A WICKET EVERY BALL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 9, 9 December 1936, Page 8

A WICKET EVERY BALL.

FEAT PERFORMED AT SHANNON. An extremely unusual feat in cricket was performed at Shannon at the week-end when D. Mercer secured six wickets with the six balls he howled in an over. Five of the batsmen play in the Manawatu Cricket Association’s senior grade. The name of “Gallichan’s Eleven” has become well-known in many parts of this section of the Wellington province for participation in week-end games, Mr J. Gallichan selecting a team of good players who have played in many of the towns within a comfortable motor drive of the city. Last week-end the team were playing at Shannon. They were batting and had one wicket down for 100 runs. Mercer commenced iiis eighth over and off the first ball W. Ross, who had scored 73 runs, hit his wicket and was consequently out. With the second ball, Mercer dismissed F. 11. Guiness leg before wicket. The third clean-bowled K. Olliver; the fourth dismissed H. M. Nairn; the fifth bowled A. L. Jewett; and the sixth and last cleanbowled P. A. Lynch, thus completing an over of wickets. Mercer lelt the field with an average of 7 wickets for 23 runs, and the batting side’s full score was 105. Mercer is a cousin of Messrs J. Gallichan and N. Gallichan who are wellknown in cricket circles, the latter having captured high honours in representative matches. The standard of batting with which the bowler was faced removes the feat from any suggestion that it was a case of a good bowler sending mere tyros from the batting crease, for several of those who were dismissed have played no mean part in senior games at this centre.