Cricket at King’s

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 193, 4 November 1927, Page 6

Cricket at King’s

COLLEGE PLAYERS KEEN

SOME LIKELY MEN One of the best secondary school c ricketers in the Dominion is Pearson, of Kind's College. He is a nice free bai. possessing a splendid drive through the covers, while he is also fairly strong til round the wicket. Against Beale’s team at Mangere on Wednesday he hit up a useful 26 before he was run out. He is also solid in the. held, and at present perhaps the best 'bowler in the eleven. He sends down a medium-paced off-break, and inis them well with the “straight break.” Assisted by Bowley, King's knocked up 131 on Wednesday. The coach scored a quiet t 4 before he crept out to Beale’s wily ones, and was not at honi*• when the bails were removed. Driving was his principal scoring stroke, and they rarely left the <%.irpet. The school captain, Gillett, also has tic*me good shots, principally through the covers, and when he gets his eye in takes a lot of digging out. FIELDING WANTS BRUSHING UP Most of the boys have batting ability, and this season the coach should find that they have benefited materixly as a of the knowledge gained uuring his previous sojourn here. One thing they lack is a knowledge of the finer points of fielding, most notable in this respeet being the returns to the wicket, which. ;is seen in the two games played against Beale’s teams, is a long way below what is expected from schools. As often as not these returns landed at the feet of the bowler or wicketkeeper. A little further coaching in this connection, together with practice in ground fielding, and King’s College will have an eleven capable of holding Its own with any other secondary school in the Dominion. With such a line ground at its disposal, and the assistance of high-class coaching, King’s should rapidly spring to fame as a cricketing school. GOOD SLOW BOWLER Although Pearson at present is the outstanding player, there are others equally keen on the game in the eleven. One is Lewis, who is an excellent fieldsman, and also trundles a nice slow break, which he is not afraid to pitch up. The flight is a bit slow, but under Bowley’s tuition he should be able to make it more deceptive. Browne keeps wickets well, and on Wednesday four batsmen fell to him, although in most cases he had time do it.

The running between wickets on the boys’ part was not at all up to the standard one was led to expect from their batting. Several runs were lost through this, and in addition there were three run outs, which was just three too many. There was too much watching the ball after it had been played Avith the bat, and when the call came from the other end the batsman was unprepared. These are faults that can be overcome, and by the end of the present season the school eleven will be a difficult problem for the majority of grade (teams. LANGRIDGE IMPRESSES

Langridge, who is well thought of at Home, is developing into a fine bowler and a solid batsman. His medium slow deliveries would get the best batsmen out on a pitch that give him assistance, which the King’s wicket did not. He turns them both ways, mostly from the leg. and he mixes his pace and can flight them nicely. With a cross wind he was doing things in the air. One ball he sent down landed on a batsman’s foot, a full toss. This swung right across from the off stump and would have missed the leg pin. which was the reason why the leg before appeal was disallowed. Langridge would appear to do best on a fast wicket, for he makes pace and is inclined to rise shaply, but at the same time a sticky pitch also would make him very dangerous. By the time the end of the season is in sight Auckland batsmen will have a whole heap of respect for Langridge’s bowling. showed that he can still send down a good ball. There were several of these in the few overs he had on Wednesday. His batting was crisp all the time, and while he stepped out to the slow- bowling the ball was rarely lifted, beautiful drives along the carpet being daisy clippers par excellence.

The finish of Wednesday’s match was Interesting, for just on time Luke, the last man to go in before the clock called a halt, decided the issue with a six and p four, both powerful hits.