CRICKET.

Patea Mail, Volume XXXII, 2 December 1910, Page 4

CRICKET.

(Contributed.) The first of a series of cup matches was played at Alton on Wednesday, between teams representing the Patea and Ball Road Cricket Clubs. Both teams were fully representative of their respective clubs, that of Patea being considered by the seleotors as being the strongest they could place on the field, but the glorious uncertainty of cricket was again made evident, when the previously unbeaten Patea club suffered a decisive defeat by the country club, by 64 runs. The pitch was in fair order and fairly fast, but the ball was inclined to_ bump, and two players (one on either side), Messrs W, Jones and Gh Gihbs, received nasty knocks on che head. The outfield was very elow and bumpy, the grass being rather long, coneequently the ball would not travel far, and all scores of three or more were made by clean hits, one boundary for

six made by Edaev, for Patea being a beauty. Afternoon tea was generously provided by the Alton players for the visitors. It will be •■ seen by the scores below that Messrs K. H: Cave and E. Scown (Alton) with 40 and 24 respectively, carried off the batting honours of the day, whilst for Patea, W. Jones 11, Tucker 9, Edser 9, Geary not out 7, were the only ratsmen to make any stand whatever against the bowling of Walker, Gibbs and Hodson of Alton. Walker, for Alton, put up a splendid record" " for bowling as follows: —22 overs, 15 maidens, 7 runs and 6 wickets, whilst Gibbs' average was also good, being 14 overs, 7 maidens, 10 runs and 3 wickets. 1 For Patea, Edser and Tinney i bowled remarkably well, their figures ) being as follows:--Edser, 13 overs, 3 I maidens, 17 runs, 4 wickets ; Tinney, 20 overs, 6 maidens, 22 runs and 6 wickets. Following are the scores: ' TA.TEA.. T. Campbell, b A; Gibbs .. 0 Kennedy, b H, Gibbs .. 0 Tucker, b Walker .. 9 Tinney, c Cave, bH. Gibbs .. 3 W. Jones, o Scown, b Walker .. 11 Rix, b Hodson .. ° Edser, c Scown, b Walker ~ 9 Mills, b Walker .. 0 Geary, not out .. 7 Egan, b Walker .. 1 Extras .. 4 Total 45 Ball Road, Hodson, run out .. 6 A. Gibbs, b Tinney .. 7 B. Scown, b Tinney .. 24 H. Gibbs, o Edser, b Tinney .. 4 Gave, ).b.w. b Edser .. 40 Neilson, b Edser .. 9 MsCarthy, b Tinney .. 11 Herbert, b Edser .. 0 Walker, b Edser .. 0 Fowler, b Tinney .. ' 0 Palmer, not out .. ° Extras . # 8 Total .. 109

Notes. The fielding of the country team was excellent, especially the gound fielding. Two .or three catches were dropped, but no doubt with a little practice this club will set a good example to their opponents. The Patea team's fielding was good all round, with one or two exceptions, the latter being responsible for a number of runs secured by the Home team. In Geary, the Patea club has the makings of a firßt class wicket keeper if he will only turn up to practice, being very sharp behind the wickets whenever he secures possession of the ball. A very weak snot in the fielding/ of the Patea team is the erratic method the players have of throwing in the ball. Accuracy in his department is urgently needed, together with promptness and judgement as regards which end to throw to.