CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 21897, 24 December 1932, Page 13

CRICKET

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By

“Onlooker.”)

Club competitions will be resumed on the first Saturday in the New Year, January 7. ■ . Marist and Appleby lead with six points each in the senior competition. Invercargill are next with four points, Union two, and Old Boys and High School nil. Owing to the break of three weeks between playing days, much of the interest was lost to the senior games concluded last week-end. Nevertheless, some interesting cricket was provided, particularly on the Showgrounds. Marist and Union furnished the most interesting finish. As anticipated Union played themselves into a good position, but failed to push home the advantage and in the finish had to go under by four wickets. Batsmen on both sides played enterprisingly, and at the start of Marist s second innings the batting was very bright. Lock and Sheridan looked like knocking off the required 80 odd runs at one stage. They went for the bowling in refreshing style and certainly played a prominent part in Marist’s win. Union are a much better side than this game showed and it is open to question whether Marist are their superiors. Results are the things that count, however, and at present Marist are entitled to be ranked above Union. The second day of the Old Boys—lngill game was a very tame affair. Old Boys were overwhelmed. They are better than this form, and with a reconstruction of their team in the New Year should shape much more better. The material is there.

High School were out-classed by Appleby. Spence saved the side from a complete rout. He is a solid little batsman and shows a lot of promise.

Many Christchurch cricketers were interested in the fact that C. Zimmerman took four wickets for 79 runs in one innings, and four for 38 in the other, and scored 145 not out for North Otago against Hawkes Bay touring team this week, as Zimmerman is an old Christchurch boy (says the Christchurch Sun). After he left. Christchurch Boys’ High School he played for the West Christchurch Club. As a fastishmedium bowler and an aggressive batsman he has many excellent performances to his credit. From the 1925-26 season to that of 1929-30 he appeared several times for Otago in Plunket Shield cricket, and also for Otago against the Australian team, captained by V. Y. Richardson, in the 1927-28 season. For North Otago against that Australian team he scored 117 not out in the second, innings. Zimmerman never represented Canterbury at cricket, but did represent this province at Rugby football, against Otago in 1918. "Substitute,” writing in the Dunedin Star, adds: “Zimmerman’s performances were outstanding features of North Otago’s match with Hawkes Bay, but in inflicting an innings’ defeat on the visitors North Otago accomplished something that the three major associations were unable to achieve. A North Otago side is likely to be seen in Dunedin later in the present season, and in view of its showing against an Otago team and against Hawkes Bay it is certainly deserving of being pitted against an Otago team of something more like representative standard than the one which went to Oamaru recently. Zimmerman's performances in the two matches referred to certainly indicate that he may merit consideration before the season ends.”

One of the surprises of the season so far is the failure of C. C. Dacre, the Auckland player-coach, to reveal his form. Better scores are expected from him in the representative matches (states an Auckland writer.) Cricketers in Southland, and the public generally for that matter, owe much to Mr Dave Parry for his excellent accounts of play and sidelights in the First Test game in Sydney. They made delightful reading. Dave, hintself a cricketer and absolute enthusiast, got the atmosphere of the “S.C.G.” in the cricketer’s best manner, and took all of us with him into that great, almost sacred, arena. One envies Mr Parry’s privilege. Perhaps he might think of an odd detail or two not included in his stories and put them into writing. They will be welcomed. Thanks Dave. T. Anderson took four wickets for nine runs in Marist’s second innings on Saturday, not three as previously credited. In view of the fact that Anderson is not generally recognized as a bowler these figures are meritorious.

The argument of the hour, apart from the test selection, is whether the fast bowling of Gregory and McDonald was as dangerous to English batsmen as are the deliveries of Larwood, Allen, Voce and Bowes to ours (writes J. Worrall in the Australian of December 3.) The objection is not that fast bowlers bounce the ball—that is their specialty—but whether the bouncing has an ulterior motive. Never in my long experience have I known an Australian express bowl at a man, except when Spofforth bowled at W.G. for about an hour at Lord’s in 1882, the reason for the acting being the manner in which Grace ran out Sam Jones in Australia’s second innings. The “old man” complained bitterly to me of the incident 17 years after the event, and if the action was wrong on that occasion, even if the Australian fast bowler was annoyed at what he considered an unsportsmanlike action, two wrongs never yet righting a fault, it is just as blameworthy now. No Australian fast bowler, irrespective of the state of the wicket, has ever packed an on-field before delivering a ball. Referring to the match between the English team and New South Wales, J. Worrall has this to say in the Australasian:—Easily the most disappointing feature was the inglorious showing made by Bradman. The champion was never at home, and Voce’s head-high deliveries kept him ducking in an endeavour to escape injury. Once Bradman actually sat on the ground, rather an undignified position for a player whose deeds have made him a menace to bowlers in all parts of the cricketing world. Against the other bowlers who do not apparently try to intimidate the batsmen Bradman shaped much more confidently, although Tate beat him on at least two occasions. Still, it was not the Bradman we know, and his exhibition sent onlookers home in a very puzzled frame of mind.

. . . With three wickets down for 90, the position was not very reassuring for New South Wales. Fingleton, however, was still defiant, despite numerous bruises he had received as the result of Voce’s attack, allegedly on leg stump, though most of the balls swung across th- body to be accepted by Ames well outside the leg stump in the short stop position. Fingleton got a rare gruelling, and, although he must have suffered agony, he stuck manfully to his task, and had the satisfaction of carrying his bat though the innings for 119.

Mr A. H. Allen can be depended on for suggestions of a most constructive nature, and the proposals made by him at a meeting of the Otago Cricket Association in regard to the future development of Otago cricket are worthy of very serious thought on the part of the local administrators of the game, writes “Substitute” in the Dunedin

Star. There is no doubt that cricket is becoming more popular in Otago, and Mr Allen has the vision to see that now is the time to make the onward move to bring .about a higher standard of play in this province. It will be generally agreed that the club competition is the basis of our cricket, but gs a provincial body the Otago Association has other functions besides the controlling of club cricket, and Mr Allen has hit upon a good scheme for brightening Otago cricket and of offering an incentive to our players when he suggests that annually matches should be arranged between, teams that are representative of Otago’s strength, and South Cantrebury, North Otago, South Otago, and Southland. South Canterbury, of course, is outside Otago’s jurisdiction, but the regular interchange of visits with tlie other three minor associations should do a very great deal towards creating more interest in the game, and besides afford- 1 ing our own local players opportunities of acquiring experience, should be the means eventually of introducing players from the various minor associations within Otago’s boundaries into Otago’s shield team. Mr Allen’s suggestions are reasonable and well thought out, and although they are not to be considered until the next annual meeting of the association, it is to be hoped that they will be thoroughly looked into in the meantime. Otago cricket is on the up-grade, and by showing interest in all its minor associations, the Otago Association will do much to place the province in a proud position in the cricketing world of New Zealand. SENIOR AVERAGES. Batting and Bowling. The following are the batting and bowling averages of senior players participating in the first grade competition. The averages are compiled up to and including the last games played and include the preliminary games in which Bluff and Appleby B competed. APPLEBY. Batting.

UNION. Full details of the Union team’s averages were not available at the time of compilation. These will be published later.

JUNIOR NOTES APPLEBY v. I.C.C. I.C.C. with three down for 13 were faced with an uphill fight against Appleby’s total of 184 but could muster only 71, Alabaster 26 and Fougere being the only ones to make a stand. Following on I.C.C. compiled 97, Appleby winning by an innings and 16 runs. Timms 22 Alabaster 38 and Fougere 11 reached double figures. For Appleby Beal (seven for 15 and three for 28) Lynch (one for 15 and three for 18) and V. Clark (two for 18) were the most successful bowlers. Appleby’s fielding was in no way responsible for the win, several catches being dropped and the ground fielding equally poor. Alabaster played a good defensive innings on each occasion and with Timms save a complete rout. Maxted showed improvement behind the sticks, two smart stumpings and a catch off Beal making amends for his recent poor display with the bat. R. Agnew (as sub) was responsible for two smart onehanded catches at mid-off. DEFENDED IN VERSE BY MR OSCAR ASCHE. Indignant because a section of the British public persists in regarding Bradman as a fallen idol, Mr Oscar Asche, the actor-manager, to whom cricket is almost as vital an interest as acting, has published fiery verse in defence of Australia’s great batsman. He denounces “envious scribes” who “indite envenomed headlines,'” and uses strong words to express his contempt for those erstwhile admirers who now vie with one another in “gloating like ghouls” over Bradman’s run of bad luck. The last two lines of the verse read as follows:— Come, Bradman, rise, strike out, belittlers stun; By fresh deeds prove you are still Don —not done.

Ins. N.O. Runs H.S. Avg. McCowan 6 - 255 72 42.5 Groves 4-97 46* 32.33 W. Lilley 6 2 81 26 20.25 Milne 6 1 89 29 17.8 Purdue 6-99 40 16.5 Driscoll 2-32 21 16 Keast 5 2 41 27* 13.66 J. Lilley 6 1 54 19 10.8 Carson 4-37 22 9.25 Marchant 2-8 8 4 Riddell 5-12 9 2.4 Also batted: Beale, 1,1,1; Thomson, 4; Johnson, 0. * denotes not out. Bowling. Wkts Runs Avg. Keast 33 227 7.01 J. Lilley 2 15 7.5 Purdue 7 139 19.85 McGowan 5 158 31.6 Also bowled: Milne, 3 for 25; Groves, 2 for 87: Johnson, 0 for 42 ; Carson, 0 for 20; Beal, 0 for 18; Riddell, 0 for 30; Marchant, 0 for 7. MARIST. Batting. Ins. N.O. Runs H.S. Avg. Hallamore 7 - 203 101 29 Lock 7 - 159 80 22.71 Beadle 7 - 149 65 21.28 Nisbet 7 - 143 75 20.42 Sheridan 7-75 26 10.71 Halpin 6 2 39 17* 9.75 Duthie 7-62 24 8.85 McMillan 5 2 11 6 3.66 Ryan 6 2 14 9 3.5 Hartlgan 6-14 9 2.8 Also batted: McEwan, 12 and 4 not out; Maher, 0 and 5; Broad, 1, 0, 0. ♦ denotes not out. Bowling. Wkts Runs Avg. Broad . 8 45 5.62 Duthie 11 89 8.08 Beadle 8 86 10.75 Nisbet 9 141 15.66 Ryan 3 60 20 McMillan 8 164 20.5 Also bowled: Hallamore 1, for 20; Sheridan, 0 for 23; Maher, 0 for 2 McEwan, 3 for 5. INVERCARGILL. Batting. Ins. N.O. Runs H.S. Avg. Pollok 5 - 109 78 21.8 Tapley 4-79 60 19.5 Francis 5 1 76 37* 19 Agnew 3-53 27 17.66 Esquilant 5 1 60 40* 15 Doig 4 2 25 13* 12.5 Smith 4-45 20 11.25 C. McKenzie 5-54 19 10.8 Robinson 5-50 32 10 T. McKenzie 5-49 18 9.8 Also batted Brown, 3, 0, 0 Fraser, 5,1. * denotes not out. Bowling. Wkts Runs Avg. Fraser 11 94 8.54 Doig 21 195 9.28 T. McKenzie 18 184 10.22 Francis 4 76 19 Also bowled: Smith 3 for 18; Brown, 0 for 9. OLD BOYS. Batting. Ins. N.O. Runs H.S. Avg. Scandrett 6 1 206 116* 41.2 McKelvey 4 - 103 40 25.75 Mitchell 6 1 107 43 21.4 Henderson 6 - 121 50 20.16 Hawke 5 1 75 20 18.75 Lynch 3-37 21 12.33 Wesney 5 1 44 27 11 Bews 5-55 22 11 Macdonald 3 - 22 22 7.33 Pickard 5 1 24 10 6 Also batted. Mackenzie, 0 0, 2. ♦ denotes not out Bowling. Wkts Runs Avg. McKelvey 11 90 8.18 Macdonald 17 141 8.29 Henderson 5 78 15.6 Pickard 11 176 16 Also bowled. Mitchell, 3 for 63; Luzmoor, 3 for 2; Mackenzie, 1 for 7; Scandrett, 1 for 16. HIGH SCHOOL. Batting. Ins. N.O. Runs H.S. Avg. Spence 8 3 135 44* 27 Allan 6-99 37 16.5 Uttley 8 2 81 43* 13.5 Campbell 5-64 27 12.8 Carswell 7 2 44 12* 8.8 Mackrell 6-49 18 8.16 McLachlan 3-25 19 8.33 Dakin 5 1 33 20* 6.5 Stewart 7-38 11 5.42 Henderson 5 - 14 5 2.8 Aso batted: Mackie, 0,33,22,24,; Reid, 1; Warburton 0, 0; Lee, 6, 1, 0; Folson, 2; Dr Uttley, 0. * denotes not out. Bowling. Wkts Runs Avg. Lee 3 25 8.33 Allan, 15 207 13.8 Warburton 4 60 15 Uttley 25 400 16 Stewart 10 161 16.1 Spence 3 75 25 Also bowled: Carswell, 1 for 29 II ■"»