CRICKET COMPETITIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 304, 21 November 1934, Page 4

CRICKET COMPETITIONS.

AMONG THE PLAYERS. (By “Point.”) Those cricketers who revel in heat in which to play their favourite summer pastime certainly had their fill on Saturday afternoon, .when the atmospheric conditions at Kowbai Park were sweltering. It was by far the hottest day that local cricketers have endured for a long time, but notwithstanding the almost tropical conditions the fieldsmen stood up well to their work. Batsmen again had the advantage of a perfect wicket which played true and without tricks of any kind. The wickets were fast, but without exception the batsman knew where the ball was likely to be after impact with the pitch and those bats who did get on to their job made the most of the favourable circumstances.

With the wicket in the condition it was in Colyton should have done better against Feilding than a mere 132 xunSj although admittedly Biss was very much on the wickets with the ball and at times unplayable. Neither Bramw'ell nor Gibson ever looked like making runs,, the former being unaccountably subdued, while Gibson was not at all comfortable fac-

ing Biss or H. Dewe. A. Waldin started rather scratchily, but soon settled down and for a lengthy period was content to hold his wicket up. Telford also remained at the crease for a while before he started to think of run-getting, but between them the above two eventually carried Colyton’s total from two for eight to over 30 before Telford lifted the ball back to Biss to give him his third victim. A. Waldin then started to give the field some work, having got his eye in and scoring well off all the bowlers except Biss, a boundary or two now and again being all that could be managed with this trundler. With the end of the

Colyton string getting near, Waldin lashed out at the bowling and rapidly took himself over the half-century, and in Dewe’s next over three fours and a single saw. him on the 65 mark. Here caution forsook him and a drive

at a perfect length ball found his stumps shattered. Waldin’s was a great effort, and, coming as it did with all the rest of the team producing a small total, was doubly valuable. Howell got Dewe away to the leg boundary several times but treated Biss cautiously. He lost his wicket at 15 through attempting a short run and the strike closed at 132.

Biss took the bowling honours for the innings with 6 wickets for 32 runs. The dry pitch suited him admirably and he got plenty of turn on his slow left-handers, but it was the deceptive flight of his deliveries which contributed the greatest damage. Time and again the batsmen played well away from the ball or recovered themselves hurriedly. He sent down five maiden overs in succession and six in all. H. Dewe, who was far from the best of health, handled his share of the attack very well, his chief victim being A. Waldin. _ Laing arid Jeff's again opened for Feilding arid shaped very attractively. These two bats appear to have a thorough understanding, and it is very pleasing to see one of the junior members of the Feilding team—Jeffs—showing up so well as he is. Batsmen who can take the edge off the attack are rare in Feilding, and his side will have overcome one difficulty if in Jeffs they have found a batsman of this type. Laing appears to have quite regained the confidence he lost last season, and in addition has developed i more pace in the scoring of his runs without any loss of his ability to defend. Feilding should have no difficulty in ovcrhaulng the Colyton total next week and it would not he surprising, conditions being favourable to see their score approach the double century mark.

OLD BOYS v. PUBLIC SERVICE. Old Boys again supplied a study in contrasts in their batting results on No. 1 wicket, J. Dewe and Brock, in particular, pointing to the fact that the Service bowling was not over difficult. Dewe and Brock were together for the greater part of the afternoon, and had it not been for good work in the field by the Servicemen their score would have been well above what it was. As things were, both men were dropepd in the early stages of their innings and profited by the let-off. Brock has not for some time shown the form he displayed on Saturday, Iris highest score last season being 34, while his average for the season was a mere 11. On the

present occasion he played an attractive bat and undoubtedly the Servicemen were pleased when AVhiteliead whipped

Brock’s bails off when he stepped out too far to Amadio. Dewe again gave an exhibition of powerful cutting and driving and was rarely in trouble. He gave the off fieldsmen a busy time in the heat and it is to their credit that they did not ease up in their endeavours to stop boundaries. When Connell came on the attack had tired

somewhat, a fact which the newcomer took advantage of, but lie was eventually trapped by his own vigour and caught in the deep field by Baker off BarTtrop. Baker, incidentally, is a new recruit to the Service eleven and if his batting is within line of his activity in the field he will decidedly make his weight felt. Another new man to the Service team is Drew, of Sandon, this young player also doing his full share of the leather hunting, particularly when Dewe was batting. His batting ability is already well-known in Feilding and his transfer to the senior grade .cricket from the junior ranks with Sandon cannot help but tone up the scoring strength of Public Service. Still a third man took his place on the field for Public Service on Saturday in Rev.

E. 6. Blamires, his entry into the Service ranks being signalised by the taking of three wickets and the scoring of 28 runs. With the addition of the above the Service team should be without trouble in fielding a team for some time and in other spheres the effect should be felt also, but this the games to come will indicate more clearly. Barltrop was in good length with the leather and, bowling all through a hard and hot game, came out with five wickets to. iris credit. Blamires’s arrival

at afternoon tea time was a saving grace for the Service men, for by this time Dewe had the trundling in hand and longer odds might have resulted than the 191 which was the total of Old Boys’ score had not the new attack been available.

Service went in to play out time and were unfortunate to Jose Blamires, who in the failing light played a delivery from Fade for a full-toss, the ball in reality falling short and getting under his bat. However, last week Service put on over 160 in their second innings without either Blamires, Drew or Baker, and 140 runs still to find to overhaul Old Boys, with eight wickets in hand, should not prove impossible. To a High School boy the honour goes of scoring the first century of the season in Feilding, Huston running up 117 and then retiring on No. 3 wicket when playing Wesley. This boy lias already shown he has a good batting eye when representing the scobol in other games, and with the proper attention he seems destined for a useful cricketing career. In the other department of the gnme, bowling, White, also of the High School team, continued to exact heavy toll from the opposing timber, his tally on Saturday reading 13 wickets for 54 runs in *both innings. A game in a higher grade would be more suitable for lads of this calibre, but a rule of the school i s that schoolboys must play with the school eleven.