CRICKET.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 960, 9 March 1917, Page 2

CRICKET.

NOTES OF THE WEEK. The penultimate series ot matches in (he Canterbury ' Cricket Association's first grade competition is to finish tomorrow. Both ot' the principal matches are in interesting positions. St. Albans playing Linwood at Ilagley Park, scortd 206 in its first innings, and Linwood has made 117 at a tost ot two wickets. A. Grant has scored 57 not out- A win for Linwood will secure the premiership for that team. On the Christ's College ground the College team has to make only 29 runs to head West Christchurch 's first innings score of 125, and it has three wickets in hand. The College players to resume the innings are 11. S. Hindmarsh (38) and .1. N. Lowry (4). Ricearton has scored 357 for seven wickets (G. Haines 68 not out, R. H. North 60 not out) against Boy's High School, at Hagley Park. Replying to Sydenham's first innings score, of 160, East Christchurch has made 101 for five wickets, at Lancaster Park. Matches in Auckland.

There was but, moderate scoring, taking it all round, in the first-grade district matches in Auckland last Saturday. Parncll, the leading team, made 16S runs—Breese topped the poll with 66—against North Shore, with the wic-ket-taking divided amongst, four bowlers. North Shore has lost three wickets in scoring 45 runs. With five wickets down for 72 runs, Eden looked like doing very badly against, Ponsonby. But a partnership between Brooke Smith and Burton, with the former doing the bulk of the scoring, just about doubled the score. Brooke-Smith got 72 with pretty cricket until he put a leg in front of a ball from S. G. Smith. Eden finished at 168. S. G. Smith took seven wickets for 63 runs—six of them with catches. Ponsonby has scored 60 (Sneddon 48) without losing a wicket. A bright innings for 80 not out, characterised by hard-driving and leghitting, by R. Sloman, and a neat innings for 40 by E. Horspool, were of very great assistance to Grafton against University, the Grafton innings reaching just, '2OO. Player got five wickets for 50 runs. 'Varsity has lost three wickets in scoring 30 runs. A Close Game. There was one (lose game in Wellington district cricket last Saturday. A week before, East had scored 180, and University had got 105 runs at a cost of two wickets, Phil Dwyer, formerly of Christchurch, scoring 54 not out. But Dwyer added only three runs to •bis score, and the remainder of the University team did but poorly, the innings closing at 174, just six runs short of East's total. W. R. L. Gibbes was the stumbling block in 'Varsity's path, he got six wickets for 66 runs. East filled in time by getting 100 for three wickets.

A three-point win for North against Institute Old' Boys—the game was almost finished on the previous Saturday—brought that team level with East at the top of the championship table. The third competition match was between Wellington College Old Boys and Hntt. On the first afternoon, Old Boys got 257 and 74 for two wickets, to Hutt's 150. Declaring its second innings closed, Old Boys put Hutt in again at the start of last Saturday's piny, and the bowling of Marris and Lambert proved quite equal to the occasion. Marris got five for 48 and Lambert three for 33, and with Beechey and Lusk getting a wicket, apiece, Hutt's second effort was finished at 161, of which 38 came from Aldersley's bat and 34 from extras- So Old Boys had a three-point win. The recently-revived Trcntham team, not as strong as the camp's eleven of earlier in the season, played a, game with Petone last Saturday, and lost, by 82 runs in the first innings. Trcntham scored 120, Mclvor getting 38 and Condliffe 33. Pctonc replied with 202, of which Brice made 76. Dunedin Games.

A century was scored in Duedin last Saturday, Malcolm, of Grange, smacking up 103 not out against Mornington. Popple got 57 and Grange's total reached 266. As Mornington had scored only 84, Grange had an easy win. Eckhoff took six Mornington wickets for 35 runs.

With Mackersy taking six wickets for nine runs and Casey three for six, High School reached only 65 runs (Fraser 25) against Dunedin. The latter replied with 10S, Knight taking three for 35. Fisher and Ramsden were in great form with the ball for Carisbrook against St. Kilda, Fisher gol six for 26 and Ramsden four for 20, and so St. Kilda, reached only 47 runs. Carisbrook gol 145, Ramsden scoring 55. Livingstone took three for 31.

CITY AND SUBURBAN. NOTES AND COMMENTS. Perfect, conditions prevailed for the completion of first and second grade matches. Cricketers have been execptionntely fortunate this year, not one postponement having occurred on account of weather. Interest centred in Rangers v. Druids match, which at the dose of the first day's play was at a critical stage, Hangers having made l.'lij and Druids !!1 for the loss of two wickets. Owing to the exceptionally fine bowling of I'jgan Druids could not accomplish (he task set them, and finished their innings SO runs short, of the dc-

sired total. Little hope was entertained of finishing the match right out as the afternoon was well advanced, and although Druids made a gallant attempt to turn the tables they had to accept a defeat on the first innings.

Y.M.C.A. had set, Belfast SO runs to win, but as the former turned out at full strength the country team fatted by IS runs. In the second grade St. Albans Scored a hollow victory at the expense of 8.C.1T., 1.'12 runs separating the totals at the close of the game. Druids A and B provided good scoring. The A team carried their total to 311 before the las': wicket fell, leaving the J) team 186 runs to get to avoid an innings defeat j.nd with no earthly chance of winning the match. Several smart performances assisted in placing 170 on the board, and the A team won by an innings and 16. Druids A's total is just about a record for second grade suburban cricket. Rangers v. Druids. The not-out batsmen Langford and Snook faced the bowling of Egan and Black. As on the first day, the batting was cautious, and it was not till the fifth over that. Langford mishit one from Egan, Black at cover taking the catch, the board showing 30 —3—30. Rex followed, but tried to pull a good length ball, and was clean bowled. Grose, whose century in third grade had secured him a trial, followed, but failed to score. Five for 45. Spicer now partnered Snook, whose scoring had been very slow, and nine runs only were added before Egan, who was mixing them well, beat Snook with the pace, and an easy catch was held. The outgoing batsman had plodded for an hour and a-half for 14, a valuable innings at that stage of the game. Bellamy and Spicer carried the score to 00, when the former was clean bowled when he had scored a dozen. The .remaining wickets soou fell, Spicer carrying his bat. for a carefully-played 27, and the total reading 105. Too much praise cannot hi given to Egan, whoso command of length and pace was a treat to watch; and his analysis reads: 25' overs, 6 maidens, 46 runs, 8 wickets. With a little over two hours to go, Rangers commenced their second innings, no hope being entertained that a threepoint win could be scored for either side. Wickets fell quickly and runs came freely. Egan showed a return to batting form in notching 27, while Hooper (20) and Black (16) showed good scoring strokes. The Innings closed at 5.25 p.m., leaving Druids 130 to make in under half an hour. Langford and Rex were g'r ; en first chance, and they rattled up the score, and succeeded in placing 77 runs on the board without being separated. Both batsmen well earned the applause that greeted them at the close of play. Langford's 45 included two sixes and six fours. Y.M.C.A. v. Belfast. With SO runs to get, Belfast faced the bowling of Smith and Brosnahan. Wilson, who has scored consistently since the completion of the first round, batted steadily for 25, his treatment of loose balls being most summary. Moore, with 21, also batted well, the remaining batsmen failing dismally. The innings closed for 61, leaving Y.M.C.A. IS runs ahead. Smith and Brosnahan bore the brunt of the attack, while Warren secured two for none amongst the "tail." Other Matches.

With a substantial lead, St. Albans opened their second innings against 8.G.H., R. Winter showed a return to form by cracking up 70 in good stvle; Felton 'also batted well for his 23. The innings closed for 152 B.G.H. requiring 211-to win, were rather disconcerted by the task, Fraser and Hillgrovc being the only two to show any form. Eelton, who got five for 22, proved the disturbing element, and B.G.H. failed bv 132.

Druids' A completed their innings for 311. 11. Smith, batting brightly for 25, was the pick of the latter batsmen. From this huge total "Smacker" Cotton secured the really good figures of eight for 53, bowling "slow stuff" for a change. The B team's captain is a good sport, and deserves his success. For the B team Shrimpton (32) and Bavtlett (45) batted brightly and confidently, and looked like staving off the innings defeat. Henwood also showed good strokes in compiling 38. Competition Tables. In first grade, Rangers are in a comfortable position, having a lead of three points and a match in hand. Two matches will see the end of the competition. Green's are three points ahead of St. Albans in the second grade, but meet them in a fortnight's time. They will then have the chance of drawing level and forcing a play-off. Only two more matches can be played before the close of the season. In third grade, B.G.H. lead Marists by two points, but have played one match less, so should hold their position to the close. Two matches also finish this competition. First Grade.

Saturday's Matches. First Grade—Hangers v. Y.M.C.A., ;il Sydenham Park; Woolston v. Belfast, at Sydenham Park; Druids a bye. Second Grade.—Greens v. Druids' H, al Sydenham Park; St. Albans v. Dunstable, at Sydenham Park; IS.G.H. v. Tcmpleton, at Tcmpleton; Druids' li a bye. Third Grade—B.G. 11. v. Marists, at Sydenham Park; St. Paul's v. Druids, at Woolston Park.

Hangers Druids Y.M.C.A Woolston Belfast P oints. 1G 13 <) :t :: Bangers, Y.M.C.A., an< have played one match ]»> others. 1 Woolston ss than the Seeond Grade. St. Allians Druids' A .- Dunstable li.c. it P oints. 21 18 12 12 !l Druids' B Third Grade. B.C. II Mnrists St. Paul's P Dints. 1(i It 12 11)