CRICKET SEASON OPENS

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1934, Page 3

CRICKET SEASON OPENS

HAWERA SYME CUP PLAY OLD BOYS A FIRST TO HOLD CUP. HAWERA B BEATEN IN FINAL. In a knock-out competition for a challenge cup donated under special conditions by Mr. George Syme, Old Boys A went through undefeated in three games against other Hawera clubs at King Edward Park on Saturday. Played in glorious weather, the tournament was a pronounced success and it is intended that the rules of play and the right to challenge by any other Hawera club will invest the competition with a good deal of interest and will form an. interesting addition to the ordinary competitions sponsored by the southern division of the Taranaki Cricket Association. As provided in the rules of the competition, each team'was allowed to bat for 40 minutes. Six ball overs were bowled, and three minutes, instead of the customary ten, were allowed between the change over of teams. Wides counted as two runs. Seven teams were entered and under such conditions play was extraordinarily keen and scoring, despite soft pitches which gave the spin bowlers a harvest, extremely fast. A wooden spoon of the tournament was won by Hawera Technical High School, which has the rjght to challenge any other club for a match and in the event of a win to hand it over. The rounds were won as follow:— First Round. Old Boys A beat Power Board by 51 runs to 37. Old Collegians beat Old Boys B by 74 to 64. Hawera A beat High School by 70 to 35. Hawera B a bye. Second Round. Hawera B beat Old Collegians by 68 to 29. Old Boys beat Hawera A by 70 to 45. Final. Old Boys A beat Hawera B by 60 to 47. Power Board was dismissed before time by Old Boys A, H. Barker, with five wickets, and Sturrock, with three, bowling to such good effect that Sargeson and extras top scored for the Board with 8 each. In reply, the Old Boys flogged the bowling to good effect, H. Barker hitting up 19 before retiring and R. Stevens scoring 11 in four scoring strokes. Crotty took two wickets and Lendrum and Hughes one each, six wickets only falling. Against unsteady bowling, Old Collegians opened out in fine style, scoring the largest total of the day against Old Boys B. Seiwood scored a brisk 18, McLean 13 not out, and Kemp and Mahon 10 each. Dowdle took four for 27 and Denholm the only other wicket bowled. In the reply, Dowdle was an inspiration with a smart 27, including five fours, but Walker was the only other batsman to reach double figures, scoring 12. McLean took five for 30 and Mahon two for 2. Apart from MacMillan and E. Kirkby, each not out with 11 and 10 respectively, High School failed to get going against Hawera A, deadly bowling by Sparrow being a primary reason. He took four for 1 in five overs, only the first of which was scored off. Big hitting by Bray and Des Forges, who scored 24 and 14 retired, soon made up the deficiency for Hawera A. Chiefly- due to a great stand by Fleet (25) and Kibblewhite (16) Hawera B knocked up the good score of 68 against Old Collegians in the second round. The running between the wickets of the pair was a revelation in skilful scoring. No other batsman reached double figures. Mahon took two for 10 and P. Wills, three for 31. Seiwood (10) was the only batsman to make a stand for Old Collegians and the, side’s total was a miserable 29. A. Stevens’ slows gave him six for 19 and Fleet, bowling well on the leg stump, took four for 10. Batting first against Old Boys A, Hawera A mustered 45, though the two top scorers, Skipper and Jennings, secured only eight each. Sturrock took three for 26 and Herbert one for 2. Old Boys had good practice in scoring 70, Sturrock and L. Duke both scoring 15 each for the top scores. Penny’s bowling average was the best, his three wickets costing 14 runs altogether.

OLD BOYS STRONG ALL ROUND. H. Barker came back as a bowler in the final against Hawera. B, taking three wickets for 11. Fleet with 10 and Stevens 11 not out were the only two to score double figures, and the side was dismissed for 47. Chiefly owing to a splendid innings by L. Duke for 29, Old Boys knocked up the .runs in quick style and had five down for 60 at the retirement. Fairweather took three for 16. The game showed the Old Boys side to be dangerous all round and several batsmen during the day appeared to be untroubled, by the necessity for rapid scoring. Though so early in the season, when practices have not yet seriously begun, the fielding was really good and it is to this as much as anything else that the team owed its success. The bowlers, certainly, had assistance from the pitch, but the majority employed by Barker kent ah immaculate length and discouraged wild hitting. In the competition for the wooden spoon, School, with two losses, was an easy winner. The boys did not appear to get going and though their fielding was keen, the bowling lacked sting and the batting was not up to the standard of the previous week. The spoon is a large wooden trophy which, when handed by Mr. H. R. Penny, president of the southern division, to MacMillan, the captain, was promptly handed over by him to the vice-captain for safe keeping. In presenting the two trophies, Mr. Penny announced that the cup and spoon competitions would be open during the-season and on any week night suitable, matches could be played.

PRACTICE AT KAPjONGA

VISIT OF STRATFORD TEAM. McLELLAND’S 73 IN 20 MINUTES. In a practice match against Kaponga at Kaponga on Saturday the Stratford cricket team was beaten by 72 to 57, but when, the teams decided that each would bat again for half an hour Kaponga made 66 and Stratford ran up 110, to which McClelland contributed 73, ob-: tained by a magnificent display in a little over twenty minutes. Stratford played over time for a while and finished with 140. Stratford’s opening effort was not marked by any outstanding work by the batsmen, Young’s 13 and Gatton’s 11 being the best. Harrison with three wickets for three runs, Burks, with two for nine and Foster with two for 10 kept the scoring down. Kaponga was a little better with 72, Foster, the tenth man, making 22 for top score. Dormer (13) was the only other double figure scorer. Stratford bowlers who made the best impression were Walker -three for 10, Young five for 12 and Hancock two for eight. . . . Kaponga was not so good in the limited time and totalled 66. There. again the bowlers had the better of it, the best men being McClelland three Young two for four and Gorringe on*s for six. Until then the game had been

merely a practice match, but Stratford’s second innings produced some very rapicl scoring in which Walker (20 retired), McLelland (73) and'Collins (14). were the bright lights. Walker opened with Barlow, who was run out. and was replaced by McLelland, who while he took some chances played a well judged innings and smashed at everything that looked amenable to reason.. He, hit four sixes in a row and then went on to alternate fours and sixes, with a few singles and a pair of twos interspersed.. There were six each of sixes and fours. Collins put three fours into his 14. Ihe Kaponga bowlers 'dismissed the rest fairly. easily. Burke took three for .13 and V. Betts two for 9. • ’ WAITARA SEASON OPENED. THURSDAY BEATS SATURDAY. The Waitara Cricket ‘ Club opened th* season on Sunday with a match between the Saturday and Thursday teams. Th* game was won by the Thursday team. by 120 runs to 95. " ; ' For the winners Pizzey, 52 retired, made the best score, with Jones and Bennett each 16,' and Collins 13. Nene of the others reached double figures. Th* best scorers for the Saturday side were Jupp 26, Attrill 24 and Gilmore ,13. Easton was the most successful bowler, taking six wickets for the Saturday, team. For the Thursday team Collins, Bowen, Soffe and Beckbessinger each secured two wickefs. ’' The pitch and . ground was in excellent order and all players werelocking forward to an enjoyable season. PRIMARY SCHOOL CRICKET. ' CENTRAL DEFEATS • WEST END. .- k • Central batted well against . West End on Saturday morning at Sanders Park, when it compiled 100 runs for five wickets. Leighton wielded his bat to som* effect to score 50, and Cleaver, 15 not out, Charteris, 12, and Bennett, 12, also batted well. West End against the bowling of Johnson and Mart if (tiled badly/ reaching only nine, Main scoring seven of the total. Elder was the best West End bowler. • i -

The points table is:— W. L..D. Pts. . . '.'Vig' ■ • ' Fitzroy' P. ... 5 3 ' 1* 1 7 Westown ... 4 2 2 1 5 Waitara .... 4 2 1 1 S Central . ... 4 . 2 1 15 West End ... 5 1 0 0. 2 ... 1 0 0 0 0