THREE REP CRICKET – MATCHES IN RANGITIKEI DURING HOLIDAYS

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 December 1949, Page 3

THREE REP CRICKET - MATCHES IN RANGITIKEI DURING HOLIDAYS

With the exception of cricket, little in the way of organised sport has been arranged in Marton over the holiday period. For cricket enthusiasts there will be a full programme, including the Hawke Cup elimination match against Wairarapa at Taihape next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. At Marton a South Rangitikei eleven will play Hutt District Colts next Tuesday and Wednesday and the touring Wanganui Colts on Friday and Saturday. Club competitions do not resume until January 7.

There has been one alteration in the Rangitikei team to play Wairarapa, H. Bellis having withdrawn, and his place has been filled by the 12th man, V. Simcox (Old Boys) who made a dashing 72 last Saturday. The 12th man is now L. McCarthy (Taihape). The Wairarapa players will arrive in Taihape on Sunday night and will depart at the conclusion of the match. The winners of this game play Hutt Valley (providing they defeat Waikato at Christmas) in a challenge match for the Hawke Cup on December 31 and January 2 and 3. The manager of the Rangitikei team will be Mr. T. Shepherd (Taihape) and the scorer is Miss B. I>.irgess (Mangaweka). There is to be a broadcast commentary on the game, the two commentors being Mr. C. Merrett (Mangaweka) and Mr. A. Smith (Marton). The teams are:

Wairarapa: W. Peterson (captain), B. Patrick, D. Hayes, K. Masters, G. Masters, I. Coleman, I. Forrester, J. McArthur, B. Reeves, H. Whiting and O. Hansen; 12th man, J. Bennett. Hayes, and the Masters brothers all played in the Country trial match at Palmerston North recently, Hayes and G. Masters both winning their way into the Country team which played Town at Wellington early this month. Rangitikei: S. Finney (captain), A. Hamilton, N. Ashenden, A. B. Marshall, V. Simcox, E. A. Monk, H. Schroeder, D. McCarthy, T. Whittle, H. Towers, H. Crichton; 12th man, L. McCarthy. The South Rangitikei team to play Hutt and Wanganui Colts has undergone two changes, R. Lourie and L. Christall being not available and they have been replaced by M. Prisk (Sanson) and R. Girling (Marton). The team now stands as follows:—R. Harris (captain), T. Knight, P. Whale, P. Smith, P. Darvill, J. Duncan, R. Roberts, A. Bell, I. Dickson, R. Girling and M. Prisk; 12th man, R. Torrens. Play commences each day at 10.30 a.m. The Hutt Team. The Hutt District Colts’ team contains a good proportion of players who defeated South Rangitikei last season by 54 runs. Frank Holz will again be captain and this will be his third visit to Marton. An old campaigner he has represented Southland, Manawatu, Wanganui and Wellington Mercantile League. He has played in many Hawke Cup fixtures. On five occasions he finished the season with an average of over 100. He has a total of 62 centuries to his credit, two of which were registered in senior grade last season. He has now withdrawn from senior cricket and is captain and coach of the colts’ team in the third grade. Each Christmas he takes a team on to*xr and next year he is taking a team to Australia to play 20 one-day games and will be present at the Australia-England tests at Sydney and Melbourne. Last season, against South Rangitikei, he made 42. His 23-year-old son, Graham Holz, has made considerable improvement in his cricket during the past three years. A right-hand bat who has learned to move out to drive, he has few equals in this important technique without which no batsman will reach top flight. A useful off-spin bowler, he is also a fine field in front of the wicket.

Bill Neazor and Ron Walls (wicketkeeper) are the two youngest members of the team, both beyig 17 years eff age. Walls is an opening bat. He possesses good forceful scoring strokes and a most watchful defence. Neazor is a right-hand bat, and is strong on the off. He is an excellent field. Tom Crook, an 18-year-old, is a slow natural left-arm bowler round the wicket. He has the gift of bowling a good length and his flight is deceptive. Tim Scaife, aged 19 years, has been awarded the trophy for the most improved player for the last two seasons. He is a right-hand bat, with a good off-drive. Dick Roberts, who has found Marton a happy hunting ground as far as his batting is concerned, will not be a member of this year’s party and will be replaced by Alan Joel, an oldseasoned player. Aged 28, Joel is an Army dentist at Trentham Military Camp. While at the Dental School he played senior cricket in Dunedin. He is a left-hand opening bat and a right-hand medium pace leg spinner.

Len Tubb needs no introduction to Marton cricketers. He has been on previous tours, usually as a wicketkeeper. A right-hand bat, he had a very successful season last year. He will possibly not be the ’keeper this time, but will concentrate on his offbreaks.

Fred Conen, aged 20, is a useful right-hand bowler and a fairly sound bat, while his twin brother, Frank Conen, was the best all-rounder of his club team last year, averaging over 30 with the bat and taking more than 30 wickets during the season. His 'highest score was 132, not out. He is a right-hand bat and left-hand round the wicket riiedium pace bowler.

The star bowler of the side is Norm Langham, who has been on all previous tours. Against South Rangitikei last season he took 3 for 14 and 4 for 19 and scored 21, not out. On each tour he has taken over 40 wickets. A left-hander, he bowls medium pace round the wicket. His brother, Merv. Langham, aged 21, is an attractive right-hand bat, who excels at coverdriving. He is also a useful righthand medium pace bowler. A hard-hitting batsman is Tom Hindley, who can score runs quickly when the occasion demands. .He has been in excellent form this year and has never failed to score less than 40. He is 27 years of age. John Cable, aged 24, is a hard-hit-ting right-hand bat who scores his runs all round the wicket. Quite a good field, he bowls right-hand slow > medium deliveries. Rex Dodgson, aged 20, came on tour last year as a batsman, but was discovered to be quite a good right-hand medium pace bowler, who had the ability to swing the ball late into the batsman.

The remaining member of the party is Roley Fly, aged 19. A right-hand bat and a medium pace bowler, he is an excellent fieldsman in all positions. His keenness in chasing the ball could well be copied by many players.