CRICKET CHAT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 427, 19 November 1930, Page 4

CRICKET CHAT

(By

"CLEMILL.")

Got the First Crack Cricketers were as thick as peas at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, on the day that the Lancaster Park Cricket Club, formerly the Linwood Club, opened the season with net practice. Balls were flying in all directions, and players took a chance of being knocked out if they were not alert. R. Read, the veteran bowler, was one of the unlucky ones. He was just about to take his. place at the wickets wnon the outcoming batsman let fly at a loose ball, and Read got it fair and square on the back of the head. After a short spell he was able to have his knock —the proper one this time.

Post of Danger Not generally regarded as a dangerous game, cricket yet has a history of tragedies, minor and major. Many years ago a member of the reigning Royal Family of England was killed by a blow from a cricket ball. The latest cricket tragedy was the loss of an eye by a player at the Domain at Auckland as the result of moving up to one of the recognised posts of danger in the field—“silly mid-on-” There are two such posts in the modern cricket field, silly point and silly mid-on. They were instituted many years ago, but elaborated more recently in Australia. Certain conditions attach by general consent to the occupation of these places immediately in front of the bat. The duty is voluntary, the selection falls on a man notable for superlative speed of hand, foot or eye, and his Instruction is always 4 ‘safety first,” in the event of a hard attacking shot, high or low, by the batsman. Standing his ground is required by the fieldsman in these places only for defensive strokes and miss-hits, for which his eye is his guide. Everything depends on the eye, and one added precaution should always be that the fieldsman he under 30 years of age, for after that age the eye in most people loses its “spotting” speed.

Local Play. Once again cricketers in Wanganui have unkind things to say about the weather, for Saturday’s matches were cut short before two hour’s play had been enjoyed, and though the first grade fixtures will be concluded next Saturday there is not much prospect of finality being reached in any of them unless an absolute rot sets in|

Scoring in two of the matches was the reverse of enterprising, but Obi Boys scored at the rate of a run a minute in their match against United. And this was on a bowler’s wicket. However, the chief contributor to this total of 106 was McDougal. who notched a sparkling 58 by means of unorthodox batting. He appears to be well situated to take a high place in Wanganui batting. In the other march on Cook’s Gardens Technical College batted stub bornly against Tech. Old Boys, while on the School ground Collegiate managed to stave off the Wanganui attack till the rain came, though at that stage they had but one wicket in hand.

Generally speaking the batting was not of a high order, though there were one or two bright exceptions. The bowling showed that Wanganui cricket is likely to be fairly strong in this department, while the fielding was, on the whole, crisp and clean, which was pleasing to see.

Tech. College and Teen. 0.8. Technical College won the toss and batted first against Tech. Old Boys, and thus secured the only runs that were scored in this match. J. Mete Kingi and Davidson were associated in the opening partnership, and their scoring rate was slow, as was that of the other two batsmen. They appeared to be taking no risks, but they played correct cricket.

Of the Tech. Old Boys bowlers Inglis took the two wickets that fell. He ap pears to be likely io obtain more wickets this season, although he is inclined to overstep the mark and bowl an occasional “no ball.” Two catches were dropped off F. Smith, who bowled nine overs, five of which were maidens. C. Spriggens, who opened the attack with C. Smith, has a nice action though he did not appear dangerous. The ground fielding of Tech. Old Boys was good, not many boundaries being scored, though there is a tendency to make wild returns, particularly to the bowling end. So far as the Technical College batsmen were seen, they all presented a straight bat to the bowling none being inclined to- punish the loose bowling as it should be. Enterprising batsmen would have scored at twice the pace, but with more experience this will probably be remedied. The boys will not lose anything by exercising restraint at this stage.

Wanganui and Collegiate. With nine wickets down for the total of 59 runs, Collegiate cannot be said to have shaped exceptionally well against Wanganui on the school ground on Satur day, but it was more because Grant, the lefthand bowler, was unplayable, than because of w’hat they lacked in batting enterprise. The School batting was not quite up to their usual standard. Hobbs, Innes and Marshall are showing the best form to date, while FullertonSmith and Rogers (the not out man) also shaped well considering the limited opportunities that availed. Grant was bowling exceptionally well and as a result he bagged four wickets cheaply, taking them at a cost of 16 runs, while Williams, who was turning the ball very nicely, secured a couple of w’ickets for 15 runs. With Wild, Evans, Spurdie and W. Thrush also ou the attacking force the Wanganui bowling is something to be reckoned with. Their fielding was good and clean, Darby, Burton and Grant showing up.

United and Old Boys. It was the fortune of war that Thomas, winning the toss for Old Boys, elected to bat against United on a wicket that proved, contrary to expectations, to favour the bowlers, who were assisted by a cross wind which allowed Holland to swing dangerously at times. At one stage Old Boys were in a bad way, having five wickets down before the score reached 20. However matters brightened considerably with the arrival of McDougal, who knocked up a breezy 58. His first stroke resulted in a six, and he repeated the effort on two further occasions, while boundary hits were even more plentiful. Although taking chances, McDougal played some nice shots, his driving through the covers and placing past point being a treat to watch. With he exception of Gee, who watch. With the exception of Gee, who player reached double figures, the score standing at 106 when rain stopped play with one wicket to fall. Bullock-Doug-las failed to get going. No doubt his confidence was shaken when he was given out l.b.w. to a ball which he hit. Wood proved himself a sportsman by having him brought back to the batting crease. Wilson should have been placed

higher up in the batting order as he is a very solid type of batsman. Both Ellis and Gilmour will make runs when they learn not to step away from the wicket before playing the ball.

For United Holland bowled as well as ever finishing up by taking six wickets for 34 runs. Wood also bowled better than his figures indicate.

West Indies Team’s Visit. It does not seem as if Now Zealand is going to reap much benefit from ?he tcur of the West Indies cricketers. I'lie tourists will be in Australia for three or four months and the intention is that they shall proceed homo in Marc’i next, calling in at either Wellington or Auckland en route. At neither place v.ouid they be able to play a match, for they will only be in th«» Dominion a day. When it was decided that a two days' match be played at Wellington it appeared as if fortune intended smile on that centre. But the successful nr tnngements for the exhibition match did not altogether have the go.il fruits anticipated. This was purely on a< - count of the changeable weather conditions, rain finally stopping play in the match at the Basin Reserve when those present were settling down in auticipa tion of a bright display of batting by the visitors.

Though the respective merits of the sides could not be determined to any extent by the match, which was purely of an exhibition nature, in some respects the performances were disappointing, comments “Not Out’’ in the Post. Wellington’s batting effort on a good wicket was not nearly as good as it should have been, even allowing for ;he fact that Constantine, the great all rounder of the West Indies, was in good form with the ball. From the manner in which many of the Wellington players shaped it seemed that they were just as much in need of more practice as were the West Indians. Again the occasion seemed to be too big for some of them. On the other hand, two of the Wcl lington colts who were given a chance in this match shaped very well indeed. Hepburn played a fine hand with the bat, and Hankins did likewise, as well as performing to advantage as a wicketkeeper. McGirl ’s effort witn the bat was one of the brightest of the match. Another satisfactory feature of Wellington’s in nings was the finishing touch supplied by the tail-enders, Newman and Blundell both going for the runs and getting quite a few by good attacking methods. The opening pair, Foley and i'emp stcr, were separated as the result of a piece of bad luck, one of Constantine’s fast deliveries striking Foley on the thumb and being caught in the slips. Dempster shaped quite well un il he snichi wit to the wicketkeeper. Dempster nad pienty of opportunities for us iug his fax curite leg shot when facing Constantine, who sends down many of his deliveries on the outside. Lowry, who Ctipta.Led the Wellington team, appeared ;<> be in need of play. While Wellington were baiting the chance of seeing the West Indi.is players m th j lek; was very acceptable, and from whan tne visitors did there i.- no doubt that their reputation as line fieldsmen wiJ be upheld when they are in Australia. They are a very keen aiue in the field, ai d none better than C. iistan tine who, usually fielding as gully man brouglr oil some brilliant saves when hard shots were made in his direction. He is very smart in the return to the wickets, it. was noticeable, uowever, that a great deal of the visitors' field iug was done one-handed, and on oc casious a fieldsman was beaten by the ball curling past him. The tcurists have quite a varied at tack, in which the main part will have to te played by the fast bowlers, two of wbi.m, Constantine and Griffith, were tried against Wellington, Constantine’s succes- augurs well for the matches in Australia, where he will probably be better suited to the faster wicket. At the same t'Ji't. it would seem that the visitori arc likely to be hard put to it, in spite of their attack and good fielding, to prevent teams in Australia from piling up heavy scores against them. bt. Hill, the medium paced bowler, appealed as one who will have a good deal of w'oik to do in Australia. As far as slow bowl.ng is concerned, this will be shared by Martin, a lefthander, and Sent, Loth of whom, it is sa : d, are able to turn the ball well on fast wick ets. Francis, another good fast bowler, was not seen in the match with Wellington. Not a gieat deal was seen of the vis* tors as ban-men, although there was sufficient to suggest that some of them should be capable of making good scores on fast wickets. Roach and Headley are expected to do particularly well, and Birkett, who made 40 not ou r against Wellington, should be among others to contribute well to the West Indians’ account.

Wellington’s fielding against the visi torg was quite good for the most part, on a damp turf. A couple of really good smart catches were taken, one by Dempster, and the other by Hankins, the wicketkeeper. Of the Wellington bowlers Blundell appeared to give the visitors most trouble with his medium paced deliveries, and accounted for three wickets at small cost. Newman also had the batsmen thinking hard at times, although he was able to get only one wicket. The little slow bowling that was offered ap peared to be appreciated by the visitors who, it was reported, did not relish the slow type of delivery. Random Pars

Two former Wanganui players received special mention in their new spheres of action last Saturday. At Christchurch, J. L. Kerr, playing for West Christchurch against Old Boys, scored 139 not out in the first innings, which closed with the total at 219. Kerr, though just turned 20, is captain of this old-established club and is stated to be well in the running for the trip Home next year. At Auckland Thakabau, who was noted for his brilliant fielding in the slips for Technical College and Wanganui, was responsible for dismissing three of the Eden batsmen, Mills, Weir and Gillespie, with particularly fine efforts. Thus the excellent grounding that these players have received in Wanganui has borne fruit elsewhere. Cricketers in Wanganui will be pleased to hear of the success of Kerr and Thakabau.