CRICKET

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 89, 30 March 1932, Page 3

CRICKET

JHE REPRESENTATIVE GAMES COMMENT ON HOLIDAY PLAY. BAY TEAMS' GOOD SHOWINGS.

(By

"Mid-Off.”)

r From a very uncertain and colourless beginning, the Hawke’s »ay eleven, in their game with Wellington, gradually overcame their weakness and, after being behind on the first innings, made such a recovery in the second stanza that with Wellington it was very much the same as the oftquoted remark of the famous British general of that name— R’Blucher or night,” and night camo and saved the representatives from the Empire City.

It could not bo said that the Wellington eleven was representative of their full strength, there being a pronounced weakness in their attack, and the same could bo said of the tail-end batsmen. However, in their first innings the local men did their best to make the visitors’ attack first-class. In the first hour of play on Good Friday, Hawke’s Bay scratched (and the word describes the methods aptly) 35 runs. Certainly the wicket was dead and outfield slow, but apart from Finlayson, O’Brien and Brown, the Bay batting was colourless. Bad light could be offered perhaps as a small excuse, but right from the commencement scant consideration was shown to the spectators who’sat and shivered. There was a good crowd present for the commencement which took place well after the advertised time of starting, but the large majority left when the usual 15-minute afternoon tea adjournment had lengthened into dinner proportions.

Parslow, a medium fast bowler, struck a good length right from the commencement, and he commanded respect at all times. He was used extensively, being relieved for short periods by an ex-Napier boy in A .Fortune. ' The latter’s auburn thatch earned for himself from a wit in the crowd, the name of “Phar Lap” and •’The Red Terror.” He, however, failed to collect a wicket.

Dustin, the opening batsman for Wellington, fulfilled expectations by going for the runs right from the jump, and they came easily to him. Lamason was another who shaped in excellent fashion, and ho scored with shots that found constantly the gaps in the field. He was unbeaten at the termination of the innings with a wellearned 59.

There were surprising failures in each of Wellington’s innings, particularly Lees and Lambert. Mucn was expected from a man rated in tho first 15 in the Dominion, but lambert failed altogether. The second innings opening by T. Heaney and Finlayson was as exhilarating as the first was dull. Both batsmen laid about the bowling with a will, and although Reaney left when he had compiled 37, Finlayson continued with the good work and was unbeaten at the dose of the day’s play. It was disappointing to see him dismissed on Monday when only four short of the coveted century, caught off the bowling of “Ginger” Nicholls of All Black fame.

Brown, Beuth, H. Reaney and Nairn added good totals and the second innings tally of 261 for seven, declared, was a good one. Burns was a failure as a batsman in both innings, failing a victim twice to Lambert’s leg trap. Requiring 207 to win, Wellington started well with Dustin and Morgan and to a lesser degree, Lamason, but the remaining batsmen formed themselves into a procession and the shades of night robbed the Bay from an outright victory, as Wellington still required 83 runs to win with but two wickets to fall. The lesson to be learned from the failure to secure finalitv in a three-days’ match is for the Cricket Association to see that the time-table is adhered to in future games, that is, if the public are to be considered.

Hastings’ Good Win. Neither the Hastings representatives nor the Wellington colts furnished much in the way of brilliant batting, but when it came to the trundling aspect both sides produced the thrills. Wellington, while not a strong team, were a good all-round eleven, and furnished the home side with a splendid game. That they lost meant little, as like their predecessors the game was more of a friendly affair than a true representative fixture.

The Hastings players did not give displays according to form in the first innings, when the batsmen of the side formed a doleful procession, and six wickets were down for 21 runs. Then the trundlers came to light to brighten the proceedings. Mitchell, Gcake and Garrod, three stock bowlers, and Lambert, the ’keeper, comprised the tail, and all ran into double figures. The fifteen-year-old colt, Mallard, played havoc with the home batsmen. He was most deceptive, sending down wellpitched balls that varied considerably in pace. Mallard certainly provided the thrills during the morning. The Colts’ reply with the bat was more promising until Skipper Paterson put himself on to bowl. Then there was a slump, the last five wickets falling for less than twenty runs. However, thanks to a splendid knock by McLean, and also by Duffy, the visitors succeeded in establishing a lead of 55 runs on the first innings. Round two so far as Hastings was concerned was almost a repetition of the first. Four good batsmen averaged ten apiece. When the last-wicket partnership camo into being, Hastings’ prospects of a win were black, as they were only 40 runs ahead. Sam Geake and Tom Garrod. got busy, and by patiently waiting for the loose bail they raised the tally to the respectable total of 150. While it was Geake who topped tho scoring in both innings, the big surprise was furnished by Garrod. The latter is naturally an impetuous player with the bat, therefore it was all the more pleasing to see him hold himself in restraint, especially when the bowling was of the slow type. "Stay there and the runs will come” was the motto ef both Garrod and Geake, and it was

surprising the number of loose balls that came their way. Each played tho straight or apparently dangerous balls after the style laid down in the books, but with the balls off the narrow road they opened out their shoulders in glorious fashion and each had the distinction of lifting the embryo All Black, Mallard, for a sixer. Dismal as had been Hastings’ first innings, the Colts, when it came to making the required 95 runs in the final innings, fared even worse. Paterson got busy early with the ball and completely baffled the visitors. Few of the colts had met such a variety of deliveries as Paterson sent down. Every ball of the over was different. He broke both ways, and varied the break from a few inches to over two feet, according to the change in pace, and then to add to tho discomfiture of the batsmen he sent down a perfectly straight one. There was no playing him, and by reason of his success the Colts returned to Wellington with a defeat marked against them. The fielding throughout the match was good, that of the visitors being excellent, particularly their ground work. It was delightful watching them anticipate the stroke, the whole side moving in with every ball. In throwing in, the visitors were smart and showed the local lads a thing or two.

Representative Statistics. The Hastings senior representatives have enjoyed a successful season. In the three games played they won two and lost the third. Team and individual statistics are as follow:—

v. Napier—Hastings made 192, Napier 302.—Lost. v. Central Hawke’s Bay—Hastings made 219, Central Hawke’s Bay 94 and 82. —Won by an innings and 43 runs. v. Wellington—Hastings made 80 and 150, Wellington 135 and 59. —Won by 36 runs. Hastings made a total of 641 runs for the loss of 40 wickets, an average of 16.03 and opponents made 672 runs for 50 wickets, an average of 13.44, a margin of 2.39 per wickets in favour of Hastings.

BATTING.

Others who played one innings are as follow:—Drake 54, Graham 28, Chaplin 27, Griffen 14, Newdick 14, Gardiner 13, Carrington 13, Samerville 11, Lonrie 4. Graham 2, Arahill o*, Craven 0, Lc Comte 0, Apsey 0.

BOWLING.

Maiden overs bowled by tho above numbered as follows:—Paterson 10, Griffen 1, Gcake 4, Lourie 2, McCarthy 0, Garrod 3, Knuckey 0, Mitchell 0. Others who bowled were as under: Carrington 1 wickets for 12, Chaplin 1 for 13, Craven 1 for 58, Somerville 0 for 26, Le Compo 0 for 35.

CATCHES. In all 12 catches were accepted in the field and three stumpings recorded. Those concerned are as follow: Graham (one catch, two stumpings), Lambert (one catch, one stumping), Paterson (two catches), Newdick, Carrington. Arahill, Knuckey, Geddis, Fippard, Mitchell and Folhill (one catch apiece). Opponents took 13 catches and recorded two stumpings.

Garrod, T.** ... Ins. H'.S. 1 Tl. Aver. 3 27* 57 57.00 Geake, S. t ... ••• o 38 55 27.50 Paterson. B. .... 4 66 107 26.75 Polhill, F 3 62 75 25.00 Lambert* 2 14* 19 19.00 McCarthy •••••■ 3 21 36 12.00 Geddis, G 3 23 33 11.00 Fippard, N 2 13 14 7.00 Mitchell. E. .... 3 13 15 5.00 Carr. H. .. 9 3 5 2.50 Knuckey, L. ... 3 2 4 1.33

Paterson ... Griffen .... Overs. Wkts. Tl. Aver. 4.29 .... 33 >••• 6 21 5 90 Geake . •... .... 18 4 38 9.50 Lourie .... 8 2 19 9.50 McCarthy .. .... 5 2 27 13.50 Garrod ...,. .... 24 6 97 16.17 Knuckey .., .... 5 2 39 19.50 Mitehell ... .... 19 2 130 65.00