WANGANUI-TARANAKI HAWKE CUP MATCH WILL BEGIN TODAY

Wanganui Chronicle, 16 December 1949, Page 2

WANGANUI-TARANAKI HAWKE CUP MATCH WILL BEGIN TODAY

(By "Xavier.') Wanganui s representative cricket team will commence a three-day Hawke Cup elimination match against Taranaki at New Plymouth today. Because a number of the leading players not being available, the Wanganui side, cannot be regr.» cd as the best the city can field. Without W. 11. Dustin, G. S. Nimmo, E. K. Hunt, R. E. Thomas and J. R. Barnett, the Wanganui batting will not bo strong. The batting list does not loo!: an impressive one. Most of the batsmen selected have made good scores at different times, hut many ol them are unknown quantities against bowling of a representative standard. The batting appears to lack the most essential thing—solidity. It will be most surprising if Wanganui compiles a big score. If the wicket, is as bad as the on<» used in the Wanganui-Taranaki game last year, this match could he completed in two days. Therefore, every run scored will he valuable. On paper Taranaki seems to be stronger in batting, but they will be opposed by stronger bowling. The two leading Wanganui bowlers, . . H. B. Cave and D. D. Beard, should T dismiss Taranaki for a moderate score. If the wicket favours the bowlers, the home team will find it difficult to make runs. Cave and Beard, especially the latter, can gain every assistance from the pitch. In addition, Cavo will be out to show that his non-in-clusion in the Wellington Plunket Shield team was a bad mistake. These two will be supported by the left arm-spinner, R. E. Brown, who is rated highly as a bowler, J. H. Felts, off spinner and B. Poananga, medium paced. Wanganui will probably have no worries about their bowling. The Taranaki attack will be led by M. McClenaghar* who bowled with great success against Wanganui last season. A good medium-paced bowler, he was considered to be unfortunate in not being selected for this year's Country team. Considerable interest will be taken in thp performance of Crocker, the New Plymouth Boys’ High School offspinner. Crocker lias bowled well this season and in a recent school match against Nelson College, he took seven wickets for seven runs off 11.4 overs in the second innings. The Wanganui team includes some good fieldsmen, but there are at least two who are poor in the field, and no side can afford to carry bad flelders. However, Wanganui has a good captain in Beard, who has a great knowledge °f the finer points of the game. Both teams have their strengths and weaknesses and the result of the game appears at this stage to be open. If the wicket is unfavourable to the batsmen, much will depend on who wins the toss. The teams are— Wanganui: D D. Beard (capt.), L. W. Condliffe, H. B. Cave, B. Poananga, R. E. Brown, B. W. Webber, B. L. Jones, J. H. Felts, J. Jeromsen, D. McCawe, J. Mutimer. Taranaki: J. L. Meuli (capt.), S. H. Betts, E. Christeinsen, M. CbckeriU J. Crocker, C. Hurcombe, B Kerr, H McClenaghan, E. Meuli, L. Millet, J. Wright, R. Davie (twelfth man).