NOTED ’KEEPER

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1935, Page 14

NOTED ’KEEPER

w. HAWKSWORTH, OTAGO COMING TO NEW PLYMOUTH HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP It is to be hoped that when Dr. W. (“Bill”) Hawksworth arrives at New Plymouth after the Christmas holidays, to take up an appointment at the New Plymouth Public Hospital, he can be prevailed upon to don the wicket-keep-ing gloves and pads once again. From 1929 to 1933 he was behind the stumps regularly for the Otago Plunket Shield team, but he has not kept wickets since owing to possible injury to his hands. It is not known to which club Hawksworth will belong, but in any case a wicket-keeper of his standard will be a distinct gain to Taranaki cricket. Hawksworth learned his cricket at Nelson College, playing in the first eleven against New Plymouth Boys’ High School in 1928. He began his ’Varsity medical course in 1929 and was wicketkeeper in the Otago team in 1929-1930 and the three successive seasons before he relinquished that position. He has continued to play club cricket, however, and for six years has played senior for the Carisbrook and University clubs. Besides his prowess as a wicketkeeper the Otago man is also proficient at other sports. He played one season in the backs for *Varsity B in the senior Rugby competitions and last year with his brother Phil won the Otago doubles badminton championship. It is in his cricket, however, that Hawksworth lias achieved the most fame. In addition to his excellence behind the stumps he is a good medium-fast bowler and a solid batsman. Hawksworth was .associated with Roger Blunt in December, 1931, in what is probably the most memorable partnership in Plunket Shield cricket, when Blunt made his huge score of 338 not out. Otago played Canterbury in the Christmas holiday period and,, batting first, made 161. Canterbury followed with 472, to which M. L. Kerr contributed 89, A. W. Roberts 77, R. O. Talbot 77, I. B. Cromb 51 and Lester 42. Facing a first innings deficit of 311 Otago had an uphill battle but the story, of the two stands made by Blunt, first with F. T. Badcock and then with Hawksworth, is now history. Badcock made 105 before he went out and none of! the others could stay with Blunt until Hawksworth joined him at the fall of the ninth wicket. It seemed inevitable that the match must finish within the afternoon/ but Hawksworth was at the wicket for the sole purpose of keeping his end up while Blunt, who was playing the game of his life, did the scoring. Hawksworth defended his wicket so well that at the end of the day the score stood at 555 for 9, Blunt being 315 not out and Hawksworth undefeated with 16 to his credit.

The innings closed next morning at 589, Hawksworth being dismissed l.b.w. by Bill Merritt for 21, while Blunt was still unconquered with the stupendous score of 338 not out. Canterbury eventually won, securing the necessary 278 runs for the loss of seven wickets. - That was a good season for Hawksworth. Otago played Auckland at the New Year and although he contributed only 13 not out to the Otago score of 347 he was largely responsible for the dismissal of Auckland * for 200. He caught H. G. Vivian, G. L. Weir and T. Lyon behind the wickets and stumped P. E. Whitelaw, all for small scores. Otago made only 198 in the second innings but Auckland, set 346 to make to win, could produce only 238, the dangerous Weir again being caught by Hawksworth.