TECH IN GOOD WAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 53, 25 November 1937, Page 14

TECH IN GOOD WAY

"Mid-og.")

Did United Hand Victory to Hastings? SOME BRIGHT PLAY

(By

Low scoring was again a feature of the senior games played in Hastings last Saturday, hut the ultimate result in both matches is at present in doubt. In Napier on a perfect wicket Technical O.B. provided the score of the day, with D. Bees in the role of century-maker. Napier H.S.O.B. in reply commenced disastrously and at one stage had only 11 runs on the hoard for the loss of f our wickets.

In Napier the solitary senior mateh eommeneed before 2 p.m., and for this consideration the onlookers — the largest gathering so far this season — passed a silent vote of appreeiation. Players genera-lly appear to be throwing off that lethargy, so' apparent on the previous Saturdays, and altogetlier _ the cricket provided was easily the brightcst of the season. Our Hawke's Bay cricket captains have never, since the days of Tom Lowry, displayed outstanding promise in handling a game, but whether by accident or design Technical eoneluded their first innings of 248 in time to allow H.S.O.B. the use of the erease for 50 minutes before stumps and the result was stimulating for Technical, who sent four pavilionwards in that short time. In local cricket any side that, liaving firat use of tlxe wicket, can top the 200 mark will find that it is good policy to terminate their innings in time to give their opponents 40 or 50 minutes' batting before stumps. Good wickets are more asily claimed during this time than at any other period of the day. Technical's regular opener, D. Bees, after many exasperating seores of 80 and 90, experjenced the joy of his first century and it came at a very handy time, for his early companions did 11 ot tarry long at the wickets. Actually Bees should have been out in the first over, but having survived that, he proceeded with the greatest confidence, his 101 being liberally besprinkled _ with boundary shots including two sixers. He was finally caught behind the -wickets off H. Beaney. Ted Ellis and Alan Kauter both batted attractively, partieularly the latter, and the tail proceedings were enlivened by the Rugby representative forward "Snow" BoAvman who eollected ten off one over from Tom Reaney. Ernie Elliott also hit lustily and finally sacrificed his wicket by a Avild swipe. Harold Reaney, with five wickets, was the most respected of the H.S.O.B. attack. He bowled steadily all the afternoon. , H.S.O.B. were thrown into a tail spin when T. Mahony, with only one on the board, played too late to one of Ron Parker's swingers, and brother Brian, after surviving a confident appeal for l.b.w., pulled the next ball from Ted Ellis into his wicket. Tom Reaney followed, and after a brief stay was somewhat surprisingly ruled leg before and J. Hielcey followed immediately, a victim to the same cireumstance, althongh, in his case there was 110 doubt about it. Harold Reaney and Maurie Hutchinson stopped the rot, but with the board showing 40 for the loss of ■ four good wickets, the outlook for next Saturday for H.S.O.B. looks partieularly dreary.

Hastings Old Boys Lead Rugby. Keeness was displayed for the honours of the opening day by "both Rugby and Hastings H.S.O.B., and - the latter came out on top. The footballers opened quite brightly with Stevenson getting quickly on the job but the partnership under Tom Rosenberg's big turns, coUapsed and the ensuing batsmen also f ound difficulty in • accommodating themselves to the variety of bowling that was launched against them. ' 'Buster " Craike held sway nicely with the bat to score nearly two dozen with some good strokes but the tail-enders proved easy victims and at the end of two hours or so the side was out for 90 runs.

Then the Rugby battery was turned upen tb# ex-students and a great barrage it was. Eive Old Boys batsmen •were air-missed with less than an average of half a dozen apiece and Rugby's prospects were real bright. Stan Craven and Northe stopped the rot to pass the half century but it was not until Craven was joined by Sherratt that Old Boys were lead out of the woods into the green pastures. Craven unmercifully attacked the bowling, batting confidently and with pleasing crispness and vigour. He took toll of all the Rugby trundlers each of whom was clouted for a sixer. Twice with two succqssive balls he registered the maxiinuin. His. 52, or just fif ty per cent. of the innings aggregate, included six sixes and tliree fours. Sherratt made a good partner for he batted very sedately with a nice show of strokes. Rugby »were called npon to fill in the last 40 minutes of the afternoon in their second visit to the wicket and it was not until after the fall of the fourth wicket that they overtook the very small leeway of the first innings aggregates. Craike was again among the runs, improving on his first innings showing to the extent that he was more cautious. Frater and Errol Mitchell also provided further evidence that while the Cornwall Parlc wickets are not by any means first-rate, they at least provide a good test to a batsman — a point that is'not fully appreciated by a nitmber of leading players wlio find themselves spoiling the finc averages made on the exeeptionally fast Napier wickets through their oavji inability to accommodate thciuselves to prevailing circunistances. Stumps fouiul Rugby wilh seveli wickets down for 81 runs, a lead of only 67, and this will have to be improved upon very matcrially by the remainfiig tliree wickets if they are to convert their one point into lour. United Face Up-Hill Fight. Did United present Hastings with victory in their efforts to avoid opening their second innings in bad light? This question will be answered on Saturday afternoon when United set about col lccting the remaining Hastings wickets and then eompiling the necessary 150 or so runs to turn defeat into an outright win. It might well be that the 20 minutes play before tlie drawiug of stumps last Saturday will prove the vital faetor In thu game. Prior to thiB eventful period Hastings had uiade 114 runs all the side,