CRICKET

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11423, 20 January 1923, Page 8

CRICKET

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES LAST SATURDAY'S PLAY. (Special to "N.Z. Times.”) Comments on the championship matches begun last Saturday, on the selection of the Wellington team to meet the M.C.C., together with various interesting notes, will be found below: INSTITUTE V. Y.M.C.A. This match was commenced at Kelburn. The wicket was in good condition and the spin of the coin favoured the captain of the Institute team. The first two overs were full of excitement, as Watson walked out to Cobcroft but the ball beat him and the wicket-keeper both, while Dempster hit his second ball to third slip, who took the catch inches off the ground but the umpire gave it not <>ut. Why the square-leg umpire was not appealed to I do not know, as he was in a better position to see than anyone else. However, at the end of the day Institute had compiled the good score of 330. PRINCE'S BATTING. Prince was top scorer with 103 not out. He showed some very good cricket indeed, even if he was' lucky in not being taken* from the four or five chances he gave. He made some very good shots between point and mid-off, but he would be well advised to drop cutting at unsuitable balls, as he has not mastered the stroke yet. He is also inclined to lift the straight drive. Young players all should try to remember that balls hit along the ground cannot be caught. 1 have noticed the same thing with other players in the city. If they would only raise their feet they would soon realise how much more easy it is to get tour , without any shadow of risk. ' Back to our muttons again. Prince is a promising player) and will in due course, I think, develop into a first-class player. . James, with 85, shaped well, but should cut out the foolish fault of jumping in front of his wicket to etraight balls. Dempster, 22, was lucky to get beyond his second ball, and also he was very nearly bowled once or twice in setting his runs. He played all round a straight leg-break. The last batsman, Smith, in making 19, shaped in very promising style, and certainly can hit a ball a long way. ' Banks displayed the same tendency -as James} but . did not go far, as he was out lbw to one that straightened up and came through quickly. Watson, 75, was rather lucky in getting his runs, but be made some good strokes ih front of the wicket. FIELDING VERY BAD. The bowling was quite good, but the catching was execrable. The slips, especially, did not give Henderson much support, otherwise Institute's score would not have reached 150. Henderson is bowling splendidly and with- a decent set of slips would easily have the best figures in Wellington. The want) of our representative teams . is bowling, and the selector cannot pass Henderson by, as I think he is the best bowler at present operating on hard wic kets. Fulton came out with the best average, but owed most of his success to the batsmen looking too much for the wrong ‘un. Almao showed promise, and his skipper did wrong in taking him off quite so soon. When ne gets his length properly his leg-breaks will prove someY.M.C.A., with half an hour left for play, put on 51 runs for‘the loss of Jones’s wicket Fulton (29) and Henderson (15) are not out. Y.M.CA. will need to play up to reach the Institute's score. hutt v. Wellington Thismatch was played under firstclass conditions, and coupled with fine woather, was weak bowling, therefore, tho Hutt batsmefi had a day of jollification. McGirr had a grand time, and amassed .the tidy score of 159 in 100 minutes, which, to say tho loast, is rather gluttonous. Although he gave two easy chances, and a difficult one, he batted like a champion. It remains now for him to keep up this form till after the M.GC. matches. His timing was excellent, and more than a fair proportion of his strokes went to or over the boundary. Hughes (44), Aldersley (46), Fggle stone (47), Nunn (37), Shanahan (35) all helped the score along, and each one batted with freedom. WEAK BOWLING. Tho howling of the Wellington side is extremely weak, and the loss of Bernau and Hiddleston is tremendous; the fielding also lacks “ginger.” Wellington have started’ batting, but as is often the case at the end of a day’s leather-hunt-ing, a couple of wickets went cheaply. However, the talent is there to make a decent showing provided the weather is good. Kortlang, Wilson, Millbrook, and Co. may yet create a surprise. MIDLAND Y> PETONE. This matcii now stands in a very even Condition, but it looks as if Petone bowlers and fieldsmen will ‘have to be at the top of their form next Saturday to win. _ The scores of the j first innings leave Midland .in the lead with 36 runs. The wicket was said to he very fiery, and the batsmen had to shift a bit to dodge the rising ball. Petone made 123 very carefully, but no ■>ne stood out, -Except that Gedye t-nd Nioholls displayed more than usual steadiness in gotting 21 and 18 respec tively. The bowling of Midland was quite good, and Patrick’s six for 59 and Bruce’s four for 45 were well earned. A feature of the match was Tattersall’s return to cricket. The former New Zealand wicket-keeper- kept for Midland, and despite a rather long absence, kept wickets very well. BLIND SWIPING. Midland did rather better than Petone In scoring 157, but there was a good bit. of blind swiping. ’ Baker. 26, and Hutchings, 84, were top scorers, but both had their eyes shut once or twice when making strokes. Finlayson got 'six wickets for 73, and Brice four for 67. * Tho rain, which has fallen during the week, will no doubt have some -bearing on the state of the wicket, so it is hoped that tho batsmen will have a better time than last Saturday, ' THORNDON V. OLD BOYS This match has provided some sensation. The wicket was not in a goo-1 state, and soon got nasty. It crumbled badly as the day wore on, and gave the batsmen more than their share of the "jumps.” Nino batsmen were hurt, one way and another. The Hutt people state that there was notiling wrong with tbe wicket, so the players must be "havering” when they Bay that it was not good. This indicates thnt batsmen do not know what the bat is for as raps on the knees,

ribs, and knuckles only come from inability to play cricket. This is not “rote sarkastik,” but it is what the Hutt people would have-us believe to be sober truth. Twenty-two iplayer-s were unanimous in condemning the wicket, some more forcibly than politely, and the players in such a cas9 nr© the best judges. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. The Hutt Club will perhaps realise at last that their wicket is not quite what it should be, and before another season comes round the club ought to make up the deficiencies. The cricket, I am told by competent critics, was farcical, and it was more by good luck than management that players cot runs at all.. Under the circumstances Tucker’s 35 and 18 were very good performances, ’out he had to pay duarly for his temerity, as he got One or two on the knees that quite disabled 'him. 1 Bull had several .stitches put irf his chin. Leggatt, six for 47, and Mclntosh, seven for 33, dominated proceedings diving the afternoon. WELLINGTON V. M.C.C. The'selector. Mr K. Tucker, has selected a good side to play the M.C.C. It is practically” the same side that did so well against Auckland, except that l-he bowling has been strengthened by I he addition of Henderson, who displaces Ronaldson. The latter seems to have lost his form for the present, and < id not look like making runs against Auckland. Henderson is bowling extremely well at present, but has had no luck with’ the catches. He can also hat a hit if he puts 'his mind to it. Tbe only one whom a critic can cavel at is Grant, and I must say I do not think he has done anything to warrant 'his inclusion. Aldersley might well have been included instead.. However, I- thvur with this one exception tke best side has been picked. THE OTAGO MATCH. Otago gave a fairly respectable showing against the M.C.C., and again Shepherd got over 50. The bowling of Otago did not disclose anything wonderful, except that Torrance and Meßeath bowled fairly well. The scoring was low and elow, so’ there could not 'nave been the fastest and best of wickets. S. BRICE IN CRICKET. ’Some particulars of Stab' Brice’s career as a cricketer, will be of interest. He first -played for Petone, when a junior team. Later be joined Phoenix, and played with their senior eleven. When the district scheme came in, he played with the Hutt team. His first representative match was against Nelson, in 1902. and after seven wickets had fallen for 22, he made 66. Against Manawatu, in 1908,. ho look five for 13 and four for 22; altogether, nine, for 35 in the match. In 1917-18 he took 9? wickets at an average of 7.19 pc* wicket, this being the highest, m-umber of-wickets captured, by 1 a bowler in any one season in Wellington cricket. . - \ ' •1 Against AtiiSkland; 'ltr' .January, 1918," He took, four for 89 and five for 26,. and in March of the same year; made 87 runs and took four for 49. Better figures than J. N. Crawford’s. In the big Plunket Shield match at Auckland, m Janiaary. 1921, he made ; 12 and 16, and captured six for 64 and seven for 112 in the two innings. His figures read as follow: REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. Batting.—72 innings, 5 not. out, 87 highest score, 1215 runs, average 18.13. Bowling.-MX>7 fivers, 176 maidens, 2821 rnhsi 155 wickets, average -18.20. Til matches against Canterbury and Auckland bis figures read: — CANTERBURY. ’ Batting.—26 innings, 2 not out, 301 runs, average 12.54. Bowling.—2Bl overs, 62 maidens, 923 runs, 41 wickets, average 22.51. AUCKLAND. Batting.—2o innings, 330 rune, 87 highest score, average 17.99. Bowling. —259 overs, 51 maidens, 876 runs, 58 wickets, average 15.10. .. CAPTAINED NEW ZEALAND. . The above figures are very good, and ihow that- Brice has done yeoman service for hie province. It was a great pity that he did not get a little hearing from the New Zealand selectors, prior to the war period, aa he was quite entitled on -performances to have been selected. He also captained ' New - Zealand _ in the Tests against the last Australian Eleven in ■New Zealand. THE JUNIOR CLUB A, STRONG COMBINATION. The Old Boys junior B team are a strong combination, and,they have made some good scores this season. Last Saturday they ran up the big total of 370 against Central Mission, Burke leading the way with 76. He and ICirker (69) put on 126 for the fourth wicket, and just ns Ctentral Mission seemed to have a chance of getting their opponents out for a score which might fairly well be Within their reach Casey and Johnston took it from 256 for eight to 366 for nine, Casey getting 52 not out and Johnston 64. Tidman howled 20 overs for 104 runs and five wickets. Mission have 74 up for two wickets, and as Tldmari is-not out with 47 they may yet make'a fight of it. Still, it is better to have the runs on the slate! \-A CHEQUEiRE-D CAREER. The St. Thomas Third B team are having rather a chequered career. Last week, they defeated a strong team in Kilbirnie, but on Saturday they succumbed to Petone, Like some other teams, they usually find themselves short handed wnei they have to travel to the suburbs, and on this occasion they had only seven men. Th 9 number of suburban teams in this grade makes frequent travelling necessary, but it is distinctly unfair to players who turn out regularly to find that their team mates prefer to stay at home when rhe team plays out of town. Taking first strike, the small Sc. Thomas band made 40, Devine taking 4 for 9, and they made a good start by disposing of-four of, their opponents for 28. Devine then joined Wallis, and tbe pair wero not soperated until 129 runs had been added, Devine making 63 ■ and Wallis 61 not out. WeJsford played a good innings of 38 in St. Thomas’s second innings, but none of the others could do anything with Devine, who took 4 for 5, finishing the innings oft with the hat trick. Tho total was 64, and Petone won by an innings. It was Devine’s day. BROKEN THEIR DUCK! Karori 3 B have won a match at last, and their perseverance has been rewarded. It was a quite meritorious victory, against Johnsonville, on the Johnsoqville ground, which has just been opened. Johnsonville had first knock, and Williams and J. Nimino, who usually comprise the whole Karori attack this time received some assistance from R. Nimmo, who took two for 8, and the obber two taking three for 21 and five for 19 respectively, the 'home side were all out for 64. Jacobs (18) and Cording (14) alone

reaching doubles. Had it not been for Carpenter, "'hose -19 v*as more than halt Karon's 03, the visitor* would have come off second best, but as it was he pulled hhom through, although the nearest score to his was Williams’s 7. -Harrison, playing his second game iOr Johnsonville tooli. seven wickets 26, and he should be a useful man for the suburban teem. In the two matches 'he has taken 13 wickets for 57. Henry Morgan, whose war injuries have kept him out of the game for a long time, is playing again. He is not meeting with much personal success, but it is good to see him in the field once more. PETONE IV FIRST DEFEAT. The Petone Fourth Grade team suffered its fiist defeat on Saturday at the hands of Thorndon, but the Petone boys went down only after a hard struggle. Rowe and the Rogers brothers went through them in the first innings, McKee’s 21 being the only double figure in 61. ai cl TRorndon headed this by 34, Sweeney, Collins. Hendrv, and Martin all hatting well. For once in a way Pawson. Petohe’s star bowler, had e lean time, his one wicket costing him 30 runs. In their second attempt Petone set out to rattle up rhe runs, and the two Hamiltons gave them a good start by sending up 56 for the first wicket. Things went badly then, and six were down for SO, but Pawson and Nicholls added 42 without further loss, and a declaration was made. Thorndon were.. left with 83 to make, and they lost eight wickets in getting them. W, Rogers contributing tin invaluable 42. Thorndon are now in tbe lead, with. Petone, ""ho have played a match less, two points behind them. UNBEATEN. Central Mission continue their unbeaten career in the Third B. They defeated Makara on Saturday in a curiously even match, the totals at the fall of several of the wickets on each side being very similar. These are the figures, the Makara totals being given first—2 for 27. 2 for 24, 3 for 25, 4 for 25, 5 for 44 5 for 42, 7 for 59, 7 for 59. 9 for 83, 9 for 87. 10 for 90, 10 for 118. -It will thus be seen that the last wicket stand of Thompson (12 not out) and G. Whaler (30) for Central Mission won the game for their side. FIXTURES AND GROUNDS LEAGUE GAMES The following are the fixtures for League games this afternoon: — WELLINGTON LEAGUE Carshecls v. British United Shoe Manufacturing Co., Newtown. Defence v. H.M. Customs, Kilbiriiie. G.P.O. v. Phoenix Aerated Water Co., Kilbirnie. Welgaseo v. R. Hannah and Go., Karori. Inglis Bios. v. National Cash Register, Duppa street. ; The folio-ring players have been selected to play v Porirua, at Porirua, on Monday: G. Reaver (capt.), EL Renner, Dind, Greig, ICeannan, Daley, E. Taylor, F. Cummings, Dennison, Helliwell, Murphy, and B. Guise. - MERCANTILE (LEAGUE Duthie’s v. Wardell Karori. Stewart v. Cooper’s, Kilbirnie Whiteombe and Tombs V; Dalgety’s. Duppa street. Jenkins and Mack v. Mills, Karori. Macky, Logan v. Kirk’s, Newtown. Goilin v. D.1.C., Duppa street. Vacuum Oil v. Gordon and Gotch, Duppa street. Bannatyne ind Hunter v. P. and T., Duppa street. BOYS’ LEAGUE Senior A.—lnstitute A v. Elastbourne, Rona Bay. Stop Out v. Central Mission, Kilbirnie, No. 1. Technical v. St. Patrick’s College, not played. * Sonfdr B.'—Nga!*' V. ' Khandailah, Newtown Park. . St. James’s v. Wesley, • Duppa etreot;; 1 N.o. 2. -Marist v. St. Thomas’s. Duppa street, No. 2. ’ Intermediate A.—lnstitute A v. Karori, Karori. St. Thomas’s v. Technical, Kilbirnie, No. 2. Intermediate B.—Rongotai v. Central Mission, Lyall Bay, No. 1. St. Thomas’s v Technical, Lyall Bay, No.. 2. St. Patrick’s College O v. Stop Out, not played. St. Patrick’s College Dv. Institute, not played. Intermediate C.—lnstitute E v. Marist (Thorndon), Lyall Bay, No. 3. Stop Out v. Wesley, Basin Reserve, No 2. St. Peter’s V. -Igaio. Basin Reserve, No. 1. St. Patrick’s College El v. Khandallah, not: played. The following games will be played subject to grounds being obtained, on Anniversary Day, from 1.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m —-Senior B: St. Thomas’ v. Wesley, Newtown Park, No. 1; Khandallah v. St, James's, Newtown Park, No. 2. THE TEAMS Lyall Bay—Third B (A team): Calligan, Elversleigh, senr., Mackenzie, A. Carneggie, Smith, Peterson, Forrester, Fay, Hyder Organ Benny; emergencies. Packer, Carnegie, junr. Karori—Third: Knighton, Nimmo (2), Broughton, Williams, Carpenter, Johnson, Brownlie, Hartshorn, Rollins, Sea r gar. Selwyn—Third A: Raxworthy, Robb, Groome, Chapman, Allen, Laws, Clark, O’Flaherty, Osborne, Ball, Trotter, Third B: Russell, Floyd, Hitchox, Stanbridge, Wellington, Copp, Williams, Ashley, Marple, De Lisle, Cook (2). University—Third: Kelly, Williams, Stewart, McDuff, Wakelin, Wilson, Fraser, Cachomaille, Murray, Wiren, Tracey. Kilbirnie—Tobin (2), Morris, Alger, Browne, Izett, Griffin, Lang, Blake, Stephenson, Wakelin. Third B (A): 0. Clark, J.. Clarke, B. Sykes, J. Shelly, Barrett, J. Kennedy, A. Rice, T. Mansford, Waterhouse, Webb, Winterbottom, Kelly. Third B (B): Smith, Wakeford, Lewie, Meeker, Browne (2), Cook, Skill, Irvine, Boilons, Page, Lord, R. Clarke, Ferris. '

Lyall Bay—Third A: Newson, Edwards, Davis, Ellison, Dormer, Gardiner, . Hversleigh, Forrester, Clarke, Maddooks, Fisher Wesley (Boys)—Dudley Kent, Reynolds, Duncan, Johnston, Macdonald, Hancock, Donaid, Davis, Bolt, Strong; emergencies, Phillips Lawton. Boys’ Institute —Senior A : Bilby, 'Noot, Lewis, Cade, Condcliffe, Reid, Douglas, Hinchliffe, Oldham, Millar, Nicholls. Murpffiy. Intermediate A: Lucchessi Leggatt. Hawthorn, Stohr, Brough, Ward, Webb, Compton, Tyson, Siverson, Tofts (Snowy), Jepson. Intermediate E: C. Tofts Oughton, Miles, K. Butler, R. Butler, W. Kelly, Ayres, Paul, Stone, C. H. Bennett F. Barratt, E. Hogan,' P. Moran. JUNIOR REP. MATCH. At Kelbnrn Park on Monday and Tuesday there is to be a junior representative match . Canterbury v. Wellington, commencing at 11 a.m. each day. The umpires are Messrs P. Bevan and W. Toomath. The Third B match, Wellesley College v. Lyall Bay B, will be played at Duppa street No. 2, not Karori, as previously arranged. i AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TEST TEAM The test matches in South Africa remind us that it is not far short of two years since the last Australian eleven set out on its historic conquest of Etngland, and that Australian cricket thought will now concentrate on the next series of tests to be played in the Commonwealth. If the arrangements for English, Australian, anil Smith African tours be adhered to, the South Africans will be the next tourists, their trip to England taking place in 1924, that is, about 15 months hence. Following that will be the tour of the next English team to Australia in 1924-25, that is two years hence And in 1926, the Australians will make their next trip to England. The position of Australia in 1924-5 will be similar to that of 1903-4 or 1911-12, in

which. England took the honours. In those years the star players," who’had achieved so much for Australian cricket, were beginning to drift into the veteran stage, and the younger ones had not been brought on sufficiently to take the places of aDy who had. lost some of their brilliancy. . .. ' ...... . < .. And now we face the fact that several of the Australians who made history in the last ten test matches are getting on in years, as the terfß' is understood in sport. When the next team comes out here Warren Bardslev will be 41, Charles Macartney and Charles Kelljeway 33, and H. L. Collins and J. S. Ryder 35. While it is probable that these five celebrities will be as clever as ever they were in the use of the bat, it is possible that each will have lost a little of his true elasticity in the field. GEORGE GIFFEN The greatest all-round player to don the colours for South Australia was George Giffen. Young cricketers of the hour, to whom- Giffen is only a name, cannot imagine what a wonder he was. In first-class Australian cricket to-day, no one compares in all-round skill with Giffen. He was a batsman with a very broad blade in defence, with fine shots everywhere in front of the wicket. As bowler, he had the accuracy of a machine and the guile of a snake. He bowled a slow to medium pace; and you insensibly felt that he felt that every fieldsman had a capacious maw awaiting the' ball. No. Australian howls the slow, hanging-in-the-air hall, or turns them back from the off on a good wicket as George Giffen used to. M. A. NOBLE The best all-round New South Wales player M. A. Noble, an absolute marvel in efficiency in his prime. He was one of the most accomplished batsmen, and, in some directions, the greatest bowler seen on hard, truce Australian wickets. He was a fieldsman with an uncanny capacity for holding catches, no matter how they came, high or low, fast or slow, wide or near. It is to be regretted that not one of the younger Australian bowlers has mastered the swerve, independent of the new ball and the favouring wind, to the degree disclosed by M. A. N. in his days of real greatness. SHEFFIELD SHIELD It is worth while remarking that Victoria has beaten New South Wales in the last three Sheffield matches. It is the first time in twenty-four years that Victoria has managed to accomplish this feat.; It is tolerably solid argument in favour of the view that New South Wales cricket is deteriorating. Victoria has won six of the last ten matches. This is very good for the cricket of Victoria, but in the actual circumstances it may be no good for Australian cricket. While the cricket of Victoria has improved, the results have been due less to that fact than to deterioration in New South AVales team cricket. A LESSON FROM EXPERIENCE There h tm been & tendency in Australian cricket during periods of this kind to retain too many of the players who have just gone past their best, and to keep out the one or two more brilliant younger men coming to their best, and whose cricket would probably have given a greater fighting zest to the eleven. Those responsible for keeping bright the international prestige of Australian cricket will do well to consider these facts, and in the meantime make every

effort possible to keep the form of the .older men right at its top, and to develop to its best the talent of the younger men upon whom the honour of fighting for The Ashes must devolve in the course of a few years. Care and judgment by the leaders in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are necessary now, and in the next two seasons, so that when, the time comes for Australia’s test team of 1924 to be chosen, the selectors will have the necessary material ready to dovetail int* a real fighting force. That force must be equipped in every detail—with every type of batsman suited for cricket of this character ion Australian wickete, for specialised fieldsmen, and for bowlers of the differing types to continue the achievements of the Giffene, Spofforths, Palmers, Turners, Ferrises, Nobles, Trumbles, Hordernß, Gregorys, and McDonalds in past test matches. We believe that has the talent to make a great combination in i. 1924. But it will need’considerable cultivation in the intervening time. MARYLEBONE V. AFRICA MEAD MAKES A CENfTJRY. Australian and -N.7. Coble Association CAPETOWN, January 18. Marylebone, batting first in the third test match, opened sensationally, Russell being missed in the clips off the first ball of the match. Then Sandham was dismissed with the sixth ball, and Woolley with the tenth ball. Quiet cricket followed, the bowlers keeping a good length, while the fielding was also good, though Mead and Russell each gave hard chances at 19 and 17 respectively. Many changes of bowling were tried. Play was painfully slow after the luncheon adjournment, two hours being token to notch 87 rune. Mead played , stodgily. but Render’s exhibition was surprising. A section of the crowd, which was estimated to number 4000 people, barracked strongly, but the batsmen took no risks. - The scoring was, however. a little better after tea, 106 being added in the same number of minutes. Fbnder, after nearly three hours, was .caught at midon, rather wide, after a unusual innings. Mead batted for. 310 minutes, his leg and off drived being a feature of his play. ,He also-gave a chance at 118. The fielding was’ generally very good, but several catches were missed. In addition to Brown, England omitted Eiveey, Gilligan and Stevens. MARYLEBONE. First Innings. Russell, c Ward, b Nupen 34 Sandham, c Nourse, b Snooko 0 Woolley, c Nourse, b Hall 0 Mead, not out 128 Carr, c Snooke, b Nupen 7 Fender, c Ling, b Hall 60 Mann, not out 11 Extras 16 Total for five wickets 256