SUBURBAN NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 233, 21 December 1927, Page 11

SUBURBAN NOTES

One team that should be cheering the decision in favour of two-day matches is Ellerslie, which will now get a chance to win a match or two.

What’s the matter with Harbour Board Colts? Cricket is usually played with 11 men on each side. Yet Colts have come to work with 10 men on three occasions this season out of five matches. They should be called the “Pups” from the cheerful way they come along one man shy and upset the calculations of the “bigdogs” of the competition. The choice of men for the teams to play in the Christmas tournament on the Domain will be made from those attending practice to-morrow evening. The Management Committee has decided to subsidise the Junior Management Committee in the matter of expenses, which will not be light. It was suggested that the games should extend over a week, but that is obviously too long. Three Auckland delegates to the Kew Zealand Suburban Cricket Council, in addition to Mr. E. Stallworthy and Mr. J. Elliott, who are secretary and president respectively of the governing body, were selected at the Management Committee meeting on Monday evening. They are Messrs. A. Gedye, A. H. Brown and L. Martin. A Suburban player in Christchurch recently swore at his captain and “told him off” in a style that left no room for misunderstanding. He was suspended until the end of the 1928 season. Cuss words have no place in Auckland Suburban Cricket circles, though some of the tail-enders’ patience must be at breaking-point through being continually among the leftovers. Baxter, of the Ellerslie side, has had one innings of 2 not out for the season, and White has had two hands of 4 not out and run out, nought.

Robertshaw, Ponsonby, has a bone to pick with the umpire over Saturday’s game against Harbour Board. He was allowed 11 balls in his third over and as he was bowling a bit cheap Breeze and Dunning knocked 23 off him altogether. * * * Two good partnerships were witnessed at the Domain on Saturday in the Ellerslie-Glen Eden match when, for the former, A. Kerr and E. McNeil gave a sound display of running between the wickets, and Gedye and

Yates started Ellerslie on its way to victory by contributing 163 between them. Good partnerships mean bright cricket, thus it is readily understood why this game was one of the most spectacular seen in the Suburban Association so far this season. ___ * * * At the commencement of its game against Glen Eden, the fielding of Ellerslie was shocking, and it was not until the Glen had hit up a useful score that Ellerslie came out of its coma. It is a pathetic sight to watch a meandering fieldsman making sluggish and futile attempts to field a ball with his boot! When Joe Darling and Victor Trumper were wielding the willow they were looked upon as the “perfect thieves” between the wickets —they would steal runs from any bowler! Gedye and Yates evidently attempted to emulate the nefarious practices of these giants of other days on Saturday, both batsmen repeatedly running out to meet the ball and just drop it at mid-on’s or mid-off’s feet while they sneaked one—and sometimes two. Quite right. Why waste strokes—enterprise fosters average!

Club Trophies.—Ellerslie has a pretty collection of club trophies to be won this year. Some months ago Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P., presented a silver cup to be the booty of the team winning the highest percentage of matches during the season. The captain of tlie winning team will hold the cup. So far the third grade team seems to be in the best position, but with two-day matches perhaps the seniox A’s may win it. Mr. J. H. Clayton is to give a bat for the best performance in the junior ranks. It was originally intended as a reward for the first century, but probably the highest scorer will get it. Young Kerr, son of Alex Kerr, Glen Eden, put up a neat 57 two Saturdays ago, and it will take a good junior to beat that. Mr. J. Taylor has offered a guinea trophy for the most improved player, and another for the best batting hand among the senior A’s and B’s.