CRICKET.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17982, 26 December 1918, Page 7

CRICKET.

CANTERBURY v. WELLINGTON.

PLUNKET SHIELD DEFENDERS

MAKE BAD START

Canterbury cricketers had to defend the Plunket Shield for the first time in four years yesterday, when the match against Wellington was commenced in ideal weather on a good wicket at Hagley Park. Although interprovincial cricket had not been suspended entirely during the war, the Keen rivalry of the provinces had disappeared during the suspension of the Shield matches, and the standard of cricket had fallen badly. Nevertheless Canterbury cricket has been picking up 01 late, and Wellington had a very good team iiasfc season, so that the prospects for yesterday's match were good. Taere was a very large attendauco, which increased as tue afternoon wore on, and the' sum of £UO 14s od was collected at the gates. •, It had been realised by local critics that tao Canterbury eleven .was rather weak in batting, and slightly experimental in one or two otiier directions. bowling strength was necessary against a reputedly good batting side like WeiJin gum, out even in tnis department trie team could not be regarded as etioug. Patrick won .the toss from bnce, and had no hesitation in sending Wellington into the held, ihe prospects or a good stand by Canterbury iooised bright while Wood and Hlunt, the opening pair, were at the wickets, but the team as a whole broke down against the splendid bowling of HiddleBtohe (who gob eight wickets for 69), and low scoring was the rule ah round. \V hen Patrick got out for 14, Canterbury stock declined sharply, and although one or two of the later batsmen tried to steady the game, the bowlers were never even worn down, notwithstanding that. Hiddlestone was in his twenty-sixth ovor, unchanged, when the end came. Of the oldor batsmen, the comparative failure of Patrick, Perrin and Thomas, while exemplifying the uncertainty of cricket, made a big difference to the team, for had they worn down tho bowling to any extent there would have been better prospects for the tail. As it was, the mniugs closed for 167, and even another hundred runs would not have been a safe performance against a team like Wellington. Hidd'lestone's bowling was very dangerous, and he varied his deliveries with an occasional, "wrong 'un" that took a lot of playing. The Wellington fie.dinf was «ood. and the throwing-m excelbnt, Baker and Lambert standing out well in'this department. Wellington opened their first innings with thirty-seven minutes to bat, and managed to run up 70 runs, which was very fast' scoring, but over half the runs were takexr off M'Ewin, who is not this season keyed up to representative form. Fortunately for Canterbury, Patrick managed to capture Hiddlestono's wicket with the last ball of tho day. This player had batted very freely, but with "safety first" iss his motto. This was noticeable in the way in which he picked the safe balls from M'Ewin for his b'ggest strokes. At the same time, it was undoubted\that M'Both "had him thinking." Lambert, his partner, who is now 39 not out, is a very enterprising batsman, and with men like Baker, Dind and Brice in reserve there is every prospect of sorno fine cricket to-day. THE CANTERBURY INNINGS. Tiie umpires were Messrs A. Dey and R. W. Barry. Canterbury opened the innings with Wood and Blunt to the howling of Brice arid Hiddlestone. Wood overreached for the first delivery from Brico, and a barely possible stumping chance gave the spectators a. thrill, but the veteran settled down to steady, correct play, although it was the colt who scored fastest- Both bowlers were of the fast order, Huddlestone having the advantage of an appreciable wind. Hiddlestone is a wellknown and popular cricketer with Canterbury crowds, but he is known best as a 'batsman, having made consistently liigh scores throughout last season for his province. Nevertheless he was also the bowling strength 'of the side and turned the ball trickily. He found the defence very solid, and at 27 M'Girr took the ball at the south end, and Hiddlestone changed places with Brice. Blunt meanwhile had made two to Wood's one. but a very fast ball from Hiddlesione clipped his hails. jiQ—i—l7. Jor.es,. who was making his first apx>earanc!© in big cricket, stepped round smartly to a short one from M'Girr, and got. three off it with a risky run. Wood in the same over got a lucky four, thanks to misfielding

on the boundary. He got another nice cut for four, but then lost his club mate, who was yorked by M'Girr. 43—2—3. Patrick, the Canterbury skipper, who is a most polished batsman, got a couple of well placed twos, and 50 came ■up for forty-eight minutes' play. The fielding was keen, and Allardyce, ex-Sydenham, wearing the familiar High School cap, threw Wood's wicket down in what was a very fast run single in which the batsman just got home. Then Wood got M'Girr to the leg and on boundaries in successive balls, and it became evident that this howler could not strike a length. In Hiddlestono's next over Patrick got sweetly on to him to leg, but the howler then got him with a clinking ball. 74—3—14. C. E. Guiney, who has the distinction this year of representing his province in Rugby and cricket, was fast between the wicket, but merely broke his duck before tipping one up from Hiddlestone to Mams at short mid-on. 82—4—1. Perrin, who played some good cricket for his province last year, had his off stump yorked by Hid'dlestone's next baJl. 82'—'>—0. Hiddlestone now had four wickets for 24, and Gray stood between him and the hat trick. Gray blocked the first ball and then got n. single, following it with a four to fine leg off Brice. Then he lost Wood, who lifted Hiddlestone to Marris close in. Tlie batsman waited for a decision, apparently thinking that it was a hump _ bah, but R. W. Barry had no hesitation in giving him out. Bfl—6—3B. Thomas, who is not often eighth man in a team, made a single, and then had his bails scattered by Hiddlestone, who now had six for 28. 94—7—1. M'Ewin joined Gray who brought the century up after ninety-one minutes' piny, with a rreod off drive off Price and pulled another boundary in the same over. At 105 M'Girr relieved Brice. and tho score was 108 at the tea adjournment. On resuming, Gray onened out on Hiddlestone unexpectedly, getting nine off an over, includinc a magnificent drive to the off. with loads of power behind it. He showed eagerness to hit, but be nearly lost his partner, who ran for a short one, and might hare been out if Condliffe had taken the ball. The temptation to go on bitting Hiddlestone was Gray's downfall, for after he had driven powerfullv r>a,st tho bowler, he made a lash for point and wjw well taken high up bv Baker. 128—8—35. Brunton, the tenth man, kept pace with M'Ewin in singles to 138. when Brice came on in place of M'Girr, M'Ewin cutting him for two. Brunton got a four and two off Hiddlestone. who had bowled twenty-three overs virtually unchanged, but the boundnrv hit have been stopped at mid-off. M'Ewin also drove Hiddlestone to the off for four, and Brunton got Brico to the on boundary with a fine free stroke. The unexpected success of these batsmen pleaded tho crowd, as well as the critics, who.realised that tbey were watching very careful, correct cricket. At 165 Marris came on. He was the first slow bowler tried, anrl there was a r>ro.=r>ect that his short stuff migbt suit the batsmen. Brunton skied lTim to lea when Lambert got under it, but missed the cntch owinrc to sun. The nest ball eVpn bowled M'Ewin. 106—9 74. M'Beth did not p*bre, skvincc HiddlestoWs firsfc ball hack to the'bowUr. 167 10—0. The innings lasted 147 minutes. THE WELLINGTON INNINGS.

Hiddlestone and Lambert opened to M'Beth and M'Ewin, six coming off M'Ewin's first over. Lambert lifted the same bowler's first ball in the next over for six to leg. The next ball was lifted into the hedge, and should have been counted a six, but for tho local rale which says that the ball must go over the hedge for six. The next ball went to the off boundary, and the last ball was a single, fifteen coming off the over. Patrick kept M'Ewin on, but his four overs cost 33, Hiddlestone getting tho last two balls away for four each to fine leg. Thomas relieved him, and the. score was kept down. Patrick took the ball : for tho last over in the hope of dissolving; the partnership and with the last ball of the day Jones caught Hiddlestone at midoff'. 70—1—25The following arc tho scores:— CANTERBURY First innings. B. B. Wood, 1421141.11124111222, c Marri-5 b Hiddlesfon© . . 33 R. C. Blunt, 1111412411, b Hiddlestone ..... 17 X. Jones 3, b M'Girr ... 3 W. R. Patrick 221414, b Hiddlestone 14 C. E. Guiney 1, c Marris h Hiddlestone . , . . .1 E. G. Porriu, b Hiddlestone . 0 J. Gray, '14112.H1111242114, c Baker b Hiddlestone . , 3,1 A. W. Thomas 1. h Hiddlestone . 1 3. M'Ewin 1111112141, b Mams 14 L. R. Brunton 111111211.1, not out 17 D. M'Beth, c and b Hiddlestone 0 Byes, 142214 . . 17 Leg-byes, -1111 ... 7 No bails. 111 ... 3 Total . 167 Bowling Analysis.—Hiddlestone, 25.1 overs, 5 maidens, s!> runs/eight wickets; Brice, 15 overs, 1 maiden, 45 runs, 2 no balls; M'Girr,

11 overs, 84 runs, one wicket; Marris, 1 over, 2 runs, one wicket; 220 balls. •WELLINGTON. First Innings. J. S. Hidd estonc, 11111114441122, 0 jo-nos b Patrick . 25 11. N. Lambert, 141101214114144, not out 39 Byes, 141 .... 6 Total for one wicket . 70 The match will be resumed at eleven o'clock this morning. There will bo an hour's luncheon interval at 12.45, and ten minutes for afternoon tea at four oclock. Stumps will bo drawn at six o'clock. Under the terms of tho Plunket Shield competition the match will be played right out. A Canterbury cricket enthusiast has presented a si.ver-mountod ball, to be given to tho bowler who takes most wickets for Canterbury in tho Plunket Shield match against Wellington. An ex-Canterbury cricket enthusiast has given a bat, to be awarded to the player who makes the first century for Canterbury in tho match.

In viow of the continued late starting of matches the competitions committee of tho Canterbury Cricket Association decided that where a team is prepared to commence and its opponents aro late, it may demand the continuance of play after tho regular closing hour to make up for the time lost. The committeo has also resolved that in future no afternoon tea adjournment will bo permitted.