COLTS PLAY COUNTRY TEAM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18935, 4 December 1929, Page 10

COLTS PLAY COUNTRY TEAM.

CRICKET AT HAGLEY IN DULL WEATHER ON A SLOW WICKET. This morning at Hagley Park the Canterbury Association’s colts’ team commenced a match against the subassociations (Suburban, Malvern, Ellesmere, North Canterbury and Amuri). The teams were:— Canterbury Colts. A. Cox, P. Allen, J. L. Powell, R. O. Talbot, S. G. Lester, I. B. Cromb, M L. Page, W. E. Merritt, J. L. Kerr, R. C. Burns, G. Simmonds. Country Team. G. M’Beth, H. W. F. Hamilton, W. Rushbridge, Q. A. Wright, L. Wright, J. Coe, H. Sail, H. Smith and H. Dailey. D. Mayo and D. Nixon were not available and the team took the field two short. The match commenced a little late on account of rain. The wicket was slow, following oh the recent heavy showers. There were only a few scattered spectators round the grounds when the game started. Cox and Allen opened for the Colts against Smith’s bowling. Allen found the bowling too tricky and retired without scoring. Talbot replaced him. Cox was the next to go, also from Smith’s bowling. The batsman had only four singles to his credit. Smith was .sending down a straight ball, medium-paced-of good length. Lester went in in place of Allen. He was at the wickets for twenty-four minutes in partnership with Talbot. His innings produced only three, however, Talbot, meanwhile, going on to knock up a fair score of 28. Lester’s wicket fell to a full toss from Dailey. Cromb went in, but in the next over Talbot's wicket fell to Smith, and Page carried on with the partnership. The bowlers were having a day out, for in the following over Cromb lifted one to L. Wright at square leg. The fieldsman juggled with the ball, but held it. The score board then showed 64—6—2. Powell joined Page. The partnership was a productive one, putting on 42, to which Powell had contributed 27 when a smart throw-in by Dailey at third slip from Page found Powell short of the crease. He had played a steady bat, and gave no chances. Merritt took up the running and shortly after the 100 mark was reached, after an hour and ten minutes’ play. Merritt Hits Out. Merritt went in to compile 52 in the 38 minutes he was at the wickets. Considering the state of the wicket, this was quite a meritorious score. He was caught and bowled by L. Wright. Page by this time had reached 57 by steady play. Kerr batted steadily. Two hundred went up on the score board after an hour and 50 minutes’ play. The batsmen were getting right on to the bowling and boundary followed boundary. Changes of bowling did not affect the situation. The first six of the match came half an hour before the lunch adjournment, when Page drove a beauty off Dailey. This brought his total to 89. Just on 1 p.m. Page reached his century. In the next over he was clean bowled by Smith for 102. 253—8—102. His actual batting time was 57 minutes. Burns had a short partnership with Archer when the latter lifted one to M’Beth after compiling 17. Simmonds was the last man in. Just on the lunch adjournment, Burns lifted one to Dailey off Smith and the innings ended for 279. M’Beth and Hamilton batted first for the Sub-Associations’ team when play, was resumed. Hamilton batted for 15 before snicking one to Simmonds in the slips off Cromb. His partnership with M’Beth had produced 39. Sail replaced him. Scores:— COLTS. First Innings. P. Allen, b Smith 0 A. Cox, b Smith 4 S. G. Lester, b Dailey 3 R. O. Talbot, b Smith 28 I. B. Cromb, b Dailey cL. Wright 2 J. L. Powell, run out 27 W. E. Merritt, c and b L. Wright 52 M. L. Page, b Smith 102 J. L. Kerr, c M’Beth b Archer .. 17 G. Simmonds, not out 3 R. C. Burns, c Dailey b Smith .... 23 Extras 19 Total 279 Bowling analysis.—H. Smith 10.5 overs, 0 maidens, 80 runs, 5 wickets: W. Rushbridge 4 overs, 0 maidens, 15 runs, 0 wickets; H. Dailey 16 overs, 0 maidens, 83 runs, 2 wickets; H. Sail 3 overs, 0 maidens, 21 runs, 0 wickets; L. Wright 6 overs, 0 maidens, 32 runs, 1 wicket; L. Archer 7 overs, 1 maiden. 29 runs, 1 wicket. COUNTRY. First Innings. W. H. Hamilton, c Simmonds b Cromb 15 G. M’Beth, not out 22 H. Sail, not out 12 Extras 4 Total for one wicket .... 43 REP. PRACTICE. Bean replaces Hamilton for practice in preparation for the representative cricket matches.