CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 21856, 5 November 1932, Page 14

CRICKET

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By

“Onlooker.”)

Good scoring distributed over all games marked the commencement of the second series of senior games last week. Old Boys took pride of place with a quickly-compiled 206 for two wickets, and in doing so showed that they possess some early wicket batsmen who should do much to establish this young team as a solid batting side. . . Old Boys are fortunate in their choice of opening batsmen. Both McKelvey and Scandrett, although still in the colt stage, are experienced cricketers, and have played representative cricket. Their performance of putting on 86 runs for the first wicket in each of the two opening matches is eloquent testimony of their solidity. Jack Scandrett has made hundreds before to-day, but it is doubtful if his latest century knock has been eclipsed. His timing on the fast matting wicket at Bluff was splendid. This, in addition to “wood” in practically all of his scoring shots, helped him to get runs at a fast pace, and when one realizes that he got his 116 in under two hours, it has to be conceded that the rate was exceptionally fast. Scandrett has now scored 163 runs for once out in two matches. He is to, be heartily congratulated upon his latest performance. Bob Pollok (78) and Neil McGowan (72) were also responsible for good knocks in their respective games. Both commenced quietly, but later opened out and scored as fast as anyone could wish. Pollok’s success was timely, both from his own and his team’s point of view. This young batsman has a good style and tries all the time to play correct cricket. He has persevered with and against the fortunes of the game, and now looks like being rewarded for his patience. Although giving a chance or two against Marist, he earned his runs with good ground shots, putting plenty of power into his forward work, and glancing or cutting nicely for the runs that came behind the wicket. Without him Invercargill would probably have been on the way to suffering their second defeat in as many match-

Like Pollok, for Invercargill, McGowan was Appleby’s saviour. The exMarist batsman is full of cricket and any comparative failures such as he experienced in the opening game against Marist are the exception rather than the rule. Now that he has got a start again it is not too much to expect a weekly average of round about 50 from him. He is hitting harder than in past seasons and, well partnered, promises to get his runs as quickly as any of the opening batsmen playing in Invercargill to-day. Unexpected rashness cost McGowan his wicket against High School. None of the bowling troubled him and in the circumstances he literally threw away the chances of getting an easy hundred. A bowling performance, which in point of actual figures, stood out in Saturday’s games, was that of Archie Hamilton for Union against Appleby B. Five for 20 in the smallest of innings makes great reading, and is almost as creditable as big scores. Archie’s slows were too much for the inexperienced Appleby youngsters. Now a veteran, Hamilton is batting and bowling as well as ever, and as he has lost little of his alertness in the field, there is every excuse for the Southland team selection committee inviting him to captain a team of youi.g players in this season’s representative fixtures. Jack Doig and Tui Macdonald were two bowlers who did well for their respective sides. Doig has taken all three wickets which have fallen in Marist’s innings and Macdonald did the bulk of the damage which ruined Bluff’s chances of making a game of it with Old Boys. Doig’s performance must have been very heartening to his team and supporters, for it now places Invercargill in a commanding position against Marist, who will require to do something out of the ordinary to hope to have any sort of a chance at all. High School’s effort in dismissing Appleby A for under 200 runs was very good. The attack was not very strong, but what there was of it was sthrengthened by good fielding and smart returning to the wickets. McGowan, Milne and Purdue gave Appleiy a fair start, but the middle wickets ■ould not get going and it was not until W. Lilley partnered McGowan that there was any prospect of Appleby making a respectable total. Young Lilley again presented a brick wall defence and held his wicket up while McGowan ticked off the runs.

Generally speaking, Appleby’s performance was not a convincing one, and gives rise to the belief that they are not such a formidable side as their names would suggest. There are several “unreliable” run-getters on the side and until they strike form Appleby will be “easy” for any side with pretentions to attack. If McGowan fails it will spell disaster for the southf enders. He is the only real batsman on the side. High School’s bowlers were not a deadly set, but they possessed enough patience to dispose of Appleby. L. Uttley did not secure the best figures, but he was the most likely of the lot, while Allan kept some of the younger batsmen quiet with good length stuff. A good batting team should get a lot of runs against the School bowling. The wicket for the High SchoolAppleby game was not a good one. I an informed that it had plenty of preparation. It appeared to be in need of a good drink. The S.C.A. is to be commended upon the stand it has taken in regard to the senior competition. Both Bluff and Appleby B cannot make the grade this year and there should be no heartburnings over their prospective regrading. The matter will be finally dealt with on Monday night when it is hoped the decision to revert to the sixteam competition will be accepted in the spirit which has prompted its necessity—the good of the game. Reg. Hallamore appears to have an obsession for winning the toss and sending the opposition in to bat under the best of conditions. Last year he blundered badly in this way and now in the Invercargill gar. r he has landed his team in a position which will take all the strategy in the world to reverse. We all nlake mistakes, but there is little excuse for several examples such as this. Dave Robinson has entrenched himself in the Invercargill first eleven. By his deeds on Saturday, he is there “for the duration” now. It is good to see the newcomers getting runs even if they don’t get them in the best of styles. He started shakily and refused to hit anything that looked at all dangerous. The field closed in around him, but that was only the signal to have a dip! And when Robinson dips, he dips. It did not take him long to get a good sight of the ball and with the confidence established in the production of a few runs, he attacked the bowling and had a merry knock. His was a good ..tai 1, and should Invercargill be fortunate enough to head off Marist, the honours must be shared between him and Pollok. Frank Beadle brought off a great catch when he dismissed C. McKenzie. Beadle, by the way, was slightly indisposed on Saturday, hence the reason for his non-appearance at the batting crease in the first part of Marist’s in-

nings. Beadle and Duthie will have to pull Marist out. It is hardly likely that the remaining batsmen will trouble the T ,-ercargill bowlers. Mistake inadvertently made ,in Monday’s reports of t .iior games included the omission of 10 maiden overs bowled by L. Uttley 1;. the 25 he sent down for High School versus Appleby A, and the omission of Maher’s, single over in Marist’s bowling analysis. Bob McKelvey again batted well on Saturday. As in the opening game (against Appleby B) McKelvey shaped solidly and gave the broad of the blade to anything over-pitched. This batsman received the benefits of some good coaching while in Dunedin and, judging him on his form at the nets, he is going to be a useful man to Southland. It is many years since I had heard of a side “declaring” on the first day of a two-days’ match. Old Boys’ action on Saturday against Bluff savoured of mild audacity. There was really no need to consider the useful closure. E. Hawke could have given his team some useful batting practice, and occupied the second day in disposing of Bluff. But there it is. Enthusiasm knows no limit and perhaps the young Oly Boys are to be excused for their keenness. Old Boys’ fielding was very good on the rough Bluff ground. I am told that Pat Lynch stopped a hot one to register a run out. Union look like having a good practice at the expense of Appleby B. Both Vernon Poole and Archie Hamilton batted brightly for their thirties and Dixon hit hard for his runs. Tom Anderson is not out, with 40 to his credit. He seems to like Appleby bowling and the Appleby ground. A couple of seasons ago he made runs against Appleby where others failed. It is said that he gave chances in his 40 on Saturday, but that does not mean that he did not bat well. He has batting ability and is showing more keenness this year than ever. There can be only one result—plenty of runs. BLUFF v. OLD BOYS. (From Our Correspondent.) It looks any odds on Old Boys inflicting a heavy defeat on the port team, which is 133 runs behind - on the first innings and will doubtless be asked to follow on. The batting of the four town players who compiled the score of 206 for two wickets (declared) was confident and forceful; and probably a very large score would have resulted had Old Boys batted on—though there is, of course, always a chance of a collapse in any team. . The opening pair, McKelvey and Scandrett, gave Old Boys a fine start, 86 showing at the dismissal of the former by McDonald after a very useful 36. Henderson joined Scandrett and knocked up 16 before McDonald also got his wicket, Burtenshaw accepting the catch. Then Mitchell went in and playing sound and attractive cricket the pair went to 206, when the innings was declared closed. Scandrett’s century (116 not out, to be exact) was the star item of the day, of course, and he was warmly applauded all round on a capital knock. He batted with confidence and freedom and it was only when approaching the hundred that he gave a chance —a falling “sitter,” not half as easy as it looked. On his play he would have been very unlucky to miss the coveted century. McDonald, as already stated, was the only Bluff bowler to get wickets—both that fell. His figures were 11 overs, 54 runs, 2 wickets—quite a creditable tally in the circumstances, as Bluff tried six bowlers in all. Bluff's innings was not by any means unduly drawn out and finished at a modest 73. The double figures getters were: McDonald (14), Allen (11), Barnett (15). The first-named was run out when Lynch stopped a very hard shot a few yards from the non-strik-er’s wicket and gently tossed the ball to the bowler with the Bluff man yards away from his objective. Lewis, another port batsman to be run out (after making 8) could only have been beaten by inches, the verdict going against him from the umpire, who was in the best position to judge. The bowling for Old Boys was successfully shared by Macdonald (3 for 13), Pickard (1 for 20), McKelvey (2 for 20), Henderson (2 for 8). The fielding of both sides was good, the town team in particular giving a fine display. Scandrett’s catch (off Macdonald’s bowling) which dismissed Mclvor was a beauty, perhaps one of the best ever seen at Bluff. The ball travelled like a flash high in the slips and Scandrett reaching full height took it one handed. It would have been recognized as a wonderful catch in any cricketing company. Wesney, who caught Ivan Parry off the same bowler, was likewise responsible for an excellent effort as he had to go right, down to reach the ball. Luzmoor and Lynch (both off Henderson) also made no mistake when catches came their way. With such accurate and keen fielding, Bluff were hard put to it to get runs and Old Boys’ work on the green demonstrated once more how important it is for a team to have plenty of properly carried out fielding practice—a department of the game which can be as essential to success as batting and bowling.

JUNIOR NOTES (By “Keeper.”) Conditions were excellent for the continuation of junior fixtures on Saturday and some keenly contested games were provided. The scoring was not as high as in the opening games of the season, further emphasizing the fact that cricket form also has its anomalies. The biggest surprise of the day was the setback suffered by the all conquering Collegiate team at the hands of the Old Boys’ eleven. Heralded as a champion side, the Collegiate team secured an easy victory in their first match, and this was deemed the precursor to a run of brilliant successes, with possibilities of gaining senior status for the club. The almost complete rout of this well-performed team on Saturday nonplussed spectators and critics alike. Taking first strike Old Boys compiled 111 runs of which Anderson (24), Canning (18), Coakley (13), Aitcheson (12 not out), Cooper (15), and Wilson (10), were the chief contributors. When the Collegiate men went to the wickets it seemed as if it would be only a question of how many would they win by and various attempts at estimating the score proved abortive. To the bowling of Old Boys, which was consistently accurate, the Collegiate wickets began to fall like grass before the scythe, and with seven wickets down for 27 runs a complete rout seemed inevitable. At this stage Collins and Thomson became associated in a partnership which took the total to 63 without further loss. A feature of this game was the inability of the Collegiate batsmen to cope with the bowling of the Old Boys’ trundlers, who harassed their opponents with good length balls which were consistently accurate and proved the undoing of the Collegiate side. The best performance with the leather was secured by Wilson, who bowled excellently to secure the remarkable figures of five wickets for 19 runs. He was well, supported by Coakley who took two wickets for 27 runs. The fielding of both teams was excellent and it was gratifying to see the way in which runs were kept down by the alacrity of both sides when in the field. Too much stress cannot be placed on this important factor of the game, Saturday’s results proving this. Another team which did not reveal first day’s form was Union in their match with Invercargill at Queen’s Park. The batsmen failed to conquer

the attack of their opponents, and in an innings which was devoid of any of the sparkle which characterized their first of the season display, Union hoisted the meagre total of 78 runs, the only batsmen to show any enterprize being Haberfield (14), Carlaw (14), and McMillan (13). The Invercargill team replied to Union's total with a well compiled 119 runs for the loss of nine wickets. More solid than brilliant, this team are capable of holding their own with any of the othei’ teams in the competition and further improvement can be anticipated as the season advances. The best performance in Saturday’s games was recorded in this match, Timms, an Invercargill batsman, giving a bright display in tbe compilation of a useful 52. This batsman has shown promise in all his matches and it is gratifying to see his consistency rewarded. Bowling for the winners Duff secured four wickets for 16 runs, Timms further enhancing his success of the day by securing four wickets for a total of 28 runs. In the B section High School A again showed good form, and although their match with Bluff resulted in a draw, some bright cricket was served up by the boys. Opening the batting in exhilarating style, the School team rattled on 194 runs before the innings was closed with two wickets still to fall. Good figures with the bat were secured by Lee (60 not out), Polson (46), Mackley (37), Bamford (20 not out) and McLauchlan (10). With an hour and a quarter still to play, Bluff were sent to the wickets and hoisted a total of 45 for the loss of five wickets. The not out batsmen, Nixey (20), and Crawford (13), were the only scorers to reach double figures. The school fielding was not up to the standard set in previous games. Crawford (Bluff) gave three reasonably easy chances all of which should have been accepted. McLauchlan’s second ball to this batsman was returned to the bowler, but he was not alive to the position and made his attempt too late. Two juniors were included in the school side for this game, Johnson and Anderson. Johnson looked likely with the ball but was stodgy in the field. He failed to anticipate and did not move off the mark. All fielders should be on their toes all the time and give the bowlers as much assistance as possible. It is the surprise catches which mean the difference between winning and losing. Although they put up a very good total school opened badly, Nevin and Reid going very quickly. Polson and Mackley then settled down and with some good cricket put a rosy complexion on the innings. They paved the way for Lee who took full advantage of the tired bowling and scored fairly rapidly. Nixey (Bluff) put up a solid front to the school bowling and played a prominent part in his team’s play of escaping with a draw and thus dividing the points. He is a fairly experienced batsman. Bisset, the school captain, tried all manner of changes in the attack, and had his field assisted his bowlers victory might easily have rested with school. The latter have a good side. Polish in fielding is all that is required to make them a hard team to beat.

A coincidence in Saturday’s fixtures was that Appleby should again be deprived of victory by one run. The previous week, in a titanic finale, with Marist, they failed to snatch victory by the narrow margine of one run. A similar fate occurred in their encounter with Railway on Saturday. Making first use of the wicket Railway just succeeded in reaching the century mark, Bell (29), Jamieson (21), Taylor (19), and Loose (11), being the chief scorers. In an innings which was packed with thrills Appleby could only muster 99, thus allowing prospective victory once more to steal from their camp by the narrowest of margins. The best scores for this unlucky team were secured by Gibb (30), Leary (24), and Swan (21 not out.) Marist secured a comfortable win in their match with High School B. Good fielding was a feature of the display given by the Marist team, one catch in particular being worthy of special mention. A School batsman with a lusty swipe sent the ball soaring towards the boundary, and all eyes turned to the umpire awaiting the customary signal of a well-deserved “sixer.” Much to the astonishment of all concerned, Ronald, who was stationed almost on the boundary in long field, leapt into the air, and with a mighty sweep of his left hand, collected the leather, thus driving a momentarily delighted batsman despondently from the crease. It is pleasing to note that Mr A. E. Wish, a past chairman of the Southland Cricket Association, and a prominent ex-member of the Union Club, is coaching the Borstal Institution teams this season. This is the first time for six years that Borstal teams have not participated in S.C.A. competitions. It is understood that the superintendent of the institution (Mr C. G. L. Pollock) was desirous of entering two Borstal teams this year, but after consideration, it was decided to run four “house” teams and thus give a greater number of boys an interest in the game. An incident which is evincing a considerable amount of comment occurred in a third grade match on Saturday. A bowler who was in the act of delivering the ball, observed that the batsman at his end was leaving his crease before the ball was delivered. The bowler in question quickly sized up the situation and on returning to the bowling crease to deliver the ball, promptly stumped the batsman who was transgressing the laws of the game. This method of dismissing an opponent is not often employed in match cricket, yet it is perfectly _ legal and the umpire was correct in his decision.