HASTINGS CRICKET

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 80, 16 March 1934, Page 13

HASTINGS CRICKET

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP Hastings Assured of Title — TOMOANA’S COLLAPSE (By "Mid-off.”) Unless the totally unexpected happens, Hastings will secure the 1936-34 club championship in the Hastings Cricket Sub-Association district by a margin of at least half a dozen points. Last Saturday saw the final series of matches commenced and sodden wickets denied spectators the anticipated interesting fight for the honours, with the result that the concluding stages will be in the nature of an anti-climax. The results being a foregone conclusion. For the first time this season two inaings were completed in both senior fixtures in the one afternoon. The runtnaking wag the poorest recorded this season, bowlers being on top of the batsmen throughout the afternoon. Borne indication of their supremacy may be gathered from the happenings at Nelson Park, where, in the HastingsTomoana game, 25 wickets were taken at an average cost of four runs apiece. Whilst the chances of Tomoana defeating Hastings were not considered bright, it was not anticipated that they would collapse altogether under the Colts’ attack, and the fact that they did so robbed Whakatu of all chance of attaining championship honours. Whakatu, however, failed to make the most of their opportunity of securing four points against Old Boys, and contrary to expectations they found themselves on the wrong side of the ledger at the end of the afternoon’s play. They may posibly make amends tomorrow afternoon, but it will only ensure them being runners-up to the champions. The best individual performances with bat and ball during the afternoon were follow:— Batting. E. Apsey (H. 5.0.8. .... 47 runs H. Lambert (Whakatu) . 31 runs ' Bowling. C. Le Quesne (Hastings), six wickets for 9 runs. E. Mitchell (Tomoana), six wickets for 36 runs. T- Bosenberg (H. 5.0.8. four wickets for 25 runs. M. Beuth (Whakatu), four wickets for 24 runs. Bastings Overwhelm Tomoana. Tombana utilised the "swamp” . first, and their combined efforts netted only 70 runs, their poorest aggregate this season. Only two batsmen, Bill Irwin and Hec ] Spence,* managed to get among the 1 runs and between them they contri- 1 buted 45 of the total, Irwin batted particularly well under the circumstances, playing with due ' eaution and making the most of his time at the wicket. His was really , the only sound knock of the innings. j Bjpence came to light with a bright and | lively innings, his 21 including four boundary shots. His was essentially j an attacking knock. Of the remainder of the contributors, “Mr Extras,” with 10, was the highest, the next best being Sid Mitchell’s modest half dozen. Hastings were definitely on top throughout the innings. Their bowling was very steady and the fielding, as usual, made runs hard to get. Colin Le Quesne made the most of the pre- I vailing conditions to trouble all the i batsmen. He collected six wickets at < a cost of only nine runs, sending down i 11 overs. • i Hastings started off fairly well to lose 1 two wickets for 49 when they slumped and three further wickets fell before 1 they overtook their opponents’ tally. The innings finally closed with a lead ' of 37 runs. Geddis batted quietly as one of the opening bats, whilst his partner, Le ( Quesne, went for a hit and collected three fours. McCarthy emulated him ( and actually executed six scoring strokes, all netting four. The best knock was that of Bay Newdick, who headed the list with 25, played in true skipper’s fashion. He , batted confidently, though he was upset at times by Errol Mitchell, who was the primarv cause of dismissing Hastings for the reasonable ta’ly. Mitchell sent down almost 14 overs, to collect six wickets at an average cost of six apiece, which is his best bowling performance for some time. The innings cloned with a bright incident, worthv of mention. Flynn was facing Mitchell and the first ball of the over the batsman lifted for a great six. The bowler had his revenge next ball, when he clean bowled the slogger. Tomoana provided still further surprises in their second innings, collapsing once again under the bowling and when stumps were drawn they had lost five wickets for 25 runs. With but five tail-enders to wield the bat and still requiring a dozen runs to stave off an innings defeat, Tomoana are in a very poor wav and the game should close quite early to-morrow. Old Boys Leading Whakatu. Typical end-of-the-season cricket was produced in the Whakatu-Old Boys game at Cornwall Park, where there also was a sodden wicket. Old Boys well deserved their first tunings’ lead, but in such a low scoring game there is a distinct possibility of Whakatu pulling the game out of the fire. So far as Old Boys’ innings was concerned. Apsey’s 47 was th« only bright spot and, although a trifle shaky at first, this colt gave a very fine display later, meeting the ball squarely with the bat. Of the others. N. Fippard was going nieelv when Beuth gathered in a mee slip catch. Hmirv, too. was shaping well until lisher took a splendid low eatch in same position. Fippard’s batting is just a little impetuous. and he invariably gets himself out by forcing matters. Bouth .amc out with the best bowljn„ figures four for 32. which were

meritorious considering the state of the wicket. Whakatu’e effort, apart from a dashing 31 by Bert Lambert and a good 20 by Griffin, contained nothing of note. It was iileasing to note that Griffin’s improvement continues. Of the bowlers, Tom Bosenberg deserved his four for 25. He is varying hie pace and flight better. Waymouth, of whom good things have been written in these notes, on Saturday devoted himself to giving extra pace to his deliveries to no advantage. A Forecast of the Bep. Team. With Easter only two weeks away, it is probable that the association selector, Mr J. Archibald, will be called into service for the first and only time this season. "Mid-Off” has also been giving the matter of the rep. team a thought and, having done so, appends his choice as follows:— M. Beuth (Whakatu). L. Fisher (Whakatu). E. Apsey (Old Boys). B. Waymouth (Old Boys). E. Mitchell (Tomoana). W. Irwin (Tomoana). C. Hislop (Tomoana). G. Geddis (Hastings). B. Newdick (Hastings). C. Martin (Hastings). T. Garrod (Hastings). L. MeCrathy (Hastings), 12th. Surprise may be occasioned in one or two instances, but the above selection would, perhaps, cover those who have shown consistent form throughout the season. It ha» the merit of containing mostly all-rounders, for of Mitchell, Beuth, Waymouth, Hislop, Irwin, Martin, and Garrod, to whom the attack would be entrusted, the first five, at least, are reliable batsmen. • As bowlers, those mentioned include two fast-mediums in Beuth and Garrod —the former able to off turn—a slow spinner in Mitchell, two left-hand round-the-wicket trundlers in Hislop and Martin, with the latter able to turn back, and a bowler who flights them well in Waymouth. Judiciously handled, this attack should always be fresh and able to keep the batsmen busy. The batting is also sound, the openers, on form, being Geddis and Fisher. These “Mid-Off” would follow with Apsey, Beuth, and then Irwin, leaving such aggressive batsmen as Nowdick, Hislop and Mitchell to take the. respective places 6to 8. Next would follow Waymouth, Martin, and Garrod, completing the eleven. In the writer’s opinion, the numbers 6,7, and 8 are most important, as frequently the bulk of the runs are scored in those pos> tions. The fielding of this selected side should be sound. The wicket-keeping would undoubtedly be entrusted t» Newdick, but the captaincy is an open question. “Mid-Off” plumps for Les Fisher as against selecting a stock bowler. Australian Test Personalities. Continuing the series of personal sketches of the cricketers chosen for the Australian team to visit the Home Country, this week’s notes deal with L.O’B. FLEETWOOD-SMITH has been a greatly discussed bowler (Turing the last two or three years, because of his unorthodox style, and the hopes that have been placed in him in a test match connection. Unlike the usual left-arm bowler, his ordinary delivery turns from the off, and for this reason batsmen have found him very puzzling. Unfortunately, he has been unable very often to control his length, and, therefore, has been severely punished at times, but he has always finished the season with a good haul of wickets. One of his most dangerous balls is the over-spinner, which whips through quickly, and gets him lots of leg-before-wicket decisions. No bowler of the day spins the ball more than he does, and if he could only control his length always, be would be outstandingly successful. If he can overcome his fault in England, he will help to make the Australian attack much stronger than it looks like being at present. He is a sports goods salesman. Born, March 30, 1910. C. V. (CLARRIE) GRIMMETT, New Zealander by birth and New South Welshman, Victorian and South Australian by residence, in turn. Grimmett was Australia’s outstanding bowler on the last tour, but he has recently been overshadowed by O’Reilly. Still, the little slow bowler is still a great man with the ball, and expected to do well on this tour. Grimmett has had a remarkable career, and has shown grit in his determination to get to the top of the cricket tree. Seeing no opening in Sydney, he went to Melbourne, but although one of the outstanding club bowlers there, he was so persistently overlooked by the Victorian selectors that he transferred to Adelaide. There, he received recognition, gained Test match honours in his first season, and leapt into fame almost overnight with 11 wickets for 82 runs in his first Test. Having got a start, he has never looked back, and his feats with the ball in the past 10 years have been little less amazing than those of Bradman and one or two others with the bat. His slow leg-breaks, bowled with a low trajectory, deadly accuracy, and clever flighting, have brought down hundreds of batsmen. In first-class cricket he has taken more than 900 wickets—a number exceeded bv very few Australians. Everyone will hope he strikes his best form on this tour, for the side will need it. He is a sportsgoods salesman. Born, December 25, 1892. ______________