CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 20044, 4 December 1926, Page 18 (Supplement)

CRICKET

(By “Onlooker.”) HONOURS BOARD. BATTING BOWLING. Lee 4**.* 61* I C. Agnew 6 for 30 D. Agnew . * 91 C. Agnew . . 38 | *Denotes not out. Real winter conditions prevailed for the continuation of the senior games last Saturday. The Bluff-Marist game was enabled to proceed far enough to bring about a decision, but the other game, Appleby—1.C.C., was unfinished and will be played at the end of the season if necessary. No points will be allotted in the meantime. I.C.C. were distinctly unfortunate in that the rain and hail forced an abandonment just when they were within seven runs of Appleby’s total (124) and still seven wickets to fall. Another ten minutes of play and I.C.C. would almost certainly have annexed a two-point win. In the half hour or so of sunshine that made a resumption of play possible, there was nothing sensational done. Lee carried his score from 50 to 61 and was still unbeaten. The I.C.C. colt was shaping so well that it was qui/.e on the cards he may have registered the first century of the season. Lee will get further opportunities as the season progresses and judging by his present form the first century is just as likely to come from his bat as anyone else’s. Rightly, many North Island writers are strongly urging that our young players should be given first chance in the cricket team for England. This is what the New Zealand Times says:—“While discussing the prospects of a New Zealand team in England, one is constantly met with the proposition that a goodly proportion of old ’uns must be included to stiffen the team. Why this idea is so prevalent is a puzzle to one conversant with the game. There seems to be an obsession that the age of miracles is not past, and that a team of old men will turn the trick. This nonsensical notion is held in spite of the experience of touring teams from Australia and South Africa having proved its futility.” Jack Hamilton brought gladness to Bluff supporters’ hearts when he comniea-c in paste most unmercifully an over from Kavanagh. Hamilton scored 26 all told, 24 of which came in one over. His batting was clean but by no means powerful and on a ground with a larger boundary he may have been caught out in his first attempt at lifting. The knock wns most welcome and helped to take Bluff’s score

past the century, but it would be much better to see such a youthful senior keeping them down instead of swinging wildly. A slow bowler can be pasted just as easily by carpet driving. Some of Hamilton’s shots were pulled ruthlessly around to the on boundary—shots that should have reached the long-off or long-on fence almost directly behind the bowler. Kavanagh was by no means perturbed at Hamilton’s display of hitting and kept putting them up on the off-chance of a mishit. This did not come but he enticed the Bluff lad to put his leg in front to one on the wicket and which did not turn, with the desired result. As a result of Hamilton’s contempt for Kavanagh’s bowling, the latter’s average suffered somewhat. From 4 for 22 the previous week Kavanagh’s figures jumped to 5 for 58. It is pleasing to note the interest some of our older players and supporters are taking in the game. Despite the weather conditions of last week the seniors were graced with the presence of quite a number of spectators, while the umpires were again seen out at their posts. Messrs Wish, Dojg and McGrath, the Southland team selectors, have all taken a part in this department of the game. The name of Agnew will not be very delectable to those junior teams who have not yet met the I.C.C. juniors. Each week recently the Agnew Bros, have had quite a lot of fun bowling their opponents out and then adding to their terrors by smacking the opposition trundling good and hard. The latest to report is C. Agnew’s double of 38 and 6 for 30 against High School. And D. Agnew helps himself to 91! Two good boys these, of whom the I.C.C. (not forgetting Father Doig who coached them) are very proud.

Invercargill was not the only centre which suffered from the squally weather conditions last Saturday. Wellington and Dunedin had a day on the bank. New South Wales literally scraped home against Queensland in the first Sheffield Shield match of the year. Eight runs is not a margin of difference worth mentioning and doubtless when these sides meet again New South Wales will field a much stronger team than the one which has just done battle for them. The Southland selectors (Messrs J. A. Doig, A. E. Wish and J. 8. McGrath) are to be congratulated on the stand they took when choosing the team to meet Otago. “Colts for experience” was evidently their slogan, as more than half the team are youngsters and in some instances first-year seniors. The team will be pitted against one of the strongest teams which has ever represented the sister province, but that fact is all the more appreciable as the local colts will be given a thorough test. Youth must be served. It was quite obvious to the selectors that if a start was not made soon, the uplifting of Southland cricket would be as remote as ever. The old hands have to be weeded out some time or other so why not now ? The fruits of this experiment, if it can be termed an experiment, may not be ripened immediately but at least two or three seasons should suffice to convincingly say that the selectors of 1926 made a move in the right direction.

J. Lynch has been appointed captain of the team and there is no doubting he will make an ideal leader, both on and off the field. Lee will be the wicketkeeper and in addition has earned his place as a batsman. The youthful side was chosen mainly because of its fielding ability. Otago may be stronger in batting and bowling, but Southland should hold its own in the field. Quite a lot of interest has been created because of the “coltish” side chosen and the progress results will be keenly sought by the team’s followers. Whether beaten or not, the experiment should prove well worth while, so again, congratulations to Messrs Doig, Wish and McGrath on their choice. The Otago team to meet Southland on Carisbrook on December 7 and 8 appears to be a strong combination, says the Otago Daily Times, and one that cannot leave much opportunity for adverse criticism. If the players are in form they should be a formidable batting side, while the bowling department includes practically the best that is available. Douglas, the young Carisbrook player, who has performed very credibly in the past, has been dropped, but this is no doubt due to the inclusion of Blunt, whose record and recent performances preclude the possibility of his exclusion. Zimmerman, the only North Otago representative in the team, has been batting and bowling well of late and appears to be quite worthy of the place in the Otago side. The Southland team is on the whole a very young one, the majority of the players being new to representative cricket. They are, however, described as a very promising lot, who should develop into first rate players. Quite a number of them have done well in club cricket in Invercargill. Latest advice is that Blunt is not available and will be replaced by S. Duncan. King George, although a versatile sportsman, was never too good at cricket, in spite of the fact that he took part in many matches while a midshipman. His son, Prince Henry, has the reputation of being the best cricketer in the Royal Family. On one occasion when an impromptu match was being played at Windsor the Prince acted as captain of one of the sides, and having just dismissed the Prince of Wales, he turned to one of the fieldsmen and said: “We shall win now; there is only father to come in, and I can bowl him any time I like.” He was as good as his word, for the King was bowled neck and crop by the first ball he received. F. T. Badcock, the Wellington coach is in great form this season. Badcock has been a tower of strength to Kilbirnie this

season, and it would be difficult to imagine how Kilbirnie would have fared had the coach not been allocated to them up till last Saturday (says the Dominion). Badcock had played six innings, once not out, for 232 runs, giving him an average of 46.40 per innings, while with the ball he has captured twenty-six wickets for 281 runs, an average of 10.80. The Kilbirnie men are not giving Badcock the support he deserves this season, and up to the present he has had to carry the team on his back. Dick Walker, a left-handed batsman, plays for the Weedons club in the Ellesmere sub-association’s competition. Here is his record so far this season:— V. Dunsandel, 54 not out. V. Lincoln College, 61 not out. V. Leeston, 17 not out. V. Springston, 25 not out. V. Irwell, 110 not out. V. Doyleston, 78 not out. Walker has thus scored 345 runs without losing his wicket once. He will have a good average the first time he goes out. —Christchurch Star.

When passing through Sydney, W. H. Ponsford would not confirm or deny a report that he would return to England to play in Lancashire League cricket. New South Wales members of the Australian XI state that they do not believe the report that Ponsford is leaving Australia. A. P. Wells must have created a record in scoring runs off an over from Dowd for Paddington against Randwick recently (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph). He hit four sixes and three fours. From an eight-ball over it is doubtful whether a like number of runs has been scored in club cricket. Wells is a delightful batsman to watch. He has been given many trials in inter-State matches without signal success. The hitting of Wells brings to mind the fact that R. C. Blunt, who was in Sydney with, the New Zealand cricket team last year, playing for West Christchurch in the Canterbury competition two seasons ago, hit seven sixes off an eight-ball over. On each occasion he landed the ball right out of the ground.