CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 966, 5 November 1910, Page 12

CRICKET.

in addition to the foregoing, Jl'Jlahon. ! (Central B) lias played two not-out 'in-' .-.'juh'gs .for a total oM3. :, ".sot'out.'' BEST BOWLING. -; : . Average ■'■.:-.■••';'■■■•' ■'.'...:..,.- ' per: : ';• : ■:■ •, : AVkts/Euns. wkti. : Hiclcey, East A ........ 17 307 G. 2 •'■'.■ Moimghan, College, .. ,13 \ ,112 ' B.G '•'-. laws, Central A ......; 13 112. -8.6 , Brice, Hutt .....;:......! 11 - 121 11.0 • [The foi'6goii'g : are jtho .only senior . bowlers who have .takeii nioro than ten '. wickets this season.]

Changes in North Club. , pid players who were at the Basin this ireek .were glad -to notice the. reappear-.. .•Mice of' that fine old. cricketer Arnold Williams at the nets. He will don flannel in earnest for North to-day. His re-'j appearance is mainly due. to the need which is felt in the. club just-now of the presence- of one ,or two "old • hands'' to';, help, thf youDger members along-at practice 1 and-on the field. To'this call Williams has- responded. As .to other 013 members, I'icbardson would probably like to retire if he suited his own convenience, but he is at present playing when required, though willing to vacate his place in the first eleven in favour of anV younger cricketer. who., may show good senior form. "It-is also on the cards that "Ernie" TTphain may not be. seen afc.-the crease very much longer ■ though,' to .be sure, let us hope that this surmise' may not, prove correct. ■ It may. also bo jnehtioneil-' that/'sduie' • fortnight, the North' Club'will'move from the Basin to their new. practice wicket at ICelburne Park, which, ,of . course, will be more convenient for. members. . Their "little green patch"—practice patch that is—on, tho Basin will no doubt :bo soon "jumped" by some other club, -for it is , a very fair piece 6£ 'turf—much', better, than "that of their neighbours,' Wcllington East. i. • . Wellington South and Hutt. • <f Wliat a glorious wicket for a mammoth score at the Hutt ground last Saturday!"', Yet the wicket was too. fast _for Hutt, and most ,of them succumbed, to the bowling of Patrick and Guthrie for next to nothing. • It was anticipated that Hutt wouldabout win, but, when Judd played bact to a straight good-lcngthed one from Smith, and sealed "his dooni,. the local supporters'■ hearts began to fail them. Patrick, whose bowling was' remarkably good, accounted for Pringlo-in his second oyer. "Much was expected from Brice and Staples, but they wcrp not at all trouble-, some! i.Smith's .first, ball''.to'Brice. should have been caught by the bowiler, but he lowered, the New Zealand representative's centre stump* with his next. Staples was dismissed before he. had.time..to get his eye in. Aldersley made a good showing. He has rather a stylish leg glide, but is inclined to overdo it; -However, he got a 5. off "Guthrie, and several 2's. Wilson, who, by the by, is still troubled : with sciatica, played for a steady 12. He -was at the .wickets twenty minutes, and kept his end up nicely; South did no better on the fast wicket than their opponents, with tho exception of Grace, who batted in great style. There was nothing in the remaining batsmen's play. South's victory can, for the main part, be put down to their excellent It was as good as Hutt's,w;as "bad,-arid that is saying a great deal. '

Patrick's bowling, was a feature. This player has a fine leg break, and might cultivate..-it a bit more with advantage. Guthrie -also . got a fine average. On Hutt's side, Brice did not come off so lEcll'as; usual, but Aldersley, Judd (2), and Harris caused some uueasiness to the batsmen.

.It was regrettable that Hutt did not 'fee. to the cutting of the grass in' the out- • field. There were dozens of times when a big hit only yielded two, where, on a decent- ground, it: would have been an ■ easy four. East A arid Central B. After the very poor batting display given by Central B on October 22, tliey "bad practically' no. chance : of defeating East A oil the second day's play. • Tho : latter team declared the first innings closed with six wickets down for 153 runs, "and thus had a lead of 10-1 runs on the first innings. When Central B commenced . a second innings, : the plan Was probably to avert an innings defeat, and if . possible to hold tlio fort/long enough so "that, the opposing side .would not secure a full win. An innings ' defeat was' averted, but East managed to dispose of tho team in time to make a .second visit to the crease, and win 'b,v eight wickets." The batting of tho Central team is scarcely worthy of mention. It was for the most port painfully slow. ."Wilkinson made top score with 43 runs, but Stephenson's 28, which included two hits for four, was a more attractive perforinauca. Had some other members of the team attempted to open out in the same free style as Stephenson, they would probably have found Hickoy's bowling a good deal easier. At any rate, it appeared from the spectators' area as if the batsmen would on many occasions havo been safe ill disregarding the wicket-keeper - and running up the pitch a little with tlie laudable intention of hitting Hickey out of the ground. Any batsman, who is •iuraid to run out to lobs, can never -expect to make runs, and any batsman, who. iis afraid to take this little risk when there is such a wicket-keeper as East A liml on Saturday, ought to givo up cricket altogether, and confine his attentions to some other game. Certainly, Hit-key secured six wickets for 46 runs, but considering the, feeble manner in which the . Centnil, : men scratched and scraped about the crease, it is a wonder that, he did not "t't the lot of .them. Gibbes and Miller each sent down a no-ball on Satlirdnv. Midlauo has evidently struck form" now, and is likely to prove ►he best batsman in the Jhast uub tins isai. During a brief stay at the tnc-

kets lust Saturday .evocnins Tjc gave . a line display for 30: not out, his score including. live threes and 0110 i'our. Mahoney just appeared to ho about sot when the .required .runs; were sccured to win the luatch:■

Not Batting and "The: Real Thing." Luckie-pleased his friends on Saturday by knocking up IS runs in an, innings that' may be best described as painstaking.:/'; His rims wore got -by hard work and ■ strict attention to busine-is. Although; „as a- rule, lie is. nornn-;;ettor, it is to be said of Lnclcio that ho bats in the' same careful. style at the note us .in a match. Jn .'this "lie sets an orxamplo of practice, if'not of ultimate performance, that might .advantageously: be followed by the, majority of colt.'i. The usual thing with most of our .young batsmen:,'when they practise-at the nets is to strike out freely at bowlint:, which they are enabled to treat with disrespect because they are familiar with uts peculiarities. This is a policy that does not pay in the end. W. G. Grace has somewhere laid it down that ho novel- took anything for granted when facir.3 even.a bowler willi whose style he was familiar, but scanncd each delivery ns closely as though it camo from a stranger of unknown powers. The wisdom of this position is apparent. For one thing:, a batsman, playiug always on these lines*, is constantly training his judgment. Care at the net leads to confidence in. a natch, but. careless practice phiy is apt to culminate in fatal nervousness when tiie batsman encounters an unknown bowler- with a - "gift."

Pitches and the Play. • "Better and better" is, the phraso that; fits the Basin wickets, and 1 they will soon be better still. They are, of course, a (ride soft, perhaps. It' irould not bo safe policy as yet for eve.a an expert bat to play forward to every delivery that a fast'.bowler sends- down, but a great deal of good work has dons, and tho wickets should rapidly; improve as the season forges ahead. Witness to their, quality is to be found in the scores obtained of late by- batsmen' in tho Wednesday matches. Saturday play has not attained any wonderful dfigree of interest as yet, but improvement is apparent in a good many players, and there should be some tolerably lively contests in the near future. A Dashing Attack. The victory of Wellington North in tho. second round of the senior.'championship was ill every way welcome. I 1 or one thing it retains in the foreground (for a time at any rate) > a team .tfiat was in some danger, even ; thus early, of taking a premature back seat. It is .to bo granted that luck had: something to do with tho defeat of last year's; champions. It is highly, probable that ;if the Rev. .E. 0. Blamires had.been 'present to contribute a sequel to .hisvaluable batting performance of the previous playing day, the Central A score -would have been sufficiently augmented: to reverse tho fortune of the match. This, however, is a probability only,,and against it is to bo set the positive fact that tho North bowlers acquitted themselves brilliantly, and set up a dashing and' extremely effective attack. Tindlaj broke the back of the opening defence on Saturday, bowling with refreshing skill and vigour. . A -characteristic delivery was that which sent laws to the rig.ht-about—a break from: the .'off,-which travelled in at speed. The best of batsmen might have found it a problem. Finlayson effectually completed the work thati Findlay had so well begun and carried on. In point of merit there was little io choose between their respective performances. Tho prospects' of the -North' team are considerably brightened by their victory, and it is to bo hoped tliey may make., it a precedent.: Of their bowlers they 'have no reason- to complain, 'and their batsmen !aro a fairly Tho trouble is that several of tliem arc of the hard-hitting' order, who make big scores on. .occasion, but. aro. apt to strike disaster when , their assistance, and runs, .aro ; most in. request. Snapping the Chances, When North wero again at the wickets, Little, fielding at point,' was' responsible for a clever , catch that cost Sheridan, his wicket, l'our .batsmen; Sheridan, Manson; Luckie, and Blacklock, gave catches that-.were held during the North'second : innings, but • probably they • were out •merely to loosen their shoulders, since tho .result of tho match was no longer in doubt. Still to Come, It is to be admitted that judged by results the bowling of Saunders was considerably below par on Saturday, but batsmen who »r© wiso will not build any vain anticipations on the fact. The fine record of- years is in no way injured by the occasional failure.'of a day, even if attendant circumstances be left altogether out of count, which in, this particular ease would be most unfair. : Wickets rain-soaked • and dead ■ as w ere thoso at the Basin on, Saturday are as different as possible from those on which the Australian has bean accustomed to display his prowess. Even a bowler of his ability cannot be expected to adapt, himself immediately, to so extreme a change. The advent of better weather and harder wickets will no'doubt, shortly: draw from Saunders an exhibition of his real powers. Also, ho must be steadily acquiring an expert knowledge of that indigenous product, tho New Zealand wicket, which ho will turn to good account by and by.

A Good Bat. Crombie, the bright 1 particular star of . the East B batsmen, was in splendid form on Saturday. This .was fortunate, for without his*aid tho .team he leads would liavo been utterly extinguished. Good as his work has boon thus far, thero is every reason to believe that Crombie will ob.tain much .better form as time goes on. His hitting' is sensational lit times, and works, tho spectators to a pitch of enthusiasm, but,he has rather a habit of giving -chalices at both long and short range. Possibly the comparatively poor, standard of fielding that obtains in lington is in part responsible for his occasional' carelessness in this particular. On Saturday ho gavo few chances of a catch, but 'twice was within an aco of being run out! Ho fell a victim finally to his penchant for a lofty drive. It pays to station a' good man or two in tho outfield when Crombio is at tho wickets. All-Round Men. No single players contributed moro to the success of Victoria College in the match against' East B than Stainton. Batting in tho first innings,, he punished tho bowling severely, and .last Saturday ho proved his versatility by.-taking three wickets in. capital .stylo' at a trifling expense of runs. His bowling .analysis read: .i'our overs, no maidens, seven runs. Not only 'did. ho shiiio.as' batsman aiid bowler, but it fell to his lot to dismiss Crombie, easily-tho strongest batsman-among .bis opponents, by a well-judged' catch in the outfield. Looking at the whole match, Stainton's performance would tako a good deal of beating. Monaghan is another .Collego player who showed good all-round quality in tho match. Ho was well up among the topscorers in tho first innings, took two wickels for 38 runs when East B were at the wickets, and in addition proved himself an alert and eapablo fieldsman. Useful Slow Bowling. On two successive Saturdays , O'Shea has put up a record that should entitle him to a more prominent placo among tho bowlers of the East 11 team. 11l the first innings of Victoria College hq .captured a couple of wickets, one at least of which had been obstinately defended. Last Saturday ho completely eclipsed this tolerably meritorious performance. Bowling two and a third overs, ho dismissed three batsmen at a cost of seven runs. It is a reasonable supposition that had he been called upon io handle the ball earlier in tho College fust innings, ho .might havo materially, toned down tho severity of tho defeat inllicted on his team.

: (Si Tjtb Bkeikee.] !■■ LEADING BATTING AVERAGES. [ ■;■ Lrbinbie, East B. ;..„. 167' 03 • ■ 0 3 55.G '■ .: Burns,. College , s 102 79* 1 2 51.0 ! : Bruce,,.Central A .... 47 30* 2. 1 47.0 ; . Blainir'es, Central A -10 10 U 1 -10.0 i'- ". Sheridan, :■ North 31, 2i* 1 1' 31.0 i .'■' Sfainton, Collego 04 -4S 0' 2 32.0 j" Brioe, Hutt ....57. 40* 1 2 2S.5 j: .Staples, Hutt ..' 55- 21 s ; 1 2.27.5, IV Tucker, East A 82 45 1 3 27.3 i / Burton, South ....'.....'76 30 0 3 25.3 j, ' Stephenson, Central B .74 46' 7) 3 24.6 ;'■'■■■' Ifidlane,". East A 73 30* 1 3 24,3 ; Wilkinson, Central B 96 43 0 4 24.0 |. ...Caddick, .College ...... 21 IS. 1 1 24.0 ;. Goldfinch, East B ... 71. 47 .' 0 3 23.6 ! ; M'Gill.East A ...47 36 . 0 2 23.5' f . Sisso'n, Central B. .... 63 31 0 3 21.0 h. - Mahoricy, East A .... 61 54 1 3 20.3 :-.•■ Wyriyard, North 39 25 0 2 19.5 Saunders, College. 30 32 0. 2 19..V . Grace, .South 55 .31 0 3 18.3 ;■ ilonaghau, College .. 35 31 U 2 17.5 1- Patterson, Central B 51 34 0 3 17.0 !.. Grimmcft/East-A .:... 17 9' 1 1 '17.0 •'. Eoberts, Central l \ .... 50. 28 0 3- 16.6 -' Blacklock; North ..... 66. 21 - 0- 4 : 16.5 ;■:■ Laws, Central A ...;.: 33 31 2, 16.5 Fiulayson North 4S 39 0 3 1G.0 '" M'Kay, East B ..31 27 0 2 15.5 Walters,, South 46 24 0 3' 15.3 :"■■• Cotlett, East A ........'46 16 1 3 13.3 Dcmpsev, College ..:.. 30 24 1 2 15.0 V Birch, Central. A ...... 44 21 0 3 14.6. Wilson, South ...29 22 0 2 14.5 Burbidge, College .... 41 27 0 3 13.0 Hutchings, East A ...-: '27 20* 1 2 13.5 Phillips, North ; 27 11 2 2 13.5 • , Hawthorne, Central A 25 23* 0 2 12.5 . Naughton, Central A: 38 17 0 3 12.0 '"V Richardson, North... 23 16' 0 2 11.5 Gibbes, Ea*t A :.!'.... .23 23 0' 2 11.5 : Chapman. East B • 22 20 0 2 11.0 Beeehy, Central A ... 32 12 0 3 10.0 Jlanson," North';.;...; 30 21 0 3 10.0-little,-Central A .... 20 19 0 2 10.0'