CRICKET NOTES

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6542, 25 February 1928, Page 6

CRICKET NOTES

(BY COVER.) Last Saturday’s • games ended, as was expected, in wins for Palmerston and Old Boys. The chief feature of tlie Palmerston —R.S-A. match was the great stand of the latter’s tail end in the second innings. Hollier’s innings was easily his best since joining the R.S.A. ranks, and was a very solid display. It wiaa very pleasing, to see the veterans Hansford and Ross make runs. They got in some very crisp shots. _ High School failed to dislodge Pacey and Young—not that the attack was specially weak—the howling was steady, but the batting was very solid. Pacey plays a fine innings his only chance being an easy on© of stumping offi Cutler. Young’s defence as usual was Impenetrable. Old Boys took a rush In closing, as had Fletcher and O’Keefe or 'Mackenzie stayed in,, their rate of scoring would have produced the runs required. All three players got themselves but foolishly to wide stuff on the off.

The Old Boys’ attack was very ragged. Diederich was not at his best but did not send down so many loose ones as the other bowlers. The Hawke Cup at last after a long series of futile attempts! The winning of the trophy should mean a great deal to the game here, provided we can-keep it for any length of time. Hawke’s Bay, no doubt, will provide the stiffest, opposition but Manawtu will be hard to beat on, their own grourid. hlana,watu has suffered from the fact that its best batsmen for some years, althoughmf a high standard, have been young and inexperienced as compared with the representatives of other associations. We arc, w$ hope, bcginlng to /emerge from that stage; and can expect to see batsmen like Harris, Gallidhan, Pacejr and McSweeny score consistently in big cricket. In congratulating the local XI. on its splendid victory, we must tender our congratulations particularly to Galiichan, whose great innings of 143 was the chief winning factor. We hope that'this performance Will be the means Of procuring him another opportunity of representing the Dominion against the Australian. Xl. Norris, too, batted consistently and wdll; McSweeny ran up to 55 in "his best style, just when it was needed, and Pacey and Pegden also gave a good exhibition, . The slow, bowlers Diederich and Galiichan did fine work in tho final innings on a wicket that no doubt showed signs of wear. Manawatu’s greatest weakness is the lack of a riiedlunrWfast Icngtbbowlcr. “it is hoped that the services of McDonald of Feildlng, will be available in future matches. We have no sympathy with those who' have found "cause for complaint in thd‘action of “the Australian captain in compelling Wellington to follow. The sooner tho public and the press cease to view our games with visiting teams as spectacles given by supermen at our expense, and realise that our own men have claims to be considered as worthy opponents, the better for cricket in New Zealand.