Services Lash Out Brilliantly to Defeat Cricket Leaders

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1939, Page 3

Services Lash Out Brilliantly to Defeat Cricket Leaders

fTHE HIGHEST SCORE IN SENIOR CRICKET THIS SEASON WAS SET UP AT THE RECLAMATION GROUND ON SATURDAY WHEN NOMADS’ BIG TOTAL OF 297 WAS EXCELLED BY WHANGAREI’S 348.

The other senior game. Onerahi versus Services, was less spectacular, so far as I>ig scores were concerned, but there was an exciting finish when Services lashed out in their second innings in a race against time to defeat the competition leaders with five wickets still in hand.

On the previous Saturday, Nomads had compiled 297, against fast and accurate bowling.

Whangarei did not find much difficulty in controlling Nomads’ bowlers in the second day’s play, and was soon within striking distance of the 300 mark.

Big hits of the match were 71 by Nisbet and 62 by Masters. Partnered by Angelo, Nisbet took the score beyond Nomads’ tally in a very fine strike. In the short time remaining for play, Nomads recorded 80 for the loss of four wickets.

The highlight of the Senior B Grade was Services’ surprise win over Portland in a low scoring game. The other two fixtures saw close finishes, with the result depending on the la st few minutes of play.

Replying to Onerahi’s first innings to

tal of 220, Services knocked up 156. Onerahi collapsed in the second innings, only 84 being registered. With 11 hours left for play, Services had 148 to secure to make a draw and 149 for a win. Williams and Batten opened the scoring, Batten playing carefully, and Williams adopting a big-hit policy. His 50 came up in a very short time, while Batten’s 56 took till stumps to compile. Weston struck form with a succession of boundary shots that put Services close to their mark with half an hour still to go. The innings closed with fiye wickets down and the competition leaders tasting a five-wicket defeat. Good weather again favoured cricketers, although the flight after 4 p.m. was not of the best. The outfield was very bumpy owing to the continued dry state of the ground, and bowlers had some difficulty with the dusty run-up.

refusing to wag at all profitably. With a big total to overcome, Williams wasted no time in getting down to work, and he was accompanied by the more steady and cautious Batten. Seven fours and two sixes came off Williams’ bat before he was caught at 50. Saul went in to come out almost immediately following a brilliant catch point by Fyfe, who gathered the ball from two inches off the ground to hold it aloft. Hore failed to last. Time was marching oh and, with the dismissal of Williams, the scoring had slowed up its pace too much to maintain Services’ former cheerful optimism.

Weston, however, transformed the morbid atmosphere with his big-hit ideas. These ideas found practical interpretation with three fours and two sixes in an eight-minute innings of 29. It was short and fast, but it put the issue beyond all doubt, and the remaining runs came without trouble from Menzies’ bat. Scores: —

ONERAHI. First Innings 220 Second Innings. Fyfe, b Power 3 Hewlett, b Menzies 1 McKoy, run out 21 J. Drake, c Provan, b Menzies ... 8 Hewitt, b Pdwer 1 W. Whimp, c Weston, b Menzies .. 0 H. Whimp, st Saul, b Hore 1 F. Drake, not out 33 Bowman, b Batten 0 Hawkes, c Cunis, b Batten 0 Mason, b Power 3 Extras 13 Total 84 Bowling: Menzies took three wickets for 26 runs; Power, three for 27; Batten, two for 4; Hore, one for 14, SERVICES. First Innings. Batten, c McKoy, b Hewlett 16 Williams, Ibwj bJ. Drake VI. . Saul, notout 1- .. 48 Hore, b Hewlett 0 Weston, c Hewlett, bJ, Drake 1 Menzies, c Fyfe, b J. Drake 19 Provan, c Hewitt, b Hewlett 21 Cunis, Ibw, b Fyfe 0 Tapper, Ibw, b Hewlett 0 Fergusoii, b Fyfe

Power, b Fyfe 10 Extras 14 Total ..T 156 bowling: C. Hewlett took four wickets for 46 runs; Fyfe, three for 16; J. Drake, three for 75; F. Drake, none for 5. Second Innings. Williams, c H, Whimp, b F. Drake 50 Batten, not out 56 Saul, c Fyfe, b J. Drake 0 Here, b J. Drake 3 Weston, cJ. Drake, b Hewlett ... 29 Menzies, not out 6 Provan, run out 3 Extras • 2 Total (for five wickets) 149 Bowling: J. Drake took two wickets for 48 runs; Hewlett, one for 36; F. Drake, one for 41; Fyfe, none for 22.