CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19373, 8 January 1925, Page 4

CRICKET.

Bt Slip. 6iago’s victory against Auckland in last work's Plunket Shield match is the first wifijj registered against the northern province for many years, and this success should put the local players in good heart for- ') the matches against Canterbury and Wmiington. Negotiations are now proceeding between the Wellington and Otago Associations with a view to playing the Otigo-Wellington match at the end of the nrijjsMnt month and should this eventuate and Otago be successful in winning the game, then the Otago and Canterbury match to be staged in Dunedin in February will be the- deciding contest for the Plunket Shield. ■From a spectator’s point of view there waS little of a thrilling nature in the Otago-Auckland gome, moat of the batsmen shewing a lack of enterprise, thus making th® bowling appear more difficult than it really was. The rock game was very much in and while it is admitted that there were occasions when the state of the game demanded careful play, there is no dopht that the defensive tactics were oyordoite, several of the batsmen on both sides being content to pat bade to the bowler halls that deserved much harsher treatment. Caretaker Ross provided a perfect batting wicket, the outfield, too, being in firitt-class order, and the opinion was freely expressed by the visitors that- in Carisbrook Dunedin has the best cricket ground in the dominion. Taken all round, the Otago batting was consistent, and it is worthy of note that in neither innings did any local batsman make a “duck.” Worker and Duncan gave the side a fair start in the first innings, putting on 54 before the latter patted one softly back to. Allcott. Duncan shaped nicely for his 24, making some sweet square cuts, and his only blemish was a chance to Prater at point when 19. With the score at 99 Worker fell to a fine one-handed catch by Wilson off Allcolt. The Carisbrook left-hander played a very sound innings for his 55, most of his runs coming from shots to the on side, his favourite hook to leg being, his chief scoring stroke. Worker’s off shots lacked sting, and that beautiful cover drive which ho has used so effectively at times was not brought into play. In the second innings ho played similar -cricket for 52 runs, being content to bottle up his off shots, and wait 1 lor the leg balls, which ho scored off freely. Worker’s first innings occupied 82 minutes and included six fours, while in the second knock he was at the crease for 79 minutes, and hit seven boundaries. When five wickets were down for 119 in the first innings the position was not too gdod, but Cherry and Alloo improved matters considerably with a partnership that added 61 runs. iAlloo batted very solidly, displaying a sound ‘-defence and occasionally attaching the bowling in lively _ fashion. He hit one beautiful six off Smith, the ball landing over the fence at long off, and he also gpt nine fours in his score of 51. Cherry, the Dunedin colt, played an Alick Bonn arm ain-1 ike innings, being at the crease 53 minutes before he reached double figures, and taking 134 minutes to make 36. his highest score of the season. It was not a display likely to thrill the onlookers, but it was a very useful innings for his side. However, ttftqr getting, his eye in. Cherry could easily have put a little more powder into his shots without taking undue risks. Many of his strokes were made with half power. Dickinson gave by for the breeziest display of the innings, his 29 taking only 22 minutes to compile, and his score included one sis (a fine drive off Elliott) and three fours. The Auckland first innings of ICO was not a very inspiring, display, Wilson, the last man, being the only one to attack the bqwling with any ginger, and he rattled up 24., in 2C minutes. Mr “Extras” was top-scorer with 35, but in justice to Wicketkeeper Chadwick it must be stated that there were several leg byes, and many of the " balls that got past him were very Wide out. The Grange keeper was responsible for some fine catches, four batsmen falling to him. Horspool, one of Auckland’s opening batsmen, played .the rock game to some purpose, being at the crease 60 minutes for his first 12 runs, his whole innings of 23 runs occupying 130 minutes. Smith, the .Auckland skipper, played quietly but neatly for 2-1, and Allcott batted solidly for 27, while Garrard, the Auckland wicketkeeper, displayed bright cricket for 18* not oat ptago made a fair start In the second ipinings, 92 being cm the board for two Wickets, but then four wickets went cheaply. At the end of Friday’s play six wickets were down for 125, and a keen finish was anticipated. However, when the game was resumed on Saturday morning Alloo and Dickinson, the not out batsmen, carried the total to 184, the partnership adding Gfi runs at a critical stage, and the bqine Side was placed in a good position. Dickinson’s innings was the gem of the match." He laid on the wood In refreshing style, bnt was careful to choose the loose balls, .and ho found some of Smith’s slows to- his liking, getting two fine sixes off this bowler. The enterprising batting of Dickinson was much appreciated after the dfao displays given by some of the other batsmen during the first two days’ play. Tlje Carisbrook player’s 57 runs were made inf 43 minutes, and he hit two sixes and seven fonrs. Dickinson’s batting and bowling were a big factor in Otago’s win. Alloo, who helped Dickinson to retrieve Otago’s position at a critical stage of the game, took 93 minutes to pnt together his 21 runs, but his innings was a very useful one for his side, and he was quite justified in adopting defensive methods while Dickinson was picking up the runs. Dick Torrance batted brightly for 43, and, although ho was rather lucky, being missed at 9, 33, and 34, he batted very well between these chances, and was not afraid to have a go. His score included six fours. Set 345 runs to win, Auckland found tue task too big, and were all out in two hours •45 minutes for 198 runs. Gillespie and Smith made a good stand for the third wicket, adding 62 runs to the score. Gillespie .shaped attractively for 56, made in 81 minutes, and hit eight fours. Hd made some pretty leg strokes, and has a . very effective shot past point Gillespie looked set for a big score when he made a weak stroke at Alloo, giving Dickinson an easy catch at mid-leg. Smith again batted neatly, notching 29, including a six to leg off Dickinson. Mills, the colt of the team, and a son of George Mills, who was groundsman at Carisbrook for many years, shaped very nicely in scoring 17, He is a, left-hander, with a free, graceful style. The Otago bowling was equal to all requirements, Dickinson, five for 46 and threo for 68, being the most successful. The Carisbrook fast bowler bowled splendidly inf Auckland’s first innings, sending down fewer leg balls than has been Ids custom in, dub games this season. In the second innings his direction was not so good, but nevertheless he got in some clinking balls the one that dismissed Smith being a “beauty.” Alloo and Torrance both bowled steadily, add Douglas, who secured tho average in the second innings with two for 23, might hdve been made more use of. Allcott bowled exceptionally well for Auckland in both innings, securing six for 76 and four for 59. Ho kept a good letlgth throughout, and few liberties could be taken with his bowling. Smith’s slows proved troublesome to several of the Otago batsmen, and he is undoubtedly a heady bowleir. He sent up many balls, however, that should have been punished, but most of the batsmen ware rather timid in dealing with them. The fielding of both sides was of a high standard, and some briurant catches were talfen during the game, the most notable being one by Blamiros at fine leg which tent Dacro pavilionwards, and Horspool’s wonderful effort at point which resulted in Dickinson’s dismissal in Otago’s second inni4os - ‘ In Tests between England and Australia H. ; L. Collins has already made three ceqturies. besides scoring 740 runs at an average of 56 per innings (said a Sydney writer after Collins’s century in tho first hidings of the First Test match). Temperamentally there is no superior Te-t match cricketer; possibly no equal among contemporary Englishmen and Australians. Collins does not possess the strokes and charm of a Hobhs or a Macartney, but has a Wonderful defence and a few good strokes that bring runs even against tho best of bowlers in the best of form. As first-wicket batsman ho is a wonder. His innings in Test cricket are: In Australia—7o, IC4. 64. 162. 04, 59, 32, 5, 37, 114, 60, 9, 30. In England —17, 40, 14. In South Africa—3l, 47, 203! not ont, 5 not out, 54. Besides, ho topped 200 for tho A.I.F. team against South Africa iu a match that ranks equal to . a Test in chfs. Referring to Collins’s contury in tho First Tbsi the gazoo writer says;—“Collins

-played a rook-lxko innings for four hours, and gave only one chance beside the finisher. Ho showed remarkable defence and judgment against Tate’s very fine bowling. but did not take sufficient runs off the others, and especially the slows. What he needed was an attacking batsman, like Macartney, or as in that match of old. a Jack Lyons at the other end, not that Collins played anything like the sheer barn-door role of Alick Bannorman. _ He is a Tost match wonder, and they will all toll yon that ho ignores the canons of good batamanship by playing with a cross bat. He is the most successful run-getter that ever played against England, none of the masters of old we know to have been giants in batsmanship and brilliant in their attack on bowlers of renown, having done anything quite so good. The luck of the toss is by no means a small element, in the decision of a Test match. It is interesting to note that the toss has been won by England 53 times and by Australia 52 times. _ There have been three occasions on which one side won the toss in all the Tests of the series. In Australia in 1881-82 A. Shaw won it for England in, each of the four games; in England in 1905 F. S. Jackson _ won it in all five games for England; and in England in 1909 M. A. Noble won it in all five games for Australia. It has been said that apart altogether from his bowling and batting abilities, J. M. Gregory is worthy of a place in a Test eleven on account of his prowess in the slips. His record bears this statement out. Gregory has now taken 29 slip _ catches in Tost matches. Other notable slip fields in Test matches ha.ve been : W. Rhodes 44. L C. Bratmd 46. G. A. Lohman 29. F. E. Woolley 29, A. 0. Jones 19, H. Trumblo 63. Despite his wonderful success, Ponsford is going to become a still _ greater player. He has a rare eye, and his scoring shots on both sides, if not very varied, ore very fine indeed (says ,f Not Out” in the Referee, referring to Ponafncrd’s century in the First Tost). Ho gets hardly any runs behind the wicket on the leg side, but he has an extraordinary good pull—not a hook. This stroke beats mid-on and ranges round a bit wider. I have seen nothing better since the Trumper-Duff days, save by J. M. Taylor. Ponsford has excellent cover shots, but the bowlers did not give him too many there. His off drives were stoutly plugged up by the field, and he rarely hit the ball hard enough to beat them. It is a very great thing to make a century in one’s first Test, and it is a groat distinction for one to make 110 in each of his first three innings in first-class cricket on the Sydney Ground. But Ponsford is going to become a still greater player, and it is possible that he will reveal it all this season. J. B. HOBBS. J, B. Hobbs, the great English batsman, has now scored 2173 runs in test cricket at an average of 57.18 per innings. Heia the only Englishman to score 2000 runs in test matches, although four Australians h avo accomplished the feat—namely, C. Hill (2660, V. Trumper (2263), S. EL Gregory (2185), and W. W. Armstrong (2172). Hobbs has also soared the highest number of centuries in tost oriokot—viz., eight, Victor Trumper being next with six for Australia. Hobbs’s record of centuries in test cricket now roads as follows: —At Melbourne (1911-12), 126 not out: at Adelaide (1911-12). 187; at Melbourne (1911-12), 178; at Lords (1912), 107; at Melbourne (1920-21), 122; at Adelaide (1920-21), 125; at Sydney (1924-25), 115; at Melbourne (1924-25). 154. Three of theso totals were made as the result of a chancoless innings. Under the heading of “ World’s Champion Batsman,” the cricket annual published by the Sporting Globe pays the following tribute to Hobbs:—‘‘When it was announced that Jack Hobbs, the great Surrey batsman, had declined to come to Australia with the present English team, there was ns much regrot here (in Australia) as there was in England, for Australians long ago recognised that he was essential to the success of any touring eleven. It was, therefore, welcome news when it was announced later that ho was coming after all. Hobba has stood out for some years es the greatest batsman in the world, and although he is nearly 42 years of age his form in the English season just closed indicates that he is still entitled! to that honour. Not only is Hobbs a wonderful player, but he is a man with a personality, and ho is almost as popular in Australia as ho is with the Surrey crowd at tiie OvaL His greatness as a batsman lies not only in the fact that he gets- runs, but in the manner in which ho gets them. He is perfect in his execution of every stroke, his footwork is a model for all players, and his style is irreproachable. With 'him batting is on art, and it has boon well sad that he is not content always to go along orthodox lines, but is for ever seeking to widen the scope of his craft — experimenting and creating obstacles for the sheer joy of overcoming them. His batting is always whether ho is making runs at a good rate or not. As a test match batsman England has had none to equal him in the past 15 years, and his record of 1825 runs at an average of 53 is testimony as to his ability. He is also a wonderful fieldsman at cover point, and earlier in his career gained much success as a bowler. This is his fourth trip to Australia, and on each, of his three previous visits ho performed os a champion would bo expected to perform.