AT the WICKETS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12605, 16 November 1926, Page 11

AT the WICKETS

Cricketers did not have a rosy time of it on Saturday. Following rain on FrfJ&y night and Saturday morning, » Southerly breeze blew and made, things rather miqprable for fieldsmen and spectator*. ••• • • » Boring the greater part of the afternoon the quality served up was, like tb*f weather, pretty miserable, PlayetM can play the game in their own way, one supposes, hut when a charge ■is made for admission to the ground money’s worth should he^ given. ' Putting things bluntly, it may be said that part of the Thorndon-Old Boys match was n / burlefcquo on erickit. Such farces cannot be enacted indefinitely, as the public taste is apt to h« satiated with too much coihedy. Cricket is a grand game and is worth piling properly. ’fjU grounds dried up rather well', after : the rain, and both wickets on the'Basin Reserve were in good order* nffiAn the third series of matches -were' started. i- - s 's• • • - YHORNDON. SLOW On No. 1 wicket Thorndon made a fair score, but should have made a great many more in the time: The opposing howling' was far from deadly, and for the greater part of the in- - nings the batsmen certainly seemed asleep. • • • * . Korfclang topped the scores with 68, which took him 2f hours to compile, dje' has slipped very definitely, and ’fie Completely missed es many balls as fie ydayed. J .Judging by most of his strokes his powers of timing have gone. One noticed also that frequently he went back to come forward, a paradoxical way of saying that he could not judge the length of the bowling. For a player of his reputation and ability his displays this year have been bad. •>• • . t- Roberts, in getting 34, gave the best exhibition of hatting, and made some 1•: excellent shots on the leg side. • • • * '■ Mason made : bis 29 mostly insingles, and seems to lack power on the drive. aaa . a Gibson 39 not out, and Price 30, showed some quaint cricket, which was not up to senior standard. a a a ..a Lusk, four wickets for 64 runs, howled very steadily and is easily the i best of the Old Boys’ howlers. He maintains a good length usually, while fiia direction is good. , Duncan, with three for 54. bowled too many on the leg side., and it was lucky for him that the batsmen could not connect. • • • •* * BADLY-PLACED FIELD The placing of the field for Old Boys did not show much brain 'at times. Why Duncan did not put a couple of extra men at short leg is a mystery, and while Bart was bowling, on the slew side of medium, three slips and third man deep and fine were used. A lot of runs were presented, to Thorndon by bad placing of the field. • a a a James was not in his happiest mood behind the sticks, and a couple of chalices of stumping were declined. MIDLAND COLOURLESS Midland gave a very colourless die* play on "Saturday, and it looks as if they are in for a good hiding. Their batting was rather feeble, and their bowling was not any better. The fielding was the best department of the **«“• a -a a ' . Baker 13 and Dind 21 looked at. first as if they were going to do things, bat they only flattered to deceive. a -'a , a a Jack Hutchings looked a little displeased with his decision of leg before, but he shaped the best of the side. e • Patrick’s happy-go-lucky _ style brought in 25, but he is looking less like a batsman each year. a a • , «■ Vietmeyer, in getting five ■ for 50, howled straight and kept a fair length. He is a right-hander of medium pace, and makes 'the tball go with; "the arm a little. He made a very.,good beginning, and it is to be hoped that SjfckMjajit a flash in thepanj. . Bo%fer*t, JpHHSy badly wanted indeed. jra?; '[Jllipnßgs and Tripe- bowled, steadily,- ■ fad did their side good service in setting rid of their opponents’ best patsmen. ,' The University wore "better in their fielding and displayed more life than against Wellington. •■* ■ « » HOLLINGS AGAIN Hollings made his 106 not out like . a craftsman. To the off and. on sides alike partial.. Only a couplO of times did he show any donbt, and gave only one chance, and that when 46. His square-catting and driving past cover were really splendid, and one noticed-also that he used the push shot-between ’ point and cover. This •hot was? frequently, met with years ago/but Hollings is the only batsman in Wellington who uses it. At . present Hollings .--is easily ahead of any other batsmen in Wellington. His scores—79, 117 and 10f> not out—are sufficient evidence of his ability. Trjgr. made 67 and made them well. vF(e-, * made good strokes all round the Ww- i, ■life- , • ...

ket, excelling on the drive. He plays without hesitation, and shows some finish in his play. It is really gratifying "to note the colt showing batting which is polished 1 as well as being effective. *•' • • Hollings and Tripe put up a partnership of 152 for the second wicket ‘in a shade over one and a half hours. Partnerships of 100 are getting quite common this season. •*. * • Butt bowlers shine Although Hutt’s 155 against Institute* was nothing to write home about, tm»’*suburban team’s bowling strength again pulled them through; with the result that they appear to have decidedly the better end of the stick. 1116 wicket, undoubtedly,' assisted the bowlers, so that batsmen had a hard row to hoe. jf- • * • * Tattersall’s ■ batting performance : stood out on" its own. 'lhe veteran * 'combined soundness with enterprise. He scored crisply all round the wicVet and includes ten boundaries in his tally of 57. He was run out when thoroughly Nunn made the pace while be stayed at tne -wickets", -ana - wasted no- time m running into the thirties. Malcolm pent him back with a good catch off his own bowling. ••. 4 * Bilby held a great running'.catch when he dismissed Gordon Gibson. ... * McKay, Aldersley and Watson, a trio of usually consistent run-getters, all failed to trouble the scorers. ? • • * * McSweeney, who has been knocking up big scores in junior cricket, failed to break his “duck.” • * * a McKay’s one-hand catch which sent Jack Banks back to the pavilion without opening his scoring, account, was a really brilliant effort. Tattersall “kept” very safely, and dismissed Bilby with n neat catch off a fastish ball from MoGirr. • - « • _ . • Hutt’s fielding was of a high standard, >and, as a consequence, the bowling of McGirr and Beard received strong McGirr .has come back to form with the ball. * ' Beard ia one of the most dangerous trundlers in Wellington cricket. *.• • • WELLINGTON COLLAPSE Low scoring characterised the Pe-toiie-Wellington match on the' “Village 1 * wicket. Brice’s policy in sending Wellington to the wickets worked betten than even the “Village” skipper conld have hoped. • a • • Hiddfeston was not allowed to take any liberties, but after a _ quiet start was beginning to open his shoulders when he met disaster. He went out to one of. Reyling’s slows, missed, and paid the penalty, for Cate whipped off the bails like lightning. • • * * Monkhouse proved his worth as a purely defensive bat, but should cultivate more scoring strokes. The colt ia a very sure man in the field. • a • • Wellington were not at full strength, Airey, who may be in the running for Plunket Shield matches, being a notable absentee. a • • • Bruce made the pace a “cracker,” but failed to stay. He rattled on three boundaries in quick time, hut was then caught by Patrick off a trick one from # -.,*«!* . • Mark NicholU pr«nii|*l- the gem of the-match by hiorest houiidary-catch wfifofa sent Crajtg back. - Although Wellington’s attack did not appear to possess the ‘‘devil’ of the howling of Brice, Fiiflayson and Beyling, Petone did not fare any too well at the hatting crease. • • • • “Ginger” Nicholls, opening the innings with again, showed his worth as a batsman, andvpht plenty of “ginger” into his strokes. Ho and Cepstick were associated in a valuable partnership. ‘ ' • • • Wellington found Brice’s trundling S'b difficult to score from. “Stan. I&d up with three victims at .---^s 008 *' • • • Cate performed most creditably behind the sticks. He did great service to Petone by his smart stumping of Hiddleston. ' 1 * • * * THE TWENTY The selection of 20 players for the rep. games* discloses no originality on the part of the selector. Two nkines appear which current form does not account, for. In choosing Collins and TC'drtlang Mr Tucker is having ■a: gamble, as they are being taken entirely on trust. If they were colts one could understand the selector keeping them in; but as both are getting into the sere and yellow, and we know it is hard for such men to maintain any consistency,' they should be dropped. In Kortlang’s case the selector must be blind if he cannot see the falling away in hatting. Further, neither of the two players can make up in the field for any deficiencies in hatting. The selector should know that it ■%ies not pay to saddle a team with too old crocks.