CRICKET

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17454, 31 December 1930, Page 3

CRICKET

WELLINGTON’S DEFEAT WAIAFU’S NEAR COLLAPSE (Special to tho Herald.) WA.II’IRO BAY, this clay. Tho feature of the second half of the VYollington-Waiapu match, played lmrc during the past two days, was the slump in the home side’s batting, and ■ {ho sudden rise in the stocks of the visitors. Had it not been for the solid work of W. Oates,, it is more than likely that the whole Waiapu side would have been dismissed ignominiously. The value nf the Tokomaru Bay man as a skipper was never more convincinlgy displayed than in this important fixture.

There was a curious parallel between the Waiapu second innings against Wellington, and that played against Poverty Bay in the recent Hawke Cup climitialiou game. First the opening pair, Bennett and G. Mill, slumped heavily from the form shown in tho first innings, and later the rot was again stopped by the Waiapu skipper. Bennett was caught dose in, oil’ McAllen, Ward taking the chance beautifully, and Spence, who succeeded him, was clean bowled by AleAlien two balls later, the two wickets costing Wellington only nine runs. Tho Mill brothers wore brought together by tho dismissal of iSpcncc, but they were parted quickly, when McAllen had G. Mill taken in the slips, Wiren making a smart, catch. The Wellington fieldsmen were right on their toes, and were lotting nothing by them. S. Mill was quickly stumped when bo stepped out to one. of Doneglnio’s deliveries, and Gilmore got in front of another of tho Wellington captain’s. The score .was 40 for five, wickets when W. Oates and Moody came together, and this marked the turning-point of Ihe innings. Oates put in some crisp batting, and after becoming set banged the Wellington bowling to the boundary time after time, while Moody provided a. good foil for his leader, taking no chances and keeping his end up as the score mounted. Finally, when Waiapu was within a few runs of the required number —97—Moody Spooned a ball from Doncghuc to Grif[itlis. on the leg side. Pera Hati joined \V. Oates, and saw the remaining runs added, Oates’ 35 not out being a meritorious performance.