GOOD BATTING

NZ Truth, Issue 1199, 22 November 1928, Page 17

GOOD BATTING

Graf ton Give Bright Display (From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) Wickets were fast on Saturday, and good all-round cricket introduced the third series of the A.C.A.'s senior club matches. LJORSPOOLi and Langridge, the Sussex professional, made an auspicious opening for Grafton against Ponsonby, scoring a total of 120. They had the advantage of a good, fast wicket, and the bowling of Roy and Finlayson troubled them, little. , Lang-ridge gave of his best, his solid batting providing plenty of excitement. By his general freedom with the bat he showed that he was above his previous New Zealand, form, arid, played strokes he had 1 not previously shown to the Auckland spectators. His recent games for his home > club m England have evidently brought.him to the top of his form. His was no stonewall innings, as his total of 70 proves, but he did not look like being put out until Smith took up the bowling for Ponsonby. ■•. The slow, left-hand delivery of Smith., quietened the opening batsmen somewhat, and Horspool's innings was brought- to a close at the half-century by a ti'icky ball that pitched, awkwardly, and the batsman could do nothing but scoop it up for Finlayson to catch. It was Smith's day out,, and, although he found Langridge difficult to dismiss, he kept up his bombardment, and his slow, high-tossed balls were more difficult to handle than they appearecl. •. Langridge played with fine judgment, however, until he came out to hit an easy-looking one from Smith. T*he ball had the professional well beaten, and it turned m beautifully to whip off the bails. Both bowler and batsman had given a very fine performance, and their exhibition, which was the best of the day, earned a good round of applause. Smith was decidedly a thorn m Graf ton's side, and finished by taking seven wickets for ninety runs. Some chances were taken by ' Bowley, the Sussex coach, who, with Elliot, opened the batting', for ■ V.M.C.A. against North Shore. . He played some spectacular strokes, but he reached only '28, and lie was lucky to get that far.