OUT DOOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Free Lance, Volume XV, Issue 762, 6 February 1915, Page 19

OUT DOOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

By Touchline.

CRICKET. t he Greatest Surprise of AH. IT has often been said that the charm of cricket lies in its uncertainty, but even those amongst us who subscribe to this opinion did not imagine that such a surprise was in store for us as what happened on the Basin Reserve last : Saturday afternoon. Before the games startedj a well-known official said to; me, "l wish I had taken an afternoon off and gone to the Early Settlers' Reunion at the Newtown Park —the games Mere are such foregone conclusions." The ■matcltes referred to were between North and Old Boys on the No, 2 wicket, and and tfniverfiity on No. 1. The latter match seems to be going to end the way the prophets predicted, but "the Old Boys sprang a regular surprise oh everybody concerned by their unexpectedly good showing against North. Just pause here for a moment, and consider the respective position of the two sides in the contest for. the senior championship at the finish of the last series of matches. It is as follows:-^— Three-Point Two-Point £ Matches, Matches. SS Won. Let. Won. Lost, o North ... 6 2 1 3 0 9 Old Boys ... 6 0 3 1 2 —11 One would imagine that it would not be possible to bring these two teams together, especially if North had their full ~ strength in the field. * * * * But Look What Happened. Dissatisfied with his bad luck in the Way of losing the toss for the choice of innings, J. P« Blaekloek handed over the duties of captain to Norman Hales, and fortune smiled on the genial doctor light away, for he was successful in callingcorrectly when the coin was tossed. 'Old Boys, therefore, for the first time this season, had the privilege of batting first, ahd setting the opposition a main. tjp to the fall of the fourth wicket the ex-Goilegians, however, did not look like making history, &. H. Tucker, B\ Ha v. J. V. Blaekloek, and S, Wills all being dismissed with the score at 66. But from this stage forward the batsmen

got the better of the deal, and when the last wicket fell the total was 255 (E. M. Beechey 68, Borrows 40, B. Marris 33, N. Hales 27, C, Makeham 17* E. Thomas 15, K. m Tucker 12). * * * # The North Collapse. It is generally admitted that the North is the strongest batting team in the senior competition, and therefore the fact that, at the conclusion of the afternoon's play, they had lost nine wie- . kets for 84 mas, is hardly understandable. The wieket was all right, although the light on the No. 2 ground is not of the best. I do not wish to make excuses for North, for the simple reason that the same fringe of trees was at one end of the Basin Reserve when the Old Boys were batting. It is true that the sun was very low down when North were at the wickets, and therefore trying to the batsmen, but the fact remains that the majority of the. wickets were obtained by Tueker, who was operating from the end where the sun was behind the batsmen. * «• * * Excuses Are of No Avail, it to me. The North fellows suffered from what is known in cricket par- .' lance as "a rot," and the Old Boys are deserving of full commendation in be-' ing the cause of such a failure on the part of . acknowledged batsmen, as we . know them in Wellington, 1 have a lot of time for the Old Boys, and no one ■ has felt more keenly than I have the poor showing they have made in senior championship matches this year. Therefore* I am rejoicing with' them this.' week, for, although I do not class them as strong a team as the figures of the. ; game under review seem to suggest, I do not think they have shown their cor- ./ rect form in their previous matches. In all the games in which they have taken part their batting bas been good enough if their bowling had. been up to standard. Another factor that has gone against them is the fact that previouslv they have always had to take the field iftrst, and the leather-nuntings the'opposition batsmen had treated them to has taken a lot of the energy out of them and tired them out. First strike however, found the Old Boys in the best of numours, and my hearty congratulations are theirs on tne biggest surprise that has been effected in Wellington cricket in my experience of the playing of the game here. - . Another Century-Scorer. There are one or two things in connection with the East-University match that compel attention, and the first is the fine score of 167 made by W. R. L. Gibbes, the East left-hander. In the early part of his innings he went very steady, the fact that out of the total of 133 when the first wicket fell Baker's share was 81, being sufficient evidence that Gibbes was not in a hurry making Ins runs. When Ered Midlane joined up with him, however, be brightened up .

'.■.considerably, and drove and forward cut like a champion. Fours and sixes were as falling leaves in autumn, and, even when in the nineties, he did not slacken up his pace one whit, bringing up his century score with a lofty on-drive that added- six runs to his tally. From thence onward he was never in the least bit uncertain, and his batting wais the champagne of cricket. Gibbes was not beaten once during his long innings, although. he safely survived two "1.b.w." appeals, and the only real chance that came from his bat was the fine onehanded catch that Arthur Fenton took at cover-point from a swinging forward cut. ; W. R. Gibbes first came into Wellington cricket as a member of the Phoenix Club in the 1904-5 season —he had previously been a player in the Paddington Ciub in Sydney—but this is only the second occasion on which he has put three figures opposite his name on the score-book. In the early part of last season* playing against the Hutt team on the Hutt Recreation Ground,- he scored 100*, the declaration of the innings by the East captain being delayed until Gibbes obtained his century. In 1911-12 he got 95. in 1912-13 94, and his highest tallies in previous years were 60, 57 , 52, and 46. His best season was the 1911-12! one, when his figures were — 10 innings, 440 runs, highest score 95, average 44.90. ..'■'* # * # Century Stands for a Wicket are becoming quite a common occurrence with W. R. Gibbes and W. A. Baker, for they been associated together for the first wieket on four occasions for the East team while 100 runs and over have been added to the score. It is Gibbes, however, that I am particularly writing ; about just now, and the century stands in which he has taken part are as follows: — 181—1st wicket, with W. A. Baker. 155—2nd! wicket, with F. A Midlane. 141—5 th wicket', with W. S. Brice. 140—1st wicket, with W. A. Baker. 133—1st wicket, with W. A. Baker. 127—1st wicket (rep. match), with E. O; Blamires. 112 —Ist wicket, with W. A.. Baker. 105—3rd wicket, with F. A. Midlane. 100 —2nd wicket (rep. match), with E. O. Blamires. ■» * •» About the Match. Having given the main features of W. •Br, Gibbes' batting figures since his entry into Wellington cricket, it behoves me to get back to the details of the game in which his best performance to date was put up. I intended referring specifically to the century-stands—Gib-bes and Baker 133 for the first wicket and? Gibbes and Midlane 155 for the second wicket—but I have said sufficient about them in the preceding paragraph, and I will leave it at that. Barring a fair innings by G. Lambert, of which mote anon, there was little in the batting of the remaining members of the East team which calls for extended comment. Hickey and Nash (the last two batsmen) were at the wickets when clos-ing-time came round, the total score being 437 for nine wickets (Gibbes 167, Baker 81, Midlane 74, Lambert 42, Hickev 16*. Barnett 16, E. Wetherall 10, W. Wetherall 10).

The East captain quietly informed S. W. Dempsey, the University skipper, that he would close his innings at Wat, and to-morrow (Saturday) afternoon the men from Victoria. University College will have a big hurdle in front of them to tackle. But they are optimists enough to believe that they can get the runs. They will do their best, anyway —that goes without saying. What Will the Old Boys Do? It looks as if the North team will be so far behind the Old Boys in their first innings that the captain of the latter may ask the leaders, of the competition for the championship to follow their innings. Of course, he is not compelled to do so, but, with a two-point win . in hand, the ex-Collegians may consider it worth their while to try for a threepointer. There have been instances where the team that has led. on the first innings has lost a match, even when they have asked their opponents to follow on. If memory serves me right this happened in an England v. Australia test match, but I am not even offering this as a hint to the Old Boys captain. It is just a thought that has come into my head, and I fain would print it. Whichever way .it goes, however, there is bound to be a lot of interest taken in this Old Boys—North match to-morrow (Saturday) afternoon). ■* «■ # * Century-Scorers for the Season. This list is in the nature of a historymaking one, for the simple reason that never before have there been so many three-figure scqres> in Wellington in on© season's cricket. The register to date is. as follows: — H. E. Burton (Central), 176. F. A.>Midlane (East), 171. W. R. *.. Gibbes (East), 167. C. G. Wilson (North), 165. B. McCardell (Central), 141*. D. Hay (Old Boys), 135. W. S. Brice (Petone), 121. J. S. Hiddleston (North), 120. W. T. Bray (North), 119. F. A. Midlane (East). 117*. J. S. Hiddleston (North), 115. W. A. Baker (East), 112. H.-Nnhn (Petone) 107. K. H. Tucker (Old" Boys), 102. C. W. Robinson (Central), 101. W. T. Bray (North), 101; A. Cate (Petone), 100. * # # «• Notes About the Players. Fred Walters (23*) was the only North batsman who made any appreciable headway against the Old. Boys bowlers, and even hen was careful. But he showed that the bowling could be played if the man with the bat was patient enough. Eaton, the ex-Aucklander, was busywhile he was at the wickets, although it seemed to me at the stage he went in that the "rock" game would have been . the preferable one. had the good luck to bo caught out just over the sguare-leg boundary. This was a slight misfortune all right for Old Boys, but it was not very serious all the same, for with but two runs added to his score the North champion batsman sent one back, toTucker.

"When it was decided to abolish the district scheme of cricket in Wellington, fend the Old Boys were re-admitted to senior championship. Pearson BlackJpek said to me. "Ken Tucker will now have another : chance to prove that he is not done with as a bowler yet." It will be remembered that as an East player Tucker rarely had a, turn with the ball, and this fact Was the reason for Blacklock's remark. The North team: will subscribe to the statement I have quoted, for Tucker's figures last Saturday are flattering to whoever may he the acknowledged best bowler in Wellington against a batting team as strong as North have proved themselves to be. Here they are: —14 overs, 3 maidens, 40 runs> 5 Wickets- Verily, in this instance, Tucker renewed his youth, for in his younger days he was;"i<m.e -of our best at the bowling crease^|;X Ernest Beechey is one strong batsmen on the Old Boys side, this season. Against North he openfed at one end, and was sixth wicket Vdown, his contribution being 68. By. the way, he has scored fairly consistently this year, his journeys to the wicket producing the following sequence of scores: 9, 33, 48, 6, 28, 41, 40, 26, 43* and 68, as consistent as they well can be. v'-' 1 A hew face to senior cricket in Wel"J lihgton in the Old Boys team made a very good impression on Saturday. I refer to Borrows, who has been playing the, Thorndon Club in the Junior Cricket Association's competition, and whesfce he* got amongst the century scor- •:; ers; of the season. He shaped like a batsmari against the North, and did well .indeed to get the second highest score . Oh? She side s for his first appearance. I confess I liked most of his shots, ;.: and .would congratulate him on getting into the place! fitting his abilities. By the way, there must be plenty of other Olid Boys playing cricket in Wellington outsido of the club that was formed to keOp, them in close touch with one another after leaving Wellington College, and they should come into line. Bla'cklOeky Hayv Wills, and others have striven hard in the past for the sake of their Alina Mater, and there are many who should come to their assistance at this stage who have plenty of cricket in them. . A week or two ago I remarked that B. Marris had got so njany "not outs" opposite his name that it Was up. to his skij>per to give him a higher order on the batting list. The hint was taken, -with the result that Marris' wicket proved & very hard one to get. As a matter of fact, the partnership between Makeham; and Marris: added 54 runs to the total for the ninthl wicket, a more than useful contribution. With the bail also the batsmonpaid tim.a lot of overs* 6 runs, 1 wicket, telljing the story very plainly, This lad

has a fine leg-break in his bag, but he > makes the mistake of letting it out before he has got a decent length. The : first essential in bowling is to get a length—varying of pace and break are secondary considerations- The hint in this is a plain one to Harris, for I am satisfied that there are possibilities in his bowling if he can get a good length and keep it- And practice is the only thing that "will give him it. :, J. P. Blaekloek is having a very lean season, and so also is S. Wills. D. Hay made one century score, but he hasn't - troubled that enthusiast, Scorer Martin," much since. J£, H. Tucker helped himself to a round dozen on Saturday, and then Hiddleston found a hole in his bat. Norman Hales assisted Beechey to put a better complexion on the Old Boys innings, but just when he was well in his stride he* wandered out of his crease to look for a tempting ball from Southall, and was still looking for it when he. was stumped. Borrows, Thomas, and Makeham aXi carried on the good work started by Hales and Beechey, and what at one ■ time looked like a poor tally was a creditable one when the last Old Boys batsman was dismissed. * * '. * * ' t • A Promising Colt. Somebody wrote to the daily papers, after the recent Canterbury match, that it would pay the selectors of Wellington representative teams to look round amongst the junior elevens for suitable material,, One of the names mentioned was George Lambert, then a sEudent at Wellington College. This lad played his first senior game as a member of the East team last Saturday, and them is mo doubt about it that he is a promising batsman, all right. Some of his shots were real beauties, and if there was a coach in, Wellington Lambert might me made to develop into something above the average. But he wants coaching;, not in how to make the strokes, it is true, but in how to make them to the best advantage from the scoring point of view. Lambert's defence is as sound as a bell, but the real fault I have to find with him is that he does not get to the ball quick enough in making his stroke?. In short, he makes all his shots fast footed, whereas, if he learnt how and when to jump into a ball he would reach a good height as a batsman. But he is a long way from the standard of a representative batsman yet, and whoever tried to put that idea into his head Was not fair to the lad. However, this youth Is most unassuming, and will win his way if given a fan* opportunity. * * # *...'■ I must confess to a huge disappointment at the way M. Bamett shaped. After his big tally of 93* against Old Boys, I expected to see something out of the ordinary from him. That nearscore at a first appearance must have spoilt him, for against TTnivensity he shaped like a man out of his element. The bowling had been soundly thrashed before he came in, yet in nine

eases out of ten tlie ball hit the bat, and did not receive anything like its fair measure of- punishment. This youth will have to improve if he is going to keep his place in the East team, for one big score never yet made" a man a batsman. # * * * The Striking Feature in more senses than one about the Cen-tral-Petone match at Petone. is the fine century score by W. S. Brice, the lengthy Petone batsman. Out of a total or 254 put up by the lads of the village. Brice led the way with an excellentlyplayed 121. This making of centuries is not a new thing with Stan Brice, for he has put three figures opposite his name on the score-book many times previously. Brice, barring a couple of seasons with the oid Phoenix Club, has played all his cricket in the Hutt Valley, and both with the bat and ball has done well. When he first came into notice in town cricket he was hailed as E. F. Upham's natural successor os a fast bowler, but, although he has done much fine work with the ball, he has hardly performed so ably as the old Midlander. All the same, he took 61 wickets one season in senior championship matches, which is a rather better tally than Upham helped himself to at any stage of his career. The lengthy one has been for many years—and still is—a big asset to Petone cricket. «## * - This Central-Petone match looks like ending in a comfortable two-point win for Petone, as Central are 87 runs to the bad with three wickets to fall. Just a passing remark here. If 3 as seems probable, East and Petone score two-point wins, and North suffer a similar loss, in the matches now in progress, these three teams will be level in the contest for the championship. Which is interesting, at any rate. * •» # * The North is losing the services of J. Leydon for the rest of the season. This youth, who has shown good form, is going to Australia for a holiday. By the way. T. R. Southall will not be playing in the Old Boys match to-morrow (Saturday) afternoon. This accounts for his rise in the batting order last Saturday, about which many of the quid nuncs were expressing opinions not complimentary to tne North captain. * * * * Amongst the Boys. On Saturday last a Boys' League Juniar ILepresentative team journeyed to Lower Mutt and played a Hutt boys' team, got together by Mr. Walton, president of the League. Although several of the best players were unavailable, the Wellington boys won on the first innings by 55 runs —a creditable performance. The scores were as follow: Wellington, 156 (Hall 81, .Leggatt 20, Warwick 17* and Trott 10 reaching double figures). Lower Hutt, 101 (6. Lusty 57) and 63 for four wickets (G. Lusty 22, Pole 28). With the ball Smith, a miniature left-hander, and Trott performed very well for Wellington, as did Grierson for the Hutt. The fielding of the Wellington boys was very keen and crisp, Wyhe, Leggatt, Trott, and Burt a ten-year-old youngster, being the pick of an excellent lot. Altogether the match was thoroughly en>ved by all who took part in it.