CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 22215, 6 January 1934, Page 13

CRICKET

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By

“Onlooker.”)

Local club games will be resumed this afternoon. Senior games commenced on December 16 will be concluded this afternoon. The results of the first days play in these games are as follows:— High School, 159, versus Appleby, 29 for three wickets; Invercargill, 221, versus Union, 97 for four wickets; Old Boys, 51, versus Marist, 191 for eight wickets. . , Otago’s hold on the Plunket Shield weakened with their failure against Auckland. Without Dickinson, one of New Zealand’s best all-rounders for several years past, Otago is not a particularly strong side, although quite capable of extending the other provinces at the present time. Auckland's two wins, against Wellington and Otago, place them in a good position to annex the shield this season. They should be capable of holding Canterbury, who already have suffered two defeats. Bradman’s double century against Queensland shows that he is right at the top of his form just now. As the world’s greatest batsman of all time, Bradman should prove just as great an, attraction in England during the coming season as he did in 1930 when he shattered all the records that count. Ken Uttley’s success with the bat for Otago will be favourably received in Incercargill. His performances are convincing enough proof that if the Otago selectors combed the country district for players instead of relying solely on Dunedin players they would get together a much better side. The purblindness of the Otago selectors is proverbial. In the last few seasons Southland has produced several better batsmen than some of the 1933-34 Otago team and many good all-round-ers comparable with those of the sister province. It would appear from recent happenings that the only way a Southlander can hope to get into the Otago team is to shift his residence to’ Dunedin. The Auckland Association will officially celebrate its jubilee during the progress of the Canterbury-Auckland Plunket Shield game at Eden Park from January 6 to 10. Not since 1923-24 has New South Wales made a lower score _ against South Australia ’ than the 108 in Adelaide—indeed, she has made only three lower totals in the seventy-five games played up to the end of last season (says an Australian writer). They were 62 at Sydney in 1891-2, 92 at Sydney in 1909-10. and 98 at Adelaide in 1923-4. South Australia, on the other hand, has had five lower totals —two of them in one match —with 61 as the lowest. As against these failures New South Wales has made twenty-three scores exceeding 500— twelve of them beyond 600—while South Australia has only five such totals to her credit, the highest being 575.

Canon W. G. Hilliard head master of Trinity Grammar School, Dulwich Hill, who has been selected as Bishop of Nelson, New Zealand, is a grandson of Harry Hilliard, one of the eleven that played for New South Wales in the first match against Victoria in 1856 (says the Sydney Referee). There is no finer and more manly type of Australian citizen than Harry Hilliard was. When the veteran cricketer died some years ago his grandson delivered a very admirable and appropiate address at the graveside.

A film demonstrating body-line (legtheory they call it), mostly in slow motion, will be shown at the Mayfair Theatre (says the Sydney Referee). H. Larwood made the picture, in which he is assisted by “Patsy” Hendren batting and Voce among the players in the typical packed leg-field. Hendren, protected by a padded cap, is hit by a number of balls from Larwood, and afterwards demonstrates how the same balls can be played. Excellent photography is a feature of the film. One has not yet seen the film, but one can imagine how “Patsy” would play the real body-line with the colours up. He showed his ideas when he appeared with a special head shield in England last season.

The hope entertained in some quarters that C. S. Dempster would be back in Wellington cricket early in the New Year is not likely to be fulfilled (says the Evening Post). The writer received a note from Dempster in which the noted cricketer indicated that he was remaining in England. He reported that he was fit and well and asked that his regards be conveyed to all his friends. He admitted, with some modesty, that he had done fairly well in cricket, and had thoroughly enjoyed himself. Information from other sources made it perfectly clear that Dempster was the outstanding personality in the Ribblesdale League. In scoring over 1000 runs for Blackpool, he left the previous best Ribblesdale League aggregate far behind. At the close of the cricket season he played Rugby football for Fylde, and has also since been associated with an Association football club.

Taking two wickets in the first innings of New South Wales at Adelaide on December- 15, C. V. Grimmett made his total of wickets against the State 101, thus joining G. Giffen and E. Jones (each 106) in a three-figure aggregate. With five more wickets on Monday he equalled the total of that pair (says the Sporting Globe of December 20). In the next week or two we probably will be congratulating him on having accomplished the feat against Queensland and Victoria also. His total against Queensland is now 98 (93 of them in shield games), while against Victoria his record is 98 wickets. When he does this he will have accomplished a unique feat, for no other bowler has taken 100 wickets against each of three States. The only ones who have performed the feat against two States are George Giffen (S.A.), 224 against Victoria and 106 against New South Wales; and Ernie Jones (S.A.), 106 against New South Wales and 102 against Victoria. Bowlers who have taken 100 wickets against one State are H. Trumble (Vic.), 129 against New South Wales; C. T. B. Turner (N.S.W.). 124 against Victoria; E. Evans (N.S.W.), 107 against Victoria; J. V. Saunders (Vic.), 106 against South Australia; and W. W. Armstrong (Vic.), 101 against South Australia. With seven wickets in the match finished on Monday, Grimmett made his Sheffield Shield aggregate 303. The only other bowlers to take 200 wickets in these games are Ernie Jones, whose total is 208, and H. Ironmonger, who had 209 up to Monday night. Jones, however, had only two States to bowl against, whereas Grimmett and Ironmonger have had three.

Referring to the Tuesday’s play in the Canterbury-Otago Plunket Shield match the Christchurch Press stated:— “As in the first innings, Otago’s substantial score was assisted materially by dropped catches, for Uttley and Moloney between them made 98, and Uttley was dropped when he was 10 and Moloney when he had made 11. However, no excuse need be made, for on the run of the three days’ play the shield-holders have outplayed Canterbury in every department of . tne game, and it will be almost a cricket miracle if Canterbury gets the required runs. The following day s play again proved the southerners to be a strong batting side. Cavanagh followed his very sound and useful first innings score with a finely played and chanceless 61 —top score. Seventeen of these had been made on the previous day, so that he had to get set twice.. In him Otago has an admirable opening batsman, for from the first ball he played the bowling with the utmost confidence and soundness, and his judgment in picking his ball to hit was rarely at fault. He made the most of loose balls, and his scoring shots were finely executed. Moloney followed his top score of the first innings with a soundly played 44. Apart from the chance mentioned and another just before he went out, he showed defence that made the bowling look simple. His score would have been much larger had it not been for an injured leg, which cost the side a lot of missed runs. Uttley’s 54 was a plucky knock. Whilst his defence was very solid, he made valiant attempts to liven up the rate of scoring. He made many unorthodox shots, and a cross bat detracted from the merit of many of them. Talbot s 26 were made by bright cricket, his scoring shots being mostly enterprising. Dunning’s 32 was a grim effort. His defence—and it was mostly defence—was far from elegant, but it was effective, and when he was given the loose ball to hit he rarely missed the opportunity.” The following comment in the Auckland Herald appeared before the match with Wellington:—The Auckland team chosen to play Wellington in the Plunket Shield match at Wellington during the Christmas holidays is strong m batting, but there appears to be a doubt as to the strength of the bowling. Pestles, captain, has Cleverley, Weir, Matheson, Bush, and Garrard as his stock bowlers, while he himself is a useful change trundler. Cleverley has not yet shown his best form, but on southern wickets he usually bowls better, as the ball comes higher than at Eden Fark. If he gains his form then the side should be difficult to beat. Neither Matheson nor Bush has bowled up to his usual form so far, but they are a pair of bowlers who seem to trundle better in higher cricket. Garrard, the slow bowler, has done well with the ball in club matches, and there is little doubt that he is still the best bowler of his type in Auckland, although the colt, Burke, is improving all the time. Weir, who is now playing in Whangarei, can be depended upon to trundle steadily. Taken all round, Auckland appears to have good prospects of winning the Wellington match. It is pleasing to note that the selectors chose the colt M. Wallace. He played himself into the side by his fine innings of 154 retired in the Country match. Although not yet 17 years old he has the batting ability for big cricket, and should do well. Many consider him a little too young for representative honours yet, but it must be remembered that some of Australia’s best cricketers were played in big matches at a very early age.