OUT DOOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 913, 11 January 1918, Page 19

OUT DOOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

By SoucMiiaa.

Cricket.

A WRITER on amateur athletic sports said on one occasion, "And of the making of records there is no end." . This could be truly written of cricket in Wellington this season. Just before Christmas _ the Old Boys team put up a new innings record by scoring 563 runs for six wickets (declared) against - the Returned Soldiers. • This score was put altogether in the shade' last Saturday, afternoon by North, who, starting at 2.34 and continuing till 6.44, ran up the huge total of 633 runs for - seven, wickets. Besides being a record score for an innings, this is also the fastest rate at which runs have been scored in any class of cricket " in Wellington—an average of 150 runs an hour is nomenal scoring as we know it here. J. S. Hiddleston and A. R. Barker opened, and they established a firstwicket partnership of 168. Hiddleston was the first td go, with 97 to his credit. H. E. Burton joined Barker, and the scoring went on merrily. When Barker was dismissed the total was 262—94 for the partnership, the outgoing batsman's share being 113. C. G. Wilson was the next to take centre, and Burton and his captain got so merry that in 85 minutes 147 runs were added to the totad, Burton being bowled with the total at 409. W. Wagstaffe (32), A. Paterson (5), and E. Ward (59) all had an interest in the record-making score, C. G. Wilson > s contribution being 181. *.■*..;* .. * In the 1901-02 season C. A. Richardson, the old-time New South Wales representative batsman, who was then the captain of the Wellington Club team, credited himself with three centuries—lsl, 120*, and 102.f There has been some prolific scoring on oc-

casions since those days, but that record of three century-scorers in the one cricket year has not been equalled till . now. To C. G. Wilson—the "Father" of Wellington cricket—belongs the credit of equalling the oldtime record, for his tallies so far this season include 181, 162, and 101. "Gillie" Wilson first played senior cricket as a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club in. the days when the late Harry Trott was a youngster. Since then he: has represented Otago, . New Zealand, and Wellington on the cricket field, and his figures should be interesting if they could be gathered together. That maybe is something for the future, but there is another record that may. be within his compass this year. In the 1913-14 season Fred Midlane, playing for East, had the following figures : —No. of innings, 12; times, not out, 4; total runs. 707; highest score, 101*, average, 88.37. This ' is the biggest aggregate of runs and the best average so far in Wellington senior cricket, "C G. Wilson's figures to date are :—No. of innings, 7; times not out, 0; highest score. 181; total runs, 548;'average'78.28. * '■■ ■* * ■' * - ' figures alone for the time being, to get back to the match under review. The Returned Soldiers is. a very, weak side, probably the weakest that has ever contested the championship. It is a pity that this team should have. sought senior status with the players at its disposal, for just now they are but chopping-blooks for their opponents. The captain of the side tried as many- as ten bowlers against the North on Saturday, but not one of them .steadied the ,run-getting one whit. We honour these lads for the service they have done for King and Country in' the great war and would like them to give as good an account of themselves on the cricket field. But the willingness to do well may be with them, albeit the opportunity of doing so is (limited by their qualifications. They had a strenuous time in the field last Saturday, and tired considerably before the afternoon had run its course. As they will have some batting this week-end maybe they, will get more enjoyment out of the closing stages of the game than they did in the opening phases. « «■ ■» » - Trentham and Old Boys met on the No. 1 wicket, and, allthough neither team was at full strength, the soldiers particularly so, a tremendous amount of interest was.taken in the game.

There was comparatively only a handful of the sparse attendance being accounted for by the fact that it was not generally known that matches were to be played. However, what they lacked in numbers those present made up for in enthusiasm. ' The out-play of both teams and the bowling of J. N. Crawford (Trentham) and W. GaiTod (Old Boys) were the features of the game. The wicket was in fine order—nippy and fast—but both the bowlers named soon struck a length and generally it was a procession of batsmen to and from the pavilion. Old Boys hatted first, and . were all dismissed for 65 runs, H. Lambert (16) and K. H. Tucker (12*) being the only batsmen to make any progress-against Crawford's bowling, who- wound up with the following, figures :—9.4 overs, 3 maidens, 35. runs, 7 wickets. The soldiers started well, Kenney and Kemnitz carrying the score to 22 before the latter was dismissed. • W. Garrod at this stage had bowled, three . overs for 15 runs, hut then he got busy. Kenney left at 24, and off his first ball Crawford was dropped by the wicketkeeper, the "how's that?"- coming from practically every fieidsman. But. the Englishman's timber-yard was scattered the following ball, and when I say that Gatrrod's last 34 'balls ac r counted for eight Trentham wickets for nine runs the story of the innings is easily told. The only ones, to register double figures in the total of 77 were D. Binnie (21*) and Kemnitz (13). ' " The Old Boys went in a second time, and at closing-time had • registered 83 for six wickets (E. M. Beechey 21, H. Lambert 18, W. Garrod 13*). J. P. Blacklock (Old Boys) and N. C. Snedden (Trentham) were both absent on Saturday, but places. were kept for them in their respective teams, and they will "be playing,, when the match is resumed to-morrow (Saturday). '#' * # * ', Out at Petone East met the local . team on their own Recreation Ground, the town eleven getting the better of the exchanges. The scores were:—East, 201 (J. Hutchings 67*, A? Fenton 32, A. Dind 20, S. Hylton 17, Christopherson 13); Petone, 112 (W. - S. Brice 53, E. Nicholls 17, Parr ant 16). Bowlers who' met with success in their deliveries, besides Crawford and Garrod, who have been referred to earlier, were:—Trentham: E.-Smyrke, ' two wickets for 25 runs; Old Boys: Lambert, one for 24; Petone: W. S. Brice, two for 47; A. Bennett, four for . 58; Thomas, one. for 30; J. T. Steph- " eiis, one f0r.22; Parrant, one for 13; East: J. Hutchings, two for 32;' A. Fen ton, eight for 28. Fen ton wound up the Petone innings in a sensational fashion, his last three overs being- maidens with' six - wickets in them. - A remarkable thing about the Old Boys-Trentham match. It took exactly the same number of balls—ll2 —to dismiss each team in its first innings, and J. N. Crawford and W. Garrod, the successful bowlers, each bowled 58 of the 112. * * * * The following table shows how the various teams have fared so far in the contest for the senior championship: — w Three Point Two Point _g-g Matches, Matches. g<» •** <a " <3.5 gS Won. Lost. "Won. Lost. o£ Trentham „.. 4 3 0 1 0 11 Old Boys* ... 4 1* 0.1 1 4£ Nortli .... 4 1 0 12 1 East ... 4 1 1 1 1 0 Petone ... 4 1? 2 0 0 —1% Returned Soldiers .... 4 0 4 0 0 —12 *Oild Boys and Petone tied, and were each awarded half a three-point win, « « <& & Quite a hubbub happened in the Old Boys' second innings when E. M. Beechey was given "run out" by .the umpire, and many -were the arguments when the match was over. I was not in a position to say whether- the umpire's decision was a correct one or not, but what I do know is that the umpire in question would ' not have given his decision against the -batsman unless he thought he was out of his crease when the wicket was put down. the Bu^fc do ers Imve, Jtnen. in these JfespfinsiMe posigive fair anff r i^M#m ; cmn# iW This is " a factor that the criticising spectator and also local leVve ' * " ssai&a »«£& » * * * The representative match in Christchurch last week between Wellington

the concluding stages were bright and interesting. On the first innings Canterbury lied by 122 runs, but the captain of the side was taking no risks: and went on till lunch-time on yfche third day, when Canterbury's tally in V the second innings was 293 runs for nine wickets. This left the Wellington/ team 3 J -hours to get 416 runs or to keep their wickets up. C. G. Wilson and J. S. Hiddleston started and made . merry, so merry that at the end of ah s hour 121 runs were on the board when the latter was dismissed with 74 runs v opposite his name. Wiri Baker also • in fine style, getting to the ball with his feet, and scoring , much quicker than has been his wont of re- " cent years. At the end 302 rung were on the board for the loss of five wickets—Wilson 60, Baker _76. and Dind 63*. :\ The wicket was on the dead side the . first two days and . helped the'' slow bowlers a lot. On the final day' it had a lot of life.and sparkle in it. These two facts niay account for the improved ■ showing made by the Wellington bats- ":. men. Be that as it may, the return . match to be played later on this month ; at the Basm Reserve should be inter- • esting. - , *. .'*... •■'*■ '" "*■'•■ ■xtP^™ tJie nali< i a y season a team of Wellington players visited the Nelson district and played three matches. Th& party was comprised of Hutehings (2), Blacklock, Crombie, Collett, Walters, ; Hamilton, Osborne, Trott.- Smith. ' Wylie, and Nichoills. The first game-: - was against a mixed district team at-V- - local men making a weak show. Scores: — Wellington, 165 (Walters 64, Crombie 36, H.- Hutehmgs 15); 66 and 84 (Langbein 18, Pappa 14; Haycock 23*, Hull 14; v Lines 17). The successful;> bowlers Wellington: J. Hutehings, eight for 31 and five for 22; for Nelson: Lines, five for 58- Haycock, " two for 3. Brightwater defeated the - visitors—B7 and 172 (Eden- 18 and 43,' Haycock 20, Clark 23, Hall 20) to 85 : (H. Hutehings 19, Trott 15,. Wylie 15). A mixed Nelson team also were sue- " cessful, scoring 201 (E. R. N.eale 58, Haycock 28, Hall 25, Langbein 25, ■-.- Eden 17), the response of the Wellington men being 66 and 97 (Hamilton 33 and 13, Crombie 18,. Trott. 15 and 12. Osborne 14, H. Hutehings 10). J. Hutehings (seven for 66) and Walters (three for 77) were the successful Wellington bowlers, and those who took wickets for Nelson were: Haycock, '" six for 21; Neale, four for 37; ' Best,' four for 16; Lines, three for 34; and Eden, two for 33. - I have to thank a Nelson friend for the information contained in the above paragraph, and in sending it to me he expresses the pleasure these annual. visits to their district by Wellington players give to the over there. J. Hutehings and J. Nash are mainly responsible for getting these ' teams together, and generally they have no difficulty in getting a side to - trip across the Straits. ' * ■ * - * *':"'■ : , On New Year's Bay the Wellington . Boys' League Junior Representatives met and defeated the City and Subur- ■ ban Junior Boys' Representatives at , Christchurch by an innings and 107 runs. Wellington batted first and compiled 199; D. Burt 102 not out, P.'. Carey 35, W. Warwick 22, and G, Burt 9 all showing good form with the bat. The -first-nanied gave only one real chance (when 56) in compiling his century, and made his runs by good strokes. Christchurch were disposed of for 39 (Lewton 17) and 53 (Edmonds 16). Bowling for Wellington, T. Barr tookone for 1 and six: for 11, C. Reeve five , for 17 and two for 7, H. Softly two for 11 and two for. 14, and W. Tucker one for 5 and none for 17. For Christchurch, Lewton three for 29 and Shier, five for 89 were the most successful. ' - The catching of the Wellington boys . left a good deal of room for improvement, and some of the bowlers suffered a good deal through that weakness. The ground work of the majority of the boys was good, but unless they ■ learn to become a great deal more ae- ~, tive on'their feet they will never rise very high as fieldsmen." A. Douglas (wicketkeeper), G. Burt", W. Warwick, and D. Burt stood out from the others by reason of their activity and neatness. Barr, Reeve, and G. Burt (field-. nesd&yl n*ossiiiSg <jyit& aipfeasant recolJF -\UE32lii'(S2s : s-iediO f A propos of the above match, it maw not be out of place to mention that the% JB so theglpeterairp fa Mtls being pp'flurth sScessivea f J||is<w§! Ala *fe l^S_MpTe^ of age. He is a very promising young-4 ster both with the bat and as a fields-/ man, his work at point being greatly^