CRICKET.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 871, 24 November 1916, Page 2

CRICKET.

NOTES OF THE WEEK. The third series of matches ill the Canterbury Cricket Association's first and second grade competitions will be started to-morrow. They will not be continued on the following Saturday—district cricket has been suspended for | that day, so as not to conflict with the j Domain Rose Fete —but they will be concluded on December 9. To-morrow's first grade games are:—West Christchurch v. Boys' High School, at Hagley Park; East Christchurch v. Ricearton, at Hagley Park; Christ's College v. Sydenham, at Sydenham Park; and Linwood v. St. Albans, at Lancaster Park. Matches in Other Centres. A good century by R. ,1. Stoman, for Grafton against Parnell, was one of the features of first grade cricket in Auckland last, Saturday. Scoring freely from the start, with good shots in front of the wicket, Sloman got 100 runs in two hours, and then got out in au unsatisfactory way. In playing forward to a ball from Anthony, he missed, and the keeper whipped off the bails and appealed. The appeal was not npheld, but Sloman, thinking it had gone against him, moved out of his crease to walk away. The wicket-keeper broke the wicket and appealed again, with success. For the same team, E. Jlorspool, the well-known Auckland and New Zealand representative, scored 58. Batting a man short, Grafton finished up with 218, and so lost on the first innings, Parnell having scored 310 for eight wickets, innings declared closed. A. Anthony got six of the Grafton wickets for 59 runs. Ponsonby sat on its first innings lead over University, and occupied a rather patchy wicket for practically all the afternoon in its second inuiugs. The team scored 2/2. N. C. Sneddon scored 72, and then got out, l.b.w. S. G. Smith got 60. The third match provided a three-points win for Eden, against North Shore. On the previous Saturday North Shore, with three men abseut, scored 54 and 21 for one wicket, to Eden's 107. The second innings of the Shore men finished at 131, of which C. Dacre made 61. Eden got the 79 runs required for the three-points win at a cost of two wickets, C. Cummings getting 34 not out. Midlane in Form. F. A. Midlane, the well-known Wellington representative, got going again with the bat last Saturday, and knocked up 140 for East against Old Boys. He is reported to have played brilliantly, giving no chance until he was over the hundred. For the same team, A. Condliffe scored 50. Batting n man short, East scored 34-3, only one 'player failing to reach double figures. , Old Boys lost three wickets in scoring 131 runs. In the other Wellington matches also the scoring was rather one-sided. Institute Old Boys scored 172 (W. Garrod 39 being top scorer), and then got nine University wickets for 78 runs. Phil Dv.yer. the former East Christchurch and AVest Christchurch player, and George, who got 21 each, were the only 'Varsity players who reached double figures. Petoue scored 117 (Rodgers 50) against North, for whom Kiddleston took si:: wickets for 57 runs, and B. J. Tuekwcll, the cx-Otago man, two for three. North replied with 177 for six wickets, Hiddlestou getting 64 not out, and Burton and Baker 40 apiece. Tuckwell scored only 15. Hutt made a very poor showing against the Trentham team. D. McLachlan, the exOt.;go and Canterbury representative, and Smyrk, formerly of Hawke's Bay and Petone, trundled so well, aud the fielding was so good, that Hutt's first innings produced only 31 runs, of which 12 came from extras. McLachlan got four wickets for six runs, and Smyrk three for 13, and three men were run out. Trentham replied with 181 rims (Smyrk 37, Bray 34 not out), and then got five wickets in Hutt's second innings at, a cost of 48 runs, Smyrk taking two of them for nine runs. A. H. Fisher Reappears. For once in a while the three first grade one-day matches in Dunedin last Saturday were played to a definite result. One feature of the day's play was the reappearance, after a long retirement, of A. 11. Fisher, the old-time New Zealand player, for Carisbrook against High School. Fisher got three wickets for 22 runs, and Ramsdcn three for 27, the High School innings closing at 91. With the bat Fisher got 51 retired, and Ramsden 60 retired, Carisbrook scoring 176. With P. Edwards taking six wickets for 30 runs, and Ward getting three for 11, St. Kilda got rid of Mornington for 83 runs (P. Shaw 34). But St. Kilda did even worse, being disposed of for 65. Wihlermoth took four wickets for nine runs, and Hope three for 19. Dunedin scored 123 (McMullan 47) against Grange, for whom J. N. Crawford took three wickets for 19 runs, and Henderson five for 34. Grange scored 93, Casey getting five wickets for 34 runs, and Mackersey four for 48. CITY AND SUBURBAN. NOTES AND COMMENTS. In spite of the fact that the competition and season are now in full swing, there has been little improvement in the state of the wickets at. Sydenham Park from the condition of things which characterised opening day. There have been several contributing causes which have conduced to the present unsatisfactory state of affairs. In the first place, a heavy roller of the type used previously, is not this season available, although it is understood that arrangements are in progress to repair this deficiency. Then again, the groundsman's services are only obtainable to a limited extent during the week. Of course, i,t is understood that the present finances of the association will not permit of its securing the, exclusive and all the week services of a man. The Culminating Point. Matters, however, can be said to have reached the culminating point last Saturday when direct action was necessary. In one senior game in particular, where fast bowlers were in evidence, batsmen showed a manifest disinclination to face the rleoehettiug ball, the match in consequence being anything but a display of good cricket by keen and enthusiastic willow wielders. But the game did not alone suffer, as Forsythe, of the Rangers team, can testify. He is a left-hand batsman, and thus found it difficult to deal with a leg ball hurled down by Sellars. In fact, he failed to deal with it. Instead it dealt him a nalty smack on the cheek-'

bone, which left strikingly visible traces of its impact. This player is to be commended on playing out a patiently collected 10 runs in spite of his painful injury. Fortunately, however, for the season's prospects, the executive of the Association lias made the necessary enquiry into the causes at the root of the wicket trouble, and has adopted certain remedial measures which promise a satisfactory solution to the difficulty. Its deliberations over the matter occupied a considerable part of its meeting on Tuesday. As a result, extra ground assistance will be secured, and players should now be able to look forward confidently to wickets which will show a marked improvement during the next few Saturdays. Rangers' Debut. Chief interest was centred on Saturday on this season's debut in the competition of the Bangers' senior eleven. Much had been heard of this team, which secured many of last season's Linwood Wanderers and Glenmore players. It must bo said, however, that its initial entry cannot be claimed as a particularly auspicious one. True, it secured 114 runs as against 47 by Belfast, but this result cannot be regarded as satisfactory in view of the known calibre of many of its batsmen. Perhaps the explanation, in addition to a modesty by batsmen to face- the bowling, from a cause previously hinted at, is the fact that players were out of practice. Each team was two players short, but the missing men, it is understood, will be available for the conclusion. This match, it should be explained, was postponed from the previous Saturday. Matson, who captained Rangers, except for a little uncertainty at the commencement, played a nice innings, which realised 38 —the highest score. At times he played some capital strokes, and should, with a little more practice, guarantee a good average at the season's termination. Mills (37), and Forsyth, also gave displays which promise well. Bowling honours were secured by Black who is a first-rater. His average was four wickets for eight runs. Like the batsmen, however, he showed evident traces of first match form. Consequently, many of his deliveries were pitched short, but when the odd good length ball was sent down, its express speed was liable to leave the batsman completing his stroke simultaneously with falling sticks behind him. Black improved towards the end of the day. The batting of Belfast does not call for comment. On the wicket it was the fast bowler's day, consequently Sellars came to the fore in this respect for Belfast. A Good Recovery. Druids, last year's premier team, which succumbed to Woolston in its first innings with the poor response of 321 runs, commenced its second innings, facing a deficit of 121 runs, with the evident intention of demonstrating its superiority. The latter, it may be said, was generally recognised, perhaps even by Woolston, and the ultimate result, which gave it the three-point win, was not unexpected. Those two sterling players, Langford and Andrews, were! the first to face the Woolston bowling. It was gratifying to see that Andrews has apparently overcome some of the modesty he evidently felt as a skipper. He is a reliable and determined batsman when the runs are needed, and should not be placed amongst the tail. Langford, however, who was opening nicely, and had scored 16, fell a victim j to Bugg, who brought off a brilliant catch in the slips. J. Woods followed, and for a time played carefully, but nervously. Then, with increasing confidence, he began to hit out, eventually l carrying his bat for 50 runs. Bix, too, was responsible for treating the bowling j in a free fashion, although lie might i easily have taken greater liberties had j he seemed inclined to hit out. Woolston 's defeat was largely attributable to the collapse of its bowling. M. Bugg,! on the previous Saturday, gave an excellent and really brilliant trundling '■ performance. But he is obviously a ( victim to temperament. Let him begin j spread-eagling the wickets at the commencement, and he is a serious proposi-1 tion to the batsmen. But if the bats-! men begin to take liberties and liven j up the outfield, well —Bugg bowls as he did last Saturday. Promotion Justified. Boys' Gordon Hall A, on its display; against Druids B, fully justified its promotion from third to second grade. It is an all-round batting and bowling' team, and its three-point win against Druids was a fair criterion of the dif- l ference between the two elevens. It | is drawn to meet Dunstable on Satur-1 day, the latter also a team which has: proved itself in its first year in the higher grade. The match between two | such promising and enthusiastic elevens] should prove an interesting and even j contest. Dunstable secured a lead of 96 runs over Druids in the same grade on : Saturday, in a match in which a stand between Gydes and Wood at one time looked dangerous for Dunstable's j chances. But Druids, in its second innings, only kept Dunstable fielding for three-quarters of an hour, the tail wag-! ging very feebly. Sim again batted merrily for Dunstable, at times almost overcoming his weakness in the leg department. That fault properly corrected, j he should prove a batting proposition, j Templcton struggled gamely against Green's, but eventually went under by j three wickets. Falconer, the mainstay | in Templeton's trundling department, | was obviously suffering from the effects! of a recent accident, and his bowling was not, therefore, up to form. Find-! lay proved the star performer with the bat for Templcton, compiling a substantially -played 50 runs. Green's, however, was no doubt the best team, and earned the ultimate result in its favour. Saturday's Draw. The draw for Saturday is as follows: Senior Grade. Druids v. Rangers, Sydenham. Y.M.C.A. v. Belfast, Sydenham. Second Grade. Templcton v. Druids A, Templelou. Green's v. Chemists. Sydenham. St. Albans v. Druids B, St. Albans. Boys' Gordon Hall v. Dunstable,.Sydenham, Third Grade. Druids B v. Marists, Sydenham. Boys' Gordon Hall v. St. Paul's, Sydenham. COOGLIE.