CRICKET

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17248, 15 January 1924, Page 3

CRICKET

THE GAME AND THE PLAYERS.

CITY AND SUBURBAN NOTES. (By “FUEL TOSS.”) Intense neat, moderated slightly by a lamt easterly oreeae, made play fairte strenuous tor oovviers ana Ouiaiueu on oacuraay last, when the sixth, round 01 uiHtcues Has opened. The wickets were good m iii.iat casts and the outheids ury and fast. At St A J bans Tarx tne bull rose a good deal, which accounted for the numoer of catches taken. Green’s A reached th© two-century rmrk in their first- innings against St Albans, and Sunnyside are 111 a fair position for registering a big score against Green’s B, having scored 162 for the loss of five wickets. The scoring was slow at Sydenham Park where Woolston commenced their match against Upper Riecarton and only 197 runs were made tor three and a‘quarter hour’s play. UPPER RICCARTON v. WOOLSTON. With one man shore Upper Riecarton had first use of the wicket, at Sydenham Park, Bush and Caukwell opening. Worrall’s first over was a maiden ar.d Kennedy’s produced two and a. wicket, Bush being bowled for a couple. Holmes played a maiden from Wnn-a.ll and then got his jeg in front in Kennedy’s next over before tue score ». altered. Caukwell and Matthews saw the total to 8 when the former was ceueht off Worrall one run. later and

Matthews was bowled by War rail with a good one and lour were dowu for nine runs. Bennett and Carr raised the score to 16 for the fifth wicket, when the latter hit all over one from Kennedy. Murraj joined Bennett, who was shaping well and 64 were on when ho was caught off Keunedv after a steady innings for 17.. Smith who played m the Ellesmere competitions until recently, joined Murray only to lose the latter at 67. Murray "had in ado over half the total. M’Closkie and Smith put up the best partnership of the innings and nearly clou hied the score for the eighth wicket. M’Closkie scored more rapidly than bis partner aiul 41 out of the 55 added during the partnership came off his bat. At 112 Smith was caught off Worrall after just reaching double figures. Batting one short the innings closed for 124. M Closkie being caught off Beacocit with 41 to his credit. orrall and Kennedy met with a fair amount of success with the ball, the former sending down nine overs, four of which were maidens, for 24 runs and three wickets. Kennedy had eight, overs for 45 runs and four wickets. W oolston commenced their innings with G. Roberts and T. Kennedy, both of whom are young lads and promising cricketers. With ten on the board Holmes got a good ball past the former when he had made eight. Samms and Kennedy carried the total to 32. when the latter was caught off his pads and given out-1 Five runs later Worrall

was stumped off Holmes before he had scored. and three were down for 37. Peacock and Samms improved the score and 55 were on before Samms, who

had batted carefully for 16, was given out l.b.w. to Carr. W. Crossen, who was playing his first game this season. gavo little trouble and was caught off Matthews aftei making 4 in one hit. Peacock and Summers played out time, the former having 21 to his name and the total being 73 for five wickets. In Riecarton’s bowling so far Holmes has secured three out of the fire wickets taken at a cost of 17 runs. GREEN’S 13 v. SUNNYSIDE. At Sunnyside the visiting team had first use of an excellent wicket, but at'er a brilliant wicket partnership between W. Lagan and D. M’Kenzie the remainder of the team gave a shocking exhibition and the last eight .Wickets only added 39 runs. W. Lagan’s display was a very fin© on© and he deserves every credit for his exhibition. Eleven fours were included in his score of 6.’ His innlngr end 1 ;ed unfortunately, he being run out when the score was 95. I). M’Kenzie batted well for 27, but was not so enterprising as his mate, who was quicker to pick the loose ones. With two down foi 301 the score was only 105 for the fourth wicket. A. Pitt scored 3 7 and the score mounted slowly to 116 for the fifth wicket, but the rest of the side could render no assistance ond the innings closed for 740. Tolchard, who has jnot played in the last few matches, was very successful with tho ball. In six overs he secured five wickets for 15 runs. Thomson got two for 15 in the same number of overs und A. Mackie, jun., two for 20. Porter delivered seven overs for 4S runs without meeting with Going in at 4.45 Sunnyside made runs rapidly and had compiled 162 when stumps were drawn at six o’clock. The first wicket fell early, Hibberd being bowled by Kent in his second over after making 15. Mackie sen., and Thomson put on 50 for the second wicket, and then the next two wickets fell for 35 runs and four were down for 88. A. Porter and Mackie, jun., added 27 for th© fifth wicket before Mackie was bowled by R. Pitt. Porter got set and with Hughes, began to pile up the runs quickly until stumps wore drawn with,, the total 162 for five wickets, Porter being O not out and Hughes 25 not out The match looks a certainty for Sunnyside, who will most likely endeavour to secure a throe-point win. GREENS A. v* ST ALBANS. Greens A had first use of the wicket at Sfc Albans Park, where til© ball rose a good bit. The fir3t wicket fell early, W. Lawson being bowled by R. W inter for eight. Morris and Smytke, however, put up a solid stand tor the second wicket and 69 were on tho board when Smyth© was caught by Colvillo off Andrews after a good innings for 32. Morris got within one of Smythe’s total when he was also caught off Andrews and there were down, for 84. Jones atid Watson became associated and 24 were added before Jones was caught by Colvillo off Walls. Watson started cautionusly, but when he settled down he gavo a very fine exhibition of all round batting, placing his strokes cleverly. When he was dismissed at 181 for the eighth wicket, he. had made 57 out of the 97 scored while he was at the wickets. Robertson, Scrimshaw and H. French were disposed of cheaply, but Duggan and R. French added 18 for the ninth wicket, which was tho last, as Langford was absent. Tho wickets were shared amongst the five bowlers, Walls sending dowu fourteen overs for 50 runs and three wickets. Audrews and Cullen got two each and R. Winter and Dobbs, one each. More than the usual number of catches were taken during the innings, six out of the nine batsmen being caught. E. Colville distinguished himself by holding four out of the six and missed nothing that was ut all possible. St Albans opened fairly well, but their success did not last, as the firsttwo wickets fell for 30 runs and tho third and fourth at 42, when ' play ceased. Jones, who secured all four wickets for 14 runs, is steadily improving in bowling and in the last four innings has taken sixteen wickets for-88 runs and his figures so far this season are 23 wickets for 210 runs, *an average of a shade over 9. UMPIRING. Going round the matches Saturday after Saturday one constantly hears complaints of bad umpiring and one and all agree that something should bo done to improve tho position. Perfect umpires and satisfied batsmen are rarely to bo found and there appears to be ample room for improvement on existing conditions, hut it will bo hard to secure experienced persons to act as umpires without the co-opera-tion of tho clubs. Time and time again have the officials of the C S C.A. endeavoured to form an Umpire’s Association, only to see their endeavours I ail through want of support by the clubs themselves. Another difficulty that has to bo faced is the unsportsmanlike conduct of some batsmen in. criticising umpire's decisions. Until it can be proved that an umpire is deliberately unfair his decisions must be accepted without question. Unfortunjately there are times when umpires are forced to listen to remarks bordering upon insults and the time may come when cricket umpires will have to be given the same authority to deal with offending players that is. allowed foothall referees. One cannot hut regret the number of efficient umpires who occupy 'the bank at the present time for no other reason than that they decline to place themselves in a position which lays them open to insult. Captains of teams could render good service by calling their teams together and impressing upon the members the necessity for accepting umpires’ decisions m a proper sporting spirit. Those who are quick to adversely criticise a decision thap has gone against them should call to mind the occasions upon which the umpire’s decision has saved them from departing 'aviliouward. It is just about a case pavilionward. It is just about a case of fifty-fiftv after all, and it a-s well to remember that. If it were, then we should hear less about incompetent and unfair umpires.