CRICKET NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20713, 5 November 1930, Page 16

CRICKET NOTES.

SAD INJURY TO R. BURTON. FINE RECORD OF A. ANTHONY. SPLENDID FIELDING EXAMPLE. The sympathy of all cricketers will be extended to R. Burton, who met with such a painful and unfortunate accident when playing for Ellerslie in one of the Auckland City and Suburban Cricket Association's opening day matches at the Domain 'last Saturday. It is indeed a rare occurrence for a cricketer to lose nn eye as the result of a blow from the ball. No doubt the mishap was caused through (lie fieldsman approaching too dose to the batsman so early in the season beforo he had had time to sight tho ball properly. It was a sad occurrence, however, and a most untimely ending to the career of a keen cricketer. It. Bead,/the Canterbury and New Zealand representative bowler, retains his form season after season in remarkable manner. In the latest club match, which concluded in Christchurch last Saturday, Read took sis wickets for 37 and five for 39 for Lancaster Park against Old Collegians. Bead first played for Canterbury against the Australian eleven of 1905, and what a debut to make! Here was tho opposition he had to face:—A. J. Hopkins, M. A. Noble. W. "W. Armstrong, F. Laver, J. J. Kelly, Howell, S. E. Gregory, V. Trumpcr, C. Hill, R. A. Duff and D. B. A. Gchrs. A. Cotter, C. K. McLeod and P. M. Newland did not play for the visitors in this match. Representative Record.

The folio,wing season another Canterbury colt gained representative honours for the first time. This was A. Anthony, who scored ,6 and 33 in a match against (Wellington at the Basin Reserve. Anthony camo to Auckland before the war and has resided here ever sinco. Should bo gain representative houours thi3 season, Anthony will have completed 25 years in first-class cricket in New Zealand. He lias been a wonderfully consistent allround performer and only last season he was declared by A. H. Gilligan and members of the M.C.C. team to be one of the best all-rounders in the Dominion. There geoms every possibility of Anthony achieving his object—completing a quarter of a century in representative cricket. The West Indies team will play a match in Wellington next Wednesday and Thursday. The/ tourists are on their wax for a tour of Australia. G. Dickinson, the Otago and New Zealand fast bowler, gained the distinction of being the first batsman to score a century in club cricket in Dunedin. The season in the Southern centre opened last Saturday and Dickinson made 109. R. C. Blunt, the ex-Canterbury and New Zealand representative, was a close second to hitting up 85 not out. Ghiistchuich Championship. The transference of players from the Old Boys 7 Club in Christchurch to other clubs has had the effect of evening up the teams .to a great extent, and there is every ir/dication of a close and interesting contest for championship honours this season. Some of the members who have departed from Old Boys are representative players, including M. L. Page, Canterbury's captain, and a member of the New Zealand team which toured England in 1927. , The Parnell 'senior team gave a vpry line exhibition of fielding on Saturday afternoon, and the general smartness and ability to catch was undoubtedly responsible for University being disposed of for such a moderate total. It was proof positive that Parnell had been indulging in yielding practice, while it also showed the value of ability in the field. Parnoll's example could well be followed by ot'her teams, as there is not nearly isnough fielding practice carried out in Auckland, or in New Zealand for that matter. The old saying, '{Practice makes perfect;," is applicable to any game, and a few nights of constant practice will transform a poor or moderate field into a comparatively safe one. The keenest cricketers get as much enjoyment out of fielding as out of batting or bowling. Prospects for Saturday. The series of matches in the Auckland Cricket Association's senior championship competition will be concluded on Saturday next. Parnell and Ponsonbv look like gaining first innings leads over University and Y.M.C.A. respectively when play is resumed at Eden Park. Eden has set Grafton a hard task to reach its total of 228 for nine wickets. With Roy, Ncwdick, Langton, Mills and Lawrie, Eden has a very fair bowling variety, and it will be a surprise if the Grafton batsmen rise to the occasion so early in the season. North Shore is in a bad position against United Suburbs, and unless something unforeseen happens, is likely to lose the first match on its home ground. Coaching is now in full swing, and A F. Wensley is being kept very busy. A time-table has to be maintained and so it behoves all clubs to see that players selected for / coaching attend the nets punctually so that no valuable time is pasted. United Suburbs appears to have gained a very useful acquisition in Nicholas, formerly of the North Shore senior grade B team. Hp is a fast-medium type of bowler who can make a ball nip off the iwicket awkwardly, as he proved in the match at Devonport on Saturday when he secured four of his erstwhile clubmates' wickets for a total of 15 runs. Nicholas has been seeking promotion for tho last two or threo seasons, but the presence qf Coates, North Shore's fast bowler, hampered his rise to the senior grade. Nicholas should have full opportunity to doVelop with his new club.