CRICKET NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 101, 31 March 1937, Page 7

CRICKET NOTES

SEASON’S ATTRACTIONS. HAWKE CUP RETAINED. (By “Point.”) Followers of cricket in the Manawatu may count themselves lucky in that this season they have had a very strong programme of attractions. When the list is examined it may l>o doubted if any other cricket association in New Zealand has had such a season to offer the public, even taking into account the Plunket Shield centres, in view of the fact that they have not had a succession of matches for that trophy, as is the case here with the Hawke Cup. Five cup games on the centre wicket at the Sportsground have occupied the attention of enthusiasts this season. In addition to that, there was a match against a Wellington side at the beginning of the season and, further, there was the contest between the AVellington Plunket Shield team and players from the country portion of the AVellington shield district. In addition to those games, which might be termed first-class provincial attractions, there were matches against the Feilding side, against Horowhenua, against Southern Hawke’s Bay and Hutt V'aliey. In so far as the games on the centre pitch have been concerned, the condition of that wicket has reflected credit on the groundsman, Mr G. AVheatloy. Except under execrable wet weather conditions, when no pitch made could be expected to stand the wear of continuous play, the wicket has stood up remarkably well and this has been concrete proof of the efficacy of the groundsman’s methods. The City Council has provided a fine grandstand for the use of the public, and the Manawatu Cricket Association has added further to the amenities of the ground with the scoreboard and the scorers’ stand. Club cricket, from which the representative players come, is strong at the present time and there is every indication that it will retain that standard, so that a continuation of good cricket at this centre may confidently be expected with everything in favour of the enjoyment of the matches by the spectators. It is to be hoped that that expectation will be fulfilled. i

Manawatu, as far as the representative team is concerned, appears to be in a very happy position at the present time. There is always the possibility, of course, of a number of players entering on the lean periods which sometimes assail those who have attained representative standard to relegate them to the background, but a brief consideration of the composition of the representative teams this year leads one to a confident outlook. In the earlier portion of the season there were a number of players on the field as representatives for the district who did not figure in the match which concluded this week —Murchison, Moloney, N. Gallichan, M. Ongley, Olliver and A. Cutler. Of those, only one has left the district, Cutler, but there was an impressive array of youth in the team which met South Auckland. Of those who are not yet 21 years of age or have barely passed that'figure, there are Spelman, Pritchard, Pollitt, J. Ongley, S. McVicar and Hearsey, while C. McVicar is a young player also. Rugby is regarded, and rightly so, as a young man’s game, yet if a representative Rugby team took the field with three or more players about 20 years of age or under the fact would excite comment. Even so, in cricket, admittedly an “older man’s game,” Manawatu has a wealth of young talent. It is a heartening feature for those in control at this centre. N. GALLICHAN’S CAREER.

N. Gallichan, whose last-minute inclusion in the team for England caused so much gratification, began his cricket career when he entered the Palmerston North Boys’ High School in 1920. In those days he was a left-handed fast bowler in the making, but he was soon singled out by Mr W. P. Anderson, the school’s cricket coach, at a practice arranged for new boys, and prevailed upon to bowl slowly. This is a splendid example of how Mr Anderson can correctly advise hoys of the methods they should adopt in cricket. Gallichan secured a place in the first XI in 1921-22. and figured in the matches the XI played‘when they had the Heathcote Williams Shield. He had a rapid rise to good cricket, foi lie played his first match for Manawatu on April 14 and 15, 1922, against a Wellington side captained by K. H. Tucker. He was then 15 years of ago. The Wellington side included C. G. Wilson, Wiri Baker, H. McGirr, H. N. Lambert (who captained Hawke’s Bay here., recently), K. Tucker, and W. IT. Wilson, now of Palmerston North. Gallichan, in that match, made 15 and 11 not out. and took 5 for 57. and 0 for 21. He also played against Rangitikei that year at Easter. He made no runs in his only innings', and took 3 for 7 and 4 for' 37. In the following season lie had firmly established himself as a Manawatu representative howler, and a 56 against the Nomads XI of 1923 gave local cricketers the first intimation of his coming fine reputation as an

all-rounder. In that year he was selected ns 12th man for the combined Manawatu-AVairnrapn-Rangitikei Minor Association team which played McLaren’s touring English team. In the 1923-24 season he captained the High School XI which won the senior competition for the one and only time m the school’s history. He' was not selected for Manawatu that year in the team which challenged AA’nnganui for the Hawke Cup, but he represented Manawatu in other matches.

In the 1924-25 season Gallichan placed against Edgar Mayne’s A r ictorians, and was singled out bv Mayne as the most promising bowler in New Zealand. He left High School at the end of 1924 and joined up with the then Railway (now Palmerston) Club, for whieh he played one innings of 220 (v. R.S.A.) before the season concluded. He was one of those considered for a place in the New Zealand side which toured Australia in 1925-26. At that time, although only 19, he was considered by many to be one of the best slow bowlers iii the Dominion, and a most promising all-rounder. In the 1926-27 season he won a place in the New Zealand Xf which played the touring Melbourne Cricket Club at Christchurch. Although he was not altogether successful with the ball in that match, he made 39, not out, and helped AA r . E. Merritt to establish a record last" wicket partnership for New Zealand. That record still stands. He failed to win a place in the first New Zealand team to tour England (in 1927). when that tour would almost certainly have brought him well to the front as a slow bowler of a leading standard. However, lie had a great compensation that year when his accurate bowling and a brilliant batting effort of 144 in Manawatu’s second innings helped Manawatu to gain possession of the Hawke Cup for the first time from AA’angauui. In the early part of 1928 he again represented New Zealand, this time at Auckland, against AVoodfull’s Australians. However, he did not bowl a ball in that match, when the Australians scored over 600. Until the end of the 1929-30 season, when Manawatu lost the ITawkc Cup by four runs in the memorable game with Rangitikci, his bowling generally proved too much for teams that challenged for that trophy, while he also made his fair share of the runs. His performances at that time are too numerous to enumerate, but one cannot help but mention a few of his deeds. Some of his innings were: 63 not out, 59, 110. 65 not out, 20, 25, 63 and 79. The last two were made in the match against Rangitikei. who were successful with their challenge. Some of his bowling performances were: 4 for 46, off 30 overs; n for 22, off 25 overs; 3 for 10, off 10 overs; 3 tor 53. off 29 overs; 5 lor 42. off 25 overs; 6 for 30, off 28 overs; 3 for 69, off 36 overs; 6 for 31, off 15 overs ; 7 for 35, off 20 overs ; 6 for 66, off 35 overs; 8 lor 126, off 62 overs (in the Rangitikei match, second innings). In January, 1930, he played for Manawatu against Giliigan s Englishmen, and took 5 for _l4O, off 40 overs, in an innings of 478 ; That performance made Giliigan. A\ oolley and Duleepsinhji single him out as the best bowler in New Zealand, and one who should be included in the New Zealand side which was to tour England in 1931. . In 1930-31 Gallichan joined up with the United Club in Palmerston North, and captained its senior eleven that year and the next. He did not gain a place in the team to tour England, and the reason is a mystery to this day. He figured in a few Plunket Shield games for Wellington about this time, but was not very successful and was not a regular player. In 193233 he left the United. Club to join Old Bovs. His cricket was limited unti 1934-35, when Manawatu regained possession of the Hawke Cup from Taranaki. His performances in Hawke Cup cricket since then are well worth mentioning:—Batting: 193435: 23 and 1 v. Taranaki, 0 v. Hawke s Bav 20 not out v. Marlborough, t v. Southland. 1935-30: 34 v. Nelson, 5 and 37 v. Southland, 12 v Poverty Bav 64 not out v. Rangitikei. 193037; 52 and 18 v. AVairarapa. 60 and 2 not out v. Hawke’s Hay. Bowling: 1934-35: 5 for 26 (19 overs) and 3 tor 44 (32 overs) v. Taranaki; 4 for 63 (28 overs) v. Poverty Bay; 1 tor o2 (19 overs) and 4 for 39 (19 overs) v. Hawke’s Bay; 6 for 37 (24 overs) and 5 for 29 (8 overs) v. Marlborough; 6 for 52 (27 overs) v. Southland. 1930-36: 36: 4 for 4 (3 overs) and 3 for 70 (30 overs) v. Nelson ; 5 for 41 (30 overs) v. Southland; 7 for 23 (17 overs) and 4 lor 11 (17 overs) v. Poverty Bay , 3 for 4 (7 overs) and 4 for 47 (29 overs) v. Rangitikei. 1936-37: 3 for 48 (20 overs) and 2 for 31 (22 overs) v AVairarapa ; 3 for 53 (34 overs) and 2’ for 32 (22 overs) v. Hawke’s Bay. In 1935-36 he played for Manawatu against Holmes’s Englishmen, and made 41 and took 2 for 40 off 20 overs. He also played for Wellington in two Plunket Shield games that year. His chances with the ball were limited but he hatted consistently with 02 versus Otago as his highest score. During the present season, besides the Hawke Cup perlormances already einuneraved, Gallichan played in all turee of Wellington's Plunket Shield matches, and finished at the head of the bowling averages with ten wickets and high up in the batting averages with 28.60. He did not receive many howling opportunities until the final game against Auckland, and his great bowling there is too Iresh in tne memory to require detailing, llis has been a career of consistent performances, and the game lias claimed every minute of his spare time. lor sixteen years he has used lip his annual leave by playing cricket; lie has clone all that everybody has asked ot him; he has lived tor the game and has tried to give back to it something in return lor what it has given to him; and, for no fault of his, the “plums” of big cricket would not come to him. It appeared as though luck had passed him by this season, hut. at last, and at the eleventh hour, good fortune came to him, and lie has given his richly deserved place in the team to tour England. It is now everybody’s great wish that he performs outstandingly on that tour. in Gallichan’s own words, if he does, “he will he honoured to think that he has done so while still a resident ol Palmerston North, the town in which he was born.” LATE A. E. RELF. ONCE COACH AT AUCKLAND. Genuine regret will be felt by oldtime cricketers throughout the Dominion at the death ot A. E. Kell, the English cricketer, who died tragically last week, who acted as player and caacli in Auckland from 1906 to 1910, says the Herald. Keif, who was the first- English coach to visit New Zealand, was engaged by the Eden District Cricket Club. Messrs E. C. Beale and N. T. Williams being mainly responsible for inducing him to come to the Dominion. Kelt, who was recommended by Lord Hawke, was placed at the disposal of the Auckland Cricket Association, and in many quarters he is regarded as the finest coach ever to have visited New Zealand. .Some of the best players the Dominion has produced benefited by his coaching. Relf was a close friend of the late K. S. Rangitsinhji, former captain of the Sussex county eleven and an uncle of K. S. Duleepsinhji.