CRICKET NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20457, 8 January 1930, Page 13

CRICKET NOTES.

j CANTERBURY'S YOUNG TEAM. i . - FUTURE SUCCESS ASSURED. / ■ ■ AVERAGES OF M.C.C. PLAYERS. W is a great pity the weather inler{eied so seriously with the progress of the Dunket Shield ma toll between Auckland and Canterbury as & four-days' match would have provided a titanic struggle. .\s"it was tho wicket was a batsman's paradise and some very fine exhibitions were given. Special mention should be made of Page, Roberts, Korr, Powell and Allen', for Canterbury, and Anthony, Gillespie and Weir, for Anckland. Tho Gapterbury team made a very fine impression on the publio of Auckland. The average age of the team is but 22 years, «nd the policy of the sole selector in choosing so many colt« was amply justified; It appears certain Canterbury will have a very strong team for many vcanS to come, and, indeed, it looks as though the Southern province will supply » large proportion of the members of the next New Zealand team to tour the Old Country. Such very fine batsmen as -Page, Roberts, Powell, Kerr, Allen and Talbot have only to retain the form they showed tn this match at Eden Park to have their claims seriously considered. Then, of course, there is Merritl also. His sucoess tin the last tours should make him a ceruipty for another trip. Fast Bowler Lacking. What Canterbury' lacks at present to make it a really "strong side is a good medium or fast bowler and a first-class wicket-keeper. It appears to have a fairly sound pair of opening batsmon in Kerr and Cromb, although, of course, a lefthander would be useful. With two batsmen to give the side a good start it is hard to say how many runs Canterbury would make.

The smart fielding of the visitors was ft source of general admiration, and not tme'e during Auckland's big run-making innings was there any sign of slackness in the field. The manner in which Page handled the team was also very praiseworthy. A captain can only do the best with what he has at his disposal and Page certainly got the very best out of his medium bowlers. The match was contested in the most friendly spirit, and was a credit to all "who took part in it. Auckalnd's victory was well deserved. The very fine partnership of 214 runs between Anthony and Gillespie paved the wav for victory. Then a further partnership of 175 runs between Gillespie and Weir placed the issue beyond doubt. It. was perhaps appropriate that Anthony, who is drawing near the end of his representative career, should scord a century against the province he first played for a quarter of a century ago. As for Gillespie and Weir it was very pleasing to see them both strike their true form, and their displays should bring them under the notice of the New Zealand selectois for one of the remaining tests. Powell's Brilliance.

| Summed up it was a match of very entertaining batting. Several very fine exhibitions were given, but tho most briliiant batting' of all was that by Powell on Monday afternoon. The tall Canterbury man got & sight of the ball from tlic start and his strokes on the oft were a treat to watch. Getting right over the ball he put remarkable power belaud Ins shots. Some of his boundary shots were magnificent. One recalls three in particular—the first a late cut between point and third man, another a beautiful square tut, and a third a magnificent drive through the covers which left the fieldsmen standing. • Aucklanders would like to tee more of this batsman. The touring M.C.C. team has now played six games in New Zealand, winning three and three being drawn, llic record of the matches is as follows: Against Wellington.—Drawn ;, M.C.C., 166 and 293; Wellington, 242 and 159 for nine wickets. Acainst Nelson.—Drawn; Nelson, and 85 for six wicked; M.C.C., 248 for fix wickets declared. Against Canterbury.—Drawn; M.C.0., 249; Canterbury, 136 and 206 for eight wickets. Against South Canterbury.—Won by an innings and 45 runs; M.C.C., 253 for nine wickets declared; South Canterbury, 126 and 82. Against Otago.—Won by ten wickets; Otago, 106 and 160; M.C.C., 322 and 5 for no wickets. Against Southland. —Won by an innings and 104 runs; M.C.C., 309; Southland, 105 and 100. Century Scorers. The following have scored centuries in New Zealand to date: — F. E. Woolley (Kent), 132 against Otago. . K. S. Duleepsinhji (Sussex), 127 against Kelson. Below are given the averages ol the M.C.C. team for the six games they have played in New Zealand so far. Bowley, />f course, has not yet taken part in a match in New Zealand, as be has been undergoing treatment at Rotorua. Alioni's remarkable figures for batting arc accounted for by the fact that he has fieen four time 3 not out in five innings. From the totals below it would appear as though the batting average and the honour of scoring the most runs lies between Duleepsinhji and Woolley, while Nioholls and Woolley are running one another very close in tho matter of wickets J.-tken and the cost of each. BATTING AVERAGES. Inns. H.S. N.O. Runs. Av. Allom .. r.v 5 61 4 101 101.00 puleepsfobji .. 7 127 1 -;>9 lb Xicbols .-a 7 75 3 100 <».70 Woolley v., 7 132 - 2>9 38.42 Dawson v. 6 69 Benson bw 2 2o 1 27 -7.00 Gilligan <"> '0 Rsrratt .-a ts fi 46 1 J-7 oi'nn B - 20 21.00 'Workington *v 7 60 - !■/< l».<Cornford 5 36* 1 74 8.50 Karle ... 6 45 - 70 11-66 turnbull -.6 18 1 M 0.80 *Denotos not out.

BOWLING AVERAGES. Wkts. 3* una. Av. i ' 0 70 7.00 testr» o,; 8 12.18 jc hoir .. *.i io oi Woolley „ ~ » kg 4S3U&. - « n - 2-8 Duleepsinbji r.v -• < J ;> l 20 - 00 fiarritt S U » «•»

Benson a Rugby Player. E. T. Benson, the emergency wicketkeeper now touring New Zealand with the M.C.C. team, is a Rugby footballer oi no mean ability. Last season ho played brilliantly behind the Oxford University

Scrum. The inclusion of M. Henderson, the Wellington fast bowler, in the New Zealand team, must inevitably cause some <• aiiinent, for his performances in good company this season have been most disappointing, says a Southern paper. Against the M.C.C. he took two for 53 and one for 60. His figures for the < 'auterbury match were even less inspiring. In tho first innings he could not jt.-i a wicket, bowling nine overs for 23 n/ns. In the second innings ho secured two for 80, one of his victims being L.irus, a tail-ender. Reports state that he was fast, but very expensive. To date, llipu, in four innings five wickets have fallen to Henderson, not a very brilliant performance for a New Zealand representative howler,