CRICKET

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19783, 5 March 1927, Page 5

CRICKET

GAME IN WANGANUI BERNAU AND NEW ZEALAND TEAM. NOTES AND COMMENTS (By “Scorer.”) The last minute inclusion of E. H. Bernau, of Wanganui, in the touring New Zealand team has aroused a great deal of interest locally. When the tour was first mooted Bernau was looked upon as a very likely candidate for honour. New Zealand is not overburdened with fast bowlers—in fact the total number can be counted on the fingers of one hand—and during last winter Bernau’s prospects were certainly rated very high. Unfortunately the speed merchant was not on his best form for half the season, and average performances caused him to drop back in the estimation of the selectors. The team was selected for the trip and Henderson, the Wellington crack, found a place in the side on his really good performances. Great Bowling Against Melbourne. Then Bernau created serious food for thought by his great bowling performance against the Melbourne Cricket Club. In this match the ex-Collegiate School player clean bowled six of the visitors’ best men, five with really fine deliveries. Sandford was skittled with a ball which pitched to a perfect length and zipped off the pitch like lightning and crashed into the timber before the Victorian had opened his score. Ransford went the same way, while Johnstone had no chance with a ball which was pitched a little short, but tore low down into the wickets. Bernau can bowl when he is really fit, but. right through the season he has been unable to practice with his pace on, owing to the poor practice wickets, and the danger to batsmen. With consistent net training Bernau would hold his own with any bowler in New Zealand. An Ideal Fast Delivery. A stockily-built man of medium height, the left-hander has an ideal action for a fast delivery. He runs about fifteen paces clean through to the delivery, crease, where he swing his arm and brings the full weight of his powerful left shoulder behind the ball. The flight is peculiar. Without any breeze at all Bernau will swing them down outside the off-pin and will come sharply across to the leg. This ball is particularly dangerous when pitched well up. Then the express bowler alternates his delivery with a straight ball on the leg pin which proves disconcerting to local batsmen.

Bernau is also a brilliant batsman when on his game, and on two occasions this season he has been responsible for fine displays. In the Hawke Cup match against Taranaki, Bernau showed his real worth by compiling a brilliant century against long odds. In lighter vein, Bernau can give an exhibition of first-class hitting. He is a son of Dr. H. F. Bernau, of Napier, and Hawke’s Bay has just reason to be proud of the performances of one who was born and who has played in tho East Coast province. The best wishes of Wanganui Supporters go with Bernau, and it is to be hoped that he will cover himself with glory. Bernau’s performances will be watched with interest throughout the tour. School Games.

The Primary Schools are now well established on the cricket field, and two rounds of a most interesting competition have been concluded. Marists, with probably the best individual performers, arc in the lead and Queen’s Park come next. Walsh and Rowlands are both fine bowlers, while Burton is a school boy batsman who is above the average. This lad also plays senior cricket but there is such a wide margin between primary schools and senior grade that it is not really fair to include a promising boy in such high cricket. All the players are keen.

A Shorter Wicket. “Scorer” advocates the use of a shorter wicket for the schoolboys. In Christchurch some of the best senior players were trained in the boys’ league section under 14 years on a wicket 20 yards Jong. It was found by experience in the southern city that schoolboys could not toss a ball the length of a full-sized pitch. At the time there was a good deal of argument against the proposition. It was maintained that when the boys got on to a full-sized pitch they would bowl short. An effective reply to this argument was provided two weeks ago when Page, Oliver, Cunningham, and Merritt were selected for the New Zealand team. Merritt and Oliver spent nearly two years each on 20 yard wickets. Saturday’s Games. Technical College had little difficulty in defeating Marists easily at Cook’s Gardens last Saturday. The best performance registered was that of Burgess, the young College bowler, who took five wickets for 45 runs. Burgess kept a consistent length throughout, and in most cases batsmen brought about their own downfall by attempting to force the bowler away to the boundary. Old Boys played a friendly game at tho Collegiate ground against Collegiate School. The best innings was that of Bunny. The Collegiate skipper played the correct game throughout, a feature being his delightfully crisp shots on the off. Wells, of Old Boys, also played a nice innings. His cover drive was perfectly timed and the ball shot along the carpet every time. The First Test E. H. L. Bernau has been selected in the first test match against Mel-

bourne on March 18, 19, and 22 at Christchurch. The team is as follows:—Alcott, Dacre, Mills (Auckland), Oliver, Page, Merritt. Cunningham (Canterbury), James (Wellington) Blunt (Otago), Bernau (Wanganui), and Lowry (Hawke’s Bay) captain. GAMES IN WANGANUI PROCEEDS FOE PRESENTATION It. has been decided that the proceeds at the Club matches of the Wanganui Cricket Association to be played on Cook’s Gardens to-day and next Saturday are to be devoted to making a presentation to the two Wanganui players, who have been selected to go to England with the New Zealand team. Wanganui has the distinction of having two representatives in the team and it is hoped that all supporters of the game will make a point of attending this afternoon and the following Saturday. Season tickets and honorary members’ tickets will not be available on these Saturdays, and a moderate charge of adrtiission will be made.