CRICKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22136, 14 December 1933, Page 4

CRICKET

By Slip.

December'23 to 27.—Otago v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. December 30 to January 3.—Otago v. Auckland, at Auckland. January 5 and 6. —Otago V. Hawke’s Bay. February 16 to 20/—Otago v. Wellington, at Dunedin. ’’ PLUNKET SHIELD TEAM In the strong team which the selectors lave chosen to defend the Plunket Shield for Otago this season only one choice may cause surprise. That is the inclusion of Nimmo as fast bowler in preference to Jolly. Both bowlers have excellent records for the Season, but that of Jolly is the finest obtained by an Otago bowler for many years. In all matches this season he has taken no fewer than 41 wickets at an average cost of only B.sruns, figures which leave no doubt as to hie ability. Ninimo has done leas bowling, and has secured 19 wickets ,at a cost of 9-7 runs apiece. While there is no great difference in the average cost of-the wickets which the two bowlers have obtained Jolly is the more accurate and the faster bowler of the pair. The i selectors, however, may have been largely influenced by the performances of the bowlers in the Southland match, and a comparison of their figures in this game may, therefore,, be. of. interest. Nimmo, who bowled against the wind, secured a total of five wickets at a cost of 49 runs off 23 overs, whereas Jolly, bowling with the wind, took only one wicket ; at a cost of 33 runs off 17 overs. It must be remembered, on the other hand, that Nimmo secured three tail-end wickets when brought on a second time in Southland’s second innings, while Jolly was not given a second chance. Over the whole season Joily has been the more impressive bowler of the pair, and he must be regarded, as unlucky rn not being the selectors' choice for the Canterbury match. He, will, however, obtain his opportunity against Auckland, as Nimmo will not travel beyond Christchurch. ■ ■ , , . The possibility of including both fast bowlers in the team to meet Canterbury and dropping; Dunning may have occurred to the selectors, for Dunning has not shown his true form this season. This, however, - would have reduced the variety of thb attack, ■ and: would have deprived the team, of a bowler who has no equal in Hew Zealand oh a bad wicket. Though Dunning has not, on performances, earned a place, he is a big-hearted bowler who may yet prove hii worth this season 1 . In the Canterbury match the attack will be mainly in the hands of Badcock, Nimmo, Dunning, and Elmes, with Talbot to.keep an end going to rest the others and Moloney and Ghettleburgh available as slow bowlers-who may. break a partnership. Whether Groves, the Old Boys slow bowler, will find a place with Jolly in the Auckland match will, no doubt, depend on 1 the strength of the bowling against Canterbury. .With Badcock, Cavanagh, Elmes, Tab hot (who will play only in Christchurch), Moloney, Dttley, and' Ghettleburgh; at the top of their form it will be surprising if the team does not make large scores. Though Knight has not been scoring this season with his usual regularity, the selectors were justified in including him, and he: should be no less successful, than the others. The team will have with it an additional left-hander, Cox, of Carisbrook, who may be considered fortunate in being giyen preference over some others. The fielding of the team should give' no cause for anxiety. Most of the players are strong in this department. Chettleburgh’s slip fielding in the 1 Southland match Suffered as the result of two ini’ufed fingers, but it is to be hoped that le will be under ho handicap in the north. The brilliance of Uttley in the field should save many runs.

SENIOR PERFORMANCES . Dickinson*-gave'-further illustration on Saturday of the fact' that he is in uni . nsuallygriod' form by taking five wickets for 41." against Grange and later scoring an impressive 42. His bowling performance places him at the head of the Otago averages with 26 wickets at a cost of <? T . 7.1 runs apiece, while his batting average is 25.5. He was in deadly form at the . start of Grange’s innings, and only the bright inning* of Chadwick prevented him. from bringing ;about the complete rout of the side. Chadwick’s innings for 41 provided one of the brightest interludes of the season. Standing well out of his crease, the veteran made it hard for Dickinson to bowl a length, and attacked the fast bowler fearlessly. It was not the first . occasion to which Chadwick has mastered the fast bowler by this method. There could be no more convincing illustration of the worth'-of M'Mullan as a batsman than his ability to “come back ”■ after a retirement flf two seasons and secure an average of 144.75 for tour innings, as he has done this year. In making his 08 against Kaikbrai on Saturday he attacked the bowling in his best style, and was at the wickets only 114 minutes. He made no fewer than 60 of his run* by boundary shots, and did not .give a chance in the, course-of an innings which showed him to be as good a batsman as ever he was.' The fine score of 95 which M'Carten made for Christian Brothers was overdue. He .is one of the most stylish batsmen in the competition, and when he makes a.- stay of any length at the wickets he is always able to command the admiration of the spectators. . Against the weak bowling of Dunedin he gave a sparkling display, bringing off some beautiful shots on the leg side. He gave only one chance at 89. / ; ■ The absence of Shepherd from the Albion side has shown how much’ be means to his team. Since ill-health has compelled him to take a rest from the game the team has been dismissed for very small scores, and only Dalziel and Miller, who made a useful 42 on Saturday, have been able to make runs in any number. This is the more surprising since the team bn paper appears to have plenty of batting material. Against University the side saved the follow-on by i only one run. , When L. Smith took five for 25 for the Colts against an Otago team at the beginning of the season hopes.were entertained that Albion had produced in him. vsa i • bowler who would greatly strengthen the team in a department in which'it is father weak. Then for some time he faded out of the picture. On Saturday, however, he came to light, with an excellent performance, dismissing six of the University batsmen at a cost of only 46 runs. He seems, in the absence of Shepherd, to be Albion’s only hope in the bowlipg .department. Jolly, after a tiring day in the field against Southland, crossed to the University ground and, bowling at top pace, achieved one of the outstanding performances of the season by taking sevep for 18 against Albion. At one stage he took three wickets with four balls for the second time this season. He has now taken 39 wickets in club cricket at a cost of only 7.4 rung apiece.

NOTES It is -widely stated among senior cricketers-, that the background of the main playing area at Logan Park makes catching 'difficult. This would seem to be borne out by the displays of the teams in the Otago-Southland match, in which - only four of the many chances given were held. An Australian writer says that D,' J. BLickie, the veteran Victorian cricketer, will long remember his last delivery in big cricket. In the recent testimonial match for himself and H. Ironmonger Blackie secured Bradman’s, wicket. Each of the beneficiaries received £9OO from the- proceeds of the match. -An Auckland-writer suggests that the ‘following • team; should represent the province:—J. E. Mills, A. J. Postles i/EdenV, P. E. Whitelaw, H. G. Vivian (ParnfelDi- R. ; G. Bush, D. R. Garrard, A. -M. Matheson (University), H. T. Pearson (King’s Old Boys), D. Edmonds (North Shore), J. Cowie (Grafton) or F; Goodsir (Parnell), G. L. Weir (VVhaligarei). The following Wellington town players havc. b'een selected to;, practise in view of "forthcoming representative matches: — James, Dustin, Tindill, Cook, Ward, O’Neill, du Chateau, Lamason, Morgan, Ell,' Bluhdell, and Griffiths. It can be j taken for granted (states a local writer) that Allcott would have been included had he been available, and in the event of his < being able to play in the Christ-

mas-New. Year matches he will most certainly be added to 'the : list. Allcott would fill one position which must be causing; the selector a;, good deal of worry. . Some of those chosen by Mr Tucker are fairly well down the list of averages to' date, but’ taken all in all there is not much’to cavil at in the selection.

The proposal by the Cricket Association that batsmen be • given out. leg before wicket to balls pitched outside the off-stump, when in the umpire's opinion ■ they would have bit the wicket, is one worth. considering (says an , English writer). Admittedly, added responsibility would be thrown on umpires in deciding whether a ball breaking on to a batsman’s pads would have bowled him, • but such a rule might have the effect of (1) discouraging batsmen from walking across their wickets to offer their pads to balls on the off-side; (2) discouraging leg-theory bowling, because the proposed new rule would assist bowlers to take more wickets with off-theory. An English critic, commenting on the recently-published - remarks of A. WRoberts,- the ' New'- Zealand player who returned after a ‘season - of.' Lancashire league cricket, says: “Lancashire league clubs think they are absolutely ‘ it ’ where cricket.is concerned, but .A, W. Roberts, of New Zealand,, doesn’t. Roberts has had a season with' Church, one of the league’s elite. He has .returned home and issued the following:—‘The league wickets are bad; the standard of play is poor; any first-grade eleven in New Zealand could beat the league’s best teams.’ Roberts, I should mention, is not returning to England next season. Perhaps that is why he is so candid! ’ The 19-ye'ar-old Nelson College boy, D. L. Freeman, did hot meet with the success anticipated in the . Town'v. Country match (states a Wellington writer). It is regrettable that,some are inclined to belittle the Nelson, boy’s bowling, but it is l worth pointing but that he is haying some trouble With his run, a fact which is -certain to affect any bowler. hreeman, however, is one of the best slow bowlers in the Dominion to-day, and bis performances in this'game should not be taken y too much notice of. If one were to condemn players on their performances in the game in question one would sound tlie death-knell of several batsmen who have been lauded to the sky by the same people who are eager to pounce on Freeman for his temporary lapse. The Board of Control has drawn up the following itinerary for. the Australian cricket team prior*, to its departure for England next year:— March 9.—-Assemble at Melbourne and leave for Launceston. „ March. 10, 12. 15—Play Tasmanian team at Launceston. March 15, 16, 17.—Play Tasmanian team at Hobart. . • ~ , March 23.—Play Western Australia at Perth. / / March 26. —Leave for England by Orf°The Portobello Club wishes to arrange games with city teams during the holiday period, the matches to be played at Company’s Bay. Mr C. Mason, of Portobello, is the secretary of the club. As a compliment to Ernest Jones, the fast bowler of other days, whose benefit match will commence to-morrow in Adelaide, the Melbourne Cricket Club is sending across its secretary (Hugh Trumble) to see his old comrade and the match, South Australia v. New South Wales, as an act of goodwill. Those two wonderful veterans (states the Australasian) represented the land of their birth in many an . important occasion, and when they meet in Adelaide will be able to recount many incidents of days gone by. They were two stalwarts, and it may be assumed that the gesture of the Melbourne Cricket Club will not only be appreciated by “ Jonah ” and the South Australian Association, but by all lovers of the game throughout the land. It is these , little amenities that make the game of cricket. It is also pleasing to know that the old Broken Hill express has made an excellent recovery after his recent operation.