CRICKET NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 292, 7 November 1928, Page 10

CRICKET NOTES

SEASON UNDER WAY.

A PROTRACTED OPENING.

(By “Slip.”)

Following upon two unsuccessful attempts to enter upon the season’s .activities, cricketers were able to make their bow to King Willow on Saturday. While overhead conditions were excellent, the eleventh hour preparation of the pitches had. resulted in their being far from perfect, the heavy rain having left them soft and liable to “kick,” while the outfields were heavy.

The bowlers held the ascendancy on Saturday in consequence, batsmen finding it extremely difficult to score, it requiring a hard “clout” to find the outfield, while a ball had to be lifted to reach the boundary lines. Peculiarly enough, tho winning skippers in the senior games both elected to have first use of the wicket, they being probably influenced by the danger of the pitch breaking up. Such did eventuate, but there is now the possibility that the batsmen who take their Stance next Saturday will be offered a faster and truer surface.

Last season the draw for the opening round had decreed that Palmerston and R.S.A. oppose one another, while Old Boys and High School tried conclusions, but this year Palmerston and High School had been drawn to meet with Old Boys facing tho resuscitated R.S.A. eleven, the former pair occupying No. 1 wicket and the other two teams No. 2 wicket at the bottom of the ground. On that earlier occasion Palmerston had signalled their entry upon activities in excellent fashion for they ran up the good total of 336 runs for eight wickets and declared. R.S.A. had compiled only 62 ;and at their second visit.fared but little better, 87 being their total. The meeting between Old Boys and High School had been productive of an interesting and highly exciting position. Taking first strike, Old Boys had been dismissed for the fair total of 186, to which High School replied with 184. Ac their second visit Old Boys had 206 up for the loss of nine wickets when time was called and they thus won through by a solitary run on the first innings. There is little prospect of the batting returns credited some of the participants in the opening matches last year being equalled this season until the wickets become firmer. Gallichan placed 107 to his account for Palmerston on that occasion, McVicar compiled 79 and Leet 70 not out, while Travena also registered a useful 31 without being beaten. Naturally, the contributions of the R.S.A. batsmen in the opening match last season were much moro mediocre than those of their opponents, Murray, Day and Hancock heading the returns with 13, 14 and 15 respectively. In tho second striko Bee was top scorer with 30. while Pringle and Trigger furnished 18 and 14 respectively. Black, who is so soon to be lost to Old Boys, was that club’s principal contributor on that occasion last year with 61, Diederich being next on'the list with 27, while Cameron and Drake each got 23. Piercy, however, had the honour in the second innings With 72 not out, while Eglinton retired with 68, the call of duty necessitating Ins bringing his innings to a premature close. Not one of the last-named tiio took tho field on Saturday, but they may be available later on. Pacey signalled his entry upon the 1927-28 season by heading thg returns for High School with a nice 85, De Vantier, Birch and Fletcher being the only other schoolboy players to attain modest double figures. Pacey assisted Ins school again at their second second meeting with Old Boys, but the re-entry upon activities following the holiday break saw him with Old Boys and in opposition to his old comrades lie registered 30 and 102 not out at bis first appearance for his new club. With a vastly different side from that which took the field in the opening game last season, High School were faced with a difficult task on Saturday to withstand the attack of the Palmerston bowlers, iand, while their total for tho first innings was over 100 runs less than their initial effort last season, it was little short of it in point of value in view of the conditions they were required to face. McHaffie, who again leads tho High School eleven, offered a solid defence to the opposition trundlers and the innings was well advanced when lie was disposed of after contributing 21. Fletcher proved a much faster scorer and he returned top score with 3/, but the other batsmen m the side did not offer any great opposition to the attack. , • • i Galichan proved to be the principal instrument of destruction for i almerston, ho emerging with tho excellent average of six wickets lor 23 runs, McVicar getting two for 19 and Mullins one at a cost of nine runs. Against R.S.A. last season Ongley and Gallichan bowled unchanged, the tormei taking live wickets lor 45 runs and the latter four for 16 runs. Ihe sides skipper did not find the wicket to his liking on Saturday and lie failed to . secure a wicket while having 24 runs knocked off him. Peguen, who showed good form m tlie advanced stages of last season, jumped into his stride quickly on Saturday when he placed 44 against his naihe. The partnership between lnm and McVicar was go in" well when first the veteran and then his younger partner stepped out to slow break balls from Cutler only, to fail to connect and •have their bails lifted by Fletcher, who has taken on the duties of keeper for High School. McVicar returned 22 and the pair thus placed their side in a very favourable position. That promsie of a comfortable victory for Palmerston was not so assured when Miller and Ingram were sent back to the pavilion with their accounts unopened, but skipper Ongley stepped into the breach to partner Leet and play out time, tho drawing of stumps finding the'former with six on tho scoring book, while his partner The eleven which took the field for R.S.A. on Saturday contained a good percentage of new blood and it was the luck of the game that Young, who lias formerly assisted Old Boys but who threw in his lot with R.S.A. in order to assist what had promised to be a weaker combination, should head the batting returns against his old team with 45 not out. A promising batsman in Smith, who puts plenty of power into his strokes, was next on the list with 26, while Rose returned a very useful 22. For tho past season or two Ross, who captains the R.S.A. eleven, lias been content to play hie part with the ball rather than tho bat, although in one strike last season lie amassed 20. A few seasons ago this player and Grant were two prominent batsmen for the club and in tho first match “Slip” witnessed in Palmerston North Ross contributed 60 and Grant 95 not out. Time has apparently told its tale for tho former is now content with much smaller contributions, but Saturday 6aw him attain the “devil’s number” before being disposed of. A new member in McNeile returned a useful 11, while other members in Duffield and McKenzie got 10 each., • Lusk, an addition to the ranks of the

Old Boys team, gave evidence at the practice nets of proving a very uselui trundler, and Saturday certainly bore such out, he emerging with the very satisfactory howling figures of seven wickets for 52 runs. Strangely enough, Hope, who was with Old Boys last season, likewise secured seven wicket# in the opening match twelve months ago when High School supplied the opposition, but his average read slightly better, the wickets having been obtained at a total cost of 34 runs. Diederich did not strike form with the ball till the season was well advanced last year for in the opening match he had to be content with a brace of wickets for 56 runs. Saturday, however, saw him fare better when he accounted lor three of the opposition at a cost of 44 runs.

Faced with the task of compiling 161 to overtake U.S.A.’s contribution, Old Boys might find it a difficult undertaking unless the wicket favours the batsmen more next Saturday. At the close of play Broughton and Spring were still at the wickets, the former having 13 and tho latter six, tho club’s total reading two wickets for 36 runs. The bowlers held the upper hand in the junior series also on Saturday, although there were several fair batting contributions recorded, Scorgie, for All Saints, being top scorer in the division with 40. Pettit, for High School, compiled 36, while his team mate, Duncan, got 35. Hill, for Public Works, proved to be a very useful member to his side, following up his contribution of 22 with the bat by taking five wickets for 33, his bag being the highest recorded in tho division, although Sandman, of All Saints, secured an average of 2.25 when ho accounted for four Old Boys juniors at a cost of nine runs. While in arrears on the first innings, it' would appear that Public Works will prove quite a worthy addition to the junior ranks.