ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1368, 20 February 1912, Page 7

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

CRICKET,

WKONKSDAY ASSOC'I.VI'ION

Tile I'nlluwiiig me (lie fixtures and ground's for tii-iiuirniw:— Seniors. Ai-iilleiy v. fnioii, No. I l!«>iii lieserve; Viviiins v. I'ost and Telegraph, No. 2 Basin Kovrve; Oriental v. Jiivals, No. :l ll:isin Ifi'seive. .lunitiio. Y.M.C.A. v. Chemists. No. 4 linsin Reserve: Tiiion v. I'ost. and 'IVlmraph, N«. I Ncwtowii Park; I'liitcd v. Oncntnl, Nn. i N'ewtuwii I'urk; Artillery v. l'ed I'ross, Nβ. H Newlown l':irk. The followiiig will represent tho Oriental- Clul> in its - ninti'lif.. lii-monow:— Seniors iig;iinst l!iv.\ls: Ilillninii, Alpe. TnisTOtt, K.viiii, 'riiomiis. Ward. Little (2), Osborne. (iourliiy. .hinior against IMiiled: Gayford. Kinnenr, Taylor, Christophcrsou. Miirshnil, l!iementson, Paul. Uobsou, Lindiey, Luxford, Kemple. THE I.'EPRKSKXTA'nVE ETJ^EX. AUCKLAND MATCH. The following players have been selected by Messrs. Bhimires, Tucker, and Blnckloek to roprivent Wellington against Auckland in the representative match, to commence at the Basin Reserve on Friday next:— Baker, East A. Berendsou, College. Blacklock, North (captain). Blnmires, Central. Clibbes, East A. Grimmett, Enst B. ' Mnhoney, East A. Midlaiie, East A. Patrick, South. Robinsoh, Central. Sanndeis, College. Emergencies—Beechcy (Central) and Dickson (College).

The nbovi , totiin iimy be said lo lie strongly representative of Wellington's best, and with average luck should put up a fight- ngaiiint Auckland, with ii iiossibility of beating them. Uakei- has. the 'surprising average al' llG.ii runs to his credit. This has doubtlp-s brought him under the notice of tlie selectors as :< strong run-getter, but he bus yet to lie proved in big cricket, as lu> ha< scratched -for "not out" and got it on spvrral occasions. Berendson i» the wicket-luK'per— a good wickft-kwper— who at his best'is a lightning s-tuniper. At his best-lie is :worth-a place, though nothing much of a but. Blackliick has just recovered-from' aminfortumi'te attack uf sciatica. When in form lie is probably as free and fearless a bat us'has been seen in representative cricket, for years. But he has just comn back to the prnie, and all one can do is In liojie that lie will be iu form. He was captain of the team that visited Auckland laM summer in search of the shield, and though ■ fc!:?rc wero disayrepmeiits on that, tour, they did not reflect on bis capabilities as captain. To the Kev. E. 0. Blamircs all naturally look for a score. He "faced thn music" when the wicket was at its trickiest in Wellington'' first match with Canterbury, and made 20 on that bad turf. He followed it up with over (!0 in the •second innings. At Christchurch. in the shield match, he was Riven out 1.b.w., an cxltciiK'ly doubtful decision. Generally speaking, however, the calls made on him by his work this year have been'arduous, and it is doubtful if his form this year is egual to that shown in 1910. Gibbes is East A's formidable batsman and bowler. . He has an average in club cricket, of well over-50. He is a lefthand.bowler, who can break both-ways, but whose length at times is faulty.Could he but "find the spot," and find it always, he would approach perfection in that important department of the game. Just now lie. is at the top of his form, and, by some, is considered the best nil-round cricketer in .New Zealand.

ii A. promising young player is Grimniett, who is getting his first chance in representative cricketaniHe-'.plo.veil ftm'.Ea'st Afor i> long time,' but as- Hiekry -' and Gibbes usually, found little trouble in getting rid of the wickets, he did not ' get many chances fo display his talent. Hβ is considered the best "googley" bowler in Wellington, and in the East B team has done well with the bat. He is well worth his chance.

Saunders, the association's groundsman, and ex-Australian representative, lias fortunately got .rid of the illness which troubled him last year. This season he has been bowling good enough to have captured any shield, bnt has hail bad luck, notably in the match against Canterbury, in Wellington, when in the second innings six catches were dropped o£ his bowling. He has now air excellent command of the ball;.and, as.ho'ean make the ball "do a.bit" both nays, and also swerve in the air,' lie is;something liko the old Saunders who did such mighty work in the Test Match'against England on the Old Trafford -ground a few years ago. : Patrick- is a player of standing, and has played in every match this season. He. is in : .the team chiefly , as' a inediumfast bowler, but is a fair bat and a good field. . ■ • ■ , - : TCobinson finds a place on account ol his Capacity as a fast bowler with -a slight break from the off. He is a colt on trial—n fast scorer ou occasions. Of the emergencies, Beechey is a good, fioJid bat, who has returned to something like his old form. He is particularly strong on' the drive. Dickson lias come into prominence in club cricket this year as a bowler, anil he and Saunders have on "occasions held up the College end in good style against Straus sides, and not infrequently the two have bowled unchanged .throughout an inning?. Dickson can bat a bit, and may make runs; '

TRIP TO UPPER HUTT. A team from the Petone' C.C. journeyed to Upper IFiitf ou .Saturday and were defeated by the local team-by 112 runs. Scores-.—Petone, 57 (gouthgalc 24), and five wickets for . 58- (Barber. 16,. Bennett 12 not out, Hey' 10 not. out, and toulhgnte 10). I'pper IT-Utt, '1811 (.[. Quinn .03 retired, J. Itodgers 4S retired, Davies 13, nnd M: Welsh 10). Harbor '(throe for M) had'the best bowling'average Tor I'etoUe, and Rodgers (four for 12), bornall (tour for .12), and J. Mabey (lour for la) for I'pper Hutt. RKMARKABLE SCORING. (By TeleuraDh—Prosa Association.) Gisbornc, February 19. Remarkable cricket records have been nut up this season by local players. \\. Gibson, of the United Cricket the'senior competition, has runs' to Ms 'credit aggregating 1118". his avernge. being 86'(i His total includes scores of iii nnt out. 224 not, out, .131.n0t out,.and 157 not out. .' • ~.'■■ -, : 1,. M'Mahon, an es-North hydnoy and Auckland reprewntutive, who is captain of the flisb'fne Wiindcrers. hn? a.total of and has been only.once-bowled. His scores include three centuries. :