KILBIRNIE AND PETONE.

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 133, 2 December 1929, Page 6

KILBIRNIE AND PETONE.

The distinction o£ compiling the biggest score for the Petone ground' in recent seasons was gained by KLilbirnie against the suburban .team. The winning olr the toss gave them first use o£ an easy wicket, of ■which they took full advantage, arid when the last; wicket foil shortly G o'clock they had the useful score of. 313 to their credit despite the fact that the absence of' Ward, who was engaged in the Town v. Country match, meant that. only ten "men batted. Crook and Hepburn were the opening pair, but the start did not promise well for a big score, and ■when Christopherson joined Virtue there were only 53 runs on the board for the loss of three, wickets, all clean-bowled Iby Hope, who,- with the wind at his back, was getting up a good pace..'.'. Christopherson and Virtue,, however, proved a formidable pair, and added 30-i'uus for the fourth wicket. ..'They were riot long in getting control" of the bowling, and the score mounted at a brisk rate. The Petone fieldsmen, were kept on the move as the ball was punched to all quarters of the field, and a number of stolen singles gave added lustre- to the batsmen's dis-; play. Virtue was the first to go, his stumps being well shattered by Hope soon after the latter had been brought on niter a spell from the crease. Morris joined Christopherson, and it was not long before he, also, had taken command of the attack. At the tea adjournment, whieli was taken at 4.10 p.m., the score was 179 for four wickets. Hope bowled with fresh life after the spell; and his deliveries •were bumping considerably. One such ball Bailed over Chrjstopherson's head, and the next, of a similar type,' was snicked by the batsman to be held in the slips by G. Nicholls. Fourteen runs were required to reach the second century, and the whole of the first five wickets had been bagged by Hope. Tucker skied one t>£ the Srst balls he received, but it fell safely between square leg and the wickets, au'd another uppish stroke was out of M. Nieholls's reach at cover point. The rate of scoring slackened white Hope kept oft" the spot,, but .before, long the strain told

on the fast bowler, and once again the nms commenced to come freely. At the pibsr end Rotherham, presented no difli-

culties, the batsmen scoring repeatedly off his deliveries. The change bowlers could do little to check the scoring. Morris eventually put- one into Hamilton's hands at mid-off, and Tucker was bowled by the same bowler. Spirited assistance to those who had gone before was given by the tail-end batsmen, Bramley giving a particularly bright display, seven fours being included in his total. " ' '.'

The Petone attack was considerably weakened by the absence 'of Brice, who was watching form at the game on the Basin Reserve. The wind and the wicket would have suited his bowling, but as it was Hope was the only bowler who really commanded•'respect;'. His figures were five wickets for 97 runs off 27 overs, only one of which was a maiden. Rotherham was unimpressive, and had to be content with two..wickets for 127 runs off 29 overs.

A "big 'i hurdle faced the ■ home team when it came their, time to bat, and it was. "unfortunate that they had to open in the last half-hour of play, when the light was far.i'rom good. Smallwood, Ritchie, arid G. Nicholls all fell cheaply, although Hamilton, .was; left unbeaten with 10 runs. Crook was bowling splendidly, and at one stage had taken two i wickets at- a cost, of a run apiece.

Details:—:' ...-.:. KILBIRNIE. / ' !•-,' .''■' , .First Innings. Crook, b Hope 0 Hepburn, b Hope. .., _. 19 Virtue, b Hope ......:..... .'.\ 59 Eayman, b Hope ..., G Christopherson,.c G. Nicholls, b Hope 64 Morn's, c 'Hamilton, b Rotherham .. 41 Tucker,' b Rotherham ...,-'.., 40 i Bramley, c Spence, bM. Nieholls .. 41 j Griffiths^ e-.and b M. Nicbolls ■■■. 3 Harris, -not • out 1.. i 19 Ward, .absent ■ "' Extras 12 : Total' :..•;..... 313 Fall, of the. Wickets,—One for 16; two for'39;'three'for 53; four for 143; five for 186; six'for 212; seven for 275; eight for 253. .-■■--■■■ ': Bowling Analysis.—HopeUook five wickets for 97•'rufi's';': liotherKam two for 127; Glover none for 19; Spence none for 13; Hamilton none for 7; IM. Nicholls two for .■?§:■/,„,';.';;,

.:- I-/}'. ;: -PETONE. ; V -'' l?irst Innings. Smallwood, b Crook 2 Hamilton." not- out 10 G. Nichols-,- -b- -Crook . .0 Ritchie, Ibw, b Tucker 5 Spence, not out _U..'. 2 ..Extras ". ,jf'..- •• 5 Total for three wickets. 24 Fall of.the Wickets—One for 5; two for 17; three for 22. . Bowling Analysis.—Crook took two wickets for 7 runs: Tucker one for 12.