OUTSTANDING BATSMAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26349, 2 January 1947, Page 2

OUTSTANDING BATSMAN

HIDDLESTON—AND OTHERS In a recent broadcast from Nelson. A. W. Alloo, the former New Zealand and Otago cricketer, who is now headmaster of a school in that district, gave his views on outstanding performers in New Zealand cricket. He gave it as his opinion that J. S. Hiddleston was the finest batsman New Zealand had produced. It is difficult to see how Mr Alloo could have passed over the claims of C. S. Dempster and R. C. Blunt for the honour which he accorded to Hiddleston, even allowing for the fact that the former pair, as members of New Zealand teams touring England, had the greater opportunities for displaying their prowess. Strangely enough, Blunt’s name was not even included in a list which Mr Alloo gave of leading New Zealand batsmen of all time. There is. however, sound reason for placing Hiddleston among the best performers with the bat that this country has produced. He began his career in Southland, and his progress was fostered by “Gillie” Wilson, as a result of whose interest Hiddleston later played for Otago, from which he was transferred to Wellington. In all firstclass matches in New Zealand Hiddleston played 82 innings for an aggregate of 3552 runs, and an average of 43.8. His greatest success was in Plunket Shield matches, in which he played 48 innings for an average of 54.70. He twice scored more than 500 runs in a Plunket Shield season, and had a top score (against Canterbury) of 212. He was, however, never seen at his best in matches for New Zealand, and, although he played 14 innings for his country, his average was only 19.2.

WICKET-KEEPER’S FINE EFFORT C. Johnson, the Southland wicketkeeper, accomplished one of the best performances in the match against the Otago under 25 team last week when he brought off four good catches in the first innings of Otago, and was responsible for a smart piece of stumping in the second innings. Johnson stood up to all the bowling' and his work throughout was neat and efficient. Unfortunately for him, Southland is able to call upon D. M. Dunnett, reckoned perhaps the most consistent ’keeper in the Dominion, for its representative team, but Johnson was a member of the Southland touring team last season, and he has the qualifications which may yet enable him to win higher honours. Both Southland and Otago are well off for wicket-keepers at the present time—there are any one of half a dozen players who would not disgrace themselves in Plunket Shield company.

BOXING DAY YACHTING The squally south-westerly with which yachtsmen had to contend at Macandrew Bay during the Boxing Day regatta claimed a number of casualties, but the racing was always full of interest, and some of the finishes of the contests, which were sailed under the Mark Foy system of handicapping, were, close. In the race for X class 14-footers, Evelyn, the province’s representative at the forthcoming Sanders Cup contest, sailed off the scratch mark into third place behind Manihi, also a scratch boat, and Wampa, the winner, which was off 2min. Wampa finished only llsec ahead of Manihi after a race in which the leaders were in very close company for a considerable part of the journey, and Evelyn would have been much less than 38sec behind the second boat in crossing the line had Todd not lost nearly half a minute by turning .for the club’s staging just before his bowsprit reached the finishing line, and subsequently hauled his wind to cross after he had discovered his mistake. Koneke’(A. Davys), the scratch boat of the Idelaiong fleet, and the Otago representative at the coming championship, put up a good performance to gain third place after a series of mishaps with new gear which could not have been foreseen. The race was won by Rewa, which was well sailed by W. N. Montgomery, and Cavalier, sailed by M. Coutts, gained second place. Koneke as only 51sec astern of the winning boat, which she was conceding 15min. W. M. Camp, selected to represent the province at the Cornwell Cup contest, won the Z class Takapuna race in Runa by a comfortable margin off the scratch mark, the next boat. Julie, being nearly 3min astern. The 18-foot and under contest, which was won by Rawene (B. H. Pettit) and the "big” class, 18-foot and over, won by Kia Ora (W. R. Brown), completed a full programme which provided plenty of incidents.

RETURN TO FORM The captain of the Otago . eleven which defeated Southland in the cricket match for players under 25 was L. A. Milnes, of Carisbrook, who at 23 has had more senior cricket than most players his age. Milnes showed much promise as a cricketer when attending the King’s High School and had the benefit of coaching from that fine left-hand batsman, J. M. McMullan. After leaving school Milnes joined the Carisbrook Club, and with a break while he was in the army he has been a member of the senior eleven for six or seven years. While in Christchurch he played for the Army team and was selected to represent Canterbury but Otago had first call on his services and he played for his home province instead. Last season Milnes made 7 and 46 for Otago in the Plunket Shield match against Canterbury and none and 19 against the Australians. In the early part of the present season he suffered a lapse in the club games, but an attractively made 32 in the first innings of last week’s match the top score of 61 against North Otago yesterday suggests that the young Carisbrook player is returning to form. USEFUL DOUBLE The young Kaikorai left-hander, K. Burke, has usually managed to get among the runs on those occasions in which he has figured in Otago teams, and the match against the Southland under 25 team last week was no exeption, Burke having the best aggregate in the match with top scores of 33 and 61 in each of the innings of Otago. Burke got most of his runs in front of the wicket, but he also made some forceful shots on the leg side. He has plenty of confidence and a very good eye, and if he will concentrate just a little more on picking the right ball to hit, he has the natural ability to go further in the game. A PROMISING BOWLER In E. S. Wilson jun. the St. Kilda Bowling Club has a young bowler of more than usual promise. Playing in his first tournament in the Christmas Pairs last week he and his lead. S. Hodge, played steady bowls and teamed very well to reach the semifinals. where they were eliminated by A. Wheeler and G. Ritchie, of Kaikorai. who were in turn defeated in the final by their club-mates G. Lothian and W. O. Clark. Wilson is a son of a man who has been very prominent in sporting activities in Dunedin for many years and by reason of his showing in his first tournament bids fair to uphold the bowling reputation of his father. E. S. Wilson sen., who was a member of Donald Stuart’s rink which won the Dominion Championship in 1930.