OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume XXXV, Issue 13, 5 December 1914, Page 10

OUT DOOR SPORTS

CRICKET.

[By Harkier.]

THE third series of matches under the auspices of the Auckland Cricket Association were concluded on Saturday, wins being secured by Eden A., North Shore and Grafton. As marking the close of the second round the day was one of i>oor scoring, the best performances with the bat being: Heighway (Eden A.), 65; Blair (Eden B.), 85; Sale (Eden B.), 53; Young (Waitemata), 51; Anthony (Parnell), 41. Pon son by tasted their first defeat going under to North Shore by 43 runs. AH matches were won on the first innings only, although Eden A. made a big attempt for a threepointer against Parnell. Grafton declared closed with the record score of 445 for seven wickets. With such a score the chances of a three-point win seemed very hopeful. Waitemata replied with 139, the only batsmen to get going being Young, 57, and Baker, 38. This pair put on 87 runs for the second wicket, adding the brightest incident of the innings. Young was in big hitting form, for included in his total were ten fours. Bowling for Grafton, Harvey came out with an average cf fiye wickets for 31, J. Baker two wickets for 29, and E. Horspool two wickets for 30. Horspool in his efforts sent down seven consecutive maiden overs. Waitemata followed on and at the call of time had five wickets down for 71. A three-point loss was thus averted. Satchell was the only batsman to get going and compiled 49 in nice style. The remaining batsmen only knocked up 23 between them. Harvey again proved the destroying element and secured three wickets for 28. E. Horspool got one for 20. For the third time this season University were victors in a close finish and for the third time the unlucky Eden B. found themselves with a few runs on the debit side. Thirty runs judiciously placed among' the three matches would have been enough to give the B.s a clear lead of the field at the present time. Blair and Sale resumed their unbroken partnership and both played sound, careful cricket till the 100 runs were made. Blair's game then fell off somewhat and he was also let off sometimes by the field. Sale was first to go, for with the total at 120 Mulgan was given the ball and he proved the destroying element getting Sale with a ball that was just touched. With only 70 to get and seven wickets in hand the game looked good for Eden. Mulgan proved to be in irresistible form and he mowed down four more wickets in as many overs. It was not until Honeycombe came that Blair got any satisfactory support. With a mixture of rashiness and caution the newcomer began with effective cricket and the scores were creeping close. Mulgan was growing tired with the ball, but Walker taking a third trial at the other end, made an efficient substitute and succeeded in bringing Blair's long innings to a close. The colt was obviously feeling the strain and after one or two reckless shots fairly threw his wicket away in attempting a four.

Then Honeycombe softly hit a full toss back to "Walker, and with one man away Eden B. were beaten by 14 runs. Blair's 85 was a peculiar innings. If c gave at least five e : as,y chances, yet played sound, cricket in between. He has a .variety of strokes of which the off drive and cut bellind point are the best. Sale played a watchful, restrained innings and never looked like getting out on the second day. His innings was an excellent model for the youngster at the other end. Mulgan folowed iin his batting siieeese with a brilliant piece of bowling, keeping a fine length and a fair pace. Ho occasionally broke filightlv from the off and seemed to have that extra nip which makes all the difference between success and failure. It was easily the best form Mulgan has shown with the ball in Auckland.. The rest of the 'Varsity Ixnvling was steady but not difficult. Their catching was below form. This win puts University level with Eden A. in the lead for the championship. Ponsonby failed signally in their efforts to reach North" Shore's total of 152 and suffered defeat for the first time this season. With 80 runs to get and five wickets to fall their prospects seemed very bright but unforseen obstacles in Howden'e bowling and the unsatisfactory state of the wicket very soon settled the question in Shore's favour. Woods was settling down when Howden bowled him with an over pitched straight ball which the batsman played all round. N. C. Sneddon opened very cautiously and had not got going when he was stumped r>ff a leg break from Howden. the ball turning in a foot. Osborne shaped really well _ and was unfortunte in falling a victim to a bad l.'b.w. decision from Howden. The ball was pitched outside the leg stump and hit the batsmen in thp stomach, so it is hard +o see on what grounds umpire Frater gave his decision. The others went in and out and innincs closed for 109—43 short of Shore's total. Howden secured the remarkably food figures of seven wickets for 99. His length left nothing to be desired and he varied his pace with effect. Shore went to the wickets a.ocaiu could do little better than their o"T>onents the whole side totalling 126. J. Howie is a much improved Vn-hsman. H«> showed the only sound defence of his side and has a nice variety of scoring strokes. Howden put together 24 in as ninny minutes. L. Dacre, fresh from the country, contributed a sparkling 18. Tim reminder offered little or no r°sifitarice to the bowling of McMnth, Wright arid' Mason. McMath bowled in rare form. His 1R overs realised five wickets for 39 rune. He kept a steady length and swung across from the off. Wright, two for 4, and Mason, two for 25, secured the last four wickets between them. N. C- Snedden bowled ten overs for 13 runs, but met with no success. The innings concluded at 5.40. The caretaker of the Shore ground cannot 'be commended for the wicket lie prepared for the match. On both Saturdays, particularly on the last, it was evident that a little more rolling would have been of more benefit. The smallness of the scores —37 was the highest individual score of the match—and the corresponding big bowling averages are sufficient evidence that the wicket was not what it should have been. One cannot understand the reason of it because the caretaker has few wickets to prepare and has .' good material for the building up of these wickets. Perhaps they do nat always receive a conscientious preparation.

In the Eden A.-Parnell match Parnell continued batting with four wickets down for 98. Wickets fell rapidly before the bowling of Cummings' and the innings closed for 132. The Eden fielding was very good, the catch by Taylor that dismissed Breeze being a very fine one. Cummings was easily the best of the bowlers. He kept a good length and occasionally tunned one back from the off. He obtained five wickets for 12 runs on Saturday, making a total of six for 30 in the innings. Eden A. batted a second time and rattled up 102 for five wickets in very quick time. Henius then declared and set Parnell the task of netting 178 runs in an hour and a half. Hemus, 27, batted steadily, but with none of his old fire. He seems short of practice. Heighway, 65, played a very good innings and hit vary hard. He has not been favoured with much luck lately but on Saturday he gave a taste of what he can do. Ryan was the most successful /bowler for Parnell getting three wickets for 6 runs. Gihnore was out in rather a peculiar way. He snicked one from Fairburn very low to the wicketkeener (Burns) who just managed to hold the catch between his feet. Parnell gave a very sorry exhibition in the second innings, losing seven wickets for 92. Only Anthony 34 not out, and Fairburn. 26, could do anything with the bowling. Anthony started off very well, although handicapped by a damaged thumb and as the wickets fell he attempted to play too carefully and several times was nearly out. Fairburn scored his runs ouickly and was finally stumped by Rowntree in attempting to hit Mills. L. Bennett was the most successful bowler, getting three wickets for 3 runs. He swung a good deal from leg and kept a good length. Eden A. will be fully tested next week when they meet Ponsonbv and although Ponsonby collapsed on Saturday a good game may be expected as the teams are very evenly matched. When one remembers it is le<?s than a month now before Auckland's first Interprovincial fixture takes place and that the representatives who will wear her colours promise to be as weak as last season, more than a little surprise must be expressed at the inaction of Messrs Clayton. Sale and Lusk upon whose shoulders rests the responsibility of appointing Auckland's chosen. Fourteen or fifteen players should have been set aside for the serious work of practice at least a week ago. The office of the selectors is no sinecure under the best of conditions, for a certain amount of work with its attendant worry is estailed in the selection of a team. This season the work will be greater than usual and for this reason alone players should have been put in practice ere this. As far as an opinion can be formed upon the displays already shown it must be agreed on all sides that Auckland is strong in batting and lamentably weak in bowling. Whether the batting is strong solely on account of the weak bowling is a moot point. On present indications that seems to be a fair explanation. Taking a glance through the long list of batsmen we find the following players who must claim attention:—L. G. Taylor, Henius, N. C. Snedden, MacCormack, Sale, Brooke-S'mith, Anthony, Cummings, Horspool and Worker. In spite of the fact that Wilson, A. Young, F. A. Taylor, Howie, Breeee, Caradus and Shepperd have been getting runs, it will be bard to go outside the ten players first mentioned, both from the view points of form and experience. The next department, bowling, presents more difficulty. There is a great number of bowlers who. meet with some measure of success each

week, but very few of these can be said to come up to rep. standards Among the most successful we find Howden, F. A. Taylor, Honeycombe, Harvey, Mulgan, Somervell. N. 0. Sneddon, Cummings, and Anthony have Ixorne the brunt of the bowling in their respective clubs and the list is complete. Here we have bowlers not so much of quality as of variety. Rountree and Tattersall will both have to be considered for the position of wicket-keeper when the final selection is made. If these players were put into practice during the week and bound down to a stipulated timetable we would find that at 'Xmas time the province would be worthily represented by players well trained in all departments of the game. Only by these means will the players be capable of upholding the prestige of Auckland cricket.