ONE-DAY MATCHES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23226, 21 December 1938, Page 20

ONE-DAY MATCHES

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP GRAFTON INCREASES LEAD / PLUNKET SHIELD GAMES AUCKLAND TEAM TO TOUR As a result of the one-day series of matches in the senior championship of the Auckland Cricket Association oil Saturday, Grafton has increased its lead to four points from Eden. The leading team had a good win at the expense of North Shore, and now appears likely to win the honours for the season. Grafton is a well-balanced sido, and it was a fine effort for the team to dismiss North Shore for ICO and reply with 171 for one wicket. There were some unusual feats during the afternoon. J. Butler., the Grafton wicketkeeper, took part in the dismissal of seven North Shore batsmen. He stumped six and caught one. C. Burke, the former Auckland slow bowler, wa» in good all-round form. He took six wickets for 50 runs, and completed a fine double with 50 not out. The New Zealand representative, H. G. Vivian, playing for Parnell, had a hand in the dismissal of all ten University batsmen. He took five wickets for 37 runs and caught the other five batsmen out off M. Clark. The Auckland team to tour south in defence of the Plunket Shield will leave under the managership of Mr. E. E. Nalder by the afternoon express to-day. The team will commence its match against Canterbury at Lancaster Park next Saturday, and that against Otiigo at Carisbrook on Saturday week. All Plunket Shield matches are limited to four days, irrespective of weather conditions. The system of scoring in Plunket Shield matches is as follows: —Outright win, 8 points; outright loss, 0; win on first innings, 4; loss on first innings, 2; tie on match, 4 each; no result alter six hours' play, 4 each. In the event of a tie between two or more teams, the shield is awarded on averages. CANTERBURY'S STRENGTH EXPERIENCED BATSMEN Canterbury's strength appears to lie in its batting, and there is an abundance of experience and ability in the side, says a southern writer. Experience may count for much in the province s first game, against Auckland, and solidity in the early part of the innings might easily pave the way for victory. Auckland's bowling resources are strictly limited, and the northern selector has taken a certain amount of risk in choosing only three stock bowlers in Cowid, Matheson and Vivian. Kerr, who will captain Canterbury for the first time, has shown such splendid form in recent club games that it would hot be surprising to seo him regain his former place as the Dominion's foremost batsman. There is no finer batsman in New Zealand when 1 He is in form. Roberts, too, has been batting splendidly this year. Bellamy is a useful man to any batting team, an opening ■ left-hander, and very sound in his metlipds. ' . ~ , Donnelly, one of the "discoveries' of the last New Zealand team to tour England, has shown his genius in club games in Christchurch this season, but he has also shown his tendency to rashness. He is such, a fine natural cricketer, however, that it will be prising if he does not do well. Hauioe suffered from staleness last season, but he also has the ability to do big things with the. bat has not been consistent; in form he may make many runs Stokes headed the batting averages for Canterbury's "lean" season of 31937-38. Having gained recognition, he has returned to suburban cricket, and his form this season has thoroughly justified his reinclusion. Menzies proved himself in last year's games, and Webb and Davis 'are capable of making runs in good company. Canterbury this season should be strong in batting down to the last man but one. \ _ There is plenty of variety in the bowling, and there will be no lack of change men, points which go far toward simplifying a captain's task. The chief lack is a howler of real pace. Both Roberts and Mulcock are above medium pace, however, and they are difficult to score from. Davis, a slower man who rel.ies on off-spinners, is the only new "cap" in the team with the exception of Donnelly. He has thoroughly earned his inclusion. Like Vivian, of Auckland, Donnelly and Bellamy have«had forced on them very frequently the role of stock bowler, and either of these lefthanders may do well. Cromb will bo the slow right-hander of the side, and experience and guile will help him to get wickets. Stokes also can take a turn with the ball if necessary. The batting and bowling averages of the players selected speak fairly well for their form over the season to date. Roberts has easily the best batting average—7o.33 for six completed innings. Anderson is next on the list (50i16 for six innings), and this sound but dashing young batsman is extremely unluck;y to be filling the position of 12th man. Kerr's average is 41.00, and others in order are Menzies (38!66), Donnelly (35.00), ' Hadlee (33.71), Bellamy (30.14), and Cromb (26.42). . . \ ~ Davis haS most impressive bowling figures—32 wickets at a total cost of 326 runs, an average of slightly mor<i than 10 runs a wicket. Mulcock ha| also taken 32 wickets, at a cost of 376 runs. Donnelly has taken 19, Roberts and Bellamy 18 each, and Cromb 12.