CRICKET PROSPECTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 939, 8 December 1933, Page 11

CRICKET PROSPECTS.

Leading Teams Will Try Conclusions. CAN WEST HOLD PLACE? i The most interesting club cricket ! match of the season will commence at ; Lancaster Park to-morrow afternoon, j West Christchurch have won every J match so far, but with only one defeat and the extra points of an outright win to help them, the Lancaster Park side are only one point behind in the senior competition list; and per-' ! formances have indicated that they* J should give West the most serious op- | position to date. So far. West have proved much too j j strong for the four teams pitted against them. Kerr, Gregory, Hayes, Spring, j Smith, Allen and Vincent form a ! strong batting combination, which has piled up some huge scores on the hard, j true wickets that have been the rule. Against the accurate Riccarton bowling, after Kerr had been run out and other good wickets had fallen cheaply, , there was enough experience and I ability in the remainder of the batting ! list to run up the very respectable total of 255 runs. That demonstrates that the seasoned West Christchurch batsmen are not to be put out of their ! stride by the early fall of a few wickets. Park, with Read. Yates, : Cromb and one or two others have an attack that can be really dangerous at times, but it is unlikely, on performances, that West will be dismissed cheaply. Meeting: the Attack. Then the Lancaster Park men will take their turn in keeping out the West attack, hitherto so successful, which hinges to such a great extent on the form of the fast trundler Hope. Hope at his best is a hard propostion for the club batsman, especially a righthander, and he lias been bowling bettor than ever this season, hacked by sound fielding and a safe pair of hands behind the stumps. Cromb announced on his return from , England that he had handled Constantine with great success, and last Saturday against St Albans he showed that ! lie lias developed his leg side play and hook shots effectively. Perhaps he may do what other batsmen have failed to do—knock Hope off his length. 1 Vincent, the slow right-hander, de- ! rives great benefit from trundling at the end opposite to Hope. Though he ! sends down some loose ones, he flights them well, and has a deceptive spin. The other West Christchurch bowlers are no better than average. The Lancaster Park side has consistent batting strength, and fortune may decree, that they shall be the stumbling block in West’s conquering way. But performances favour West. Other Games. The match on the No. 1 wicket at

Hagley Park is to be between Old Boys and Riccarton, and this game also should provide interesting cricket. At the start of the season Riccarton would have been very strong- favourites; but the strength in batting that the Old Boys have revealed in recent matches makes the issue by no means clear cut. Riccarton, however, are potentially worth just as many runs as Old Boys, and a steadier all-roundP bowling strength makes them appear the stronger side; at any rate, before the match. East Christchurch and St Albans are scheduled for Hagley No. 2. and here, again, an even encounter is in prospect. St Albans have not done as well as they should, and will have to show more consistency before they beat East, a wellmatched and an improving team. That uncertain side. Old Collegians, will have to do a little better if they wish to defeat Sydenham, a consistent am? well-handled, if not a brilliant, team. The Collegians have as much talent as any other club eleven, but they must realise that plugging them down without a definite plan of attack is not gome to dislodge men like Bellamv on a Plumb wicket. Boys’ Association. i The following teams have been j selected for the Boys’ Association ; (under sixteen years) trial match on | Saturday:—Possibles—Evans (captain), ! Gebbie, Armitage, W. Jones, Mahoney, ! Keeper, Pither, Giles. Scott, Almond. ■ Mackrell and Jane. Probables—M’Vinnie (captain), B. Callaway, E. B. Jones, ; Carson, Louisson, Tooraey, Billcliff, | Jensen, C. K. Suckling, Baker. Stevens, j Ballinger and Sheppard, j All three trial matches will be j played at the Christ’s College ground. Hawke Cup Match. Per Press Association. WANGANUI, December 7. The Hawke Cup elimination match commenced at Marton yesterday beJ tween Rangitikei and Wanganui was i continued to-day, Wanganui in their first | innings made 234 runs (Harding 88, | Sewell 37) and in their second innings compiled 108 (Harding SO). Rangitij kei replied with 177 in the first innings (Wysocki 05, Cameron 44) > and in their second innings have lost , 1 thrtee wickets for 00 (Cameron 39). | Low captured five Wanganui wickets I for 28 runs ‘in the first innings, and | Duncan five for 54 in the second innings. Oliver was the most successful of the Wanganui howlers, dismissing five of the Rangitikei side in the first ! innings for SS. Suburban Representatives. The following team will represent the Christchurch Suburban Cricket Association in the Sub-Ass relations’ Shield match against North Canterbury, on Wednesday and Thursday next:—S. Cawtheray, N. Stokes, T. Waine, N. Archer, H. Thompson, A. Cullen, J. ■ M’Ewin. A. Davis, C. Candlish, F. HarI ris (captain). W. Owen. T. Sincock i (twelfth man). Messrs A. Dey and P. D. Mansell have : | been' appointed umpires.