BUMPY WICKET HELPS BOWLERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18947, 18 December 1929, Page 3

BUMPY WICKET HELPS BOWLERS.

DOGGED BATTING FEATURE OF PLAY. (Special to the “ Star.”) WELLINGTON, December 18. After being cuffed from pillar to post in an endeavour to do something with the M.C.C. bowling on Monday, and after losing seven wickets for 54 runs, Wellington made a brilliant recovery yesterday, and finished up in the rain at the tea adjournment with nine wickets down for 159 runs. It was a drawn game, and a meritorious drawn game so far as Wellington was concerned. When play was set down to continue at two o’clock there was a blustery northerly wind blowing—in fact the conditions atmospherically were worse than they were on the previous day However, the wicket had eased a little but it still appeared somewhat in fav our of the bowlers. What really made the M.C.C. trundlers a little more difficult than should have been the case was the fact that there were bumpy spots at both ends, and the fast men adopted a policy of making the batsmen chance the deliveries to score. Over after over, especially from Nichols and Barratt, was bowled a shade on the short side, and the leather continually flew round the heads of the batsmen.

“Flying Deliveries.” Massey and M’Girr were the batsmen to continue the innings, and both were in dogged fighting form. M’Girr especially was determined to master the bowling, and put a half-century to his credit, and it was pure bad luck that he failed in his mission. Massey bravely withstood the flying deliveries in face of a wind blowing about gale force, until Nichols beat him with an express bailer. The batsman, who had played some fine shots, especially on the off side behind point, departed with the total at 80.

Wellington was still a long way be hind when Dempster, who was suffer ing from a bad hand, joined M’Girr The pair settled down to spectacula, cricket M’Girr playing a broad blade to the hot ones, while he drove anything well up. Nichols was given a spell, and Barratt took his place, with the score at 105. M’Girr was blown from his stance by a heavy gust of wind, and was not in a position to play a ball from the Notts pro. He lifted his bat and watched the ball curl in on to his wickets It was a stroke of misfortune, but was no fault of the bowler M’Girr had played a real fighting inn ings, an innings which was worth a few more than 22 runs.

Another Accident. When the people saw M’Leod limping

to the wickets with M’Girr to run for him, they assumed the game w T as over, but such was far from being the case. Bandaged over the hip and leg, which was injured the previous day, M’Leod commenced playing great cricket. Dempster, of course, nursed him by taking as much of the bowling as possible, but M’Leod drove masterfully, and at the tea adjournment had raised his tally from eight to 21. He had been at the wickets only a few minutes when Nichols hit him again in the hip with a bumpy ball. Fortunately it was a glancing blow, and no damage was done. The crowd, however, did not like the style of the Essex pro., though, and yelled to Gilligan to take him off. Dempster played one of his characteristic innings. His defence was perfect, and every now and then he would flick the fast men away through the slips or to leg. He also ran some finely-judged short runs in order to take the bowling from M’Leod. Gilligan brought Woolley in a couple of overs before tea, and at the same time rain commenced to fall. Both batsmen played through to the adjournment, when the rain came down in tor-, rents. It was soon obvious that there would be no more play, and the game finished drawn How Wellington would have fared had play continued could not be gauged. There was only one wicket to fall, and though the batsmen shaped like stayers, anything might have happened. Great Pace. Nichols, with the wind behind him. was a dangerous bowler right through the game. In the early stages of the game he kept a perfect length, but as the wicket became worn he reduced his length a little and made the ball rear. The result was that scoring became harder than off the good-length balls. At times Nichols bowled with the pace of a Larwood. Barratt, though not developing anywhere near the pace of Nichols, had to be respected. He,too, made the ball talk, even against the wind. Allom sent down a number of tricky deliveries which had the batsmen on their toes all the time Under conditions which favour him, Allom will be as dangerous a bowler as there is in the team. NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETS. . T The Management Committee of the Zealand Cricket Council met last night. Present: Messrs A. T. Donnelly (chairman), E. R. Caygill, D. E. Wanklyn, P. Dalrymple, H. M. Taylor. I. Rumsden and W. H. Winsor (honorary secretary). The Auckland Cricket Association wrote stating that the following dates had been fixed for Plunket Shield matches:—v. Otago at Auckland. De oembei 24, 25. 26 and 27. 1929; v. Can terbury at Auckland, January 3. 4, 6 and 7, 1920; v. Wellington at Wellington. February 21, 22, 24 and 25. 1930.

The fixtures were approved. Several associations wrote asking that

llllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllltllllllillinilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilltlllllllllil Woolley and Duleepsinjhi be played in matches against them. It was stated that Gilligan had said he would try to arrange for one of them to play in every match. They would both play in all major matches.

Statements were received showing the New Zealand Council’s share of the profits on the West Australian match as £316, and on the South Australian match as £390.

Hawke Cup. Reporting on the Hawke Cup competition to the Management Committee of the New Zealand Cricket Council last night, the secretary, Mr W. H. Winsor. said that Manawatu were still the holders, having defeated Hawke’s Bay by seven wickets. Rangitikei were playing Wanganui, and in the event of winning had challenged the holders. Nelson played Marlborough, scoring 383. and Marlborough had scored 81 and 102 for eight wickets, when rain stopped play. Marlborough had consented to Nelson’s having the right to challenge. Taranaki, Southland. Wairarapa and Poverty Bay had all entered challenges by consent of the other teams in their groups, who were not willing to play elimination matches. Manawatu and Poverty Bay had been instructed to play on Christmas dates. Taranaki had been given New . Year dates against the holders, and Manawatu and Poverty Bay had b*«n notified that they must be ready to play on those dates. Southland wanted dates early in February, and those dates would probably be reserved for them. Boys’ Matches. Yesterday afternoon two teams of hoy cricketers arrived in Christchurch from the West Coast to play matches against the Canterbury Boys* Cricket Association. One team comes from Greymouth and the other from Hokitika, They were accompanied by Mr C. J. King, of the latter town, who is acting as manager of both teams. Two matches are to commence this morning at the Hagley Park oval at 10 a.m.. and all boys selected to play in the games must be on the ground by 9.30 a.m., when changing facilities will be provided at the Riccarton pavilion. In both matches twelve-a-side will be played. The Greymouth team will be as follows:—M’Lean (captain), Wilson, Guy. Adams. Rose. Ashby, Collett. Kilgour, Kiely, M’Diarmid, Duffy and Casey. The Canterbury team to play against Greymouth will be:—N. S. H. M’Cann (captain), H. E. B. Watson. L. Gosney,' I. T. Costello. W Byrne. R. L. Rossiter, J. Hunter. L. Moran, G. Iv. Malcolmson. ,T A. Collins. J. Campbell and E. Shand. E. L. Blackmore and R E Thomas are the emergencies. The Hokitika team will be as follows: —L. Hedwig, C. Jolly. J. Williams. T. Knowles, L. Wells, A. Rodgers, G. Selby, A. Muir. P. Pascoe, F. Stapleton. M. Morgan and A A'Court. The Canterbury team which is to be opposed to Hokitika is as follows:—R. Jenkins (captain). C. G. Roberts, W. J Harding, W. Hay. J. Full wood C. Merrett, V Were, L. E. Orr, P. S. Holmes. F. W Young. G. H. Lynch and A. Williamson The emergencies are K. Tonkin and B. Ainger. To-morrow the best of the two West Coast- teams will be opposed to a Boys’ Association junior (under fifteen) representative team, whilst the remainder of the visitors will also be accommodated in a match against the rest of the Canterbury players. Otago Matches. On Friday the Canterbury Boys' Cricket Association representative teams under sixteen and under fifteen, will travel to Dunedin for their annual matches against the Otago Boys Cricke t Association. These games are to take place at the Caledonian ground on Saturday December 21. and Monday, December 23. and the team will return to Christchurch on Christmas Eve. Although the junior (under fifteen) team has not yet been chosen, the selectors of the senior (under sixteen) eleven, Messrs H. W. Gourlay and A. Thomp-

son. held a final trial yesterday afternoon, and they have now announced that the senior team will be as follows: —G. G. W. Smith (Technical College), A. Airey (Boys’ High School). G.R. Clemens (Boys’ High School), G. B. Eathorne (Boys' High School). J. H. Holt (West Christchurch District High School), C. R. Toombs (West Christchurch District High School), T. B. Burtt (West Christchurch District High School). R. F. Dobson (High School Old Bovs), B. W. Colwill (High School Old Boys). W. A. Clark (Technical College), and W. Sutherland (Technical College). F. W. Walker (Boys’ High School) has been selected to travel as twelfth man. whilst A. Airey (Boys’ High School) has been appointed to captain the team. • All bovg mentioned must attend at the Hagley Park oval at 4 p.m. to-day, when they will be required to pay a deposit of £1 towards the expenses of the tr Four boys, G. G. W. Smith. T. B. Burtt, W. Sutherland and R. F. Dobson, have previously represented the Boys’ Association, Sutherland last year playing for the senior team; whilst Smith, Burtt and Dobson took part in the Junior games. Advice has been received regarding the final selection of the Otago teams for these matches, and from the large number of old representatives available it would appear that the southern association should be able to place two good teams in the field.

The Otago senior, (under sixteen) team has been selected as follows:—T. Anderson (Albion), M. Walkinshaw (Albion), L. Werner (Albion), W. AndrewsBaxter (M’Glaslian College), E. G. Smith (M’Glashan College), W. Saxton (Otago Boys’ High School), V. M’Carten (Christian Brothers), P. Devereux (Christian Brothers), C. San so m (Grange), and W. M'Kay (Otago Boys' High School). H. Jones (Otago Boys’ High School) has been selected as twelfth man, whilst T. Anderson (Albion) has been appointed as captain.

The team includes five old representatives, these being T. Anderson, M. Walkinshaw, W. Saxton, V. M’Carten and C. Sansom. M’Carten last year played for the Otago senior team, whilst the other four boys were members of the junior eleven.

Sansom will be the wicketkeeper, whilst the team apparently possesses several good batsmen, the most outstanding of whom are Anderson. Walkinshaw. Werner and Saxton, whilst their best bowlers are likely to bo AndrewsBaxter, Anderson, M’Carten, Ryan and Walkinshaw.

The Otago Junior team, which is also likely to prove a strong combination, has been selected as follows:—J. Maori ffey (Otago Boys’ High School), O. Botting (Otago Boys’ High School), B. Grant (Otago Boys* High School). C. Robertson (Otago Boys’ High School), A. Stevenson (M’Glashan College), E. Stevenson (M’Glashan College). J. Duggan (Christian Brothers), A. Spillane (Christian Brothers), O. Dalxiel (Albion), W. Vinnecombe (Albion) and M. Anderson (Grange). C. Wright (Christian Brothers) has been selected as twelfth man. whilst J. Duggan (Christian Brothers) has been appointed as captain. The team contains five old Junior representatives, these being the Stevenson brothers, Dalziel, Vinnecombe and Duggan. the last-named player having represented Otago for three years in succession. Duggan will be the wicketkeeper, whilst the team possess a strong attack, every boy being a bowler. Macaffey has been particularly successful with his fast deliveries this season, and has also batted well, as have Duggan, Dalziel, Vinnecombe and Anderson. VETERANS’ CLUB. The Veterans* fixture- for this week is against Wilson Bros., to-morrow, at 2 p.m. .