PONSONBY’S GOOD START AGAINST SHORE’S SCORE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 289, 27 February 1928, Page 6

PONSONBY’S GOOD START AGAINST SHORE’S SCORE

“HAT TRICK” TO ROY The rain ceased on Saturday in time to allow of play at Devonport starting as usual. The downpour had freshened up the outfield with a magic pitch of green, but had left the playing pitch well soaked and winning the toss was a dubious advantage. The weather was still doubtful at the start. . Snedden won 'the spin of the coin, and after studying the pitch with Smith and Landridge, decided to take the risk of putting the home team in. The tactics succeeded, and the Ponsonby captain handled his bowling well as the wicket dried out with the appearance of the sun and a fresh breeze. SHORE STRUGGLES FOR RUNS Frater and Player opened to the bowling of Smith and Snedden, both batsmen being watchful, but laying hard on to anything loose. The crumbly top-dressing churned up at the start, making it very difficult for batsmen and bowlers to get a good footing, and the opening strikers returned with their boots clogged up with topdressing in a manner more reminiscent of last winter’s football than this summer’s cricket. Vaseline smeared on the soles would have averted this and allowed the nails to grip. Smith required watching as, although the wicket was easy, the ball was inclined to hang, and both the opening batsmen fell to the. ex-Northant’s man in going for hard drives which lifted. Frater went first with 34 on the board, being beautifully held from a strong drive to McLeod near the off boundary. MONTEITH’S UPHILL FIGHT Monteith followed and settled down to some solid defensive batting with Player. - The left-hander got a couple of nice carpet boundaries through the covers off Snedden, who gave place to Langridge. Smith was flighting his slows in a tempting fashion, while good fielding by Commons and McLeod on the drive kept the runs down. With 52 on the slate Player laid full on to a well-pitched up one from Smith, and banged a hanging ball straight back to the bowler, who held a red-hot return at the cost of a jarred hand. Player had shown strong defence and some nice driving in his 28, but it was Monteith who saved the Shore from collapse, no other batsman scoring double figures. “Monty” was a bit uncertain at the start when playing back, but when he abandoned these tactics, and used his feet with a free swing of the bat, he gave a stylish and delightful display, playing even defensive strokes hard along the carpet. A “808 IN" FOR ROY The wicket was now drying out rapidly. Snedden wisely elected to displace Smith with Roy, and the rangey colt soon started, old havoc with the Shore batsmen. His fine performance of five good wickets for 22 should make him the outstanding contender for Matheson’s gap in the rep. eleven. PONSONBY OPENS QUIETLY With an hour and a-half to bat Ponsonby opened with Snedden and Langridge to the bowling of Player and Coates. The latter was filling Dacre’s place, and added some needed strength to the Shore attack. Coates proved his value by clean-bowling Snedden for 16, and with his score at 19 Langridge was run out as the result of smart fielding by Monteith, and quick work by Scott at the sticks. Smith and McLeod dug in for the balance of the time, but the veteran laid hard on to any short stuff. McLeod was nearly an hour scoring his first two runs, but the Shore bowling was unimpressive, and stumps were drawn with two wickets down for 77, and the game in an interesting position Details: NORTH SHORE First Innings. FRATER, c McLeod, b Smith .... 16 PLAYER, c and b Smith 28 MONTEITH, c Snedden, b Roy .... 56 BUSH, c Guiney, b Roy 8 GERRARD, b Snedden 7 SCOTT, lbw., b Roy 1 WALTERS, b Roy 0 COLEBROOK, b Roy 0 SAUNDERS, c Wheeler, b Snedden 9 WEBB, b Snedden 2 COATES, not out 0 Extras 8 Total 135 Bowling: Roy, 5-22; Sniith, 2-33; Snedden, 3.50; Langridge. 0-22. PONSONBY First Innings SNEDDEN, b Coates 3 6 LANGRIDGE, run out.'. 3 9 SMITH, not. out 28 MeLEOD, not out 8 Extras 6 Total for two wickets .. .. 77