniors appear rooted,to the spot when at the batting crease. Pirie again proved a destroyer with the ball, taking six for 47. With the departure of Shephard. Eric Evans has been persuaded to turn out once more for Tec, and though he failed to get a wicket he maintained an excellent length and was as hard to score off as ever. The- present position of this game favours Tec with three wickets down and but 44 runs behind Colts score. Stephenson not out with 5.3 is heading once more for a century although on this occasion he gave an easy chance when 48. Senior players generally are showing a lack of judgment in running between the wickets and each Saturday produces a crop of run out decisions and the players concerned in

the main, are those who have had a good deal of cricket experience. Last week Paterson, (United) Hodge (Colts) and M. O’Brien (Tec O.B.) were got rid of in this manner which after all is the easiest way of gettings rid of a batsman. The Colts team still requires further bowling assistance and in this respect the Cricket Association, by allowing the younger Reaney to play for H. 5.0.8. have missed a glorious opportunity of imparting much needed strength in bowling and batting to the Colts eleven. H. 5.0.8. by playing H. Reaney last Saturday without the usual intimation to the Association offended the rules hut presumably nothing will happen. The rules of Rafferty are getting quite oopular in cricket circles The local “reps” will have their first season’s try-out against the Wanganui representatives on New Year's Day. By his resignation as sole selector of , the Cricket Association Mr. Charles Canning caused general surprise and although no specific reason was advanced for his action it is generally considered that the decision not to go in pursuit of the Hawke Cup had a lot to do with it.