Wet-Day Cricket

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 509, 12 November 1928, Page 6

Wet-Day Cricket

Suburban Players Carry On

Wins on First Innings

SOMEWHAT unexpected reversals of form featured Saturday afternoon’s Suburban Association cricket on the Domain. Teams which had failed on the fast wickets of the opening day piled on surprising' scores on almost sodden pitches. George R. Cox, the Sussex coach, caught the public’s fancy when he appeared for Green Lane, and was loudly applauded for knocking up an easy 68.

The first senior A matches of the season ended in wins on the first innings scores. Harbour Board won home from Victoria, Ponsonby accounted for Ellerslie, and Glen Eden Avon . from Green Lane. It was unfortunate that rain interrupted the second innings play. At one stage a tropical shower caused a halfhour break, and officials nearly called play off. As it was, most of the junior fixtures were cancelled, but the seniors kept ou under miserable conditions. Later in the afternoon the pitches dried considerably, and the conditions were fair. Victoria, the new team, improved out of sight in its first innings tally of 90, and knocked up 174 with only nine men. Three players scored more than 30 apiece after a poor opening. Harbour Board, last year’s champions, had no difficulty in passing the opposition’s meagre first-day score, but time came before the winners could get sufficient runs for an outright win. Interest was intense over the last few minues, wary Victoria bowling and fielding struggling with the equally cautious Board batting. The last halfhour of run-getting was painfully slow. MOST DECISIVE WIN Ponsonby scored a very decisive win over Ellerslie. With a first innings score of 188 against Ellerslie’s effort if 117 for nine wickets, Ponsonby came in again and repeated its first-day substantial score. Spicer, who continues to show promise as a batsman and a fieldsman, and Fletcher were chiefly responsible for a good start for the winners. They ran up 93 in brisk time before the partnership crumbled. Cooper carried on the good work, but, at 132, Baxter, who is a really clever bowler, showed his powers and did the hat trick by sending Cooper, Roberts and Robertshaw back to the pavilion. Baxter had done the hat-trick on the previous Saturday. The wet wicket did not seem to affect him as it did most of the other trundlers. Ellerslie, after a good first innings score, collapsed in its second attempt. Ponsonby bowlers, Barnes and Mackie, with the assistance of alert fieldsmen, made Ellerslie look like a school batting side. The poor score of 47 was the result of a good deal of vain striving by the batsmen. Everyone was agog when Cox, the English crack, went in to give Green Lane his assistance. It was not greatly needed, for the Lane, after a small first-day score of 75, had run up 102 runs for the loss of two wickets. COX’S COOLNESS Cox was never worried. He scored 68 easily and with faultless style. Without taking the bowling lightly, lie got off some entirely new shots. Once, he smote a swift shot very deliberately between his legs for the neatest boundary seen on tlie Domain for some time. After treating the spectators to a cool display, he lifted an easy one off Kerr into Norman’s hands. Clark was full of energy and ran up tlie sizeable score of 78 in smart time. All the Green Lane batsmen did unexpectedly well, and finished up the day with a total of 273—the season’s best score, and two better than Glen Eden’s opening score—after spending all the afternoon at the wickets. Glen Eden did not have a second try, and was awarded a win on its great first inning’s showing. Cox told a representative of The Sun that he expected to enjoy Auckland cricket. He had already noticed several batsmen and trundlers who should be singled out for special coaching. Pie believes that visits from English and Australian teams would assist New Zealand cricket, and agrees that, as yet, there has not been sufficient competition to raise Dominion cricket above a certain standard. This week Cox will learn from the association what his duties are to be. He is showing interest in ground conditions throughout New Zealand.

Wet-day performances are risky to judge teams on, and the first matches have been played under contrasting conditions—a difficult combination. Harbour Board may be reckoned as a consistent batting side, and Ponsonby is also formidable in run-getting. Victoria shows promise and Glen Eden will remain prominent. Whether Green Lane’s second innings enterprise was merely a flash in the pan remains to be seen. Ellerslie has proved arratic. HARBOUR BOAD V. VICTORIA Victoria’s opening pair, Ashby and Viscoe, did not reproduce their form of the first day, and went very cheaply. After that, Manly hit out solidly and put up 47 in rapid time. Sallen knocked up a handy 34, and Turner contributed 31. Dickson and Edmunds showed over-enterprise and were run out when in double figures, and McFarlane carried his bat for 18. Dunning did best for the Board, with a tally of 44. Martin, Storey and Turner were of service. The Board eased up over the last stages and was apparently content with a first-inning’s win. The defeat was the first suffered by Victoria in four years. Details: VICTORIA

Total for eight wickets 174 Bowling: Matthews, 2-39; Dunning, 1- Bennett, 0-18; Turner, 1-25; Alar tin, 2- Mann, 0-13. Fall of wickets: 1/5, 2/13, 3/39, 4/S9 5/95, 6/137, 7/138, 8/174. HARBOUR BOARD First innings 134 Second Innings MARTIN, c sub., b Stallworthy .... 17 TURNER, c Sallen, b Dickson .. .. 15 STOREY, c Turner, b Dickson .. .. 16 BADELEY, c Manly, b Stallworthy .. 0 DUNNING, run out 44 MATTHEWS, st Edmunds, b Dickson 10 MANN, c sub., b Stallworthy 1 BREESE, not out 3 CANDY, not out 7 Extras 3 Total for seven wickets lie Bowling: Stall worthy, 3-59; Dickson, 3- McFarlane, 0-3: Manly, 0-15. Fall of wickets: 1/17, 2/41, 3/41, 4/79 5/105. 6/105. 7/107. GLEN EDEN v. GREEN LANE Green Lane spent the whole afternoon at the wickets, and Kerr, Rich-

ardson and A. Belsham, the Glen Eden bowlers, were forced to admit that a wet pitch did not suit them. An afternoon of steady scoring saw the following put up the best scores for Green Lane: —Clark (78), Cox (68), Hughes (28). Glen Eden won on the first innings. It scored 271 on the first day, against the Lane’s 75. Details: GLEN EDEN First Innings 271 GREEN LANE First Innings 75 Second Innings C. WATTS, b Richardson 10 MGREGOR, c A. Belsham, b Kerr .. 23 CLARK, run out 78 COX, c Morman, b Kerr 6S HUGHES, b A. Belsham 2S COLE, lbw, b Richardson 14 WROATH, c J. Belsham, b A. Belsham 2 SECCOMBE, b Kerr 19 WATTS, 11., played on, b A. Bel- * • - - 3 WATTS, E.; not out 22 WRATHALL, not out 0 Extras •• •• 6 Total for nine wickets 273 Bowling: Keri\ 3-$7; Richardson, 2-S0; Belsham. 3-67; Anderson, 0-14; Morman, 0-19. Fa 11 of wickets: 1/11, 2/102, 3/114, 4/177, 5/207, 6/231, 7/241, 8/245, 9/273. PONSONBY v. ELLERSLIE Ponsonby did just as well as on the opening day, and Spicer (49), Fletcher (40), Barnes (49), and Cooper (25) were the most liberal contributors to the 188 score. Ellerslie failed hopelessly in its second effort, and the Ponsonby

bowlers had the opposition properly baffled. The redeeming feature of Ellerslie’s play was Baxter’s clever bowling. He deserved his hat-trick, his second this season. Details:

PONSONBY ' First Innings .. .. .. .. .. .i .. .. 138 Second lnniglgs ‘ SPICER, c Gedye. b Hollis .. .. .. .. 49 j FLETCHER, c Gedye, b Baxter .. .. 40 BLAIR, c and b Burton .. .. .. .. 13 COOPER. st b Baxter .. .. .. .. .. 25 ROBERTS, lbw, b Baxter .. .. .. ._ 0 ROBERTSHAW, 0 Te Puni. b Baxter 0 INNES.st,bßaxter.. .. .. .. ~ .. 1 LIACKIE. c and b Burton .. .. .. .. S NICKLIN, not out .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 BARNES, b Baxter .. .. .. .. .. .. 34 Extras .. .. .._.. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Total for eight wickets .. .. .. .. 188 Bowling: Baxter, 6—61: Burton, 2-43; Hollis. 0-26: Lawrence, 0-14; Elliott, 0-19; JMatthews, o—2l. Fall of wickets: 1/93, 2/93, 3/94. 4/132, 5/132, 6/132, 7/148, 8/188. ELLERSLIE First Ininngs, total for nine wickets. .117 Second Innings BURTON. R. c Mackie, b Barnes .. 16 HOLLIS, c Innes b Barnes .. .. .. 12 MATTHEWS, c Spicer, b Llacliie .. 0 LAWRENCE. lbw. b Mackie .. .. .. 0 TE PUNI. c Robertshaw, b Barnes .. 3 FUNNEL. b Mackie .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 ELLIOTT, c Roberts, b Mackie .. O BURTON, J, c Robertshaw. c Barnes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 YATES, b Barnes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 GEDYE, not out .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 BAXTER, not out .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0 Extras .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. (7

First innings ...„ Second Innings VLSCOE, b Dunning EDMUNDS, run out AIAA'LY, c Dunning, b Turner .. STALLWORTHY, b Martin . . SALLEN, b Matthews '1 I'KNER, c Breese, b Martin .. .. McFARLAXE not out Extras