TOWN HAS WIN OVER COUNTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18630, 6 December 1928, Page 6

TOWN HAS WIN OVER COUNTRY.

ANNUAL MATCH HELD IN CITY YESTERDAY.

The annual Town v. Country cricket fixture was played at Lancaster Park

yesterday. The weather was dull and the attendance small. When play commenced—thirty minutes late —two men, G. R. Gregory and W. H. R. Cunningham, were missing from the Town team. The services of W. E. Merritt were called on and C. T. Rix filled the other vacancy. As C. M. Harris was not available, the Town Team was still one short.

The Town team was composed mainly of young club players, the selectors evidently looking for material. C. G. Crawford was captain. M. L. Page, skipper, was the onlj’ player of note in the Country team, D. C. Nixon having been unable to get into town. Hobbs and Hahn opened Town’s innings at the beginning of the afternoon’s play. The scoring was very slow and Hobbs had just begun to open out when Page dismissed him leg before. 48—1—23. Hahn went soon after, his inning being a very slew one. 49—2—12. Oliver was also very slow to get going, but Lester batted attractively at the other end, hitting frequent boundaries, mainl3 r on the offside. Oliver went after a patient display. Powell and Lester then provided the best partnership of the day, both batsmen hitting out and playing bright cricket. Lester retired after contributing a fine innings for an unbeaten 61. His defence was very sound, and his scoring strokes, particularly on the off-side, were beautifully executed. Powell continued to bat well, his driving being powerful and excellently timed. He went to a magnificert catch at point. Jarrett, Rix and Merritt contributed “ ducks,” the last-liamed being unlucky in receiving a ball v*hieh bumped considerably. The wicket was bumpy and disadvantageous to the batsmen. Crawford gave a pretty and forceful display before retiring with 38, compiled in quick timfe. The innings closed at 5.10 for 218 runs. The bow-ling had been of a fairly good standard. Page and England were dangerous and finished with useful averages. Drayton was a good change. The fielding was quite good. There was little of incident ir: Country’s- second innings. Yates in his first over caused a sensation by taking three wickets for none, just missing the “ hat trick.” Page and Hamilton both batted nicely and stopped what looked like developing into a rot. At stumps the score stood at 82 for four wickets. Town won by 79 runs on the first innings. The match was only a one-day one. Scores:— COUNTRY. . . First Innings. G. M’Beath, b Yates 4 H. Grim wood, b Lester 1 H. W. Hamilton, b Lindley *..... 10 M. L. Page, b Merritt 24 D. Stokes, b Merritt 0 F. French, b Hobbs 4 W. Doak, b Lester 15 G. Croft, b Yates 34 N. E. England, not out 20 T. Drayton, st Hahn b Merritt . • 7 P. J. Lindsay, run out 0 Extras 20

Total 139 Bow'ling analysis.—S. G. Lester, 10 overs, 2 maidens, 21 runs, 2 wickets; S. Yates, 10 overs, 4 maidens, 17 runs, 2 wickets; W. E. Merritt, 3.2 overs. 1 maiden, 7 runs, 3 wickets; G. H. G. Hobbs, 6 overs, 1 maiden, 15 runs, 1 wicket: J. L. Powell. 2 overs, 16 runs; C. T. Rix. 5 overs, 20 runs; L. Lindley, 6 overs, 23 runs, 1 wicket. Second Innings. H. W. Hamilton, not out 27 G. M’Beath, b Merritt 5 G. Croft, b Yates 15 11. Grimwood, c Hahn b Yates .. 0 W. Doak, c Lindley b Yates .... 0 M. L. Page, not out 24 Extras 11 Total for four wickets .. 82 Bowling analysis:—Merritt, 13 overs. 3 maidens, 36 runs, 1 wicket; Lindley. 4 overs, 1 maiden. 10 runs; Lester, 5 overs. 1 maiden, 5 runs; Yates, 5 overs, I maiden, 12 runs, 3 wickets; Rix, 4 overs, 1 maiden, 7 runs. TOWN. First Innings. G. H. G. Hobbs, lbw b Page 23 V. Hahn, c England/b Page 12 S. G. Lester, retired 61 W. Oliver, lbw b Page 30 J. L. Powell, c Hamilton b England 54 W. E. Merritt, c Lindsay b French 0 C. G. Crawford, retired 38 F. Jarrett, c M'Beath b Drayton 0 C. T. Rix, b Drayton 0 L. Lindley, b England 2 S. Yates, not out 0 Extras 18 Total 218 Bowling analysis:—Page, 27 overs, 6 maidens, 53 runs, 3 wickets; England, 15.4 overs, 4 maidens, 58 runs, 2 wickets; Drayton. 11 overs. 2 maidens, 37 runs, 2 wickets; French. 7 overs, 27 runs, 1 wicket, 2 wides; Doak, 2 overs, II runs; Croft, 5 overs, 3 maidens, lu SATURDAY'S MATCHES. t GREEN'S CLUB. Seniors v. STunnyside, at Sunnyslde— K. Skelton, PI. French, C. Prebble, A. Pitt, F. Pitt, R. Pitt, JS. Keenan, J. Peterson, A. Skelton, A. Leny, T. Tilleyshort, J. French. Juniors v. Rlccarton, at Sydenham No. 2—G. Duggan, F. Warr, S. Clegg, R. Rimmer, R. French, K. Hawkings, A. Falgar, J. Grenfell. J. Lloyd, G. Wilson, Simpson. Third Grade v. Shirley, at Richmond —W. M'Lauchlan, G. Pitt, T. Carter, S. Kixdfcness, H. Watts, A. Debenham, K. Sim, J. Monroe, W. Robertson, J. Gibb, C. Woodfield, R. Murray, J. Munro. CAMBRIDGE TERRACE CLUB. Third Grade v. Marists, at St Albans Park—V. Claridge, A. Simmonds, G. Wright, G. Miller, W. Johnston, J. Harris, 1,. Dobbs. F. Hitchens, J. Wicks, R. Gibbard, A. Witheford. Emergencies: R. Genet, K. Dingwall. CITY COUNCIL CLUB. Seniors v. Marist Old Boys, at Sydenham Park No. 4—C. Quaid, It. Chinnery, L. Athfield, G. Newton, F. Quinn, J. (Jordon, F. Horwell, S. Eyre, W. Hollands, F. Merrin, M. Wilson Reserves. A. Heslip. Second Grade v. Si Johns, at Woolston Park-?—J. Lee, A. Ktnvig, C. Price, A. Wilder. B. Williams. Anderson, Trott, R. Sanders, L. Sanders, G. Morris, Cumberpatcli. Reserves: E. Chappel, Ramsay. CLARKE S CLUB. V. Et Albans A. at Sydenham Park, No. 3 wicket—A. Price, G. Lawson, H. Swallow, E. H. Swallow, L. A. Cade, S. Stephenson, N- Young, F. Burgoyne, J. Speirs, L. A. Dow, W. E. Clarke, A. M'Kay. SHIRLEY CLUB. Seniors v. Technical Old Boys, at Richmond—Taylor, Cummings, Aris, Archer. Colthart, Husband, Marshall, Haworth, Httchcock, Sweeney, Kington. Juniors v. St Albans, at St Albans— Fxaser, Boundy, D. Walker, Drake, Woodward, S. Cowper, Streeter, Rhodes, Griffiths, Davis, Elliott. Third Grade A v. Green's, at Richmond—A. Walker. Bancroft, Algie, Aggassiz, Tovey, Foster, Dorree, M’Cal-

F. MKenzie, 11. M’Kenzie, Heuchan, M. Third (Jrade II v. Railway, —Wentworth, F. < 'owpe VETERANS' CLUB, eterans will plnv a -m at Hagley Park at The following bined Press Clut Veterans, at Hagley Park p.m.:—A. Adams, J. A W. J. Ruddock, O. Wr I\. Thomson, C. Roger o-day »nd (captain), r, N. Archer, Stncey, p, Vood ward, C. W. Richards.