SUBURBAN GAMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23178, 26 October 1938, Page 20

SUBURBAN GAMES

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP PROSPECTS FOR THE SEASON INCREASE IN TEAMS LIKELY A successful season is anticipated by the Auckland City and Suburban Cricket Association, which will commence its championship competitions next Saturday. It is anticipated that the senior teams will be increased from six to eight. Green Lane, last season's champions, will have practically the same team. It will again have the services of C. Kerr, the all-rounder, who made three centuries last season, and D. McCormick, a right-hand medium-pace bowler who showed great promise last year. Others available are J. Barnes, a good change bowler and reliable batsman, K. Waters, K. Lonergan, A. Watts and R. Robinson, a promising young batsman who scored a century last season.

Manllkau, runner-up last season, has suffered a severe loss through N. Martin joining up with Grafton in the Auckland Association's competitions. His place will be filled by his brother, L. Martin, of the Harbour Board Club, who is also a good spin bowler. A. Dunning and A. Turner, the leading batsmen, will again turn out, while C. Motion and J. Mann will lead the attack. V. Stewart will be the wicketkeeper. The veteran C. G. Finlayson, former Wellington, Auckland and New Zealand representative, will be available for R. V. G. Goldsborough, last year's captain and a fine batsman, is likely to lead the team. Ho will be assisted by W. Bambury, A. Cloke and S. Guiniven. W. Wildman, a fast bowler, who performed well last season, is playing again. Ponsonby, which was inconsistent last season but put up some good performances, is expected to do bettor this season. The team will include promisinc voting players in F. Stonestreet, J. Baldick, S. Young and V. Ward. The batting will be strengthened by the inclusion of experienced players in W. Itobertshaw. 11. Inncs and W. Viscoe. The strength of Roskill is hard to judge at present. The team will include F. Woods, who scored a century against Green Lane last season, R. Watkins, E. Watkins, W. Peters and C. Scarborough. Brixton, which caused several surprises last vear, is likely to field a good side. Most of the players are available again. W. Hoare, R. Longville and F. Hemmingson will lead the batsmen, while T. Bunting, J. Hetherington and F. Bell will bear the brunt of the attack. Record entries have been received for the lower grades, in which competition should be very keen.

grounds need rain A CORRESPONDENT'S VIEW \ correspondent, "Wanderer,' rites as follows:—"After a fine morning a keen south-west wind and a cloudy sky ushered in the cricket season last Saturday. Soaking rains are .sadly wanted to enable outfields to foe smoothed out after a long gruelling by winter's football. Rough grounds are a legacy from football Vj cricketers could well do without. One envies those Christchurch cricketers who are fortunate enough to be able to start the season on the spacious Haglev Park cricket ground—a ground which is dedicated only to cricket for all time. One of these days, maybe, Auckland cricketers will be in that happv position. "Wallace, Vivian and Cowie were on view at Eden Park. I wonder how many of the onlookers appreciated the fact that these three are among the leading lights of the cricket world and would grace any team. Wallaces innings in a dull light in the late afternoon was a model one in the circumstances. Wallace has few mannerisms on the field, hut. having once seen him, who can forget his stylish, smooth, correct lift and swing of the bat, his twinkling feet as he moves in to smother a 'wrong un' and his flashing drive through the covers? Can we old-timers find a fault in his stroke play? Perhaps his rather unusual lift of the bat after playing a defensive , back shot is not according to the book, but I seem to remember the great Yorkshire and English captain F. S. Jackson playing the same stroke in I the self same way. Wallace's batting is reminiscent in many ways of C. G. Macartney, and was it not. the great I Macartney himself who said Wallace s | innings at the Sydney Oval last October was the best he had seen for years? . "Vivian failed to get going with the bat, and what everybody hoped to see —a typical Vivian-W 7 allacc partnership —was denied us. Byerley's hitting was to many the highlight of the afternoon. Byerley is a natural hitter, although most of his driving is firmfooted. There is no quick move or jump in to meet the ball as most batsmen drive, rather is it t*io free swing of a good golfer from the tee. His hook sfiot from the short, rising ball is very effective, and at times very daring. He had some luck, as a good hitter deserves to have. We can forget the liick and remember only Byerley's entertaining hour."