CITY AND SUBURBAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16987, 10 March 1923, Page 8

CITY AND SUBURBAN.

The final round of matches was commenced this afternoon in fiue weather and on good wickets. ST ALBANS v. UPPER RigCARTON. St Albans batted first against Upper Riocarton at Sydenham Park, and have made 104 (E. Andrews 37). 8T ALBANS. First Innings. C. Dobbs, b Mackie 1 P. Andrews, b .Mackie . . . .14 E. Andrews, b Mackie . - . .37 E. Colville, b Mackie . . . . - 0 R. Winter, b Mackie 7 C. Winter, b Mackie .... 0 C. Butcher, b Dibden . . . .5 W. M’Gill, c Olson b Dibden ... 1 R. Purdom, b Maokie - . • 13 R. Stammers, not out .... 5 J. Carrington, b Mackie .... 4 Extras 17 Total 104 Bowling analysis.—A. Mackie. eight for 40; A. Olsen, none for 21; T. Dibden, two Cor I*2. GREENS v. WOOLSTON. Greens took first strike against Woolston. and have lost two wickets for 96 (J. Woods 40, Morris 32 not out). GREENS. First Innings. W. Lawson, not out 14 J. Woods, b Worm 11 40 R. Langford, b Worrall .... 0 B. Morris, not out . . . . .32 Extras 10 Total (for two wickets) . . 96 M.C.C. V. VICTORIA. ENGLAND’S POOR SCORE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cabla Association. MELBOURNE, March 9. The weather was ideal and the wicket fast for the match between Victoria ana the M.C.C. team. There was an attendance of 3000. The early batsmen made a poor display and repeatedly fell into tho oil theory trap. Five out of the first six batsmen were caught in the slips. Ryder was smart there Liddicut had a good length, and at one stage had the record of four wickets for eight runs. Wallace was very fast. Eight men lost their wickets in feeling for the ball. Chapman caught Woodful beautifully low down in the slip. The score of England in their first innings was 70. The Victorians passed the Englishmen's total after an hour’s batting, the good length bowling at the start demanding caution by the batsmen. The Love-Pons-ford partnership put on 125 runs in ninety-seven minutes. Ponsford was smartly stumped. He scored eix fours and made many excellent, off drives, his innings being chanceless. Love, when 97, hit the ball hard to cover and ran foolishly. Chapman returned beautifully to tho wicket-keeper. Ryder sacrificed his wicket. He ran only when he saw it was hopeless for Lovo to get back. The Englishmen joined in tho applause at his unselfishness. Love reached the century in 141 minutes. He made a" neat display, and registered When stumps were drawn Victoria had lost three wickets for 189. Following were the scores':— ENGLAND. First. Inning 6. Hill-Wood, o Ryder b Wallace . . j« Titchmarsh. c Ryder b Liddicut . . 3 CaJthorpe. b Wallace 20 Chapman, c Ryder b Liddicut . . 6 Lowry, o Woodful b Liddicut ... 5 Wilson, c Ellis b Wallace . . . 16 Maclean, c Woodful b Liddicut . . 0 Hartley, lbw b Wallace .... 3 Brand, o Ryder b Wallace ... 2 Gibson, not out 3 , Freeman, c Ryder b Wallace 0 Extra 6 ....... 4 Total 70 Bowling analysis.—Wallace, 15 overs, 1 maiden. 50 runs, 6 wickets; Liddicut, 3 5 , overs, 5 maidens, 16 runs, 4 wickets. VICTORIA. First Innings. j Woodful, c Chapman b Gibson . . 6 ‘ Loye. not out 105 Ponsford, st Maclean . . . .62 * Ryder, run out .... .11 L park, not out 4 1 Extras . . . . . . l * Total for three wickets . . 189 TO-DAY’S PLAY. 1 (Received March 10. 3.30 p.m.)

MELBOURNE, March 10. The weather was fine and the wicket good. Victoria have lost three wickets for 200 (Love, not out, 158; Park, not out, 47). SOME STRAY NOTES. The small score of 70 runs made by MacL&ron’s English eleven against Victoria yesterday on a fast wicket and under ideal weather conditions, came as something of a shock to New Zealand followers of the game. It is not surprising to note that fiv? out of the first six batsmen were caught in the slips, it appears that finally missed in this manner. Of this number, Hyde accepted five catches and Woodful two. From the cabled report one gathers that there must have been some brilliant fielding in this match. Chapman took a smart catch in the slips as well as being responsible for a smart return to the wicket-keeper, which ended in Ryder’s dismissal. Ryder’s achievement of five catches in the slips is an exceptionally creditable one, and is must almost approach a record for first-class cricket. I A. E. Eiddicut, who captured four wickets for 15 runs for Victoria, was a member of Vernon Ransford’s Australian eleven which toured New Zealand the season before last. Whilst on this side of the Tasman, Liddicut met. with much success with both bat and ball, and he has apparently improved very much since his return to Victoria, as when he was over here he was about twelfth man for his State, while to-day he is one of its leading all-round players. The Canterbury Cricket Association liad a veritible ‘‘ scrap ” last evening over the question of the re-arrange-ment of the junior competition. With several teams in the two grades almost level, the Competitions Committee saw a difficulty ahead in the way of reacting finality in this grade. * Acting in what they considered to he the best interests of all concerned, they decided that a knock-out competition was the best way to overcome the difficulty, and so drew the teams accordingly.

Their action raised a protest from the 1 jin wood Club, and the matter was thrashed out at a special meeting of the association. A resolution was passed which Messrs Simpson and Luttrell, chairman and secretary respectively of the Competitions Committee, took as a vote of no confidence, and both immediately intimated their intention of resigning from the committee. There then ensued a lengthy discussion after which this resolution was rescinded and another one carried confirming the action of the committee, but stating that in future years «. definite procedure should he outlined at the beginning of the season. When this last resolution was carried things remained “ as they were.” and Messrs Simpson aud Puttrel smilingly announced that theirs services would be available to the Competions Committee for the remainder of the season, but they were anything but keen on the job in. future. There is general indignation in cricket circles over the attitude taken by a certain Wellington newspaper on the winning of the Phinket Shield by ' Canterbury. In his article, which heads “ Do They Play the Game ix

Canterbury the writer hints in unmistakable ts us that the caretaker at Lancaster K 'k watered the wicket during the proglviss of the The writer also asserts that on too occasions this season complaints have been made by teams visiting Christchurch that water was put on the wicket a l Lancaster Park on each occasion Roger Blunt has made a century. A poor compliment this is to a firstclass batsman—one of the best in the Dominion at the present day. and on* .capable of making a century against better bowling than the \> ellington province can produce. Likewise a poor compliment to the brilliant partnershin and splendid uphill fight made by Patrick and Blunt at a stage when the game looked a foregone conclusion. Bv his attack—obviously under cover—the writer has placed the groundsman at Lancaster Park (Mr H. Vagg) in an awkward position, and such direct hinting as this might make it extremely difficult for him to obtain a higher position as a groundsman, should he ever desire to do so. The Sydenham Club brought its four nights’ bazaar to a conclusion last evening, and the results financially will no doubt enable the club to greatly improve their wickets at Sydenham Park. The lack of interest taken in the function by cricketers generally, and especially by some of the club s own members, is to be much deplored. Other clubs which intend to hold similar functions can scarcely expect tj receive the Sydenham Club’s patronage when they withheld their support from the praiseworthy effort just concluded. The senior competition as it stands to-day is full of possibilities. Linwood are leading with fourteen points, and then come Sydenham and West Chris; - church with eleven each. A threepoint win to the two latter teams and a defeat of Linwood by St Albans would place the three teams level. The position will he reviewed by the Competitions Committee at the conclusion of the round commencing to-day.