LOOKING BACK

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 157, 31 December 1931, Page 8

LOOKING BACK

INTERESTING CRICKET

WELLINGTON V. CANTERBURY

PLAY AND PLAYERS

(By "Sixty-nine.")

Although Wellington played its first interprovincial match in 1860 and Canterbury its first in 1863, it was not until the 9th January, 1878, that tho two provinces met. Canterbury had been to Auckland, where they had had a sensational win against the local men. The tourists batted first and made 93, to which Auckland replied with 135, D. Ashby (fast round-arm leg break) taking five for 42 and W. Frith (left hand) three for 42. In their second innings Canterbury made 163 and Auckland, left with 122 to win on a good wicket, were all out for 13 —5 from tho bat and 8 byes! Ashby took five for 2 and Frith three for 3, the' other two men being run out. On their way back Canterbury spent a day in Wellington, where they defeated the local side by 121 runs on the first innings. On a tricky wicket Canterbury made 153 (Ashby 44; J. A. Salmon soven for 61) and Ashby and Frith, bowling unchanged, disposed of AVellington for 32—Kennedy 10, W. A. Fordham 9, I. J. Salmon 3, Horwood 1, extras 9. Ashby took threo for 13 and Frith five for 10. In their second innings Wellington, had lost four for 42 (Kennedy 25 not out; Ashby one for 22, Frith three for 16) when time was up. AN EXCITING MATCH. The second match, in January, 18S4, was also played in Wellington on Canterbury's return from Auckland. It was a splendidly contested game. Canterbury batted-first and made 137, to which Wellington replied with 132, K. V. Blacklock, who has been described as the first of Wellington's groat batsmen, making 54. Poeock, ,1 round-arm bowler and a relative of W. G. Grace, took fivo for 40, and Edscr, a medium pace bowler, five for 65. In their second innings Canterbury made 157, and Wellington, with Lawson injured, wero left with 163 to get. Kdser was in great form, and with seven wickets down tho score was only 49. lleonan (41) and Nicholls (25) improved tho position, however, and 120 was up when the ninth wickot foil. Lawson, batting with one hand, joined Eonaldson, and they took the score to 147 before Eonaldson was caught off Edscr with 20 to his credit. Edser took eight for 75 and Poeock two for 44. Included in tho AVcllington team were: T. S. Eonaldson, whoso death occurred a few weeks ago and whoso son, Alan, has represented Wellington, although not against Canterbury; S. Nicholls, father of the famous Petono footballers; and H. Eoberts, whose son, "Teddy," played against the Southerners many years later, and won fame on the Eugby football fields. FOOTBALL AND CRICKET. Tho third match, played at Lancaster Park at Easter, 1884, was noteworthy for three things—(l) On tho second day play was adjourned for two hours to enable a football match to bo played; (2) Twist made- 34 out of Wellington's first innings score of 71, no one elso reaching double figures; and (3) E. V. Blacklock carried his bat right through Wellington's second innings for 84. Tho Canterbury captain kept his regular bowlers back, and Wellington made 202 in their second essay, the match ending in a draw. INTERESTING CONTESTS. . Thrco soasous later D. Dunlop (slow right hand, four for 29 and six for 7) and E. Halley (left hand, fivo for 33 and four for 19) bowled unchanged throughout the two Wellington innings, and Wellington, with 65 and 34 against 130 and 80, were beaten by 111 runs in a low scoring match. In Wellington's second innings thero wero no doublefigure scores, Extras and Dryden, with 8 each, leading the way. W. P. M'Girr, father of "Herb.," took three for 21 and six for 36. There seemed to bo always something interesting in these early games, for in the next match, played at Hagloy Park, Christehurch, at Christmas, 1889, A. E. Moss, probably tho fastest bowler New Zealand has produced, took all 10 wickets for 28 runs in Wellington's first innings, which realised 71, M'Girr (20) and Littlejohn (13 not out) being tho only double-figure scorers. In their first innings Canterbury had made 138, Dryden, Wellington's slow bowler, taking soven for 58, and in their second strike they made 111, Dryden taking fivo for 36 and M'Girr four for 30. Wellington, requiring 179, lost eight wickets for 87, of which W. J. Salmon made 32. M'Girr (31) and Nieholls (29 not out) put on 50 for the ninth wicket, but when M'Girr was caught the end soon came, and Canterbury won a good match by 39 runs. Included in the. Canterbury team ■were: —Their great batsman, 11. Demaus —there are middle-aged men in Canterbury to-day who are always ready to argue whether Demaus or L. A. Cuff was the better bat; T. W. Eeeso, A. M. Labatt, .and C. W. ("Potter") Garrard, whose two sons, D. K. and W. E., have both represented Auckland. WELLINGTON'S FIRST WIN. Five matches had now been played, of which Canterbury had won four and one had been • drawn. Wellington's turn came in March, 1891, when on a sodden wicket at the Basin Reserve they dismissed Canterbury for 50 and 88 (Dryden six for 19 and five for 37) and themselves made 76 and 63 for two. There weTe no doubles in Canterbury's first innings, and Wellington had to thank D. Fuller, who hit fiercely for 33 not out, that they did not fail in their first knock. Included in the Wellington team wero W. Frith, who had previously represented Canterbury and Otago, W. Wynyard, who' was later to play for Auckland, and H. M. Moorhouse, in lator years a Canterbury representative. MORE PLAYERS OF NOTE. In tho Canterbury team three years later wero L. A. Cuff and J. D. Lawrence, who in the previous season had put up 306 for the first wicket against Auckland; 11. C. Bidley, one of three brothers, who all represented Canterbury; W. Robertson, a bowler with a tremendous break; "Bift'er" Pearce, an all-rounder; Stanley Frankish, a beautiful loft-hand bowler who died very early; J. W. H. Uru, the big Maori; and J. N. Fowkc, the genial wicketkeeper, who represented Auckland as well as Canterbury. On tho Wellington sido wero F. Ashbolt and E. F. Upham, tho slow and fast bowlers, whom Canterbury were meeting for tho first time; A. E. Holdship, tho brilliant little- batsman and sound general, and Arthur Blacklock, a botter batsman even than his brother. Wellington had all the best of a game, which was drawn owing to rain, scoring 146 and 263 for seven declared (Cross 59, A. Blacklock 58, C. Gore 40) to 88 (Upham fivo for 20, Ashbolt fivo for 54) and 168 for five (Upham four for 70). It »'/as a Canterbury bowler, Robertson, who returned the best figures, in tho next game. Ho took four for 69 and nine for 98, and Wellington wero dismissed for 182 and 192 (A. Blacklock 26 and 52, Holdship, 23 and 53).

Canterbury made 346 (Dernaus 94, Cuff 72), and 29 for one wicket, winning easily by nine wickets. NEW PLAYERS APPEAR. The Bth November, 1895, saw Dan Eoese, then a lad of 16, playing his first representative match. He was on the losing side, Wellington, for whom Upham took four for 49 and four for 47, and Ashbolfc three for 23 and four for 22, winning by six wickets. Ecese did nothing with the bat but took three for 47 and three for 18. The next season saw some new faces in both elevens. Wellington had Arnold Williams, F. A. Laws, and K. Tucker, while on the Canterbury side Arthur Sims, still in his 'teens, made his first appearance in representative cricket. The bowlers had a poor time. Wellington declared with eight wickets down for 401, Williams making 163, Holdship 63, and Gore 57; and Canterbury replied with 343 for sis, Sims 103 not out and Eeeso 96. In the following season Wellington again took heavy toll of the Canterbury bowling, making 404 on tho Basin Eeservo by very even scoring, tho highest being 79 by Holdship and 77 by C. A. Richardson, who had arrived from Sydney a few days before. Can; terbury made 187 (Holdsworth taking fivi! for 74 and Tucker four for 24) and, 197 (Ashbolt seven for 52). L. T. Cobcroft (now a Wellington selector), who had been captain of the New South Wales team which toured New Zealand in the previous season, had settled in Canterbury and made 75 and 20. F. C. Stephenson, who had played for Canterbury two years previously, was this time a Wellington representative. In the next match Canterbury had the assistance of Jim Phillips, the famous umpire, who was coaching in Christchurch. He made 110 not out and in Wellington's first innings took three for 18. Canterbury,; with 377 (Upham five for 140 and Hales four for 92) to 83 (Frankish fii c for 22, Phillips threo for 18) and 167 (D. Eeeso four for 54, Pearce three for 25), won by an innings and 127. KEEN TUSSLES. Canterbury won at Wellington the following year, but this time by tho narrow margin of ono wicket. Wellington made 183 (Tucker 60, Quec'3l) and 164 (Tucker 31, Queo 51). Cobcroft took none for 8 and six for 23. Canturbury, who had made 169 (Cobcroft 70) in their first innings, needed 160 to win. They had two down for 51 and five for 92. Barry and Wigley added 53, but tho seventh and eighth wickets fell at 146 and tho ninth at 155. Wright (who played for Wellington in the following season) and Malone, tho slow bowler, knocked off the remaining runs, and Canterbury scraped homo in a match remarkable for the closenoss of the scores in each innings. Quco was playing in his first big game. Another close game was playcl in the following year in Christehurch. Canterbury made 146 (Hales five for 41) and Wellington 145 (S. T. Callaway, another New South Welshman, five for 45). In their second innings Canterbury made 133, Tucker taking live for 69. Wellington, left with 133 11 get, los; seven for 98, but Midlane (55 not out) and Upham (10 not out) got the remaining runs without further loss. Callaway took fivo for 50. This was Wellington's first win in Christehurch, and they had now won four games to Canterbury's seven, four games having been drawn. Tho 1901-2 game was also won by threo wickets, but this time by Canterbury, for whom Frankish took seven for 26 avid six for 64. Canterbury, needing 92 to win, had 53 up when the first wicket fell, but lost six more wickets in getting tho other 39, all clean bowled by Upham. He had taken the first wicket also, and he wound up with seven for 24. Prominent newcomers to the Cantorbury sido during tho previous few seasons had been C. Boxshall, the wicketkeeper, W. • Howoll, a left-hand bowler who was to leave his mark on Wellington, and K. M. Ollivier, a stubborn bat, change bowler, and brilliant field. DEADLY BOWLING. The 1902-3 match was a low scoring one. Canterbury made 174, Stephenson taking seven for 58; and Wellington were all out for 120, Ho well six for 50 and Frankish threo for 30. Nothing daunted, Stephenson and Hales set about retrieving tho position, and, bowling unchanged, they got rid of Canterbury for 70, Stephenson taking five for 28 and Hales five for 42. Howell and Frankish were not to be outdone, however, and they in turn bowled unchanged. Howell took soven for 32 and Frankish three for 29, and Wellington were all out for 62, losing by 62 runs. A year later Howell was again concerned in a startling performance, this time with Callaway as his partner. Canterbury mado 382 (Ollivier 83, Bennett 58, Hales five for 87), and AVellington 280 (Tucker 65, Callaway five for 94, Howell four for 93). Canterbury's second innings realised 164, and then AVellington, set 266 to win, were shot out by Callaway and Howell for 22! Callaway took six for 4 and Howell four for 15.Keeping up its string of successes, Canterbury won again in 1904-5 by 201 runs, despite a capital 81 not out and 34 by young J. P. Blacklock in his first representative ganie. Once again, at New Year 1906, two Canterbury bowlors bowled unchanged in a Wellington innings. First it had been Frankish and Howell, then Howell and Callaway, and now it was Callaway and Bennett, who in achieving the feat, pulled the match out of the- fire. Canterbury, 81 behind on the first hands, mado 166 in their second venture. AVellington required 86, but could only muster 50, Callaway taking four for 14 and Bennett five for 34, and the tenth man being run out. In the whole match ■Bennett took ten for 86, Tucker eight for 60, and Callaway eight for 81. Canterbury won again in 1907, when the best performances for Wellington were those of D. C. Collins, just turned 19, who carried his bat right through AVellington's first innings for 53, and Midlane, who went in first wicket down in tho second innings and was unbeaten at tho finish for 63. Ollivier was Canterbury's destroying angel, taking six for 43 and five for 66. CANTERBURY STILL AHEAD. Twenty-one games had now been played, of which Canterbury had won 13 and AVellington 4, while four had been drawn. It is a fascinating business this looking back over the bravo days of old, but it is apt to make an old man rather garrulous, and it seems meet that these reminiscences, having reached the period when the Plunket Shield games commenced, when Lowry and M'Girr were out of the primers and Page and James wore first commencing to toddle round, should conclude. There have been many great games since, not tho least of which was that played in AVellington two years ago, whem Canterbury, set 407 in tho last innings, just failed by 19 runs. That this week's match may be such another is a consummation' devoutly wished by the oldtimers and the young generation alike.