Eden or Ponsonby?

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 305, 16 March 1928, Page 8

Eden or Ponsonby?

Cricket Championship Final

Ponsonby\s Ups and Downs

WITH every .indication of providing a memorable tussle, the club cricket championship final at Eden Park tomorrow between Eden and Ponsonby sees the issue narrowed down to the team that won last year and, as a vivid contrast, the side which finished up last season right at the bottom of the competition ladder.

T AST season, when Ponsonby ended up with the mortification of seeing itself at the bottom of the club championship, it seemed that Ponaonby’s days were almost over. Commencing this season with very little new blood, the club’s senior eleven staged a “come-back** act which has been quite the outstanding feature of the competition. Ponsonby appears to have a good chance of making Eden tight all the way for it in the match which begins to-morrow. LANGRIDGE AWAY Unfortunately for Ponsonby, the English coaches have left the scenes of their winter hibernation for the serious work of English county championship matches, and Langridge on the form he displayed during the Australia match would have been a valuable asset to the challengers. Langridge was in Indifferent health for the major part of the season, and consequently he has not been until quite recently a big help to Ponsonby, who can thank those veterans. N. C. Snedden, S. G. Smith, F. S. Taylor and the ex-suburban colt Hoy, for whatever chance they have of gaining the club championship. EDEN HARD TO BEAT Both teams should be at full strength to-morrow, and a great deal will depend upon the weather and the luck of the toss at the art of winning which Snedden appears to have no more luck than Dacre*. Given fine weather a big score can be expected whichever side bats. Eden, of course, appears on paper anyway to be the stronger batting side, and the match winning factor, fielding, will probably influence the result in no small measure. Postles, who made such an outstanding success of his eleventh hour selection for the reps., partnered by Mills, will no doubt give the champions a good send-off, while the Weir Brothers and Cooper should be able to put the finishing touches to a big score’ Roy, the unfortunate, who was selected but was unable to play against

the Australians, will be a force to be reckoned with if he is bowling as he did over at Shore recently. Backed up by Snedden and Smith, Ponsonby' ? bowling strength will fully test Eden, while the Eden bowlers will probably find that Ponsonby’s batting is not to be despised. In view of Ponsonby’s ever-improv-ing form it would be rash of course to predict the winner, although it may be reflected that while Eden this year is not the all-conquering Eden of last year, it has successfully met every challenge that it has had on level terms this season. THE OTHER GAMES North Shore, now out of the competition for the first time for some years, will try conclusions with Parnell at Devonport, and should be able to win. Y.M.C.A. without Bowley will come up against Varsity on number two ground at the park, where a win can almost assuredly be expected by the students. Grafton is down to play Suburbs on the number three ground, but there is some talk of Grafton defaulting, Cyril Snedden being ill and Hopkins away on holiday. Should the match be played Suburbs’ chances are favoured. THE TEAMS LIST The following teams have been chosen for to-morrow’s cricket matches: Senior A Grade University—Garrard, Smeeton, Sehnauer, Bannister, Kelly, Bush, Wilson, Pearson, Mcl>ougall, Burbidge, Gee. Y.M.C.A. —Elliot, "Wells, Peoppel, Riddolls, Hunt, Pearce, Miller, Smith, Stallworthy, A. Riddolls, C. Otter. United Suburbs. —Bushill, Davis, Hendy Kerr, Leikis, Martin, Mills, McLaren, Stotter, Somers, Williams, Wetherill. Parnell. —Macallan, Anthony, Hay, Duncan, Goodsir, Turbott, Aitken, McCoy. Stehr, Von Rotter, Gilmore. Ponsonby. —Snedden, Smith, Taylor, McLeod, Boy, Wheeler, Commons, Lendrum, Warneford, Abrim, Fraser. Eden. —Bennett, Butler, Cooper, Gillespie, McCarthy, Mills, Postles, Smith, Weir (2), Whelan. North Shore. —Frater. Player, Saunders, Monteith, Bush, Colebourne, Coates, Webb, Walters, Archer, Goldsworthy. Senior B Grade University. Waddingham, Stewart, Mason, Dacre, Lunn, Hudson, McKean, Cleary, Nicholas, McDougall, Godley. Y.M.C.A. —Beech, Cato, Carson, Barnbury, Horspool, Bunn, Hinton, Albrecht, Crombie, Ekby, Pa ton. Emergency: Schierling. Parnell. —Luke, Smith, Dow, Johnston. Righton, MacLaren. Badeley, Kenny, Murray, Johnston, Bell. Ponsonby. —Mills (2), Worth, Warnel'ord", Smallwood, Sellars, Kelly, Clarke, Williams, Lendrum, Finney, Hoare, Finer. Eden. —Angell, Bleakley, Buisson, Gillespie, Gi lespie, Hoekin, Hughes, Hunter, Jeffries, Langton, Vivian. North Shore A. —Foster (2), Lusk, Johnston, Good, Edmonds, Jacques, Archer, Pecks ton, Wilson, Bartley. North Shore Colts. —Smith, Cowie, Smith, fiacre, Rankin, Long, Samson, Jay, Woolley, Wynne, Moore. Second Grade Wind mi I.— Clark, C'bren, Frayling, Wood, P.abbidge, Watkin, Darby, Davies, Obren, England, Spragg, Walker. North Shore. —Smith, Walters, Cleal, Scott, Smith, Davis, Pope, Crutcher, Foster, Wynne, Adams. Third Grade W.Y.M.I. —Lewis, H. Chapman, K. Scott, Y oung, Hodgkinson, Riddell, King, Harris, F. Chapman, Lincoln, Kasper.