CRICKET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11948, 6 March 1917, Page 7

CRICKET.

CIIY MID SOBUBBAN ASSOGIATIOM. (By " MTD-OFF.") With the conclusion of Saturday's games Rangers have practically won the Senior competition, as they are now 3 points. ahead of Drmds and have already had their bye. which the law ter team take nest Saturday and the following week. With the disposal of Rix the experts on the boundary lino came to the conclusion that the matchwas as good as over, although a slight glimmer of hope appeared when Spicer settled down, but unfortunately ho had no one to stay with him, and he carried his bat for a well-played 27 not out. His performance was quite the best lie has given this season, and his running between the wickets was an example that might be copied to advantage by other members of the various clubs. Perhaps the best exponent of* this art of sneaking short runs is Egan, of the Rangers, who 15 a past) master in judging, but unfortunately, lie does not always possess a partner a.3 quick as himself, and disastrous results are the outcome of his experiments. Summing up the Rangers andi Druids match, there is no doubt the better team won, as Druids- had several weak spots. For instance, with Andrews and Laugford dismissed, there\ was only Rix who could really bo relied on to make runs, and he was beaten by Egan after making one rim. Then, a Win, in bowling Rix and Spicer are very similar in style. Both bowl a slow Break. Then there aro Woods, Andrews and Bellamy. Perhaps Andrews is the best of the three all round, as Woods and Bellamy are only useful, in breaking up a partnership. Andrews, jun., went right off on Saturday, and was nothing to be compared to thq previous week. In Rangers the batting strength consists of Hooper, Forsyth, Mills. Black. M-atson and Egan, and Duggan can generally be relied on for about twenty. In howling I do not suppose any team in Suburban cnekot ever a pair of bowlers as Black and Egan. They are totally different, Black being a fast straight bowler and Egan a. slowbreak bowler. There is no doubt that these two were a considerable factor m winning the match, as Egan got three of the Druids' wickets by heady bowliug- . , t With 27 on for two wickers Langinrd (24) and Snooks (1) faced the bowling of Esan and Black, but the latter only added six to his score when he was caught, by Black off Egan, who was bowling splendidly. R-ix followed, but Egan boat him' badly for 1. Spicer came next and play livened up a little, but Snooks was caught by Duggan soon after for 14. Bellamy carried the score along and ho and Spicer gave the most lively innings so far in the game. But Egan. was 011 the job and beait Bellamy badly, and the score rend six for 54, which did not look too promising for Druids. Spicer kept pegging away, but. the remaining batsmen could not stand up to the bowling and the wickets fell'quickly. Anderson got .1 b w to Egan. Grose and Groshan soon fell victims to the same bowler, who finished, up with, the fine figures of eighth for 4(3. Matson secured the last wicket, and the innings closed for 105»' This practically l ended; 'the match, but Rangers played Itheir second inning?. and made 10(3. although none of the, batsmen were very serious. ..and the innings closed for 100 at twenty past five.

Druids went in for half an hour, but fho idea of malting the requisifte number of runs in the time was absurd. Rix and Langford had 'lO on for no wickets at six o'clock, although' the Bangers' bowling was easy ami it was evident that the bowlers were not seri-

The other senior match, ended in a. groat surprise, as P.M.C.A. achieved tho unique distinction of winning the match after being all'out for S runs in ithe first innings with only five men. batting in the first innings and six in the second.

Belfast-, who had 47 in the first innings, set out to make the 79 required. to win, but with tho exception of A. Wilson 25 and Moore If) Ithe scoring was; rosy little better than Y..M.C.A. ! & first .attempt, as the total reached only fit, leaving Y.M.C.A. the victors by 18 runs. Smith (three for 21) and Brosnahan. bore, the brunt of the bowling for Y.M.C.A., but Warren came on late in tho innings and made a dramatic finish. His figures wero three balls, two wickets, no runs. f hero wero some good scores in the Druids A v. B match all round, C Hales topping the list with 120 and L. Hales making 04 in the A team on tho first dayj and Ba.rtlo.tfc 45, Henwood 38 and Shnmpton 32 in the B team on tho second day. The A team, who won by an innings and 16 runs, put up the fine score of 311, the B team totals being 120 and 170. St Albans had no difficulty in beating Boys' Gordon Hall, as with a lead or 58 on j,he first innings they declared with 152 for eight wickets In the second venture, R. Winter batting well for 79, F'elton 23, and Stewart 15 not cut.

B.G.H. could only make 78 against Fekon's trawling, bis- figures reading five for 22. Fraser 32 and Hilgrove 25 wore the only ones to make a stand, tho rest of the team, only making 17. These two matches complete the first draw of the second grade, and leave Green's leading with 21 points, St Albans 18, Dunstable 12, Druids A 12, Poys* Gordon Hall 9, Templeton 6, Druids 86. Next week Green's will meet Druids A, St Albans will meet Dunstable, and Templeton will play 8.G.0., and tbo final matches will be Green's v. St Albans, Druids A v. Dunstable, Templeton v. Druids B. In the third grado there will be two more matches except in the case of a tie, and th e points are. now—Boys' Gordon Hall 18, Marists 16, St Paul's 12, Druids .1.0, so that the match next Saturday between B.G.H. and Marists should be particularly interesting.