CRICKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22432, 29 November 1934, Page 4

CRICKET

5 ; ; s' By Sup. | j:' FIXTURES December 21, 22.—Wellington v. Auck--5 land, at Wellington. December 24, 25, 20, 27:—Wellington v. i Otago, at Wellington. December 25, 26, 27, 28.~Auckland v, Canterbury, at Christchurch. December 31, January 1,2, 3.—Welling- ' ton v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. / Deceipber 31, "January. 1,2, 3.—Otago v.. 6 Auckland, at Dunedin. January IS, 19, 21, 22.—Wellington v. -':■. Auckland, at Auckland. February 22, 23, 25, 26.—Otago v. Canter- £ bury, at Dunedin. ' 1 THE OTAGO TEAM There are more factors than good bating Cf bowling averages to be considered in. the selecting of representative teams, and fielding ability, experience,' judgment, arid the right temperament are, qualities • wHicnj are. required in the firstolaes J; player.. Otago is fortunate in having- selectors, who are in a- position .'-;■ to' gain a first-hand knowthe degree in which those qualifications are possessed by the players. W. Butler, an old Otago representative, has Ijeen Umpiring senior .matches' for many yearsli K. C. Torrance has played with -or against most of the Otago representatives/! and has been an umpire since': he retired from-active participation..in the gamje*jwhile J. M'Mullan, who is still playijig,' knows the players as well as anyone ip the province. The selection of m'ost tlof the players who will be rehired to make up a well-baUanccd»'>*«ide, will, >jhowever, be almost an* automatic ; grocers, for they have proved themselves j tb.possess all the necessary qualifications., It wi{l be in the filling of the'odd one qfc two places that Otago will reap the benefit of the selectors' experiences • , { L'.-Tbei selection'- of a varied attack -will pieseiit no'difficulty w ; lth Dickinson available ajs fast bowler, Dunning and Badcock as the stock men, and Elmes as a lefthander, while Chettleburgh,and Moloney, . neither of whom is bawling: Veil enough' 1$ b& used for any considerable length o£ tinie, can be called on if necessary to p!rovic]e tempting material for. batsmen . t> are set.;.,) "'■"" t is a.recognised rule, inthe selection ot teams that the opening batsmen should men, Who are accustomed' to playing in; that position. Uttley has left no dqubts'as to' his qualifications as an : openly batsman- ; by,scbring 171, 112, and. 37 iu-successive innings in-that position this 1 season, but, if it is the desire of the selectors that' he shbuld be. .reserved - for "aijnlace further down the. list, the choice of, Cavanagh's partner may not be easy. DitcbJSeld,' who opened in the final shield- match '.of last season, has iiot this season made as many runs as ufeuali; and the fact-that' he is less outstanding as a fieldsman than; the others and has the reputation of being a Tittle Uncertain between-the wickets does, not* His chances. " It should, in fairifess, be added, however, that he did not disappoint in these respects when he was given'jhis chance last season. If Knight's firm;: were more impressive the diffic§ltyv would be solved;. -byt while Leader) arid i>. Cameron wiH>»p,tbbably>\be con- . spered, Saxton tpj be c f.as likely a* choice as any at the moment: '_■' ■fVoi the position of -wicket-keeper Lawson is'Teg'arded'ks'-a'strcmg rival of Clark. Clark's performance for Otago last season wasi ■ seem to be in "his favour, especially .-in view; of<;the in, club, games to Dickinson, and is a good catcher off "the- fast bowler. Lawson,. on the-other-fliand, is.-called upon to take a,less varied'attaek.. - ■■•■ l: • •••. •-. ,i-,i-' ; For Dickinson*-fast bowling goodtteldsmen are required, and Elmes and Chettlet, - burgh fieldsmen .cannot begone without. l . A • third slip -may not be so easy .to find.- ! Assuming' that Dunning,. Dickinson, Badcock, Cavanagh, Moloney,-, Clark, = Uttley;, Elmes," and Chettleburgh are chosen, there will still be two places; to fiU.'- Saitori nfayrget an&-«nd.Talbot in form would -be sure of the other, but, although it would be 'difficult. to overlook a player pf .'his calibre, he -would, on form;'be'lucky to-gain ra place. ;■;,- ■ '■■ "' .'■ Groves, who toured with the side last; season,' has not. been •'. included in the players, for representative practice,- but : on a oontinuation.-of ;bis- present formbe may. force his, way; into-the team.

-prominent; players DunningV form'."» : -the" sitatcb.es - that have so far in. striking contrast with"'that wh'iqh:be displayed.in the opening matches" of' last season, when he had a large number r of runs piled up against him .arid, .obtained;-very few

wickets.. Nevertheless he made a .great recovery, and gained the best;figures of his career in Piunket Shield earaes. This season he is showing his best form; and has already taken 24 wickets at a cost of••* little over 11 runs a-piece. He had. his best, day this season, on Saturday, when he took .five Iqr ■ 26. .against. Kaikorai'and then went in to. knock /up a line score of 75 in an hour. When Dunning 1 is" in this niood hereyealssome excellent shots,' and can provide the spectators vith - plenty' of thrills. --These...were the: tactics which. he adopted as No. 11 fsrOtago last season, and he proved himself to :be a highly valuable batsman in thai .position.. His innings on Saturday w,as cheering in view" of the rapid approach'of the : repVesentithe season. 'Spectators at the club games an: not likely to "see many better innings thafi that "with which L. Groves saved Old Boys from disaster against University. *lt did not-have the generally, breezy character of most of the best displays this season, but as .an exhibition of batsmauslup it was equal to anything that has been seen in the'matches that have been p'«.ved. The circumstances in which he went • to the wickets required that he should exercise a certain amount of caution, but at the -same time he took the fullest advantag3 of loose balls, aud his 10 4's in a score.of 62 pot out were made .with shots that in some instances were really brilliant. That description certainly applied to two cover drives, which were perfectly executed, the ball travelling to/the' fence like a bullet. He revealed a fine array of-shots, and his iunings did not include one weak shot. Had any of the selectors been present they must have wondered how he could be kept out of the Otago team, but places in that combination are likely to be hard to get this season. In the last two games Groves has shown decided progress as an all-rounder, and his performance on Saturday, when he also took two wickets for 11 runs, followed a fine.display, against Albion, vhen he took six for 48 .and was run o.ut. after scoring 31. That Badcock is a batsman to whom no team can afford to give chances was strikingly demonstrated on Saturday. When he was dropped off Lynch eariy in his-innings he celebrated his escape by hitting three successive 6's in the same over.. He scored two more 6's in the course of a brilliant innings for 79. A player who is making especially good progress in the Colts' team-is Mills, whose performances as a batsman had for some nine been disappointing. His plucky snings against, Grange/ when he. .ilniost

saved the day for his side, has apparently set him on the right track again, for became to light with an excellent; S 9 against' Christian Brothers. As a wicket-keeper Mills is a very smart stumper, and there is no doubt wthat in him Otago- hue- the makings : of.-.a- very good 'player.-'■ ■-.■■. Smith/ who has the benefit of greater senior -experience, \is also among, the runs again.:. l -He; ;is being'-Watched with particular interest as a left-arm slow bowler. While he has not yet gained sufficient control of length, he.-sends .up an occasional ball that; is-likely to beat- the -best of-.-'batsmen. Those,,who; do'not use their feet against hun' are 'likely -to;;find' themselves in trouble.;. I '. Y"' .'—;

Grange-Albion coiitestsJare:. invariably .interesting, and ithey ( bayef a • special, attraction . for those 'of the 'keen spirit of friendly. Rivalry .that /exists'.between two clubs,'■-which"'Were for so long associated on ,she'i sanjfe.ground. ; In trie match between 'the; two.clubs on Saturday Grange appeared to "be facing disaster when Chad wick 4 ■ added" ,62 for; the last wicket and-took the total to,. 177. .Victory, however,\is well within sight for Albion, for, it; has'"only. 37 runs to get for a' first six wicketts in hand. .'.-,';'-;,-.-5*;T:-.\-'.';■

Albion's position is.in a.large 'measure due to the batting of.' Martin;- whb showed a . further improvement-.' in - jfprm to.make.ss. Many of his runs were hiaae by good driving. Barron came to light with. 48, and. Miller, whose scores this season have been 54, 30/0, 15, 21, and 30, again, gavebis side a-good start.; ... [j Claridge, ;-who. has Aeeri performing ; so usefully for DunedinTwith both bat and ball," came" very 'close to, securing the hat trick on Saturday. . He took • two wickets with successive balls, and the riext ball beat the batsman and missed the wicket by the smallest of margins. - In taking; six fori■,- 63,-, fbr University Gilkison proved the lusefulness of.' a lefthander. ; H4-Was sWiiiging. away' from the .•vi'ick'et,;arid this-enabled him to have four batsmen caught in the slips. ' ' A BLESSING IN DISGUISE The refusal of Otago. to adopt the proposed scheme for home and away matches for the Plunket Shield this season may .yet turn out to., be a blessing in disguise for Wellington (states tbe Dominion). Otago's strongest argument against the scheme- was the contention that; to con"fine Plynket Shield games to' three days would rob the games of public interest, as little or. no concern would bp taken in ,-,the: third day's play. -The southern essociatio'n also held that it wpuld be difficult to get its best team away for matches against Canterbury, Auckland, "and Wellington in January, and if the public, got the impression that , the strongest. teams were not taking .part good gates'could not be expected. ' However, the Wellington Association has done good service in bringing the proposal forward, and as Canterbury and Auckland are in agreement - that more matches are desirable among the major provinces there is nothing to prevent them playing extra, matches this season. Otago's action has forced the major associations to revert to the original Plunket Shield programme, and this "may prove a good thing for Wellington. For some seasons past Wellington has played Otago in Wellington ,for the Plunket Christmas.time, and this.;match hasV.occasionally been followed by the match Canterbury at New Year. The' result has beenthat followers of- the game in the city and provinces have dome., to look forward- t<? -seeing good cricket at the Basin Reserve at this ; As Mri J. H. Phillips pointed'out at' a recent meeting of the Management. Committee of the Welljng*t6h'" Association, it would be a mistake 'for .Wellington to part With its Christ■mas carnival. It.has always been a treat at the .Christmas to observe .the largte nuinber. of cricket enthusiasts: iftom the- provinces who regularly come ;down" to' see' some good : cricket. ; A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE ■ There, has been a .tendency to deplore fthi... decadencer of r cricket in Wellington. ; during'recent ;years;..and .to sigh for: thei. : great'bfitsmen of the past v whose.memory, 'is illumined by the light of btfier days. As a matter of fact (states "Burwood," in the Dominion) Wellington today possesses, batsmen just as brilliant •as at any time -in her history.' The •greatest cause of'satisfaction, too, is that 'several of'to-day's'-players are youngsters .with-., all their cricket before them. " Burwood " has, followed ; cricket in Wellington now 'for 4he past. 13 years, ;arid never«hag.%be r ;^eeri,>a iripre, brilliant batting display ;as -that: j given jby..-the young-Kilbifiiie player,- Bi Wilson, in hitting up -164 an 1 ; 102 jminutes against Mid- ; land; on the' Kilbirriie';Recreation Ground, t Six. wickers.";were, down for 55 runs iwheri the ex-Rbng'otai J.College lad- 'jbi'ried ■his captain, Jl'tETr Christopher sen; but, instead'of'being-overawed by the ; deadliriess of-tbe Midland bowling, he at ,once' started .to hit to all parts.of the field. Of firie physique, Wilson has a range of scoring strokes, and he brought' them all into use: witb. delightful freedom in running to hisbalf-century -in 32 minutes,' his century in 56 minutes, arid 164 in 102 niinutes. In all he lifted the. ball out of the playing area no fewer : than seven.times, and found the boundary with 21 delightful strokes. No local batsman of the past has ever, excelled for sheer brilliance.'thi6 finished display. ' The Kilbirnie captain assisted Wilson to put on 186 for the seventh wicket, and 'hit a 6 and nine 4's in his invaluable contribution of 81'; This stand enabled Kilbirnie to beat Midland by 56 runs on Hhe first' innings. >. ~ ■ »' NOTES t ■ Lambert, who. has found a place in the Colts' team in place of M'Gregor, who Idid- useful service for Kaikorai .on Saturday i ig-anex-M'Glashan' College player, now. belonging to Carisbrook. He is a ■good all-rounder, bowling at medium pace ?and able to turn the ball a little both With the help of overthrows the bateien in a' match in Christchurch ran six in a recent match. An overthrow to -the boundary gave a player seven in another game. „ Undoubtedly Auckland will be represented: by a.strong all-round side this season (states a northern writer) and a "team such as the following would 'with credit:-J. E. Mills, -.P.- E. Wh,te'law, H. G. Vivian (captain), L..F. Townsend, R. G.,Bush, D. R. Garrard, M.TJr al■!lace, V. S. f Sale, J. Cowie G. L Weir, :D/B. Edmonds,'R. H. Cleave (twelfth man) In the selected eleven all the ■players are capable of making runs, while there are six -bowlers more or less of a different-type. , - ~ ~ ' ,' : M. Wallace, the Parnell cricket colt, seems to have a liking for No. 1 wicket at Eden Park, as in the course of nine innings, two uncompleted and one retired, he has amassed the fine tptal of 690 runs at an average of 98.59. His principal scores read:—ls4 retired, v. Country; 146, v. Hawke's Bay; 112 not out, v. Ponsonby; 99, v. Eden; 85 not out, v. University; ' 57, v. Canterbury. These figures -cover only last season and this season so Can a batsman who has executed a, per-fectly-timed hit which sends the ball sailing out of the ground be accused of negligence if the ball happens to do damage to limb, life, or property? That «was one of the questions raised during a discussion by members of the Management Committee of the Wellington Cricket Association in regard to the possibility of the association securing, for a reasonable premium a comprehensive insnrance cover to provide against damage done by ball or bat. U tbe previous meetiug the chairman *(Mr P. B. Broad) described as "ridiculous " a proposal by the City Council that the association should accept liability for all damage done on or about the grounds on which its players were actively pngaged. Subsequently Mr Broad reported that the council had decided to withdraw the stipulation, but (he said) there still remained the question of how far the association or its players might be liable. - There would be no harm in investigating the possibilities of securing an adequate cover. The matter was left in the hands of the treasurer. . ■ As tbe gate receipts for the WoodfullPoneford beuefit match were £1712, and subscriptions exceed £2OO, it is anticipated that each player will receive £IOOO. Bradman is reported to have stated in England that he does not think he will play at all this season. There ought to be no • real difficulty on either side, in sending a suitable team to New Zealand, leaving out of consideration members of. the 1934_ Australian Eleven (states a writer in the Sydney Referee). There arc so many

cricketers of standing in Australia not catered for in first-class touring teams by the associations and the board that a tour by a team excluding the Australian. Eleven-, or at least all the batting stars, would be in the broad interests of our cricket. There cannot be any doubt that were the Board of Control members sympathetic, this matter could be arranged with satisfaction to all parties, provided that allowances to players over their travelling and hotel expenseH wore not set on too lavish a scale, and that all star players are asked for by New Zealand. If the board could not undertake it, there might not ibe any great obstacle in a tour being privately organised if officially sanctioned. New South Wales could not undertake the venture this summer, as it is intended to despatch the State team to Western Australia after the Sheffield Shield games have terminated. But, in an ordinary season, one cannot see any insuperable reason why a strone State team rouhl not be sent across, as occasionally in the past.