CRICKET CONTROL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 72, 24 February 1932, Page 12

CRICKET CONTROL

’ MANAWATU ASSOCIATION. A meeting of the management committee of the Manawatu Cricket Association was held last night when there were present Messrs W. G. Miller (in the chair), Werry.. Eyre, O’Keefe and Brace (secretary). The Old Boys Club made application for the registration of Louisson, a former Nelam College player, as a junior member.—Agreed to. The Horowhenua Association, in reply. to an enquiry, stated, that it would be prepared to send a B team to Palmerston North on Easter Monday to play a Manawatu B eleven. The southern association added that it would be prepared to take the field at 9.45 a.m. The Wanganui Association wrote stating that it had received an offer of a match from the Wellington Cricket Club for Easter. However, the writer explained that his association had already arranged its fixtures and consequently referred the Wellington letter to Manawatu in the hope that the fixture would be acceptable. It was mentioned that the Wellington eleven would be a strong one, including a few representatives and two or three Plunket Shield members and that it would be agreeable to playing a three day match on Good Friday afternoon, Easter Saturday and Monday. The Wairarapa Association wrote enquiring whether there would be any possibility of Manawatu sending a team to Masterton at Easter and suggesting that it be a three-day match. The three proposed fixtures were referred to a sub-committee consisting of Messrs Miller, Ongley and the secretary to institute enquiries as to the possibilities of fulfilling them. It was decided to proceed with the junior and third grade competitions a further round. NOTES. DEFINITE TURN IN THE TIDE, (By “Slip.”) . The balance of fortune in the senior cricket competitions took a definite turn in favour of Palmerston on Saturday when, the changed conditions caught United napping and a return of 116 at their visit to the batting crease made tbeir prospects ot success very remote. During tlje course of the season United lost the services of Stephenson and the departure of Cutler last week lost to them their best contributor at a most important stage. The goddess Luck further declined to smile on the championship aspirants when their skipper misjudged the weather _ and elected to take first use of the wicket instead of putting the opposition in. On the occasion of their previous meeting with Palmerston,. United returned a total of 293, of which Cutler had contributed 90, so he was a thorn removed from the side of the old champions on the present occasion. Cutler had been due to make his debut in Wellington cricket. on Saturday, but the climatic conditions prevented the games materialising, i . , The only member of the United side to display anything approaching confidence on the wicket was Penman, who was unbeaten at the close with 36 to his credit. Under the circumstances it was unfortunate for the side that he did not enter earlier, for he was playing the bowling quite confidently. However, he could not get anv partners to stay with him. Tbo changed conditions, together with the importance of the occasion—for the fixture practically amounted to a cliampionship final —had. the effect of cramping the activities of the United batsmen. McVicar, the Palmerston trundler, sent down seven successive maidens, while Leet bowled four maiden overs in succession, which indicates the slowness of the scoring. Throughout the present term Hollier has proved himself distinctly valuable to Palmerston, not so much as a result of the scores he has returned —and they have been good in many instances —but rather owing to the manner in which he has broken up the attack. He and McVicar placed Palmerston in a winning position on Saturday and, while a game is never won till the final ball is trundled, it would appear at this stage that Palmerston will again fill the role of champions. On paper, Palmerston hardly read the strongest eleven in the competition, but they have in their ranks tried players who can rise to the emergency, while no task is too great for them. A happy family, they enter upon their games with that freedom which materially assists towards a successful outcome and, in view of the fact that they have fielded somewhat skeleton elevens on occasion, their reward —should it materialise—will bo fully deserved, even though it might have been pleasing for another club to have attained the honours by way of a change. No. 2 wicket at the lower end of the Sportsground was in better order than the upper one on Saturday, but High School found run getting somewhat difficult and they were at the wickets the full afternoon for their 234 for six wickets. The schoolboys have still 47 to make to equal the figures they returned at their previous meeting with Old Boys when the victory went to the opposition by 79 runs. No doubt the condition of the wicket will determine whether High School will continue their strike next Saturday. For the second occasion in succession Lang returned a total of Over the half century for High School; His strjke against Palmerston in the preceding' series was 60, while on Saturday he went on to 64 before being beaten. Another member of the team in Fletcher also. reached 64 before being cauglit short of his crease in essaying a run. This player’s average has improved considerably of late as the result of liis last three strikes of 98, 26 and 64. . Although indifferent running between the wickets loses runs for R. Hatch, this member of the High School eleven can claim that he has never failed :to enter .double figures this season. On one occasion — against United in the opening round — he ran up 83, but his figures since have been more modest. However, in view of the fact that his real worth to the side lies in his trundling activities, it is by no means a baa record with the bat. As he was the not out man on Saturday with 34 to his credit, ho hould carry his total still further on resumption. Both Ongley and Robertson, of High School, have been inconsistent in their batting returns this season and neither has maintained the standard set at the entry upon activities. Robertson’s 25 of Saturday was his highest return with the bat since the beginning of December, but is still far short of his 115 against Old Boys in November. Ongley ran up 78 against United in Hhe first round, but his contributions have steadily dwindled since and his last five strikes have been productive of 47, 1, 26, 6 and 18. THE LOWER GRADES. Only one clear-cut win was obtained in the junior grade on Saturday, Kia Toa bringing off a victory over High School in a one innings game. Two of the matches found the honours

shared, thereby raising the total to 12 drawn games for the season.' Scoring was for the main part on a lower scale on Saturday and, while such was no doubt partly attributable to the slower wickets, trie. fact that the four stronger teams were opposing one another must have assisted to that end. Palmerston was the only eleven to pass the 200 mark and, as City Council had lost five wickets for 135, the game would have produced an interesting finish had tinre permitted of it being played out. Y.M.C.A. also appeared to have a hard row to hoe to reach Old Boys’ total of 172 after losing five wickets for 88 runs, but again the lack of time was the deciding factor. PRIMARY SCHOOL GAMES. The local primary schools continued their cricket competitions yesterday when two matches were contested with the following results: College Street, 41 (York 14, Cockburn 13), beat Hokowhitu, 33 (Robinson 9). Terrace End, 50 (Hardie 13) beat Convent, 43 (Telford 15). WELLINGTON WINS SHIELD. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Feb. 23. The Plunket Shield match Otago versus Wellington was concluded today in fine weather. The wicket was easy. Wellington carried on and made 260. Otago in their second innings made 108, Newman, securing five wickets for 45. Requiring. 60 to win, Wellington went in. Dickinson was in deadly form and it looked for a .time as if Wellington would be hard put to it to secure the runs, but the innings closed with 61 for eight wickets. Wellington’s opening batsmen were Dempster and Dustin, but a dramatic collapse was brought about by the magnificent bowling of Dickinson, the Otago “express,” who was right on his day. Assisted by the coach, Badcock, he got in among the Wellington men and at one stage had five wickets for 10 runs, finishing up with five for 23. Wellington, however, were able to wipe off,the deficit with two wickets intact, and thus won the Plunket Shield for the season. Scores are as follow: OTAGO. First innings 211 Second Innings. Cherry, 1.b.w., b Newman 1 Badcock, c Lambert, b Newman 23 Blunt, run out 1 Knight, b Newman 17 Dickinson,’* o Lowry, b Newman 10 Smith, o Dempster, b Newman ... 13 Molonev, 1.b.w., b Lambert ... 11 Elmes, 1.b.w., b McGirr 7 Coupland, o Reaney, b Lambert 15 Dunning, run out 5 Hawksworth, not out 1 Extras - 4 Total ... ... IU6 Bowling analysis.—Reaney, none for 6; McGirr, 1 for 38; Newman, 5 for 45; Lambert, 2 for 12; Lowry, none for 3. WELLINGTON. First Innings. Dempster, 1.b.w., b Elmes 24 Dustin, o Dunning, b Badcock ... 0 James, b Dickinson 82 Hepburn, b Badcock 9 Lowry, b Dunning ._ ... 4 Lambert, . std. Hawkworth, b Blunt 107 McGiru, o Smith, b Blunt ... ... 13 Reaney, o Hawksworth, b Dickinson 0 Crook, run out ... 0 Lamason, not out 4 Newman, c Moloney, b Blunt ... 7 Extras 10 Total 260 Bowling analysis.—Dunning, 1 for 39; Badcock, 2 for 55; Dickinson, 2 for 53; Moloney, none for 16; Elmes, 1 for 38;-Smith, none for 12; Coupland, none for 28; Blunt, 3 for 9. Second Innings. Dempster, c Blunt, b Dickinson 9 Dustin, b Dickinson 11 Reaney, b Dickinson 13 Crook, b Dickinson ' 0 Lamason, b Badcock ... 0 James, o Moloney, b Badcock ... 2 Lambert, 1.b.w., b Dickinson ... 0 Hepburn, b Badcock ... 12 McGirr, not out 5 Lowry, not out 4 Extras ... 5 Total for eight wickets 61 Bowling analysis.—Dickinson, 5 for 23; Badcock, 3 for 17; Blunt, none for 16. AUCKLAND v. SOUTH AFRICANS. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Feb. 23. The South African cricketers opened a brief New Zealand tour to-day with a match against Auckland at Eden Park. The visitors only arrived in the morning, and although they .had a good passage from Sydney, it was evident later in the day that they were feeling the effects of the sudden change as their bowlers lost a good deal of their early sting. Weir won the toss and Auckland batted on a hard wicket. The early batsmen found difficultv in making runs against the accurate length bowling and wejl-placed field. At the tea adjournment Auckland’s score was 3 for 105, but the adjournment proved very helpful to' the visitors as three wickets fell in less than half an hour, making 6 for 123. \‘ A great eighth wicket partnership between Byerley and Matheson added 117 and saved the home side. Byerley is making his first appearance in representative cricket and gave a great display, hitting three sixes and eight fours. He was in 'an hour and aquarter. He and .Matheson put on 50 runs in 18 minutes and 100 in 46 minutes. Matheson played a fine innings. Detailed scores are as follow: AUCKLAND. —First Innings. Mills, b McMillan 9 Postles, c Morkel, b Balaskas ... 36 Weir, c Quinn, b McMillan 20 Vivian, c Cameron, b McMillan ... 27 Frater, Lb.w., b Christy ...' 10 Allcott,-c Brown, b Balaskas ... 26 McCoy, b McMillan 4 Byerley, b Quinn 77 Matheson, not out 65 Cleverley, not out 6 Extras 26 Total for eight wickets 296 CRICKET IN JAMAICA. KINGSTON (Jamaica), Feb. 22. Cricket history was written here today, when a team representing the colony of Jamaica scored 702 runs for the los sof only five wickets, and declared in the first innings against the touring English eleven composed of country and international players. The visitors responded with 185 for the los sof three wickets, when play was ended for the day. . Headley. a member of the West Indies team which viisted Australia in 1930, scored 344, not out. and Passailaigue 261, not out, for the Jamaicans.