CRICKET SEASON

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 244, 16 October 1945, Page 7

CRICKET SEASON

BRIGHT PROSPECTS IN WANGANUI OPENING DAY NEXT SATURDAY. With flic war over, prospects are good for the 1945-46 cricket season in Wanganui, which opens on Saturday next, October 20. Hopes are held that there will lx* a resumption of Hawke Cup matches. They did much to stimulate the interest of the minor associations. This year the Wanganui Cricket Association has decided to revert to two-day matches in the senior competition. The senior championship will be contested by six teams —Technical Old Boys, Wanganui, Marist, Collegiate School, Technical College, and a new club.. United O’d Boys, which replaces the former United Club. The return of a number of senior players from overseas will greatly strengthen club membership, which has been more or less on the weak side in the war years.

Once more the Wanganui Club will have the value of the services of E. G. McLeod, the former New Zealand representative. He is a left-hand slow bowler. Other players from last season who will again be doing duty for ■the club include J. K. Glover, wicket-keeper-batsman, K. Millward, batsman and medium pace bowler, J. S. D. Tlzard. Dr. W. A. Priest the former Otago ’Varsity player, T. O. Cave, an opeing bat, C. Cutfield and K. Connor. The club is also fortunate in having the services of H. B. Cave, the former Collegiate School first eleven player, who achieved much success in the South Island last year and won selection for the South Island team. He is a solid bat and resolute bowler. George Thrush will be playing for the club this season. The Marist Club, which won the senior championship in the 1943-44 season, will miss the services of L. B. Vasta, hard hitting batsman, and J. Felts another solid batsman, who will be seen this season in the ranks ot United Old Boys. Players from last season who will be turning out will include W. J. Stephenson, slow spin bowler and. batsman, S. Crafar, medium right-hand bowler and enterprising batsman E. Neale, left-hand bowler, and Bob Stewart, who will add greatly to the patting strength of the eleven. Others are Gerald Williams, formerly of Silverstream College, and N. Wallace. The veteran, V. A. Stapleton, is also a likely starter in the Marist ranks for a further season. Marist will also have the services of H. Cuming, former captain of the Wanganui representative E. Madden, D. Tuffin and T. Sanders. B. Dow, the former Wanganui rep. wicket-keeper may play later in the season. Kelpe. a player from Taranaki, has joined the Marist Club.

The ch am TO on club in Wanganui cricket last season, Technical Old Boys, will again have the services of several players. R. Thomas, representative batsman-bowler, and A. G. Davidson and R. Mete King!, two other representative players, will be playing for the club. In addition, they will have the services of R. Brown, me-dium-paced left-hand bowler. B. Sloan, J. Keats, D. Deere D. Valentine, J. Weir, N. Ahern, F. Benefield, formerly of Wellington Mercantile League, and J. Hammond.

Making its debut is the newly-es-tablished club United Old Boys, whose personnel includes some of Wanganui’s best known cricketers. The eleven will include E. C. Gee, J. Felts and L. Vasta, both of last year’s Marist side, L. A. Wood, G. A. McDougall, R. I. Sewell, all former representative players. J. Robertson, a former Mercantile League player in Wellington, and E. Bligh, the former Wellington Rugby representative, are newcomers to Wanganui and will be in the ranks of this newly-formed club. Both Technical College and Collegiate School elevens are unknown quantities, but each side will include some of last season’s personnel. • • • *

Cricket prospects in Canterbury are the brightest in years, according to southern reports. Last year Canterbury was one of the strongest provincial sides in the Dominion, but this season it will be without the services of its captain and high scoring batsman, W. A. Hadlee, who is in Dunedin, ihe representative side has available I. B. Cromb, S. T. Leggatt, W. McAnderson, D. M. Dunnett, T. Burtt, N. Burtt, D. N. Mcßae. . H. Scott, L. A. Butterfield, and F. P. O’Brien.