CRICKET CONTESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18945, 17 February 1925, Page 6

CRICKET CONTESTS.

THE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. SURPRISE BY NORTH SHORE. DACRE AND FRATER IN FORM. By their performance against Ponsonby on Saturday in the Auckland Cricket Association's senior competition, North Shore maintained tho reputation they hare gained this season for providing surprises. Their start was anything but promising. Smith's deliveries proving very difficult for the batsmen, and three wickets fell cheaply. However, a good partnership by Frater arid Peopples then took the score to 78 before a separation was effected, the latter player being bowled by Snedden when he failed to cover a hall that turned from the leg. The ex-Aus-tralian has a peculiar style, but he gets runs quickly. After Peopples' dismissal Frater and Dacre became associated in the best partnership of the day, and by dint of forceful batting put on 246 before Frater, who had opened with Elliott, played too soon to one of Smith's deliveries, and gave Kemp a catch. Frater had compiled 124 by very sound cricket, exhibiting beautiful shots all round the wicket. His cut was particularly effective. Apart from a stumping chance before he had reached double figures, he did not have what could really be termed a life. Dacre did not survive him long, for in attempting a big hit he was caught by McLeod on the boundary. He had played a brilliant innings for 156, but Snedden had dropped him when he was only three. Ho went for runs in convincing fashion, and never appeared to bo troubled bv the Ponsonby attack. His score included over a century in boundary shots alone. Smith, coming on again, proved too tricky for the North Shore tail, which was dismissed with the addition of only 16 runs. Although the wicket was all in favour of the batsmen, a strong breeze blowing across the ground should have been of assistance to the bowlers. Smith, however, was the only one to make much use of it. Snedden and Craig both seemed to experience difficulty in finding their length. Ponsonby have two wickets down for 49, but have their best batsmen still to come, and if Snedden, Smith and Taylor can play up to form, victory should still be within their grasp. K they are beaten, however, the fault will be largely with The fielding on Saturday, which in the main was very weak. Several catches were dropped, and runs were given away in overthrows. McLeod and Commons, however, got through a lot of good work. A Slow Scoring Game. . Eden's display against Grafton was in marked contrast to the exhibition given by Gillespie and Mills in their memorable partnership against University on the previous Saturday, and the team's reputation was not enhanced by the fact that three hours and a-half were occupied in compiling just over 200 runs. Blair gave his side a fighting chance by making 101, but Brook-Smith was the only other batsman to show enterprise. The opening pair, Blair and Gillespie, made a fair start, and the latter was rather unfortunate in being bowled just when he appeared to be getting into his stride. There was a long partnership between Blair and Cooper, and it added a valuable 72 runs, but there were some very slow spells, and two hours were occupied in raising the total to 100. The bowling generally was good, but did not seem to warrant the respect with which it was treated. Cooper took no chances in notching 21. Brook-Smith provided a bright interlude", and batting forcefully, scored ail round tho wicket.' Boundaries figured fairly frequently in his score of 38. "Blair reached his century in three hours, playing soundly throughout. Weir, with 16, was the only othei." batsman to reach double figures. Allcott was again Grafton's most effective bowler, taking five wickets at a cost of about 11 runs a-piece. The opening of Grafton's innings was no exception to the general rule of the afternbon, and when stumps were drawn two wickets were down for 34 runs. However, the task of compiling 170 should not be beyond the balance of the side if the conditions next Saturday are at all favourable. Task Before Parnell. University did well to finish their first innings against Parnell with a total of 2,82 runs, considering their .start and the quality of Harvie's deliveries. Both the Garrard brothers gave a good display, scoring with a variety of strokes, though both were lucky on a couple of occasions. Two wickets were down for 7 runs when they became associated, but the total stood at 108 before they were separated. No fewer than six bowlers were tried before the partnership was broken. W. R. Garrard, though ho did not. score as fast as his brother, headed the list of individual batsmen with a score of 65, D. R. Garrard coming next with 57. Saunders played bright, vigorous cricket for his 37, and there, were only four singles in bis total. His first three scoring hits yielded 14. Gee played good cricket, losing no time making 35, while Jones, who carried, his bat for 38. was looking for runs all the time, and scored particularly freely. Harvie was in good form with the ball, and captured seven wickets for 60 runs. It, was not his fault that his tally was not better, for at least two chances went begging. Parnell will have to be at their best next Saturday to overtake University's lead, for they will have to make 248 for Steven wickets to win, three wickets having fallen on Saturday for 35. WAIHI CHAMPIONSHIP. MATAURA AGAIN ON TOP. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WAIHI. Monday. The deciding match in the third round of the Waihi Cricket Association championship, which carries the Waihi Gold Mining Company's Challenge Shield, was concluded on Saturday afternoon, when Mataura defeated City by 81 runs, thus winning the shield for the second successive year. A feature of the match was the bowling of R. Greaves (City), who took all Mataura's 10 wickets in the second innings for 42 runs. McOado (Mataura) took five wickets for 15 runs., ,f Saunders (37) was top scorer for Mataura, and F. Peacock (37) fop scorer for City. The championship points were:— Mataura, 9; City, 4; Martha, 2. The first, representative match of the reason will be played on _ Saturday, Waihi meeting Thames at Waihi, HAWKE CUP MATCH. LITTLE PLAY YESTERDAY. [BY TELEGRAPH.-—TRESS ASSOCIATION.'] NELSON, Monday. Play in the Hawko Cup match was not commenced till 3.40 p.m., Neale and Saxon continuing Nelson's second innings. The wicket played well. With the score at 57 Neale was bowled by Tronson. Saxon and Fletcher carried on until 5 p.m., when r«m stopped play with the total, at 60 ■ runs. The additional details are:—Neale, b •uponson, 23; Saxon, not out, IStJletcher, not- out, 10; extras, 9.