FINAL CONTEST

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20774, 6 April 1939, Page 12

FINAL CONTEST

HAWKE CUP CRICKET CHALLENGE BY NORTHLAND REVIEW OF THE VISITORS The final Hawke Cup cricket challenge of the season will be played in Hamilton on Easter Saturday, Easter Monday and Tuesday at Scddon Park when Waikato will meet North Auckland. There have been some changes in the Waikato side owing to defe-clions and the team is not as solid as for previous matches. However, r-ome of the younger players have been given an opportunity, and this should prove of value to Waikato cricket The two players who are unavailable are P. Bright and M. Lyon, two of the most successful batsmen and also very good bowlers hut !iinclusion of J. G. West and J. I'.\will not weaken the team to su--h an extent that the Cup will be in d me r. West's defence is easily tlm soundest of any of the young players in the cmipelili ions and if tilings an- md going too well he could hold up an md for the more experienced plaw-rs to do the scoring, ltis 87 some weeks ago was a very fine effort and he revealed a fine array of good scoring shots. First Challenge By Visitors Providing he does not: attempt to score behind the wicket until he is really set he should do well as he has only been bowled once this season. J. Everest is showing signs of belter form with the bat while the other players, all of whom have played in matches previously this season will make North Auckland's task no easy matter. This will be North Auckland's first attempt to capture Ihe emblem of cricket supremacy among minor associations and they will be handicapped by the fact that many of them usually play on concrete pilches and the turf wicket will be strange to them. they have a solid team, however, and several of the players have had a great deal of experience. The captain of the side. H. W. Wilson, represented Auckland as a !. I

fast howler in Plunket Shield cricket for three seasons and in 1924 was a member of the Waikato team. He has dropped much of his pace but is still an effective bowler with sound ideas as a batsman. Noel Vipond is opening batsman for Rodney and regularly compiles 1000 runs in club cricket each season. He has a double century to his credit in a representative match in Whangarei. A left ‘hander, he has had experience in Auckland senior cricket and toured with the last Maoriland team in Fiji. Good Opening Batsmen Vipond's partner will probably be B. Batten, who when a member of the Taranaki team while still at NewPlymouth High School, topscored with 67 not out. against A. H. Gilligan's team. He is in good form this year. E. Collins, a product of the Timaru High School is a pleasing hardhitting batsman who has made a century in club cricket this year. He is a brilliant cover fieldsman. Roy Kelly, the wicketkeeper, was behind the stumps for University seniors in Auckland and showed great promise as a batsman and keeper. Ron Masters, North Auckland's Rugby captain, is a fast bowler of some merit and a hard-hitting batsman once he settles down. Jack Hewin is a coil with great array of strokes and lie has definite prospects in the game. A. Sigley has made some phenomenal scores this season, on turf, matting and concrete wickets while he is also a fine bowler. The stock bowler is J. Drake who keeps an immaculate length and hardly ever bowls outside the stumps. Last-Minute Selection A. Jeffrey was a last-minute selection. Lately he opened lor his club and scored four runs in an hour.' When wickets began to fall he hit out and, nursing the bowling, scored 67 of the 68 runs scored for the last wicket finishing with 95 not out. He has previously played for Hawke's Bay. H. Fyfe is another sound batsman who also scored a century this month in club games. C. Nisbet, the youngest member uf the side, is a son of “Bun'’ Nisbel, ex-Auckland representative footballer and Northland cricketer and he has done well this season with bat and ball. The teams are as follows:—■ Waikato R. Skeet 'captain), A. Llssette, S. A. R. Badeley, H. Going, R. Clough, A. J. Aitken, T. Lyon, J. Evetrest., E. Everest, P. Jordan, J. G. West, K. L. Sandford i i 2Mi man , . North Auckland H. W. Wilson captain., N. Vipond, B, Batten, E. Collins, R. Kelly, R. Masters, J. Hewin, A. Sigley. J. brake, A. Jeffrey, H. Fyfe, G. Nisbet.