CRICKET.

Observer, Volume XXXVII, Issue 21, 27 January 1917, Page 10

CRICKET.

THE opening draw for the second round of senior grade matches wate comimenced v on Saturday last in beautiful weather. Parnell, who held the lead on completion of the first round, were pitted against Eden at Eden Park. Additional interest was centred in the match by the. fact that it marked the. first appearance in Auckland cricket of F. S. Middleton, who, up to a couple of years ago, was a very well known first grade player in Sydney. The wicket was not in first. class playing order, the surface being rather loose, causing the ball to rise awkwardly at times, while on other occasions it failed to rise at all. Eden, on winning the toss, took first strike, but the opening was disastrous, three wickets being down in as many overs, and only two runs scored. It was. not until BrookeSmith, started hitting out that Eden looked like making anything like a respectable total. After this player had scored twenty-four he had the misfortune to stop a bumpy one from Simpson with his wrist, and had to retire to have the injured member attended to. He resumed batting shortly afterwards, but could hardly use his left hand at all, and only added' two to his previous score before being clean bowled by Doble. Smith's accident was a most unfortunate occurrence for Eden, as he was practically the only batsman" who seemed quite at home to the bowlers. Rountree (2) showed one of those glimpses' of nice batting with which he only too seldom regales tfre spectators." He has all the attributes' of a great scoring bat, but, for some mysterious reason seldom attempts to play for keeps. Burton was batting very nicely, making some sweet off shots, when Doble scattered his stumps with a swerving yorker. The side could! only total 94 runs, five of the other batsmen being credited with cyphers. Doble, with four wickets for 13 runs, was the most successful trundler for Parnell, Simpson, three for 27, andl Anthony, two for 23, being the other wicket takers. W. Badeley kept wickets, vice Burns, who was unable to participate in the game, and proved himself quite a useful man behind the stumps. With coaching in this department, he .should make a first class "keep." Parnell's opening was not very auspijeiouisi, Breeze, Anthony, Middleton and Somervell being disposed of when one run was still required to complete the half-century. However, Simpson, who went in first wicket down, settled down to good steady batting, and played a really excellent innings for 61. He had the bad luck to be stumped almost on the call of time. asteistan.ee was lent by 0. Badetey (14) and Gedye (19). and when time was called the board showed 137 runs for eight wickets. The out cricket of Eden • was excellent at the start, but as soon as it was assured that Parnell would have a first innings lead the fielding became worse than slack. To use a colloquialism, their tails dropped. In consequence of this, the Parnell batsmen were able to score quite a number of runs- they should not have got.

At the best of times Ponsonby is a very lop-sided team, and when they had to face Grafton minus two of the reliables' —Worker and Sneddon—things looked rather black. Bowlers; Smith and McMath, however, put their shoulders to the wheel, andi between them disposed of Grafton for the. miserable total of fifty-eight runs. Of these, Beveridge accounted for 19, and was the only batsman to reach double figures. The remainder provided a sorry exhibition of senior cricket. Smith, in obtaining six wickets for 20 runs, was right at his best, and had every Grafton batsman thinking the whole time. He received valuable assistance from the fielders and wicket-keeper. McMath got three for 30. Alick Young made a reappearance for Ponsonby, and, with Cooper, opened, their innings. The.elongated one lashed hard and often for 23, and then failed in an attempt to hit one of Haresnape's slows out of the ground, and was clean bowled. Cooper showed some nice, strokes in compiling 24 rune, while Roberts was very dashing, and went for the bowling during his. stay at the wickets. He has. a nice free style, and his 39 last Saturday ought to give him encouragement. S. G. Smith was. top scorer with 43, and, as usual, played a most cautious game, absolutely declining to take any risks whatsoever until he had his ©ye well in. Murphy was lucky in that all his lifting shots kept clear of the field, and he is still unbeaten with 24 on the slate. With 193 for seven wickets, Ponsonby ought to get three points out of this, match. F. S. Middleton, who played first grade cricket for North Sydney, and was twelfth man in the 1913 New South Wales team, has. taken up his residence in Auckland. He has joined the Parnell Club, and, should he strike form, must prove a most welcome addition to that side. Although he did 1 not meet with any success in his first appearance oh. Saturday last, he has been showing excellent batting' form at the nets, and should make things- lively when he gets going in club cricket.