KILBIRNIE AND PETONE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 36, 13 February 1933, Page 13

KILBIRNIE AND PETONE

Transferred from No. 1 wicket at the Basin Reserve to No. 2 on Kelburn Park, the K-ilbirme-Petone match attracted a keen gallery" and, -without being very exhilarating, the play had some interesting features. The first day of this match had provided some sparkling batting by llilbirme, p.nd Petone were set the formidable tas^k of making 374 runs to win. To this end seven had been scored without loss before the opening day's play ended. With shorter boundaries on Saturday, Petone's chances were improved slightly, but it was still a tall order, the more so when the third wicket fell with the total at 31. It was then that Roberts and Dempster put a new complexion on the game and revived Petone's hopes. The total was taken to 209 before these batsmen were separated. After that Kilbirnie found the way to success comparatively easy.

Dempster and Roberts were associated for just over two hours, and their combined efforts improved the account during that time by 178 runs. There was nothing reckless in the mariner in which they dealt with the bowling; indeed, there were times when they were compelled to exercise a good deal of. caution. Dempster, who was missod in the slips when he had made only 15 runs, reached his half-century in seventy-nine minutes, and Roberts soon afterwards accomplished the same feat, though he nearly lost his partner when Monkhouse failed to accept a chance of stumping Dempster. The batsmen were, not:; restricted in their range of strokes, and runs continued to come from strokes to the off and to the on. Dempster at times clipped the ball square and through covers with much force, and Roberts directed the leather neatly through gaps in a keen field. With 200 up and the pair going well, Petone were in a strong fighting position, and Roberts then enlivened proceedings with a lofty drive for six. Directly afterwards, however, the partnership was broken through the batsmen being in .different minds about a run, Roberts sacrificing his wicket after having shown a, fine return to form. Roberts's score of 68 included one 6 and nine 4's. Smallwood filled the vacancy, and had scored three' singles when he lifted a ball high to leg. Hanscome brought off a fine catch, but at once indicated that he had overstepned the boundary in taking the ball. Dempster kept his end up, and eventually reached the century mark after having been at the wickets for two and threequarter hours. His innings terminated not long afterwards when Crook made a splendid catch from a miss-hit, the ball sailing high over the 'keeper. In Dempster's 'score of. 110 there were fifteen 4's. The end came a little later, Petone's last wicket falling with the total at 262. Crook was easily the most successful of the Kilbirnie bowlers; he hit the stumps five times. Griffiths bowled rather better than indicated by his figures—two for 75. There was any amount .of keenness in Kilbirnie's work in the field.

Details:— KILBIRNTE. First innings ; ..373 PETONE. First Innings. Hudson, b Crook -...-....-.. 14 Grant, run out . 7 M. F.. Nicholls, lbw, b Morris -. .6 Dempster, c Crook, b Griffiths 110 Roberts, run out 68 Smallwood, b Crook fl H. E. Nicholls, b Crook ■.-..." 0 Patrick, b Griffiths ; 0 O'Leary, b Crook .......... 2 Malard, not out 13 Edwards, b Crook ~.■ 0 Extras ..- 33 Total ' 262 Fall of wickets'.—One for 15, tiro for 31, three for 31, four for 209,, five for 230, six for. 232, seven for 233, eight for 249, nine for 254, ten for 262.. Bowling analysis..—Crook took five wickets for 51 runs, Morris one for 20, Wilson none for 24," Ashenden none for 39, Hanscombe none for 9, Griffiths two for; 75, Hepburn none for 10, Kershaw none for 1.