STRENGTH IN ATTACK

NZ Truth, Issue 1203, 20 December 1928, Page 16

STRENGTH IN ATTACK

Canterbury Batting Might Be 7. A Little "Iffy" (From "N.Z. Tfutli's" Special Christchurch Representative). Canterbury cricket folk, will not hear of their provincial side losing' the Plunket Shield this year, and with each succeeding day ' drawing nearer to the contest, their optimism grows.

AFQSEC!AIST m ;a game such. as crjbki?t,--;w'here. the human element isTllkjeiyi i to be so fickle, is much a Iriatfei7-^f Conjecture,' but there, has been sufficient play this sea'soh.to give va' fair.*oreliable .guide tp- form and ■likely '-„7' „ . L , ■: The* b*hp very forcible point indicated fey thi^ii'seasbri's . competition games is that tl\e7Canterbury attack will maintain: aSbriglttv variety while retaining uniforp^^strerigth..,^.^ .'; ..; . -7v „,... Wztli^S-ack Newmah, Bill Merritt, . Bill- Cunningham; and Tßeg. JRe&d, ; the province^ ppg-sesses'aVquartet of bowlers Whose vvperf ormances up till the present;. season^ will stand comparison with, any' ott^r auar-tet ;from the other Plunket; Shield; centreis. '"■ l Though Newman has been handicapped byvsickhess since returning- from England;'; he has produced; some rare form 'with the ball and. has all the guile- /and deception of a .trained crickeitei - -. - 7 Bili'VlyierriH has touched his best form/mis season since the Eng-lish-to ulir, and has.' backed his success7'witH 1 the ball ' with polished battipfl Which hasi been productive '■:. .; of bi^Vscpfling.:- :,,' ' 7 '7, ■-■ ■, v . - . ■Bill 'Cunningham's . form with the ball dnl^ '■:' asserted itself' Avith the last series ; !bt games played, but if he retains iti Vile, is .'. sure to get among the Auckla/ha-- :^vickcts7 7 v. ,* •■; .,; : 7Reg.;Reid has been under a cloud up till the present, but bad luck has had a good deal to do with his failure.

He is V. the hardest worked of , the Linwood bowlers, and when a- man' can send down as many- as 40 overs. in an innings and have only one run an over knocked off him, it says a lot for his immaculate length and consistency. / • With. lart Hamilton (Old' Collegians), Cyril Crawford (St. Albans) , Arthur Roberts. - (Riccarton), "Curley" Page (Country) , ' Charlie Oliver (Sydenham) and G.^R. Gregory (East) 7 the province should 'have no fears . of its batting capabilities. '. The', batsmen,. Avith notable exceptions, have not succeeded m mastering the attack, and' they must frankly be regarded as a bit "iffy* m shield games until they have 7 proved themselves otherwise. • " They' are the; type inclined to take a fly at the bal|— a risky and generally expensive ( habit— but they are all younp and are capable of free and unrestrained cricket. "Scrum; Evans, .the. young Riccarton all-rounder; "must enter into shield discussions before long, but. most likely his turn will come later and preference will be given to Burns, the Old Boys' stuniper, who keeps well for Bill Merritt. --..•'■'