CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20288, 22 December 1927, Page 4

CRICKET.

By Sup.

FIXTURES. Pecember 24, 26, 27, and 28.—Otago v. Canterbury at Christchurch. December 31, January 2,3, and 4.—Otago y. Auckland, at Auckland. January 6, 7 and 9.—Otago v. Wellington, at Wellington. January 20, 21, 23, and 24.-Otago v Wellington, at Dunedin (Plunket Shield match). PONSFORD'S GREAT PERFORMANCE. The performance of W. H. Ponsford in beating his own -world's record score of 429 by compiling 437 for Victoria against Queensland has been on the lips of every cricket enthusiast. It was a remarkable performance, a feat that only Ponsford could have accomplished. The nearest approach to the young Victorian score is 424, compiled by A. C. MacLaren for Lancashire against Somerset m 1895, and the best score in Sheffield Shie'd matches until Ponsford made his wonderful score was 365, not out. made by Clem Hill for South Australia against New South Wales. Ponsford has the remarkable record of having made 13 centuries in 18 matches for tb» Sheffield Shield. The following is a' list of his performances in interState matches:

In. N.O. H.S. Runs. Avge. N.S.W. ... 11 2 352 1069 111.77 S. Australia 16 0 214 1236 77.28 Queensland 5 0 437 964 192-80 Tasmania ... 2 0 429 591 295.50 W. Australia 1 0 158 158 158.00 *35 2 437 4018 121.76 OTAGO TEAM’S TOUR. The Otago touring team will leave Dunedin to-morrow to begin its first match against Canterbury on Saturday. The tourists will be opposed by a strong side consisting of G. R. Gregory, 1. M Hamilton, W. Hayes, J. Jacobs, W. £. Merritt, J, Newman, -D. C. Nixon, C. J. Oliver, M. L. Page, R. J. Read, and A. W. Roberts, with C. E, Evans as twelfth man. The Canterbur side includes some players new to representative circket. Apart from Merritt and Newman the bowling should not be particularly deadly. The side which has been selected to represent Auckland appears to be strong in batting, but only ordinary in bowling. There is no reason why Otago should not make the games close at least. “ Slip .wishes the team the best of luck. The Christchurch Sun in reviewing the Canterbury team states : The attack is in the capable hands of Merritt, who is the outstanding bowler in New Zealand to-day ; the English professional, J. Newman, a dangerous medium-pace bowler; and Read. Cnange bowlers are M. L. Page, who seemingly needs a sticky wicket and who then might clean up a side, and D. C. Nixon. Several others are capable of lending a hand, but th© team lacks a left-hander spin bowler. A fast bowler is also a need. The dropping of W. Cunningham, justified on form, will yet arouse criticism. As has been pointed out in the Sun, his natural easy action in delivery is no longer pronounced. There is a jerky action as he releases tb© ball. This has played havoc with bis length and he seems to have lost the off-spin ball which used to garner him a crop of wickets. And yet in his last club match he gave som© glimpses of a return to form—sufficient, perhaps, to justify another chance before the selectors choose the team which goes on tour. Cunningham has been too valuable a man to he dropped lightly, and he is still a long way from being a veteran. He has been a match-winner, and for a time was supreme in New Zealand. If he were to replace a regular bowler the choice would have to be Read, who has been a stalwart for many years, and who is a veteran. No one will dispute the value of the services Read has given in the past, and he is still useful. But he has never been a match winner, as a study of his record in representative cricket each season goes to show. In their choice between Cunningham and Read—doubtless th© two would be considered together—the selectors have picked on present form, and so Read naturallygets the preference. Cunningham will have to wait hia chance.

Not only in the Canterbury team, but in others they have picked as well, the selectors have ignored J. M'Ewin, a slow trundler. M’Ewin bowled excellently for The Rest against New Zealand and there would be precedent in having two slow bowlers in a team. Merrntt has more spin than M’Ewin, who, however, flights the hall more. So the two would provide some variation which might be fruitful. M’Ewin is also batting well. One of the change bowlers, Nixon is batting in fair form, but his trundling is not up to last season’s standard.

The batting should be rood, although the two colts, A. W. Roberts and I. M. Hamilton, have not shown their best form this season. . The last innings by C. Oliver might have brought him back to form, bub he is a trifle uncertain. Jacobs, a colt, is a stylish batsman, who for some time has been recognised as a certainty, sooner or later, for big cricket. There is plenty of batting ability in the team, and Hayes, who is batting well, is the wicketkeeper needed to deal with the bowling of Merritt. The fielding should be very good; perhaps better than it has been for years.

NOTES. The following table shows the positions of the First Grade teams:— 3pt. 2pt. P. win. win. D. L. Pts. 'Albion ... 3 1 1 1 Grange ... 3 1 1 14 Dunedin ... 3 1 1 1 3 Carisbrook 3 —■ 1 2 1 First Grade matches will not be recommenced until January 14.

The decision of the Otago Cricket Association to declare the matches begun on December 10 drawn should not meet with any opposition, The matches were both in an even position. H. C. Alloo’s performances in South Otago cricket this season were not as good as usual until last Saturday, when he knocked up 224 for Owaka against Clinton. Had Alloo’s performances been better earlier in the season he would probably have been considered again for the Otago team. Alloo’s score, in spite of the fact that it was made against country bowling, was a particularly good performance.

Shepherd has an average of 39.33 so far this season. Dickinson's average is 35.75, and he has taken 15 wickets at a cost of 13.5 runs apiece. R. W. Hope, who toured Australia with the New Zealand team in the 1925-26 season, Has been transferred from Palmerston North to Nelson. Hope is > good fast bowler, but has come out as batsman in Nelson-

When Dempster and Foley made them first wicket stand of 305 for Institute against Y.M.C.A. they accounted for a new record for the first match in Wellington senior cricket, the previous record of 299, registered by Dempster and Bad cock in 1924-25, being beaten by four runs. Among notable first-wicket partnership in local senior cricket are the following : SO3--C. S. Dempster and H. Foley, 1927 28. 299—C. S. Dempster and F. T. Badcock, 1924-25. 252—C. G. Wilson and B. J. Tuckwell, 1917-18. 250—W. A. Baker and M. A. Dind, 191718. 220—W. L. K. Gibhes and W. A. Baker, 1915-16. 211—W. T. Bray and J. S. Hiddleston, 1914-18.

It is a matter for general regret that frequent absences prevent Life Caere from turning out regularly for the Shore Cricket Club (says the Auckland Sun). Recently the former Auckland representative put in an appearance for the Shore colts, and gave a display of nyro-technic cricket at Victoria Park, when he just missed the half century by one run. Life is still rough on bats, and after smasning a club one made a sorry mess of a “ specially selected ” one brought back by his brother Ces from England and presented to the skipper of the colts. The Ponsonby bowlers were not sorry to see the back of Auckland’s most disrespectful slogger. Wellington’s first Plunket Shield ;n----gagement is with Canterburv. the match to ''bo played at Wellington commencing on December 31. Players cgarcled as certainties for the Wellington team arc; C. S. Dempster, R. dc R- Worker. H. Folev, T. C. Lowrv. K. C. James, F. T. Badcock, A. H. Bollings. H. M. M’Girr, E. H. L. Herman, and W. S. Brice, the last-named to fake the captaincy F.vcry cricketer has a horror of “ pair of spectacles,” or to vary the figure, a ‘‘duck egg” in each innings. When the Australian Eleven was in England in 1899 Bill Howell clean bowled W Trnim. the Gloucester amateur, in a match at Eastbourne. Just as Troup was going

his second innings, Howell was bowling at his top, and Troup had to face him Behind the pavilion was r croquet ball, and Troup commandeered it. A? he walked to the wicket he handed the ball to " old Bill ”as a present. Howell was highly amused, and the Presentation put him off bis bowling, with the result that his first ball to Troup was a full toss, which the batsman promptly hit for 4.