With Bat and Ball

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 243, 4 January 1928, Page 11

With Bat and Ball

A Cricket Causerie

Mr. T. W. Reese hopes to publish volume 2 of his history of New Zealand cricket in about 12 months’ time. To reach the century used to be the , aim of every ordinary batsman, but now it seems that certain Australians have developed the habit of making 300. their mark. "Every cricketer,” says Strudwick in a special interview, "hopes that Macartney will reconsider his announced retirement. He still fills Trumper’s shoes for sheer beauty, and for strokes he stands alone.” Auckland’s Win Auckland, the holder of the Plunket Shield, has successfully withstood Otago’s challenge and won its first game this season by the somewhat comfortable margin of six wickets. The display of the home eleven, although in some respects quite satisfactory, was not such as to inspire its supporters with a great deal of confidence as far as bowling is concerned anyway for the vital match against Wellington shortly. With Blunt and Dickinson included, the Southerners would have proved much harder meat. Neverthe less, the Aucklanders have shown that they are a solid batting eleven, and several of them are really brilliant fields. With G. L. Weir and Matheson playing on Friday, the not inconsiderable bowling strength should be greatly strengthened. Torrance and Anthony It is interesting that two of the outstanding performances at Eden Park yesterday were by men who have been playing first-class cricket in New Zealand for over 20 years. Dick Torrance, for bowled throughout the afternon with three short spells, and captured two of the four local wickets which fell. The other veteran, “Tony” Anthony, ran up a brilliant 75

for Auckland and infused new life into the batting at a time when it was painfully slow. Since 1905 these giants of the game have been playing rep. cricket and they are as good to-day as they were then. Anthony scored many of his runs off Torrance, and it was amusing at times to watch the battle which went on between them. “Tony” would get two or three of the Otago man’s deliveries away to the boundary, and then, sending up a wrong ’un, Torrance would completely beat him only to miss the stumps by inches. In the past they have played great cricket for their respective provinces, and both sides yesterday would have ben substantially weakened without them. Fielding As It Should Be Otago’s fielding yesterday was an eye-opener and it is to be doubted if there has been a better exhibition of this branch of the game locally during the past few years. The whole team was solid, backing up well and returning consistently to the ’keeper. Arthur Alloo, the Otago captain, and McM ullan were brilliant, the latter holding a hot one from Bowley at point after making a long dive to get it. All afternoon Alloo worked hard in a hopeless light against batting, which if somewhat slow at times, had many breezy patches. He set a splendid example to his men, and the whole team is to be congratulated upon its dogged uphill struggle. Twice this season has Otago rocked the foundations of its opponents, and twice they have recovered to go on to victory. Their luck may turn against Wellington.

A Strong Australian XU The Australian eleven selected to visit New Zealand next month i-s indeel a formidable side, and providing: all the members can make the trip, they should prove a gTeat draw in Xew Zealand. There are five all-Aus-tralian men on the side. Ponsford. Woodfull, Grimmett and Oldfield, who accompanied the last Australian eleven to England and V. Richardson, who j played in several of the tests against Giliigan’s eleven. Richardson, a young brother of the famous Arthur Richardson. is captain of the side and a brilliant field, while Oldfield is the Oldfield of Test match fame. Ponsford. who in recent Sheffield Shield matches has stamped himself as a batsman of an age. can be relied upon to make the Xew Zealanders chase the leather if he comes.

Matheson’s Performance Last year's Plunket Shield find, A. ,M. Matheson was selected originally as twelfth man to the present team, but on account of the injury to Gillespie’s thumb, played in the match just concluded. And as if to show the

.-.ucLwio >-iiaL uicy had erred in passing him over, he displayed form which was one of the features of the match, taking most wickets for Auckland, besides hitting up a breezy 24 and pulling off three brilliant catches. In consequence of his return to form, Williams has had to be dropped from the side. The Suburban man played very well considering it was his first rep game, and he can be expected to do better as his experience of rep cricket grows.