SOUTH TARANAKI CRICKET

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1931, Page 9

SOUTH TARANAKI CRICKET

INDIVIDUAL BATSMEN DO WELL.

BETTS AND CHEEVERS CENTURIES

The South Taranaki cricket competition was resumed last Saturday after an interval of two Saturdays. Some interesting play resulted and individual batsmen did well, two getting over the century. On the Hawera ground the more interesting of the two matches was that between Old Boys and Kaponga, Kaponga batted first, and it soon became apparent that Stan. Betts was in good form and provided some one could stay with him Kaponga would register a good score. With over ISO on the board the Kaponga skipper declared with Betts 107 not out. Old Boys were left a eporting chance to get the runs. To their credit, they went for the runs, and with P. Hayes in fine form, very nearly got there. Actually the whole ten wickets fell, but there appears to be some doubt as to w'hether time was up before the last wicket fell. As the matter may or may not be sub judice, no comment earn be made. Anyway, the match was good sport. Stan Betts played a very fine innings. He scores off most balls because he puts plenty of power into his defensive Strokes and opens his shoulders in driving. He made short work of short pitched offbreaks.

Pleasing as it was to see Bette do so well, one cannot help feeling that Hayes’, innings had more merit because he went in first and his side was in the position of having to overhaul a solid score and not merely stonewall play for a draw. Hayes has a very sound defence and lays on the wood when necessary. He had bad luck with a mishit and was cdught at 85. In addition to being a good bateman Hayes is a very safe and smart field at cover or in slips and, when he pitches them well up, a useful bowler. Old Boys A was somewhat handicapped in the Attack as Moloney was not fit. The field work of both teams was not very brilliant, and in some cases deplorable. On the adjoining pitch Strat/ord beat Hawera in a hollow manner. Batting first, Hawera was in trouble very soon. Kennedy seemed to have difficulty in judging F. Young’s deliveries and after snicking one for two was clean bowled. Youno- proceeded to trounce the batsmen, °mostly with an off break with some pace. His deliveries either left the batsmen standing or were poked up to eager fieldsmen, particularly Young senr., who at point did some very smart work-in fact, nothing better has been seen on the park for many a day. The Youngs, father and son, disposed of four batsmen, the eon bowling and his fa ther catching. In addition Young junr. got four other wickets.. The Stratford batsmen were presented with a few fours by loose bowling, and looser fieldin<r. The Hawera . men seemed unable to° bowl, bat or field. A bright patch was Kennedy’s catch at square leg—a high one that had to be jumped for and taken with one hand. Young West, aged 16, played a good innings for 18 not out and rather shamed his elder team mates. West,, who is a New Plymouth schoolboy, shows very great promise. He very rightly concentrates on the straight bat and he seems keener on defence than on attack. This is a good thing, for sound defence, is the first, thing to master and the time to do it te when the player is in his teens. It will be lasting. Moreover, the straight bat is essential in many scoring strokes. Stratford batsmen scored fairly freely but the bowling, with possibly the exception of. Nielsen’s, was very unsteady. It might pay the Hawera skipper ,to try Jennings more often and earlier for he sometimes turns the ball from leg, whereas most of the Hawera bowlers come from the off. Old Boys B had hard luck in not getting three pointe against Patea. They put on a big score for. the loss of three wickets (one retired) and just failed to gel the Patea team out twice.. The Patea team has some hard men to shift, and if the bowling was as good as, the batting the team would be much higher up°in. the list. Jack C’heevers retired after getting two over his century. Cheeverg found the bowling very much, to his liking and pasted it to the extent of nearly twenty fours and a six. W. Barker just failed to get, liis half-century. In the second innings Patea put some hard men well down in the batting order, with the result mentioned. Okaiawa cricketers are terrors on their own ground and collected an easy three points from High School. The match calls for little comment, though the success of Cousins (School) with the ball should • encourage his skipper te try again. It is a pity that School always seems to be unable to place its best team in the field in the holidays.

To-day’s fixtures are: Kaponga v. Okaiawa, at Kaponga; Old Boys A v.Stratford, at Stratford; Old Boys B v. Hawera, at Hawera; Patea v. High School, at Hawera.