CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 19194, 13 March 1924, Page 6

CRICKET

! OTAGO v- SOUTHLAND. BATSMEN HAVE UPPER HAND. The representative cricket match, Otago v. Southland, commenced at the Showgrounds yesterday morning in fine but chilly weather. The wicket was in good order, if a trifle dead, and the outfield was slow. Southland won the toss and sent their opponents in. Otago batted most of the day and ran up the excellent score of 288. At the luncheon adjournment there were five down for 130, and Southland’s prospects of getting the side out under 200 looked good, but the later Otago batsmen put up a splendid fight, while the Southland fielding which had been good in the early stages, fell way a good deal, the catching and returns to the wicket being very weak at times. ; The Otago batting was steady Without being brilliant. Cantrell, who scored a half century before lunch, was the most aggressive batsman, scoring chiefly with powerful pull-drives. Blair, who made top-score with 57 (not cut), batted very spundly, although his innings was not free of chances, and Symonds and McGregor also played well. Southbind’s battery of change bowlers had a strenuous time. Kavanagh, the “bosie” bowler, bore the honours of an arduous day. He and Goodsir always commanded respect, and it was when these two were being spelled that Otago did most of their scoring. Southland had a little over an hour at the wickets, in which time they ran up the good score of 97 for two wickets, thanks chiefly to an excellent innings by A. Hamilton. After a scratchy opening, the Southland captain commenced to show seme of his best form and scored with splendid shots all round .the wicket. Driscoll was also going along steadily when stumps were drawn. THE PLAY. The Southland captain, A. Hamilton, won the toss from H. Duncan, the Otago skipper, and sent Otago in to bat. The opening pair were Binney and Duncan, and Gcodsir opened for Southland at the north end against the breeze. Kavanagh had the south end. The batsmen played carefully, 20 runs going up after 23 minutes’ of batting. In Kavanagh’s fourth over, Binney tried to lift him over the fence and was clean bowled. 31—1—10. A. P. Alloo, a left-hander, was the incomer. He was not long in before he gave a chance of stumping, but Kavanagh’s break was too much for Eunson. Crozier relieved Goodsir at the North end. The bowling up to this stage had been good, and Crozier in the next few overs also kept a goo'd length. Three-quarters of an hour after the start, Duncan tried to drive Kavanagh, but did not get properly on to it, and Kilby took a very nice catch low down at mid-on. 45—2—19. Keast was the next man in. Alloo was finding difficulty with Crozier, but he managed to snick him through slips for a brace, bringing up 50 runs in 48 minutes. Ten minutes later with 7 more runs on the board, Keast, who had Ijeen very quiet facing Kavanagh, hit out, but mis-timed the shot fcr a “skier” to Goodsir at cover. 57—3—0. Kavanagh at this stage had three for 17 in eight overs. Cantrell came next, only to see Alloo lift Crozier*, to Kavanagh at cover. 59—4—20. The retiring batsman had scored mostly with a nice hook to leg. Cantrell now , began to open out, and getting on to Crozier he hit him to the fence on the on side three times in the latter’s sixth over. Glozier went on at the north end, but could not appreciably diminish the rate of scoring, the batsmen being content to keep their end up against Kavanagh, while opening out on the man at the other end. Cantrell, who had taken a liking to Glozier, brought up the century in 90 minutes with a nice straight drive. Just before the luncheon adjournment, A. Hamilton relieved Kavanagh at the south end. His first ball was over-pitched and Cantrell punched it to the fence for four, bringing his own score past the half century. With the addition of another singly, he lifted Hamilton to coverpoint, Goodsir holding a nice catch. 131 —5 —52. The luncheon adjournment was then taken after 108 minutes play. The retiring batsman had played an aggressive innings, driving anything over-pitched with plenty of power. On resuming, Kavanagh and Goodsir who had done so well in the morning, "took up the attack. Kavanagh bowled three noballs in his first over. Scoring was slow, McGregor and Harraway playing cautiously. The beard showed 150 for 326 minutes’ batting, and just then Harraway was beaten all the way by a nice ball from Kavanagh. 150—6 —6. Symonds was the incomer. Mcgregor was showing himself the possessor of a nice cover drive and by careful play brought his score up to 28 when Goodsir got a very good ball past him. 170—7—28. Blair came next and hit the first sixer of the match off a full-pitcher from Goodsir, the batsman guiding the ball over the fence at fine leg. Slow scoring followed. Then Blair smacked one hard to the left of cover, and nearly ran Symonds out through failing to go for an easy run. Kavanagh gathered in the ball with Symonds three-quarters way down the pitch, but for once Southland’s brilliant field was at fault, and he sent in a bad return to Crozier who missed the chance. Crozier had now replaced Goodsir at the south end. Blair did not allow Kavanagh to get away with any short ones as the earlier batsmen had dope. On the contrary, he pulled him over to the on on several occasions. The double century was registered in 163 minutes, the Otago “tail” having put up a good resistance, to the delight of their genial manager, Mr Rowlands. Dixon replaced Kavanagh at the north end. Symonds pulled his second to the fence for four. He then skied his fifth to square-leg, but Glozier missed the catch. The Otago pair continued to score steadily. Driscoll replaced Crozier at the south end and placed five men on the boundary. The batsmen were not to be tempted and they played the dow leg-break bowler carefully along the turf mostly for singles. Eleven off the over. The score mounted steadily, until at 248 Symonds touched one from Dixon and Eunson held a neat catch at the stumps. 248—8—43. The retiring batsman had played a steady'innings, scoring mostly by well-timed pullshots. He hit six fours. O’Brien came next. The total reached 250 in 192 minutes. Blair, who had been batting very steadily, brought up his half-century w’ith a lifting pull-drive to the fence off Kavanagh, but his habit of lifting the ball nearly got him into trouble two balls later, when he hoisted one just out of Kilby’s reach. In Kavanagh’s 26th over. O’Brien drove the fourth ball nicely to the boundary, but the seventh he lifted into long-field, Shireffs missing the catch". Next over, Kavanagh again had bad luck, Kilby missing a running catch at cover, the batsmen running two. However, next ball Kavanagh clean bowled O’Brien. 285 —9 —15. Little Sinclair was the incomer, and after playing steadily for a few overs, cocked one up from Goodsir, A. Hamilton snapping up a good catch at point. 288—10—2. Blair was not out with 58, a nice steady innings with some good shots, but like Symonds he had more than his share of luck. He hit a sixer and six -fours. The innings closed at 4.7 and the afternoon tea adjournment was then taken. However, the game was not resumed till 4.36 and the spectators had every reason to feel dissatisfied at this unnecessary delay in taking the field. A. Hamilton and Crozier opened to McGregor (at the south end) and Alloo, a left-hand bowler. Alloo was swinging away to leg, a bit short, and A. Hamilton turned him to fine leg for a boundary, following with a single. This gave Crozier the bowling, and the Bluff man aroused enthusiasm by lifting Alloo over the fence on the on side. However, both men made heavy weather of this bowler’s last two balls, mis-timing them, fortunately just out of reach of the field, while Crozier cocked the first ball of McGregor’s second over up periously close to O’Brien at mid-on. The third ball of Alloo’s second over proved fatal to Crozier, who again tried to put him over the fence. but unfortunately lifted him to Blair on the boundary, who took a nice catch. 22—1—9. Shireffs was the incomes, and aroused amongst his

fellow High School boys by breaking h» duck with a lucky shot through slips for a single. He then settled down to steady play, but a few overs later, got his leg in front to Alloo. 31—2—1- Driscoll came next. After a quiet opening, he drove one hard to Sinclair at mid-on, but the chance was missed. Hamilton jumped out to the last ball of the over and drove it straight past the bowlersto the fence. In the next over, the same batsman repeated the shot and brought up the half-century in 39 minutes. Cantrell replaced McGregor at the south end, and Driscoll aroused applause by a beautiful_cut to the fence. In the next over, Hamilton neatly pulled a short one from Alloo to the square-leg boundary, but two balls later lifted one into long field, Blair missed the catch. Both batsmen now commenced to open out and runs came freely. Hamilton brought up his half-cen-tury for 56 minutes’ batting with a nice hook to square-leg. Harraway replaced Alloo at the north end, but after bowling six balls, he ricked an already weak “football” knee, and had to be assisted off the field. Duncan finished the over. McGregor, medium paced right-hand, took up the attack at the north end, and bowled the first maiden of the match. Keast went on at the south end, bowling slow to medium right-hand deliveries. Three came off the over at the end of which an appeal against the light was upheld and stumps were drawn at ten minutes short of the scheduled closing time, six o’clock. Detailed results are as follows :-y OTAGO. I v —First Innings.—

R. Binnefob Kavanagh 10 H. Duncan, c Kilby, b Kavanagh .... 19 A. P. Alloo, c Kavanagh, b Crozier .. 20 A. Keast, c Goodsir, b Kavanagh .... 0 P. McGregor, b Goodsir 28 H. Cantrell, c Goodsir, b Hamilton .. 52 E. Harraway 2 b Kavanagh 6 A. Symonds, c Eunson, b Dixon .... 43 R. Blair (not out) 58 J. O’Brien, b Kavanagh 15 P. Sinclair, c Hamilton, b Goodsir .... 2 Extras (byes 27, leg byes 2, widesl, no balls 5) 35 Total 288

Bowling: Goodsir 14.9 overs, one maidpu, two wickets, 48 runs; Kavanagh 28, 5,7), 84; Crozier 10, 0,1, 53; Giozier 4,0, 0, 26; A. Hamilton 1,0, 1,6; Dixon 5,0, 1, 22; Driscoll 2,0, 0, 14. SOUTHLAND.

—First Innings.— A. J. Hamilton (not out) 55 J. Crozier, c Blair, b Alloo 9 H. Shireffs, 1.b.w., b Alloo 1 A. Driscoll (not out) 26 Extras (4 leg byes, 1 wide, 1 noball) 6 Total for two wickets 97

Bowling: McGregor 8,1, 0, 21; Alloo 9,0, 2, 48; Cantrell 4,0, 0, 16; Harraway 1,0, 0,3; Keast 1,0, 0,2. NEW SOUTH WALES TOUR. MATCH AGAISNT TARANAKI. NEW PLYMOUTH, March 12. The match between New South Wales with Taranaki commenced this afternoon in the presence of about 1000 spectators. .Despite the heavy rain of the last two or three days, the wicket, which had been very carefully prepared, played well out. The field was somewhat dead though it improved as the afternoon advanced. The ground is fairly well sheltered so the players were not troubled--much by the high wind blowing. The scores:— TARANAKI. —First Innings—

Bowling analysis:—Kippax 3 wickets' 1 for 67 runs, Andrews 7 for 64. NEW SOUTH WALES.

Bowling analysis:—Clarke 1 for 32, Bottrill 0 for 31, Lambert 0 for 22, Robertson 0 for 38.

Bottrill 1 b.w. Kippax . 9 Kingston b Andrews . 10 Nasmith c Kippax b Andrews .. . 24 Lambert c Kippax b Andrews .. . 27 Lash b Kippax . 11 Palmer b Andrews . 0 Robertson b Kippax . 1 Grayson b Andrews . 13 Clarke b Andrews .. . 15 Osborne, not out .. . 8 Sarten b Andrews . 13 Extras .. ., .. .. . 7 Total . 138

—First Innings— Mullarky b Clarke .. 21' R. Bardsley, not out .. GO Ratcliffe, not out .. 45 Extras .. 11 Total for one wicket .. .. .. 137