CRICKET CHAT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 279, 25 November 1931, Page 4

CRICKET CHAT

(By “CLBMILL.")

With the Wanganui representatives chosen for the Hawke Cup elimination match against Taranaki on Cook’s Gardens next week, the way is clear for final preparations for the most important match of the season in Wanganui. ‘‘Practice, more practice, and still more practice ” should be the slogan of those selected, for in the Taranaki eleven they w ill be meeting worthy opponents. Enterprising batting is one of the essential requirements this season, for the match is confined to three days only, so there will be no room for stonewallers. ♦ * * ♦ * So far as run-getting ability is concerned Bullock-Douglas. Gee, Wood, Chee vers, Williams and McDougal make a very strong sextet, while the rest can be depended on to add .their quota of runs. The bowling will also be well served, so that Wanganui should have a good eleven. As was anticipated in these columns last Wednesday, the selector had little difficulty in choosing eight of the representatives, for they had practically selected themselves through their outstanding ability. Owing to Morgan being not available, Wilson gets the position behind the wicket, and it may safely be anticipated that the United ’keeper will not let very much past him. It should not be too much amiss to say that Wanganui would appreciate the services of a ’keeper of the calibre of ‘‘Chuck” Fowler, who was one of the best outside the main centres. Spurdie’s swerve bowling and McDougal ’s expresses merit their choice by the selector, while Grant, Gee and Williams will also be useful in varying the attack. Among the batsmen C. Smith is to be given a chance, and this should serve as encouragement for Technical Old Boys. It may be noted that Holland and Morgan were not available, while Mete King! and Trask will be busy with examinations, which may account for their absence. Some interesting statistics of Wanganui cricket are made available by the secretary of the W’anganui Association, these covering the batting and bowling up to the present stage of the season. Of the batsmen Williams secured 175 runs in three innings, but as he was twice not out his average is thus a high one. On the other hand, BullockDouglas has had only one strike and notched 127 runs thereby. Next on the list is Cheevers, who has an average of 50.10 as the result of three innings. Others who are well up on the list are Inglis (47), J. Morgan (45.66) Trask (45) and Holland (42.75). Among the bowlers W’ild has secured four wickets at a cost of 4 runs each, but D. H. Mackay has taken seventeen wickets for 164 runs, while Grant and Roberts have each dismissed twelve batsmen.

Manawatu emerged with the honours on Saturday when the first of the elimination matches for the Hawke Cup —the minor associations’ cricket trophy —concluded at Palmerston North with Wairarapa defaulting to the home side at the end of the second day’s play. The game was scheduled to continue on Monday, but, showing a deficit of 162 on the first strike and with three down for 51 (in the follow-on) when stumps were drawn, Wairarapa realised it was a losing fight, and accordingly withdrew from the contest.

It was really a decisive victory for Manawatu, the hero of the match being Gallichan, who not only contributed 104 off the bat to the local total of 290 but with his trundling secured eight wickets for a mere 19 runs—a particularly brilliant achievement. He bowled 19 overs, which included 8 maidens. Another noticeable feature was the excellent fielding throughout by the home team, which has again early in the season commenced to build up a fine reputation.

Nineteen teams have entered for the Hawke Cup series, Waikato at present holding the trophy. Manawatu will now probably issue a challenge to the winner of the Wanganui-Taranaki game. The holders of the trophy, however, can only be called upon to play five games and therefore the schedule of matches is uncertain where such a large list of contenders has to be considered. On No. 1 wicket on Cook’s Gardens on Saturday Technical College continued their innings against United B, having lost four wickets for 64 runs on the opening day. The wicket had been under water at 11 a.m., and was not too inviting. However, the students faced the attack of McDougal and Ellis, but the steady rain had made the wicket a paradise for batsmen. This advantageous state of affairs was not availed of by the students, though Satyanand made use of tl e circumstances to collect a faultless 68 without being beaten. The remaining batsmen could not follow his lead and the innings closed with the total at 189, which was 76 short of the United total. Ellis secured three of the wickets for 32 runs and Bullock-Douglas took three for 37.

Owing to further rain and a soaked wicket the match was abandoned at this stage, United B securing a win on the first innings. United B had a bright chance of an outright win extinguished as a result of the rain. In the match on the Collegiate School ground Technical Old Boys had 73 runs on the board for the loss of five wickets when they resumed on Saturday, and the task set them in endeavouring to head off the Collegiate total of 126 wag only a moderate one. However, disaster came early, a mild rot setting m. C. Smith was not too happy and after surviving an appeal off the first ball, was dismissed with the next delivery. Roberts was joined by F. Smith, but the latter went in attempting a big hit. Then Roberts lost his wicket through attempting to respond to an impossible call from Inglis. Gilberd was caught when trying to force the pace, and Heibner. fre rast man in. was run out, the innings closing with the total at 92.

Collegiate had not been in long before steady rain made the bowlers’ task a difficult one. With a sodden ball there was no spin and a dead wicket, the batsmen doing as thev liked. The fielding also slackened under the trying conditions, and the game was abandoned at 5.10 p.m. with the Collegiate score at 150. Marshall and Moore were the chief contributors, though all the batsmen wore enterprising.

With five wickets down for 100 runs and requiring 169 runs to avoid defeat on the first innings, United continued their innings against Wanganui. Jacobs and Walker wore the not-out mon. Walker surprised all with his -ock-like defence. Be gave an excellent exhibition of steady batting. Jacobs (14) was dropped twice in the slips and final y was out to the some weak shot

\ through the slips. Until ho overcomes this stroke he can never expect to make runs against good bowling. Maxwell (30) went for the bowling and scored some nice runs on the leg side. He, like Jacobs, is also likely to nibble at the off shots. United A iinisned up with a total of 175, leaving Wanganui winners on the first innings by 90 runs. Owing to the rain, further play was impossible. Bowling for Wanganui, Grant (three for 18) came out with the best average He bowled a medium-paced ball and kept a good length The larger stumps were brought into use in senior cricket at Wellington on {Saturday afternoon, ween the third series of championship matches was commenced under favourable conditions. The innovation did not appear to make any appreciable difference, there being the usual crop of good performances in both batting and bowling departments. There was an incrcaseu following at the Basin .Reserve, largely in anticipation of seeing Dempster and James in action. Kilbirnie, however, had first use of No. 1 wicket, and, ii there was any disappointment at not seeing Dempster in action with tl/j bat, the spectators certainly had some com pensation in the solid batting perfoi mance given by Kihnrnie. The runs were scored at a good rate, ana the batting generally was bright. Christopherson again made xtrp score in senior cricket for the day, but there were other fine efforts by Kilbirnie batsmen, Ward shaping particularly well. Wickets fell more cheaply in the University-Wellington match, also at the Basin, but the play was interesting. University put on quite a good score, but Wellington experienced a slump late in the day. Midland made a very moderate showing against Hutt at the Hutt Recreation Ground, and at the end of the day’s play the home team had the match well in hand. Pctone ran up a fair score against Institute at Petone, and then captured five wickets very cheaply. * * * » • Batsmen did not have any great success at Christchurch on Saturday afternoon, when the third series of matches in the senior competition was completed. The games were full of incident, and despite the bitterly cold conditions which accompanied a gale during the afternoon, those who visited the various grounds were well repaid. The outstanding performance of the afternoon was that of Old Boys, who, in their match against West Christchurch, had to secure thirty-eight runs in seven minutes for a three-point win. They gave the onlookers plenty of thrills in that short time, and Burns and Merritt just managed the task, indulging in hurricane batting.

The fourth series of matches in the Auckland Cricket Association’s senior grade championship, the commencement of which was prevented by the rain on Saturday, will now, according to the association’s rules, become a one-day series. This will mean that teams will have to force the pace next Saturday to get a decision. In spite of the disapproval recently expressed by the management committee of the Auckland Cricket Association with regard to freak declarations, the absence of a deterrent ruling on the point, together with the handicap imposed upon the teams by losing one day’s play, may induce some of the senior captains to adopt similar measures to those used in tne recent King’s Old Boys-University match, states the New Zealand Herald. When presenting trophies at Lambeth last month, Arthur Gilligan, the former English test captain, said:— “Many people have asked me whether Jack Hobbs is too old to go to Australia in 1932. “I have replied that, judging by Hobb’s magnificent form in 1931, it might be wise to take him to Australia, because no partner has so far been found to open with Sutcliffe.” Scoring an aggregate of 2418 runs in first-class cricket in the recent English season, Hobbs finished sixth on the batting average list with 56.23. His average was a little .higher than that of K. S. iDuleepsinhji, who was the star batsman for England against Australia in 1930. This is the seventeenth time Hobbs has exceeded 2000 runs in an English season. Ten more century innings bring his total of three-figure scores in first-class cricket to 185. Hobbs will be 49 years of ago next December. He first visited Australia 24 years ago. Since 1930, when Hobbs and Sutcliffe were the opening batsmen against Australia, England has played eight tests — five in South Africa and three against New Zealand—without having found a successful partner for Sutcliffe. In Australia, it is expected that Hobbs will make the tour with the next English team, but as a newspaper representative, not a player. On present indications, Jardine, a patient batsman with the 1928-29 team, seems most likely to be the opening batsman with Sutcliffe. I The ball with which the final 46 runs of England’s score of 446 against New Zealand in the first test match at Lord’s, and one of the stumps used were acquired by C. S. Dempster after the match, and ‘he brought them back to New Zealand with him. At the welcome extended to members of the team by the Wellington Cricket Association, Dempster presented the ball and stump to Mr. W. H. Winsor, secretary of the New Zealand Cricket Council, who said that he would have them preserved together with other souvenirs of the past. Mr. Windsor added that he believed other members of the team had also brought mementoes back with them, and he hoped to secure them and have them suitably mounted.

The Barambah native settlement in Queensland has produced another aboriginal fast bowler to rival the spectacular Eddie Gilbert. The new discovery is P. Stanley, who tied up the Railway team in the Longreach competition a . fortnight ago. Stanley took six wickets for 10 runs in the first innings, and* the whole team was out for 23.

When the South African cricketers sailed for Australia in the Anchises, Manager Tandy, staggering up the gangway with two bulky canvas bags, intrigued spectators and cricketers alike, until it transpired that, it was the team’s contribution to helping to ease the monetary situation. The bags contained over £2OOO worth of Australian silver money for the use of the team on board and in Australia.