ATHLETIC SPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14226, 24 November 1909, Page 5

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

CRICKET.

DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The outstanding feature of Saturday's play was the fino bowling performances. The bowlers received a lot of assistance from tho wickets as a result; of the hoavy downpour of Friday. Tho present cricket season has been anything but an ideal one, ; tho six days of play which have passed all being unfavourable. Fivo senior bowlers had, at tho completion of Saturday's play, exceptional performances to their credit. A. M. Howden, of North Shore, took six University wickets at a cost of 23 runs; F. Taj lor, of University, took fivo North Shore wickets for 35; > 0. Olliff, of Parnell, took five Grafton wickets for 63; R. Woods, of Ponsonby, took- five Eden wickets for 56; and Geo. Mills, of - Eden, took five Ponsonlry wickets for 46. There were some other good bowling performances, notably those made by Fenwick (University), who took three wickets for <2T runs; Bush (North Shore), throe for 9; R. Neill (Grafton), three for 23; C. Olliff (Parnell)—in. Grafton's ■ second attemptfour - for 14-; Devison (Ponsonby], three for 14; and A. E. Rolf (Eden), four for 37. It is but natural that with good bowling performances the batting averages should suffer. The highest total for a complete innings on Saturday was. made by Parnell, who scored 127 in their second attempt. Ponsonby made 121, while North Shore, who started the day with. 41 for two wickets, only totalled 129 in tho second innings. . University's second innings only amounted to 54, while the second attempts of Grafton ana Eden only realised 31 for seven wickets and 29 for five wickets respectively. The highest scores of the 'day were made by Young, of Ponsonby (41), E. V. Sale, of Parnell (37), and Coleman, of North' Shore (30). The best batting performance of any grade in the district championships was that of Lucas, playing for North Shore third grade team against.'Eden. Ho opened tho innings and carried his bat right through, being unconquercd when the tenth wicket fell, with 94 to his credit out of a total of 153. The result of tho North Shore-University match gave the champion team a lead of one point from Parnell .and Grafton, tho three-point win gained—tho first of the season in senior grade cricketbeing responsible for tho narrow margin. The wat<ysiders continued their second innings, with 41 for two wickets on the board, and tho total was carried to 129 before the eleven were disposed of. W. Coleman, who knocked up 30, played the best innings for his side,' making tho runs by good strokes. lie put one of Taylor's _ deliveries clean over the boundary. It is a coincidence that the onlj othor six scored during tho afternoon was hit by Taylor. Dacre (16) and Ralfe (10) both batted nicely, and it was pleasing to see a trio of "colts" doing so well. Ralfo's dismissal was a good example of "lio who hesitates is lost." Ho called for a run, stopped, and then went on again, tho hesitation costing him his wicket. Woolley, whose first match this was in senior cricket, shaped better than in the first innings, and ifiade five not out, the total containing a well-timed pull to the leg boundary for four. . Jacobeen, in dismissing Walker, brought off a very fine catch near the boundary. Ho had to run in and take it low down about a foot off the ground. The University 'fielding was very good. Taylor again bowled well, and, having youth on his side, should develop into a good bowler on difficult wickets. Fenwick was the most successful of the others. The students commenced their second innings well, Wallace (17) ■ putting up a sturdy defence against tho bowling of Howden and Hadden. After the dismissal of Robinson and Jacobsen, Taj lor (20) entered into partnership with "Wallace, and 43 was on the board, before the third wicket fell. Bush relieved Hadden, and, following his advent, there was quite a. "shower of wickets," the last six falling for an average of one run a-piecc. Howden bowled as' cleverly as over, • despite the fact that ho was suffering from an attack of influenza, and • -secured six wickets at an average cost of 4.5 runs each. His work was as varied as in past performances, mixing breaks from both sides with , slow and medium-pace straight deliveries. Howden probably gets more men out lbw than any other bowler in the province through mixing an occasional straight ball in a series of deliveries that are turning in from off the pitch. Bush shaped splendidly with the. ball, and keeping a splendid length secured threo wickets at a cost of three runs each. , .

The Eden-Ponsonby match. does not call for much criticism. .Eden's last three wickets in the first innings only realised 20 runs. Ponsonby,. on the dead wicket, made 121, the innings : of Young being the outstanding feature. He compiled a very useful 41. Geo. Mills - and Relf divided the bowling honours. Eden's tail was sent in to fill in time, and suffered severely at the hands of Devison. The South African secured three wickets at the cost of 14- runs. , The' Grafton-Parnell match was responsible for some excitement during the ; last hour of play. Parnoll's second innings realised 127, E. V. Sale playing nicely for 37. R. Neill was ; the most successful bowler. Grafton's sensational v collapse nearly cost them the match, but, , with six wickets down for 13 runs, veteran R. Neill came in, and saw the game finished, his 11 not out being an oasis in - a desert of small figures. The bowling of Olliff, whioh has been very good this season, was mainly responsible for Grafton's " rot." ■ The Eden Club won all five matches played on Saturday last. The performance is a very creditable one. , , ... The following table shows" the -"relative positions .of the teams • engaged in the Auckland Cricket Association's senior and second grade district championship: :

THE PLUNKET SHIELD. AUCKLAND'S FIRST SELECTION. The near approach of the first Plunket shield match of the season, between the representatives of the Auckland and Wellington provinces, has been signalised by- the selection of 15 players to practice, in view of selection, as part of the provincial 11. The following aro the players chosen:—L. 6. Hemus, W. Robinson,>G. B. Cummings, W. B. Smith, F. R. Mason, E. Horspool, E. V. Sale, 0. Olliff. H. Wright, A." Hadden, A. M. How den, A. Wallace, N. Goode, P. W. Gullett, and A. E. llelf. The first practice will be held to-morrow afternoon, commencing at four o'clock. The selectors will be glad of the assistance of any of the club bowlers at the nets. ■: ' WEDNESDAY ASSOCIATION MATCHES TEAMS FOR TO-DAY. ;' • The matches of the Wednesday Cricket - Association will be continued to-day. The following- are the teams— Devonport A (v. Karangahape, at Devonport): Jones, Carson, King, Pitts, Littlejohn, P. Hopkinson, Bonner, Whitmore, Bell, Roscoe, Overington.' Karangahape: Carpenter, Hitchens, Moore, P. Brown, S. Brown, D. Browne, Stirling, Eaton, Lee, Thorne, Hutchinson, Vokes. DiTVonport B (v. Metropolitan; B, at ; Domain),: Tregaskis, Brown, Shove, Nunnerly, Seward, A. Hopkinson, Johnston (2), Fogerty, Coldicut, McCarthy. Metropolitan B: Murphy, F. Peake, B. Lynch, Barnes, Selly, L. Bennett, Da Teun, B. Reid, Dixon, J. Friend; emergencies, H. Lyons, 0. Rollinson, R. Cates, P. Regan, Stanton, A. Matthews. • ,

Metropolitan A (v. Bakers, at Domain): W. Graham, Bennett, sen., W. Binns, Gildtnore, Mattocks, ,T. Cleal, P. Cooper, Morris, Aldred, J. l'ascoe, Gardiner. \ i '• ' • Railways (v. Waterside, at Victoria Park): J. Cummins, :J. Tracey, A. Crocker, L. On hill, A. Stehr, H. Fitzpatrick, F. Cullen, H. Gribble, N. Laud, T. Jackson, F. Chambers. Auckland Tramways (v. John Court, at Victoria Park): W. Spiers, J. A. Bennett, R. Clarke, J.O'Leary, W. Edwards, John Ryan, F. S. Yates, F. Bailey, R. Donovan, W. Sadler, George Gillett, H» Ward.

Plasterers' Union (v. John Court, at Domain): H. Smith, Heath, Newsom, Pardington, Farmer, Watts, Meats, Wilson, Howgale* Holahan, Farrow, Poulter, Neii, . '

SENIOR GRADE. Matches. Ch'm'p Played. Won. Lost. Drawn, Pts. North Shore 3 2 10 5 Parnell ... 3 2 1 0-4 Grafton ... 3 2 10 4 Eden 3 1 1 12 University ... 3 11 1 2 Ponsonby ... 3 0 3 0 0 SECOND GRADE. - .Matches. Ch'm'p Played. Won. Lost. Drawn, Pts. Eden B ... 3 . 3 0 . 0 7 Eden A ... 3:2 0 1 5 North Shore 3 1113 University ... 3 12 0 3 Parnell ... 3 11- 13 Waitemata... 3 1 2 0 2 Grafton . ... 3 1 2 0 2 Ponsonby ... 3 0 2 1 0