CRICKET.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 29 December 1926, Page 8

CRICKET.

SHEFFIELD SHIELD MATCHES QUEENSLAND v. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. ADELAIDE, Dec. 28. Queensland, in the first innings made 251 (Bensted not out 20). Bowling—Halcombe 2 for 3”; Williams 3 for 66, Schneider 2 for 10. South Australia, .in the second innings, has lost six wickets for 432 (A. Richardson 232, Schneider 54, Gunn 63, Rymill 33, Alexander not out 17); A shower before the-sbart did not damage the wicket. The weather was fine for the remainder of the day. The opening pair. Richardson and Schneider, got going from the jump and rattled up the score at the rate cf over one per minute. AVitbin an hour Queensland tried five bowlers.

At the luncheon adjournment, the pair were still together with a score of 133. . When Schneider went, Gunn filled the, gnp and he and Richardson continued aggressive. Richardson was particularly-forcsfuL He made tiro sixes and two fours ih one over. Numerous changes of bowling had no effect, on the rapid scoring. , > Richardson reached 200 in SOo minutes, after a let off at 88 and he survived aft appeal for a catch at 211. At the tea adiouriiment, the scor* stood at 1 for 329. ~ Eventually Richardson was fimHcaught, tv Gill off a long drive. Kb batted 222 minutes. His display was one of his finest performances. It. included four sixes and 22 fours. ' Gunn and P'-mi'T made the bowling look poor. The fielding was good.

VICTORIA’S RECORD-BREAKING SCORE.

HISTORICAL INTEREST IN THE PLAY. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z.-.COble Association. ■ (Received December 28 10.40 B'.m.) MELBOURNE, December 28. i i ll tlle fil 'st innings made 110/ (Ponstord 352, Hendry 100, Ryder ' 205, Hartkopf 61, Liddicutt 36, Ellis > r Iff 63, Blackie 27 not out). ' The match will go down in history : ' n '< as the breaker of a whole series of fe- I ' - '.* > cords, and especially as establishing a- ~ world’s record score, which previously" :~' .stood at 1094 made by Melbourne Uni- - 1 : versity against Essendon in 1887. This ; was, however, only a minor niatch. i : The not outs, Ponsford (334) and : Hendry (86) resumed the innings in fine cool '.weather, on a wicket which, despite heavy wear, was. good. After playing himself in, Hendry got busy and quickly brought up .his century, making the partnership a second wicket record for Victoria m Sheffield Shield matches. The next ball to Hendry ended a fine ..innings, being smartly taken in slips by Morgan olf Mailey. Ponsford, who was now 340, welcomed Ryder’s by notching the 600th • run of the innings, which had then lasted 350 minutes. Ponsford, batting steadily, reached his 350 in 359 minutes. He brought his wonderful'effort to an end two- runs later, in trying to drive Morgan to the off. The batsman pulled the ball into the wicket. His score included twenty-four fours. Though he failed by 13 Y-uns to : reach Clefn Hill’s record, Ponsford is the only Australian to get twice into the third century in first class cricket. • ,

Ryder, joined by Hartkopf, continued to make the pace merry, and the seventh century was reached in 423 minutes, and tho smashing of two more Victorian records followed. The pain made history by putting up the third partnership of 1.00 in one innings, and Ryder, by scoring a century, was responsible for the first occasion on which Victoria, scored four centuries in an innings. Frequent changes of bowling failed to cheek the rate of scoring, and the eighth century was posted in 479 minutes. Ryder with a mighty swipe drove Andrews out of ground, bringing his tally to 150, the last fifty-five taking thirty-two minutes. He was badly missed at 135, by Hatcliffe off Mailey. The next record in matches between New South Wales and Victoria, to be passed was 815, to the. credit of New South Wales, and the partnership was ended by McQuirk taking, i hot chauce given by Hartkopf off Mailoy. Tho partnership added 177 runs. Ryder , and Liddicut, taking every advantage of the tired bowling aiid fielding, carried the total to 900 in 517 minutes, the last fifty runs coming in 16 minutes, and the last hundred m 38 mittutet. Their effort added eighty-ohe in thirtyfive minutes. After Liddicut played■ McQuirk on, Ellis helped to bring the - score to 918, the highest ever previously made in a Shield match in 1900 by New-;.; South Wales against South Australia. One thousand 'appeared on the board for 547 minutes batting, Ryder s contribution being 263, including three ,?ixes. . He continued to score with splendid force and rapidity,ably baokedjby Ellis, till caught by Kippax off Andrews ' The spectators were, keyed up to the great pitch of excitbment, as record after record was broken, the feat was greeted with tremendous cheenrig, and tho batsmen were accorded flit ovation at the close of play. Q _ “ Mailoy took .4 wickets for 362, Andrews 2 for 148, Morgan, 1 for 137, McQuirk 1 for 130, McManeCf) for m. Throe other bowlers were tried, .without-, result, excepting badly Spoiling their averages. •

PONSFORD’S MASTERLY DISPLAY “SCARCELY A. FAULTY STROKE.” By Cable —Tress Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. MELBOURNE Dec..2B. Ronsford’s score is the highest recorded in the Sheffield games between New South Wales and Victoria, and also tho highest individual Score for 4 ictoria in the Sheffield series. . The total in the partnership With Woodfull is also a first wicket Sheffield record. , , , Although the howling was below tit* usual New South Wales standard; Ponsford’s display was funstefly. He gave no actual chance, scarcely making a -Sjiulty stroke.

THE SMALL BALL. SUGGESTION ALL “BUNKUM.” Ey Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and N.2. Cable Association. MELBOURNE, Dec. 28. Crockett, the well known Victorian umpire, returned from a visit to England. He declared that- the suggestion to decrease the size of the cricket ball was all bunkum. It seemed quit* certain to be reduced, but the alteration proposed would be scarcely noticeable. Obviously the object was to assist the bowlers and shorten matches, hut he doubted whether it would do this. .