KEEN, STEADY ATTACK

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1934, Page 9

KEEN, STEADY ATTACK

FEATURES OF CUP MATCH TARANAKI FIELDING ALERT. SEVERAL FINE CATCHES TAKEN. HARPUR’S 21 MAIDEN OVERS. A keen and steady attack in spite of adverse fielding and bowling conditions was the predominant feature of the Hawke Cup challenge match commenced between Rangitikei and Taranaki yesterday. The Taranaki fielding again proved alert and sound, each man playing his part at a satisfactory standard. The catch by which Larkin, fielding close in on the on side, dismissed Harpur was a brilliant effort at full length, and deserving of the applause that greeted it. Kirwin claimed Hayward’s wicket with a. very fine catch. Nasmith's delivery, pitching the best part of a foot outside the off stump, nipped sharply away from the , bat’s edge, and the Old Boys representative took the catch almost from-the turf at full length. There was no position in the field in which Taranaki' suffered by comparison with cup defenders in other matches. Norman. Giddy, sole Country representative in the eleven, did not stand in the shadow of any town fieldsman. His allround ability should prove a valuable asset for many years in Taranaki cricket. B. B. Wilson, English coach in Taranaki a few years ago, once prophesied, “Norman Giddy will be big in big cricket. Mark my words!” “Benny” knew his cricket Biggar inspired confidence behind the stumps. He did not aspire to the spectacular, for even to bdwlers of just above medium pace he took, stance a few yards back, but his work was generally of a high standard. Anticipation and superb handling gave him Cameron’s wicket, two yards wide of the leg side, while his solidity was a barrier against which “Mr. Extras” gave a dismal display. Three wickets must be accounted a meritorious day’s work for any wicket-keeper, especially as one of the victims, Cameron, is a consistent compiler of big scores. HAMPERED BY GREASY BALL. Thankless is the task of the bowler to whom is allotted the task of “rocking them down” under adverse conditions. Christensen and Kirwin handled a greasy ball on a wicket without “devil” as well as one could expect. Betts bowled finely, and Nasmith effected a separation of a prolific partnership when he disposed of Hayward. The Nemesis of Rangitikei’s innings was Parkinson. . With sound, judgment he delivered off break, swinger, yorker and straight through ball, and though an occasional shot found its way to the fence and once over it, his figures speak for themselves —15 overs, five maidens, six wickets and 40 runs. He and Kirwin are a formidable pair in slips, their only error being a tendency to crowd by standing a little too close. Parkinson is an indefatigable field; a crowd pleaser in all departments indeed. Donner displayed judgment in his handling of the bowling, and no batsman was permitted the luxtiry of bowling that would allow for long easy run-getting. His “picking” of Wysocki’s weakness on the leg and instructing Parkinson accordingly, as well as his field arrangement kept the batsman guessing even if it did not accomplish his dismissal. If Taranaki fielded and bowled under difficult conditions Rangitikei, ■ too, faced its problems in the match. Across the park sportsgrouhd rolled banks of thick fog that rendered visibility extremely poor at times, and the batsmen’s uncertainty was patent. Wysocki, a left-hand-ed son of patience, placed a broad blade in the path of innumerable balls, and would surely have roused the ire of a sparse morning attendance but for a realisation that the light was poor and the Taranaki attack “dipping into” the supply of batsmen. In the whole of the visiting eleven there was but one who treated his blade as a weapon of skilled of- . fence, and “Bill” Hayward’s success was especially pleasing to those who recall the youngster associated with the New Plymouth High School eleven. J. Marshall, the opening bat, combined good defence with attacking shots and was exceedingly unlucky to be picked up so smartly off his only mis-shot. H. Towers, last man in, played as the tailender should. A six over the bank brought his total along, but the ball that shattered his wicket was a “trimmer.” FINE BOWLING PERFORMANCE. One of the finest bowling performances seen for some time on Pukekura Park was Harpur’s contribution to the day s cricket—32 overs, 21 of them maidens. What a perfect length! Four maidens in succession were twice repeated. He was easily the cream of the Rangitikei attack. Low, the giant of the team, bowling a slow ball out of all proportion to his height, kept a steady length and pitch, costing only 16 runs for his 14 overs. The fielding was smart and keen but throw-ins were not in the best of style. Low in the slips was- brilliant, he stopping everything that went his way. He took a left-handed catch as though he was plucking it out of mid-air. Quick pick-ups, smart stoppings-and then a wild throw out of the reach of the bowler or ’keeper cost Rangitikei several runs. The Barker brothers with a display of solid, stylish cricket against fresh bowlers at the peak of their effectiveness justified the selectors’ confidence in their ability. W. Barker was beaten with a ball that the world’s finest batsman would not be ashamed of missing. It swung back from the middle stump and took. the leg. H. Barker was taken with a brilliant one-handed low catch in slips by Low. Betts was stylish, gareful or aggressive just as the kind of ball merited. His was a chanceless innings, masterly to a degree and placing him in the first flights of Hawke Cup batsmen. W. Dormer, playing more freely than usual and losing some of his habitual crouch, gave a display of batting that placed Taranaki ahead and in a position of command. It was a captain’s innings. With Giddy still in and with Biggar, Larkin and Parkinson, all big run-get-ters, still to come, the chances look exceedingly rosy for another grand total by Taranaki.