CRICKET.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1925, Page 4

CRICKET.

WINGHAM CUP FINAL. The following is the draw for the Wingham Cup filial: United A. v. Jtinni, at Riiuu, Sunday .March 22nd. Winners to play off the final with Waittta. AUCKLAND V. VICTORIA. MATCH DRAWN. AUCKLAND, March 10. The match between Auckland and Victoria ended in a draw. Victoria' scored 431 runs in the first innings, Hansford registering 1.06 (not out) ; and Ellis 48. Allcott took 3 wickets for 11.3 rums, Sneddon 3 for 97, Smith l for 70. llorspool 1 for 32. Auckland scored 190 for 4 wickets in the second innings. Daere (not cut) 101, Smith (not out) 30. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION ENGLAND v. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. SOUTH AUSTRALIA WINS. GIUMMETT AGAIN. 'Received this day at 9 a.in.) ADELAIDE, March Hi. Fur tho first time in 26 years South Australia to-day defeated England. by the huge margin of ten wickets. Tlie last Englishman was dismissed when England’s total for the two innings just equalled that of South Australia. The home team had to make a run to achieve victory. This was done first ball.

Griinmet. was the hero of the mulch. At one stage lie had sent down ten overs for 47 runs. He then commenced to rock down the wickets. England at that stage had 166 without loss. In a few minutes four had fallen. Grimmot t had then taken three of them at the cost of one run. Tie bowled like a champion. His performance was especially timely in view of the tact that at the tea adjournment lie was presen led with cheques of a value of (.“210 and £2OO, being subscribed by the general public, and another ten guineas by the Cricket Association. His deliveries were absolutely umvitlistandable. He flighted the ball to perfection, and turned Doth ways. He always had the batsmen guessing. Wliysall played a beautiful innings making 101, as the result of free hitting all round the wicket. Grimmetl was the only man to trouble him occasionally, but he showed great enterprise by jumping out and getting to the slow bowler before the ball had a chance to break. Sandham played a very slow innings at first, but became more-attractive later. Ileudren displayed beautiful forcing tactics. He is undoubtedly one of the brightest cricketers who ever came to Australia. At a farewell chat after-tlie match Giliigan expressed the opinion that the South Australian team in two years’ lime would be the best of ail the States, as a result of fostering the

younger players. England- Ist. Dinings 171. ENG LAND—2nd. Innings. Sandiiain, b. Grimmetl 01 Wliysall. e. V. Richardson, h. A. Richardson 101 llcarne, r. and b. Grimmett . Woolley, e. V. Richardson, b. Grininieit 3 llendren. e. Grimmett. b. A. Richardson 69 Kilner. c. Rainier, b. Grimmett ... 9 Tate. c. Gunn. h. Grimmetl 2 Freeman, e. Murnry. I). Grimmett 1 Gilligan, b. Grimmet i 0 Tyldesley. c. V. Richardson, b. A. Richardson 14 Howell (not out) 1 Extras 3 Total 201 Graml total Bowling: Wall V. for 40. Palmer O for 47, Grimmett 7 for 5.3. Richardson 3 for SO, Murray 0 for 3. South Australia - Ist. Innings 4 13 SOUTH AUSTRALIA -2nd. Innings. t .‘un u ( not out) I A mbler ( not out) 0 Total lor II wickets 1 Bowling:—Howell 0 for I. South Australia won by 10 wickets.

I. WIK) IS GIMMMKTT? ie \sTi ibXDIN’G HOWLING EICERES. d a (liy C. Grifliths in the Christchurch s- “ Press.” o Thirty-two years ago C. V. Grimmelt ■s was born in Dunedin. Thirty-two years g Intel I, with a select band of Maoriland d exiles, lay hack on the grassy slopes of if “ The Hill ” on the Sydney cricket Is ground watching C. Y. Grimmelt o smashing his way to lame through the wickets of Engl; mil. And the cheers that cveiit up for Griiiunott came to our I ears as comes the dreamy cadence of ■- alluring harmonic:;. Not one of us was s there that did not take unto himself i some straightening of petty conceit, l some little pardonable delight, some inI doscribablo. unspoken pride prompted - by memories of the beautiful land > which wc, in common with Grimmett, < claim as our own. t neering was far > from our minds, [t was a very nuh- ■ clued gniup indeed. In the hour of our i triumph we forgot even to talk. Those . of us win) had been silently and uni obtrusively insisting all these .mouths that Grimmett was worth a tiia.l- insisting at the risk of ridicule and Joss o| prestige— mast have been more nervous than even Grimmett himself when mi that eventful Saturday, Collins beckoned him to take up the hall. It was towards the end of the Englishman's first innings, iiut as the slim figure, with its peculiar, old-fashioned sort of “ ioiind-anu’’ delivery, began to steady up the .Frank Woolley, the great batsman from Kent, our nervousness became enveloped by wonder and amazement. He finished up with live for ■ld. Was ii any wonder that England woke up on Sunday morning asking her old conservative self: “• Who is Grimmett Ami when Collins put him on to howl against the wind on Tuesday, with Jack Gregory thundering them in from tho other end, we still were “ a hit with ” those English critics who could not bring themselves to think that Grimmett could do tu the flower of English | hat-men what he had done to the “tail' 5 I three days before. Hut we were not < kept long of that mind. Soon after t Jack Gregory hail skittled the stumps \ of Sutcliffe, the mighty Hobbs took strike to Grimmelt. ‘-.Vow.’’ said the man on ‘'The Hill.” “we’ll see tho

runs come.” Wide were the gaps in the field, only the gigantic Gregory, the lithesome Oldfield, and the supremely confident Hobbs coming within tho range of vision. Close to us, at the Paddington end, was Grimmett. And as Hobbs squared his bat to face tho simple-looking “halt-round armor,” wo were half-afraid to look. A roar from “Lite Hill” followed ti.c Surrey champion's attempt to hook the first ball to leg. Another mighty roar. The bails were ill the air. Hobbs was out, stumped by Oldfield in stepping out to drive the man from over the Tasman. Hobbs, the liupo of England. Something came up in our Maoriland throats. We sat up stupefield. None of us could raise even the imitation of a cheer, so wc joined the procession to the bar. Five minutes later Sandliain was bowled. Then “Patsy” Hcndreii was sent whence lie came. “Griinniett, three for 9”— thus the big scoring-board read. And before the gathering gloom of that wonderful afternoon had brought about a premature drawing of stumps, Kolloway had shattered England’s last hopo by tempting Woolley to Lit one into the safe bands of “Tommy” Andrews. It wa.s only when the players were striding from the field that wc Maorilanders came to the full realisation of what the afternoon meant to Grimmett and to the sporting fame of his country. And the little mob of us raised one cheer for the man from Dunedin. Grimmett looks haelc to his cricketing career with West Wellington with a fondness that approaches obsession. He speaks affectionately of Lis old masters at the Mount Cook School, and of those wlm pushed him into senior cricket when lie was only seventeen. Ot the battles he has fought to gain the recognition he has so long deserved he will say nothing. That is one of the characteristics of this modest compatriot of ours that calls for admiration. He came to Australia ten years ego with neither money nor influence behind him. He tried his cricketing luck in Sydney. He might have known, had lie been sophisticated and a little older, that without influence or sponsorship, it i.s impossible to get a fair deal or reward for merit in a city where cant and humbug reign. Then he drifted to Melbourne, where tilings are but little better, though, to the credit of Victoria he it said, he did obtain a lialf-chance of showing what he could do. His real opportunity caine with the falling of South Aurtrniin from its onelime proud position ns one ol the best cricketing States of the Commonwealth. After a season of lean years, South Australia produced the two Richardsons, young Pritchard, and Gunn. Wall and Palmer are not yet sufficiently developed as beuvlers, so that: the South Australian attack was apportioned to Arthur Richardson. Grimmett, at llm beginning of this season, was indu ed to shift his camp, and they do say that Clem Hill, still the shrewdest judge if a promising player, was mainly responsible. Gri linnet Us hour had dawned. He made his debut in a club match against Sturt, a side noted for iis hatting strength. He did the hat Lick. Early in November he played for South Australia against the Englishmen, his victims being Sutcliffe (Iwho). llcarne. Woolley, and Chapman. Li that, match his figures read: 27 overs. I maidens. 8!) runs, o wickets. In Brisbane shortly afterwards, playing for ail Australian Eleven against the Englishmen lie look I wickets for 176 runs, securing the wickets for Douglas. Bryan, Chapman. and Tyldesley. Then came Ids memorable performance against Victoria .when he howled !)2 overs for 2(2 mils, and tonic nine wickets. Once again, against, Victoria, this time in Melbourne, lie took five wiekels tor 11, 'mo in fill overs. Against New -ourh

Wales he followed up. these teals by taking o tor 137. and 1) for 1 11. lie crowned a glorious season by talcing in the Eifili Test match 11 wickets tor 82 runs, an accomplishment never before falling to tlm honour of an Australian in his first Test match. In big matches this season he has taken 37 wickets for 772 runs average 20.9. Ts it any wonder, indeed, that England is asking from tiie midst of its stupefaction: “Who is Grimmett ?” and that Maorilanders can scarcely contain themselves with pride?