BALFOUR

Southland Times, Issue 23792, 14 April 1939, Page 4

BALFOUR

CRICKET BATTING AND BOWLING AVERAGES Some excellent performances have been recorded by members of the Balfour cricket teams in the Northern District cricket competitions. The batting averages are headed by L. J. Sparks with an aggregate score of 331 in club matches, an average of 36.77. The honour of the highest score for his club also goes to Sparks with 75 runs. Sparks’s batting was one of the highlights of the season. D. Magee, a promising young colt, and T. Mulqueen were the only other batsmen to record averages of more than 20 runs. Magee, who is only 17 years of age, has an average of 24.25 rims, his top score being 61 not out. Of the club’s stock bowlers, G. Varcoe and G. Keown were the most successful, each securing more than 20 wickets for the season. Varcoe bowled 92 overs, 12 maidens, for 195 runs, taking 36 wickets at a cost of 5.41 rims a wicket. Keown with 65 overs, nine maidens, for 243 runs, secured 21 wickets at an average of 11.57 runs. The former Southland wicketkeeper, L. J. Sparks, was in excellent form, being responsible for 26 wickets in club matches. Of these, 12 were stumped and 14 caught behind. Sparks also proved a valuable change slow bowler, taking 10 wickets at an average of nine runs a wicket.

In the competition the teams were Ardlussa and Balfour. The Ardlussa team scored 1026 runs for the season, with the loss of 86 wickets, an average of 12.21 runs. Its opponent scored 1128 runs, and lost 129 wickets at an average of 9.51 runs. The Balfour team scored 941 runs for the season, losing 87 wickets at an average of 10.81. The opposing team’s score was 953 runs, with the loss of -103 wickets at an average ■ of 9.25 runs.