SPORTS IN SPORT

NZ Truth, Issue 948, 26 January 1924, Page 9

SPORTS IN SPORT

Past And Present

JACK HUTCHINGS.

It I ' seems that Jack Hutchings, the well-known Midland Club player and Wellington representative cricketer, has taken a new lease of his cricketing life this year. Jack is quite a veteran these times, for he has been connected with the summer pastime for about 20 years as a "prominent player and m all ever since he could run about. His father lived close to Wellington's old Basin Reserve and as a youngster Jack was always to be found there scouting for the old hands. He attended the Mt. Cook School and as a lad always knew how to handle a cricket bat. His brother was a member of the old Midland Club and when the younger one was old enough he joined up too. He soon became a player of great promise and rapidly outdistanced his elder brother. It is probably twenty years ago since he. started off as a representative' player, an all-rounder of real ability. As. a batsman he had many strokes m his bag and could play both an attacking and a defensive game. Also he could bowl pretty well and knew how to mix the stuff he sent m. As a fieldsman, especially when he was younger, anfl especially m the outfield, he was sound-and speedy, a good catch and a sure thrower. Against one of the Australian team some years ago his fldlding was particularly notable. To many oC the older enthusiasts his entry into rt>p. cricket can best be recalled by stating- that it synchronised approximately with the entry of the two •- Blacklocks — J.P. and C.P. Hutchings" spent a couple of the intervening years m Auckland and for a time seemed to go off his game, but on returning to Wellington he picked it up once • more and m now going as strong as ever. Throughout his career he has been noted for his reliability at a critical stage of the game, for instance, -when he helped Brice to win the Plunket Shield match, the first that Wellington won, which was.played at Christchurch m December, 1918. Another .great performance was when he was the not-out man at Wellington m the following year when Auckland Won b.y 58 runs. Hutchlngs's contribution was a well-played 74 not out. ' He has. a particular fondness for taking teams to Nelson at Xmas time and is looked upon as quite a regularly migrating bird m those parts. It looks as if he still has a lot of cricket before him and no doubt when he does go off Ithe stage something will be heard of his jroujngsiters who are growing up.