Onlooker’s Notebook

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 697, 25 February 1933, Page 11

Onlooker’s Notebook

There was a fair number of spectators present at Lancaster Park to witness the semi-final between the Park team and Riccarton, on the Oval. The members’ stand was the favoured location for the majority of the onlookers, being well sheltered from the blustery nor’-wester. The batting provided was of the staid variety, nevertheless the Park fielding and bowling were always entertaining. Displaying very sound defence, the Riccarton opening left-hander. Stringer, proved a very hard man to dig out this afternoon. The Lancaster Park attack, with the exception of Cromb early in the day, failed to cause him much concern. His best shot was the off-drive, which he carried out perfectly with a nice full, free follow-through from time to time. After the adjournment he reached the sixities, and was playing the Park attack with the utmost composure. W. J. V. Hamilton, the Sydenham captain, was taking no chances this afternoon in their first innings against Old Collegians. Sydenham had 366 cn the board for the loss of nine wickets at the end of the first day’s play, and it then depended on conditions to-day whether he declared or not. On an easy; wicket he decided to complete the innings, and he and Patrick added another 13. This left Old Collegians with 380 to compile. x G. M. Condliffe had a good day with the bat for St Albans. He started the afternoon with 29 on and, batting steadily, ran to 93 before he went lbw. R. O. Talbot gave a characteristic knock on the first wicket at Hagley Park this afternoon, batting for Old Collegians in their first innings reply to Sydenham. Runs were urgently required against heavy odds, and he set out to get them. Well-placed strokes all round the wicket, with a preference for the leg stuff, ran him up a good total. He had not given a chance up to the time he passed the seventy mark. After adding 28 runs, Jacobs, the opening right-hand batsman for Riccarton, was caught in the covers. During the course of his knock he sent the ball skimming to the boundary with beautiful free off-drives. He showed sound defence and his contribution was of extreme value to his side.