CRICKET

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1925, Page 4

CRICKET

THE TRIAL CAME.

HAWKE CUP MATCH. THE WANGANUI TEAM. (By “The Man on the Terrace.") A total of 82 rune in 35 minutes, and 7*2 of them gained by lifting the bowler twelve times clean out of the paddock! L. Giddy’® performance on behalf of Bell Block against Tarurutangi on Saturday almost makes one gasp. And the announcement that he is to play in the Country A team against a New Plymouth team next Saturday has set the city men thinking hard and spurring on their bowlers 'to exercise their most wily craft against this new terror. Giddy’s performance on Saturday was nut restricted to just making a big score, but he also hit seven .sixes in succession—a remarkable performance—and still looking for blood in the second innings he exulted in another 67 including eight sixes. It is certainly an afternoon*6 work of which he may be proud. A glance at the country teams’ performances shows that Giddy was not the only star in the firmament last Saturday. Charlie Foreman knocked up a very creditable 82 for Tikorangi against the Tikorangi colts, while B. Foreman maintained the family reputation with, a 56. A. Soffe made 44 for the Tikorangi seniors and K. Simmons 41 for Egmont Village—better scoring on the whole than is being shown in the town matches. Though bowling averages were good in the trial match last Saturday, the game was devoid of anything in the way o f remarkable batting. Lash’s 26 and 41 not out was the best performance of the day, and further increased his reputation as being one of the soundest and most reliable bats in lhe province. Bottriß’s 26 not oirt in the first innings was a sterling performance, and no doubt gained him a place in the Taranaki team. A SOUND SELECTION. Clarke again demonstrated his superiority as the be*t bowler in North Taranaki and probably in the province. Even if he does not take wickets fast, he can always be depended on to keep the scoring down. Giblin came to light with the ball for South Taranaki and just showed how useful a left-arm bowler may be. Percy Pratt was confident with the bat in his hand, and saved his team as he has often done before from presenting a rather discouraging total. Given in that North Taranaki with another half an hour to an hour had a big chance of scoring a three-point win. South having only four wickets in hand and requiring 80 runs, yet the selection of the team to play M'angaftuj seems a very reasonable one. Because North was superior in the trial match, it does not necessarily follow that xthey are accordingly entitled to a majority of players in the big eleven, for it might easily happen ’that one team of four of five “stars” and a big tail could defeat, another team containing six or seven consistent and steady men No one will quarrel with the Clarke, Lash, Nasmith. Kingston, Bottrill quintette as being the best selection that North can offer, and there seems a fair gap before you come to the rest, judging on recent form. Bottrill owes hi® inclusion to his batting: his bowling does not seem to come off nowadays in representative cricket, and his fielding is not what it used to be. Monaghan on the season’s form is a rather doubtful selection from the *outh end. and it is to be hoped for the sake of the selectors, as well as for Taranaki, ■that he will strike form this week-end.

POSSIBLE DEFECTIONS. It seems quite likely at the time of writing that neither Lash nor Clarke will be available for the M’anganui match. Probably no greater loss could be suffered by the team than the defection of these players. The interest of all Taranaki cricketers is centred on the meeting at Hawera on Friday and Saturday of the Taranaki and Wanganui representative elevens. Hitherto, when this province was divided, the Hawke Cup gleamed invitingly for Taranaki from afar, and the best thing either end of the province could do was to talk about it. Now, it is within much easier reach, and this week-end will afford the first opportunitv that has offered for many years to make a reasonably strong step toward* the cup. M 7 an<*anui is by no means . a weak team at its best, and it is regrettable that several of the southern association’s best material are not available for the Taranaki match. It is not stated exactly what members of ,the selector’s original choice were not available, but this season’s records and past season’s performances show that Orton (United), (Marists), Holland (Marists), Hussey (United) and Herd (Marists) have all established fair claims to inclusion by their batting. Williams (United). Frater (Old Boys). Hussey and Holland have all done well with the ball, so that it seems that the team will suffer considerably by the loss of these players, especially the all- ' rounders Holland and Hussey. As in Taranaki, the selector in M’anganui has been handicapped by the fact that Wanganui has had only four playing Saturdays so far this -season, and as there are five teams iff the senior competition (Wanganui, Old Boys. Marists, United and Collegiate .School) the bye has still further reduced the number of individual innings. THE WANGANUI PLAYERS? The representative team is as follows; Bernau, Wood and Stevens (United). Treadwell, R. London and Hutchison (Old Boys), Burke (Marists) and Orr, Darby. Stapleton and Sewell (Wanganui). This appears to be a strong batting combination Hutchison has been a great opening batsman this season, and in four innings has made 106 not out, 49 retired, and two 41’s. Of the others. Stapleton, Wood, Darby and Orr have all performed well. R. London and Bernan, the latter a former prominent player in Hawke’s Bay and mentioned several times recently for the New Zealand team, are both well known in the cricket field, though they have not yet ! struck form! In the Hawke Cup match

against Nelson, played about Christ ma* time last year, Bernau scored 1.30 and ' ■ 61, and took five wickets for 19 run*. « i- the first innings and three for 57 in - 'JM the geeond. In bowling strength, outside two strong stock bowlers. seem rather weak, and there is a sc; eity of change bowlers. Treadwell Bernau in best form could prob; manage whole Taranaki team. yond them Stevens seem® a rt change, but with the exception o: Burke, who has been expensive, none o: W|H the other members of the team have bowled with success this season. The following comparison shows th< performances to date of leading player®:—• BATTING. (Representative Eleven.) Higher Innings. Average. Score

LOCAL MATCHES. Gibson (Urenui) made a fine showfn* against Old Boys in the B grade com- fl petition la*; Saturday. Using a medium .slow leg break, he secured the remark- fl able result of seven wickets for 11 runs. The feature of the junior matches I was the defeat of School Aby Borougji J I Council, who are a much improved fl ream. The CouneiF® chief agent destruction was Hodges, who took wickets for :J2 runs in two innings, bowling good length breaks. Priar was fl a useful partner with the ball at the other end. .securing 7 wicket® for 49. In lhe junior competition Council and School B lead with 9 points each. School A have 6. and Old Boys and New Ply- J mouth have not yet opened up their account. Council have played one more ; match than the others, however, and j have the bye next Saturday, when the first round will be completed. j

SATURDAY'S CITY SCORES. No centuries were recorded in the cities last Saturday, but bowling averages were on the whole good. Following are the l>est performances:— Auckland. Batting: S. G. Smith (Ponsonby) 05, E. Horspool (Grafton) 60 not out. Mill® (Eden) 58 not out. Bowling: Cooper (Eden I, four for 21; Simpson (Eden), four for 39; Snedden (G*rafton), two for 14: Wilsdn (Grafton), three for 23; Coate® (North Shore), three for 14; Johnson (North Shore), four for 45. Wellington. Batting: MacKenzie (University) 64 not out. A. Morris (Kiibirnie) 55, C. Armstrong (Kilbirnie)) 51. Bowling: Beard (Hutt), six foi 27; VVa'tson (Hutt), six for 18; MeGirr (Hutt), six for 45; Massey (Institute). seven for 46: Collins (Old Boy®), five for 17;; Blundell (Old Boys), four for 12. Christchurch. —Batting: Brunton (St. Albans) 76. McEwan (Ea®t Christchurch) 65. Jarnett (West Christchurch) 64. Oliver (Sydenham) 59. Norrie (St. Albans) SS, Talbot (Linwood) 55. Stringer (East Christchurch) 52 not out, Booth (West Christchurch) 51, Guiney (Riccarton) 51.Bowling: Findlay (West Christchurch), eight for 67; Cunningham (Svdenham), six for 71: Read (Linwooa), ten for 116; Stringer (Ea®t Christchurch), six for 70. Dunedin. —No matches on account of rain. Auckland Assoeiaiion ha* decided to follow the lead of Wellington and appoint a permanent cricket coach, who to be paid a safary of about £5OO. He will be engaged in coaching primary and secondary schoolboys, young play--1 ers who have left school, and the Auckland representative team, prior to its matches. He will aUo take part in inter-club and interprovim-ial matches. Let us hope that it is.only a matter of time before New Plymouth will be in a position to make a similar move. It would do much for the .game.

Warren Bardsley’s outstanding baiting performance, he himself considers, was his two separate centuries in a Test match at the Oval on 1909, when he scored 136 and 130. He considers it bis greatest. He considers that his 124 runs made against Victoria, in Melbourne, on a bad wicket, in 1910. was his best effort in Sheffield Shield matches. In 1918, in the final between Glebe and Paddington, Bardsley scored 106 for Glebe, at Wentworth Oval, on an atrocious wicket. This, he consider®, was easily his best performance hl grade cricket. Several cricketers, when spoken to, described this innings as perhaps the greatest of hi® career. One I international said: “There is. and has ( been, only one Warren Bardsley, and ; only Bardsley could have played *u.-h an innings.”' Bardsley thinks that one lof his lx?st Itest inning® was in the last ; Test in 1912, when he scored 30 against «he great S. F. Barnes on a sticky wicket in England.

1. Hutchison . . 3 96 10«* 2. Stapleton . . 1 84 R4 3. Wood 4 82 138 4. Darby I 50 5fl 5. Orr 1 53 53 6. Stevens 4 24.8 39 7. IL London ... 3 14 32 8. Treadwell .. 3 12.3 22 9. Bernau 3 11.7 IS 10. Rnrfcp 3 8.3 20 11. Sewell I ~ 0 f (Not in the Team.) Orton 4 31 3S Waters 2 30 30 Holland 3 28.7 • 60 Hussey I Herd 3 •22 37 J Williams 4 29 ’Signifies not out. BOWLINS. Representative Eleven. \\ iekets tor Runs. A ver 1. Treadwell .... 8 35 4.4 2. Ber...iii 9 97 lO.b 3. Stevens 5 63 12.6 4. Burke • 6 192 32 (Not in the Eleven.) 1. Wiliams 9 05 7.2 •> 1 nr S • 5 : H.4 3. Hussey 4 48 IS 4. Holland 10 1«2 16.2 The winner of fha Taranaki-\V nuganui match has the right to chailean J Nelson for the Hawke Cup.