CHRONICLE SPORTS PAGE

Chronicle (Levin), 4 November 1948, Page 8

CHRONICLE SPORTS PAGE

"Not Out")

■— Young College Cricketer Takes Wickets in Grand Style

(By

As I predicted last week, the season opened under a gtoious sky. Unfortunately good remarks cannot be made as far as the wickets are concerned and the various clubs have much work in front of them before they can say the wickets under their control are really first class. Highlight of the junior ;cricket last week was Wing Young's 15 wickets for 17 runs in the College v. Foxton game.

Before going into details of last Saturday's play, I would like to correct any misunderstanding I which may have arisen from last week's notes. The only bail for which an Ibw decision cannot b§ lObtained, as far as the pitc'h of the ball is concerned, is the one that lands outside the leg stump. The 'other points in obtaining an Ibw 'decision were noted last week. Some clubs last Saturday seemed to be strugggling tfor sufficient players to take the field, but on looking over the field it was very. jevident that many cricketers have i still to take the moth balls out of | their flannels, so that Iater in the 1 season all teams should be up to strength. i Batsmen on Saturday were "feeling" for form, with the result that the majority were out before jthere had been much increase in | their side's total. Two exceptions ,locally were Wilson (Weraroa) and | Ball (College). Wilson, a new imember for Weraroa, showe'd the |value of being able to have the ibat hitting the ball — not the ball 'hitting the bat, as happened in .many cases. With little effort, Wilson was able to put plenty of. Ipower into his shots. Even thou|h Ithe bowlers had not. reached top Ifcrm it was evident that this player is perhaps a little im^atient, and is apt to have a "go" ■at that good ball. j Teams do not Seem to realise the value of good fielding. With the exception of perhaps Old Boys and College, the fielding is not up to standard; in fact it is well beiow. Games are won and lost on fielding and for the little practice ;and effort it takes to obtain good I fielding, it is a pity to see such .atrocious work on the Horowhenua (grounds. If viicket-keepers exipressed their feelings, some play- . ers, I'm sure, would blush. The junior game, College v Foxton, was interesting from the point of view of watching players walk in and out. Thirty wickets fell during the afternoon and the full playing time was not used. Wing Young was the "demon bowler," taking 15 wickets for 17 runs. Last year he had one or two games in the senior eleven and if the seniors find their attack a little weak they may be calling on his services again. If he does play

'senior, then he will have to watch , his length. It was far from good on Saturday. The junior batsmen did not take advantage of this, but waited for the good one to come along and then headed to join the onlookefs. ; ' I heard a discussion last Saturday on "when is a batsman fairly out 'caught.' " Well, here it is i player-umpires : If the^ball from a stroke of the bat, or of the hand holding the bat, but not the wrist, be held by the fieldsman before it touches the ground, even thoughit may be hugged to the body of the catcher or be accidentally lodged in his dress. The fieldsman must have both his feet entirely jWithin the playing area at the instant the catch is completed. In explanation, the following points should be' noted: (1) Provided the ball does not touch the ground, the hand holding it may do so in effecting a catch; (2) the umpire is justified in disregarding the fact that the ball has has touched the ground, ' or has been carried over the boundary, provided that the catch has ,in fact been completed prior to that occurrence; (3) the fact that the ball has touched the striker's person before or after touching his bat does not invalidate a catch; (4) the striker may be "caught" even if the fieldsman has not touched the ball with his hands, including the case of the ball lodging in the wicketkeeper's pads; (5) a fieldsman standing within the playing area, may lean against the boundary to catch the ball, and this may be done even though the ball has passed- over the boundary; (6) if the striker lawfully plays the ball a second time, he may be caught under this law, but Ohy if the ball has not struck the ground since first being struck; (7) the striker may be caught off any obstruction within the playing area, provided it has not previously been decided on as a boundary. May I close tnese notes. with congratulations to the Weraroa and O.'d Boys teams for the exceedingly interesting and sporting finish they put on iast Saturday. Full marks to Old Boys for making the positiori possible and Weraroa also deserve credit for grasping the opportunity with both hands.