CRICKET.

NZ Truth, Issue 75, 24 November 1906, Page 2

CRICKET.

(By Scout)

Saturday's, cricket was only moderately interesting. The atmospheric conditions were not of the pleasantest nature, a cold sou'wester being m evidence throughout the afternoon's proceedings. The wickets were m favor of the batsmen, who, with few exceptions, took advantage of the concession.

The fixture between Old Boys and Wellington monopolised chief interest among the spectators, who were present m goodly force. Neither team had, up to this stage, tasted the dregs of defeat, two wins being credited to each, Old Boys having triumphed over Phoenix and Gas Company whilst Wellington's victories were obtained at the expense of Midland and.-Newtown.

When it came to the spinning of the coin skipper Richardson again failed to obtain the choice of first strike and as the pitch was m splendid order and the light excellent, his opponent made no bones about sending him and his men into the field.

Hales was right on the job at the start, as he caught Tucker m the slips off Luckie, bowled Beechey off the batsman's pads and followed it up with scattering J. B. Blacklock's timber stack with a fine ball, which kept low and turned a wee bit from 'the off. ■ ■ ;■•"■■ Three of their crack bats out 'for only 17 was gloomy reading "to the Old Boys, but the tot was stopped m great style by -Dixon and Hay, whose partnership $as full of rungetting. ; Dixon th ffl&his first appearance m senior * cJicTfet 'this season, and he and his partner saw 99 runs added to the score before the association was severed. . .

It was a capital stand and some excellent cricket was shown. Dixon hits clean and hard and is not afraid to take risks. He had to thank the field for missing a copple of chances, but that fact notwithstanding his display was a bright and cheerful one.

He made three nowerful oft drives which yielded 5 each, besides notching several boundary strokes. Spottiswoode, Hill and Stan 'Hickson were requisitioned to take up toil at the bowling crease' in addition to the opening pair of bowlers, and Hickson was eventually the man to send Dixon back to the pavilion after the latter had notched three score runs.

Hay's display for 4-1 was of a more solid character. He played the straight ones m true Alick Bannermanic' style, but at intervals found the boundary with a leg. hit or a cut. He obtained several singles by forcing the ball on the leg side. Hay is a, much better man for his side than he was last year.

Monaghan to tt^d. up 34 by sound cricket. This yoivn- player is 'a freeer batsman than is generally supposed. 0. P. Blacklock was* twice missed by Mahonay and Barney Weybourne m compiling his dozen and was at last well Iveld by Charlie Gore at point.

Biroh, the youngest member of the team, is likely to turn but a good batsman. He does not show much judgment at present m running between the wickets.

Dahn Fisher hit merrily for his runs, and, unlike Birch, is smart off the mark when stealing runs. Jacobs shapeid well as liM man j .and. alto-< : gether the total of 225 was decidedly good, considering the poor < start the earlier batsmen made.

The Wellington bowling, up to about 150 runs, was very fair, then it became loose. Taylor and Nash, both slow bowlers were dropped for Hill and o 'Sullivan but as events proved, the fielding team could well have done without either of them.

In the fifteen minutes left for play Don Nauphton and Richardson put. l 2 on the slate without disaster, the former's contribution being 10, including one capital stroke to square leg off a full pitcher by Monoghan.

The Mi'dland^Gas Company heat was played on No. 3 wicket, which was perfect from the bat&man's viewpoint. Midland got first strike and kept its opponents m the field until Just on time, 227 appearing on the score sheet when the last wicket fell.

Patfiek and Hickson opened, butthe former's stay at the batting crease was of short duration, the Victorian succumbing to a good ball from McKay. Williams shaped aggressively, .but af,ter making 15 ire -got impatient, and stepping out to >one of Harris' was smartly • stumped by wicketkeeper. McDermid. v .

Murphy e-aye a fine display, his runs beinfr made m taking style b\ dean strokes all round the wicket. Some of' his: cuts and drives were very meritorious when > the diminiftive de— mensions of the batsman are taken into consideration. •

Claude Hickson's batting bordered on the tedious. His first 28 runs occupied 75 minutes m their compilation, and his total contribution was the outcome of just on three hours' batting. He gave no chance until 71 was, opposite his name, when Topp, ati ni'id-on, missed the easiest of chances off his bat. His dismissal came per medium of Burke, who accepted a hot return. . f . . . Patience is a virtue, they say, and the Midlander had a big stock, . of this commodity stored up on Saturday — too much so to be exhilirating to the onlookers. His strokes included one 4, seven 3s, and twelve 2s, which serves to show the exasperatingly steady character of his innings, riiclw son just missed carrying his bat through the innings, his' being the ninth wicket to fall.

Upham knocked up 24 'm brisk form. Others who assisted' to ' swell the Midland score were Barron (2i)' and Atkinson (12).

Two serviceable stands were made, Hickson and Murphy (63) and Hickson and Bar r on (40).

The fielding and bowling of the Gasworkers was patchy, although Dredge and Ashbolt showed a good example to their colleagues m the field. Burke came out with the* best bowling analysis (5 for 34) all of which were bagged after going: on a second time, although strange i.o ssiV he didn't trundle so well as he did at the first time of asking: McKay bowled consistently well and deserved better luck. McDermid proved his expertness behind the stumps and his disposal of Williams was a neat and smart piece of work. The catching of the Gasworkers was faulty, several easy chances being declined during the Midlanders innings.

The Gas Company were left with twenty minutes to bat, and m that time lost Waugh who was caught and bowled by Upham, the tally at the drawing of stumps being one for 14.

The Phoenix-Newtown on No. 2 was almost too uninteresting to waste words on. It is not often two innings are completed m one match m an afternoon, .but thus it happened m the game under review. Newtown batted first, at least they went to the wickets for that purpose, but blessed if you could call it batting- The bailsmen were all out for 86, 42 of these made by Alpe and Gosling with 20 and 22 not out. ' Gosling was last m, and started looking for Hickey at once and found him to the extent of 18 off the over. The, only bit of vim shown through the whole innings. There was only one person who did not enjoy the over and that was Hickey. He doesn't appear ta like being clouted and looked as savage as a half-starved bull pup, wMlst Gosling banged him to and ovar the fence, every time. For a senior team Phoenix did not field up to junior form. Brice got two wickets for 28, but he deserved more. He is one of the most difficult bowlers m Wellington, especially if the wicket is not too good. The ball seems to come as though dropped from the top of a Wo-storied building and might take a wicket or your ear. Hickey got 5 for 40.. Both averages would have been better with a bi;b of decent fielding. Phoenix were all out for 172, with Laws absent. Brioe's 58 was the quietest innings he has played for a lone; iime. He was apparently holding his end up on. the hope of Laws nutting m an appearance. * Cobcroft played as though he were batting against the pick of English or Australian trundling. It was complimentary to the bowlers and per. haps he was trying to encourage them because he made a, lot of the trash look terribly difficult and it was a relief when Spraggon bowled him. Waters showed a want of practice, and he- was lucky to get 15. Little and McLennan had a go to the extent of 24 and, 20. Barton scratched 10 ; the rest were a great tail and some of the strokes were worthy of •third-class players. ,

Spraggon-, it is up to you. to give your colts a bit of ground fielding and catching practice, or you won't have Buckley's chance of even making a. game with the G-asworks. It's gen-1 erally the underneath dog that gets kicked, but some underneath dogs want kicking badly.

Scribes' for' the- past -few seasons have given the Old Boys all they wanted m cold, black type, and it has done them good. This season they are going to about he top dogs. So Newtown, buck up and give some of the older teams a bit of a lesson m fielding. You have the stuff, as you have only to watch Spraggon perform as an object lesson.

Phoenix fielding ! It isn't fielding. Most oi its members had that tired feeling or looked it. It's up t 0 you, skipper ''Cobbie," to give them a curtain lecture and a few evenings throwing ihe ball abouj;..

' "Pup" Hutchings is not setting Auckland on fire with either his batting or bowling abilities. The exWellingtonian has failed to gain a place m the seventeen chosen by the A.C.A. selection committee to practice, m view of v the match against lihe Englishmen next month.. He is said to be not m form and has not shown enough to be given a Mai.

The Eden Club has signified its willingness to allow its imported coach, A- E. Relf, to take part m the representative., matches of the season. "Onlooker" m the "Herald" protests against the . proposal. "If Relf," he says, "be included m Auckland's representative team both objects of the ' tour will be defeated. There would be -no test of the strength of local .cricket, for -the M.C.C.. team would be playing Relf and ten others. If the local team happened to win the victory would be heavily discounted by Relf having played, and m any case there would be .no means of gauging where our local amateurs are. Better an honorable defeat than a victory pained with the aid of a nonNew Zealander. To my mind the presence of Relf m the team . for Auckland or for New Zealand will mar the tout. If we as New Zealanders and Aucklanders cannot find men of our own able to make -a good fight with our friendly enemy, the M.C.C. team, then let us accept defeat, observe our deficiencies, and with the help oi exper.ts like Jones and Relf seek to mend them."

Charles Gregory, whose mammoth score of 383 for N.S.W. asainst Queensland, recently, is the individual record innings for Australia^ surpassing Clem Hill's big score of' 3fts for Souttfi Australia, against N.S.W. , and W. L. Murdoch's 321 for N.S.W: asainst Victoria, was batting 5f hours for his runs. For the first hundred his batting was steady, but after-