THE CRICKET CRITIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 628, 3 April 1929, Page 13

THE CRICKET CRITIC

Concerning Cricketers Quite a collection of animals took part in the Auckland-North Auckland, match at Eden Park on Saturday, including Panthers and Lyons. Bowler named Bagge bagged one Auckland wicket for Victoria in the University match on Saturday. * * * The brothers, W. and P. Dunning, of the North Auckland team, are members of a great cricketing family. They are cousins of the Auckland Rhodes scholar, J. A. Dunning, now of Otago. Bowler named Tripe . played for Victoria against Auckland University College. He didn’t send down much tripe, however, for he secured four wickets for 84. * * * McLeod's Visit Paying a visit to Auckland, where he was well-known in cricket circles a few years back, Eddie McLeod contributed a breezy 22 not out to Victoria College's second innings effort against Auckland at Eden Park on Monday. He used to play for Parnell and has represented Auckland and New Zealand at both cricket and hockey. He played against Macartney’s New South Wales side in March, 1924, when after being clean bowled by Everett in the first innings for a duck, he top-scored with 50 in a grei% partnership with N. C. Sneddeo in the second. That innings included six fours. Cricket Caps “Gee, get the red bonnet on that chap,” remarked an Auckland player when Richmond, of Victoria University College, took the field in the pink cap of Westminster (England) Old Boys at Eden Park on Saturday. It is not an uncommon thing in cricket to see a team take the field sporting half a dozen or more different caps. Dunning while in Auckland turned out in his Oxford cap, whereas Dick Rowntree invariably wears his Auckland cap, although he is entitled to sport the silver fern on his headgear. Richmond had the misfortune to go for a -slide on the turf in his nether garments on Good Friday. After soaking them in benzine that night they still showed much evidence of their contact with the grass when he took the field on Saturday. * * * Monk in Dunedin P. G. Monk, formerly of Auckland, has made a name for himself in Otago since going South. This season he headed his club batting averages in 10 innings, once not out, highest score 106, total 433, average 48.11 Referring to him, a Dunedin exchange says: “Dunedin was another side which made great strides, one of the main reasons for its improvement being the fact that it had the services of Monk. The ex-Auck-lander, though not a polished batsman, frequently delighted the spectators with exhibitions of hard hitting. He had the excellent average of 48 for the season, and scored two centuries.” * * * Dempster's Record C. S. Dempster’s new records in Wellington club cricket this season stand out as wonderful achievements. With six three-figure scores and a great aggregate of 1,182 runs, Dempster, of course, heads the list of batting averages. His runs in the senior championship competition have been scored at the very high average of 131.33 an innings. * * • A Fine All-Rounder The captain of the Victoria University College cricket team which played Auckland for the Speight trophy during the Easter week-end is a fine allround athlete. This season he was selected for the Wellington representatives to make the visit to Christchurch to play Canterbury in the Plunket Shield match, but could not travel. The Management Committee of the Wellington Cricket Association thereupon instructed its selectors not to consider him for the Auckland match at Auckland. Mackenzie is also captain of the Victoria College Rugby team, and a Wellington Rugby representative. Last season he played first five-eighth for the All Black side which met New South Wales at Eden Park.

Wellington Batting Averages Following are the leading batting averages in Wellington club cricket during the past season. I stands for Institute, U for University, H for Hutt, P for Petone, 0.8. for Old Boys, and W. for Wellington:

* • * Larwood's Halo When Harold Larwood routed the Australians in the first innings of the first test match at Brisbane, he created a halo for himself in England. Even more than that, perhaps, his success against W. H. Ponsford, the most prolific run-getter inter-State cricket has ever known, fired the imagination of cricket lovers beyond the seas. Moreover, it paved the way to England's test successes. He dismissed Ponsford three times in the five innings W.H.P. had against the Englishmen, twice bowled and once caught by Duckworth, the other two being a not out and retired injured. Larwood has had the best of the Ponsford duel. But it may not always be so.

Old Boys Triumph For the fifth time in the long history of the Wellington senior cricket championship Wellington College Old Boys are the premiers. It was in the 1906-07 season that they first won the title of senior champions, and on that occasion their achievement was notable for breaking the long period which Midland enjoyed at the top of the ladder. Midland held the championship from the 1897-98 season without a break until the 1906-07 season, but in two seasons they were bracketed with Wellington. When Old Boys made the break they could not be shifted from premier place for three years, the period from 1906 to 1909 being the best on record for Old Boys.

When Cricket was Cricket Only two Australian batsmen have made three centuries in one series of Tests against England. Joe Darling did it in 1897-8 against Stoddart’s great team, and W. M. Woodfull has done it this season. Darling's cricket was magnificently brilliant in at least two of the innings. If such an innings as he played in Sydney in the final test, when up against the runs, could have been seen in one of the big games this season. Young Australia would rub his eyes in wonder. He scored 160 in 2% hours, and hit 30 fours! Four Wickets With One Ball A tale is going the rounds just now, showing how a bowler performed the incredible feat of taking four wickets with one ball. Numbers eight and nine were batting when one of them was hit so badly on the hand that he had to retiro. The man at the other end fainted at the sight of the blood. No. 10 declined to bat against what he considered a dangerous bowler, and, although the last man was quite prepared to bat, there was no one else to go in at the other end. Four wickets with one ball. * * <: Sheffield Shield Averages Following are the leading averages of the players who took part in Sheffield Shield series recently completed in Australia: BATTING

Australia’s Tribute “W. R. Hammond is the best allround cricketer in the world. His batting and fielding are in the highest possible class, and his bowling much better than Australians had been led to expect, its main features being variations in pace and flight, while maintaining length and direction” (says a Sydney exchange commenting on Hammond's feats in the recent tests).

Dempster (I.) .. In. 10 N.O. H.S. TI. 1 201 1,182 Avg. 131.33 Foley (I.) .. .. 8 2 162 470 78.33 Christophersen, H 14 1 164 905 69.151 Mackenzie (U.) . 10 158 587 58.70 Baker (M.) .. .. 9 1 83 412 51.50 Doneghue (M.) . 11 1 194 474 47/40 Ross (H.) . .. 14 157 513 42.75 Henderson (I.) . 5 2 80 124 41.33 Turvey (M.) 5 1 71 165 41.25 Lambert (O.B.) . 11 107 408 37.09 Birch (H.) .. .. 9 2 66 244 34.85 Bigrgrar (H.) 16 4 79 418 34.S3 H. E. Nicholls (P.) 11 1 103 323 32.30 Whyte (W.) 16 119 511 31.93 McGirr (W.) .. 10 1 106 285 31.66 Banks Cl.) . . .. 10 1 116 283 31.44 James (O.B.) .. 9 1 61 250 31.25 Patrick (O.B.) . 6 1 51 150 30.00

In. N.O. H.S. Runs. Av. Ponsford (V.) . . . 2 1 275* 345 345 Bradman (N.S.W.) 9 3 340* S93 14S.S Kippax (N.S.W.) . 5 1 260* 517 129.2 Ryder (V.) . 3 0 375 363 121 A'Beckett (V.) . . 3 0 133 240 80 Levy (Q.) . . . . 4 3 129 234 78 Onyons (V.) . . . 9 0 131 685 76.1 Thompson (Q.) . . 32 2 153* 743 74.3 Jackson (N.S.W.) 10 1 162 547 60.7 •Not out. BOWLING Wkts. Runs. Av.ge. Blackie (V.) .. 8 134 16.7 Oxenham (Q.) 10 206 20.6 Hooker (N.S.W.) 25 535 21.4 Thompson (Q.) , 13 300 23.07 Fairfax (N.S.W.) 20 537 26.8 Wall (S.A.) .. . 27 754 27.9 Ironmonger (V.) 20 573 28.6 Grimmett (S.A.) * * " 26 767 29.5