CRICKET

Northern Advocate, 31 January 1927, Page 8

CRICKET

REPRESENTATIVE M ATCH. RODNEY V. WHANGAREI. The first representative fixture in which the Whangarei Cricket Association has engaged this year was the annual fixture against Rodney, played at Matakana. on Saturday. The original Whangarei team selected was a . * very strong one, but of the fifteen chosen only six—J. Lees, Petley, Arneil, Atkinson, R. Jennings and J. Newton —made the trip. It was originally intended to travel by launch, but the weather prevented this, and the journey was made by car, leaving Whangarei on Friday afternoon and returning yesterday morning. The team was very hospitably entertained, a dance in the evening adding much to the pleasure of their visit.

i The concrete wicket, as usual, prov■ed xmaccustomcdly fast to the WhaI ngarei players, batsmen and bowlers I alike. A large number of spectators followed the progress of the game. Rodney opened disastrously, Pat Dunning scoring only a single, and his brother failing to open his account. Three wickets were down for 14, 4 for 18, five for 20, and 6 for 34. It appeared that at last, after a long series of defeats, Whangarei were to triumph over their doughty opponents. Vipond was the only early batsman to show form, but before he had reached double figures what appeared to bo a- perfectly good ball from Atkinson nipped in and took his off bail. However, the umpire disallowed the wicket. Whangarei was to have still further bad luck. Matthews was in turn dropped at point, square-leg and midoff before he finally snicked one to J. Lees behind the stumps. Again the umpire disallowed the appeal, and the veteran went on to top score with 24. A. Pickering was the only other double-figure run-getter, scoring IC. Arneil bowled unchanged throughout the innings, sending down 16 overs and capturing 6 wickets. Hef' always had the batsmen in difficulties. Atkinson and Newton took two wickets apiece. The innings yielded a total of 79.

Whangarei failed by two runs to equal their opponents’ tally. Arnoil reached the top of his form in a valuable innings for 23. He was dismissed by a fine catch in the outfield. Campbell, playing as substitute, contributed 11. P. and W. Dunning and Matthews were the destructive agents. Again, in the second strike, the redoubtable Dunning brothers were accounted for cheaply. Pat was caught behind the wickets for 17, while William, by being run out, completed what must have been his first pair of spectacles in representative cricket for many a long day. However, Wyatt (47), N. Vipond (11) and F. Mumford (11) carried the score on to the respectable total of 117. Atkinson was the star trundler of the innings, bowling unchanged and dismissing 7 batsmen for 57. ■ Paced with 119 runs to get in quick time, the earlier Whangarei batsmen opened out, but P, Dunning was tossing them up well, and wickets fell fast, the only batsmen to make a stand being G. Wilding (11), G. Petley (15) and J. Collins. Pctlcy sent one ball well out of the ground. The total of 54 runs was 65 behind the desired tally.

MANGONUI v. NORTHERN WAIEOA.

(Special to “Northern Advocate.") The first game under the auspices of the North Auckland Cricket Association was played at Dargaville on Saturday, when Mangouni annexed the Dargaville Shield from the Northern Wairoa. Mangonui batted first, compiling a total of 81, towards which Dawson (18), Panther (15 not out) and Penny (13) were the principal scorers. Switzer captured 8 for

An unfortunate accident occurred } early in Northern Wairoa’s first innings. Their captain, Switzer, who was an opening batsman, was struck on the head by a fast ball, and had to be removed to hospital. He was still unconscious at noon today. A collapse then set in. Scrle conItributing 15 towards a total of 42. White captured 4 wickets for 15 runs, f Mangonui went to the wicket again, j and made light work of the bowling until the drawing of stumps, when eight wickets had fallen for 223. H. ) Dunn made 40, P. Panther 3t>, White j 28, Lambly 30, E. Panther 23 and Daw- | sou not out 12. The bowling of I Switzer was sadly missed.