PONSONBY GETS ANOTHER GOOD ALL-ROUND SCORE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 271, 6 February 1928, Page 6

PONSONBY GETS ANOTHER GOOD ALL-ROUND SCORE

GREEN LANE FIELDS WELL Three hours at the wickets, and the score of 278, is good scoring, and Ponsonby gets the credit. A glance at the scores will give perhaps the best indication of the evenness of the scoring, and how each man did his bit. It was hot out there in the Domain on Saturday. It is saying a great deal for the keen Green Lane fieldsmen that never once did they slacken In their efforts at stopping the hardhit balls on that extremely hard and slippery outfield. The field was not ideally placed, but the keenness made up any deficiency. STEADY BATTING Ponsonby took advantage of a good wicket, and opened with Innes and Wright to the bowling of Wroath and Seccombe. Both batted attractively against good bowling, and 46 was up with both men even when Wright played one of Seccombe’s on to his wicket. On Fletcher joining Innes, scoring slowed down perceptibly, but the latter was getting some good boundaries with a pull to leg. At 43 he knocked one into Shepherd’s hands at mid-off. His total included seven fours. Blair joined Fletcher, who became more aggressive. An hour’s play saw the first century hoisted, but soon after Blair tapped one back to the bowler, which was taken. He had been slow to score, as usual. At this stage Kendall had to retire from the field with a cut hand, and was replaced by a substitute, but later went on again. Roberts and Fletcher were quite at home, but when 16 had been added the former called Fletcher, and then sent him back, with the inevitable result. It was a bad misunderstanding, which never should have occurred. Naismith gave Roberts good support, but soon after reaching double figures hit one to the bowler, which was taken. Mackie joined Roberts, who was playing brightly, and the pair put on 70 for the sixth wicket, when Roberts put his leg in front of one from Holmes, who was brought on for the first time. Dickson made runs quickly, but saw Mackie follow Roberts’s example of putting leg before. Wroath was making the ball swing very dangerously from the off, and Stallworthy was never comfortable. Shepherd took another catch at midoff, and Cain fell to Seccombe. With one man short, the innings cloeed for IMPROVED BATTING Following on the fine all-round performance shown when Ponsonby was last at the crease, this score shows how much the batting has improved, even against the good fielding. Not one man lacks confidence, which is a big asset, and one awaits their next meeting with Harbour Board A with expectation. Green Lane went to the wickets with three quarters of an hour’s play left, and lost Shepherd with the score at 9. On joining Watts, Wroath was content to let his partner do the work, bLit later warmed up, and scored some well executed shots, including two fours in succession off Mackie. He is very graceful, and with the perfect timing he employs it is a wonder that more big figures have not come from his bat. "Watts was the more aggressive, but when he had more than half Uie score to his credit he tapped one into Dickson’s hands at cover point. Time was near when Seccombe went in. Green Lane is left with 215 to get for the win, with eight wfickets to obtain the runs. It is seldom the 200 mark is passed by the Lane, but they will have all day to do it. Scores:— PONSONBY First Innings. ? vicket > b Seccombe .. 23 INNES. c Shepherd, b Seccombe .... 43 FLETCHER, run out 57 c and b Seccombe ** 11 NAISMITH, c and b Wroath .. .. 14 ROBERTS, lbw. b Holmes .... MACKIE. lbw. b Wroath DICKSON, not out [ 25 STALLWORTHY, c Shepherd, b Sec-.. combe ... 9 CAIN, b Seccombe .. .. ” * * ** 2 ROBERTSHAW, absent .. .. .. . 0 Extras 4 Total .. w 278 ° f „ wicketE; 4 6, 75, 105, 144. 160, Jo 4, 2< 6, 278. Bov.-ling: Seccombe, 5-S5; Wroath, 2-62-E. Watts. 0-20; Cole, 0-3 S; Kendall, 0-18; Holmes, 1-43. GREEN LANE. First Innings. C. WATTS, c Dickson, b Mackie .. 31 SHEPHERD, lbw, b Cain .. . 7 WROATH, not out 19 SECCOMBE, not out .. .. .. ** ** Extras * ” 4 Total for two wickets .. .. 64 Fall of wickets: 9, 54. Bowling: Cain, 1-11; Blair, 0-4* MJCkie, 1-20; Dickson, 0-16; Stallworthy, 0-12.