Varsity’s Day Out

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 491, 22 October 1928, Page 6

Varsity’s Day Out

Lively Cricket at Eden Park

DUNNING GETS FIRST CENTURY

SMALL scoring on slow wickets sums up tlie bulk of Saturday’s cricket. There was one exception, University, which rattled up 194 runs in an hour and a-half against Y.M.C.A. at Eden Park, an outstanding batting and bowling performance being credited to J. Dunning, Auckland Rhodes scholar and ex-Otago cricket representative, who scored the first century of the season. Otherwise, the first day of the new season was marked by the superiority of the ball over the bat, and several bowlei's finished up the day with flattering averages.

PONSONBY V. SHORE Ponsonby won the toss at Devonport and batted three hours for the fair total of 151. The wicket played easily at the start, but crumbled in patches as it dried out. Shore collapsed disastrously in forty minutes batting before failing light caused an early closure, and half the home side was out for 15 when stumps were drawn. THERE was a large attendance at the -*• Dovonport Domain for the official opening of the season, and both wicket And weather were favourable for bright cricket when Ponsonby won the toss and elected to bat. But although the wicket was easy at the outset the batsmen were not inclined to take any risks, and the majority of them showed that the unexpectedly early start had caught them short of practice; some of them candidly confessing to not having handled bat or ball since last season, and they occasionally shaped like it, - mistiming and mishitting being frequent faults. The weather was dull and sulty, and Player was unable to swing or swerve ' without a breeze to assist him, H. Webb providing the most dangerous portion of Shore’s somewhat weak attack. The ex-Adelaide colt is a promising spin bowler who relies on changes in acceleration from the pitch to beat the batsman, and he finished with the creditable average of five wickets for 31 runs. Saunders was expensive before tea with his mixture, but found the pitch more to his liking as it dried out. Coates was dangerous lor a few overs, but appeared short of a gallop for the opening game. Ponsonby had most of last years’s seniors available, and the joint-cham-pions have been strengthened by enlisting L. Monteith of Shore, and C. G. Finlayson, the New Zealand representative, who will compensate for the loss of Langridge, the English coach. Monteith was top scorer with a 35, but was obviously short of practice at the start. After tea he showed his old brilliancy with a six and a four off following balls from Saunders, but hit all over one in trying another line finder. Taylor played a solid innings for 29, and received useful assistance from McLeod (23) in putting on 55 for the first wicket while the going was good. Guiney, with 15 not out, seemed set for a score when the tail declined to wag. Finlayson (14) was the only other double-figure scorer, and gave the impression of being more solid than stylish as a batsman. “Mr. Extras’ ” useful 19 on the score sheet was due mostly to the erratic direction of the bowling at times. Both Smith and Snedden appeared shy of net attendance and failed to get going in their old style, but Ponsonby should again figure well up in the contests this season. The lack of previous practice was even more obvious when the Shore batsmen faced Hoy and Finlayson when the light was becoming heavily overcast and the wicket crumbling as it dried out. The lofty Ponsonby colt was slamming them down with even more pace than last season; and the ex-Wellington player is a heady bowler who keeps a nervy batsman guessing and scratching. The Shore batsmen made a painful showing, and five had returned to the pavilion for a paltry 15 when an appeal against the light brought a welcome affirmative. Roy had then secured four good wickets for 8 runs with too much speed for the timorous batsm'en. With plenty of practice, Shore may have a very outside chance, but a full win to Ponsonby would appear more probable. Details: PONSONBY l -

First Innings. Mc-LEOD, c. Prater, b Webb 22 TAYLOR, b Coates .. 2D SMITH, S. G. lbw, b Webb 5 SNEDDEN, N. C., b Webb 7 MONTEITH, b Saunders 35 FINLAYSON, c Webb, b Saunders .. 14 GUINEY, not out 15 LINDRUM, b Saunders 0 WARNEFORP, lbw, b Webb 0 WHEELER, c Erater, b Webb .... 2 ROY. run out 3 Extras 19 Total 151 Bowling: Webb, 5-31; Saunders, 3-63; Coates, 1-15; Player. 0-23. SHORE First Innings PLAYER, lbw, b Roy 7 OERRARD, b Roy 4 BUSH, c McLeod, b Roy 0 COLEBOURNE, c Monteith, b Finlayson 3 ARCHER, b Roy . 1 SAUNDERS, not out .. .. 0 FRATER, not out 0 Extras 0 Five Wickets for .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 Bowling: Roy, 4-8; Finlayson, 1-7.

DUNNING OUTSTANDING WITH BAT AND BALL VARSITY WELL AHEAD OF Y.M.C.A. Although Y.M.C.A. lost Its first wicket very cheaply against Varsity on Iso. 3 area—easily the better Avicket of the two—the Young men led varsity a merry chase for a while, - Lyon and K emp all batting’ ' ve “* Lyon’s was tlte best exhibition. Otherwise, Garrard and Dunning dominated the innings. The latter, bowling a nice medium paced ball with an off

turn, was always on the wicket, and kepts the batsmen playing him all the time, Simpson had a few overs, and shaped really well. When Varsity started batting at five o’clock, the few spectators present got more than their shilling’s worth. Dunning and Smeeton went for the bowling in brili.ant style, and the first wicket put on 97 runs in 38 minutes. Smeeton finished up by hitting a couple of sixers. Partnerd by Schnauer and then by Gee, Dunning went on in exhilirating stylo to reach his century in the last

over of the day. Almost immediately after, he was beaten all the way by Lyon with the coveted century to his credit. JTe was missed in the forties, and might have been run out later on, but otherwise he played a sound, solid innings, driving powerfully on both sides of the wicket. A brief spasm of comedy was provided while Varsity was at the wickets, when a well-known barracker caught a ball which one of the batsmen had hit for six. ITo was rewarded by a rousing cheer. Details: Y.M.C.A.

SUBURBS LEADS PARNELL ON FIRST INNINGS WETHERILL TOPS THE SCORE The Parnell-Suburbs match at Eden Park on Saturday was enlivened by an exciting battle for the first innings’ lead. Otherwise, it was an afternoon of small scores on a slow and rather rough wicket, the groundsman having had little opportunity to do much with the area since the football season closed. Four men scored 108 out of 115 runs scored off the. bat in Parnell’s first innings. By far the brightest cricket was played by McCoy, the young lefthander, who laid the wood on in splendid style, and hit two powerful sixers. Turbott and von Rotter made a great stand for the eighth wicket, but the latter’s score on the day’s reckoning was wiped out when he failed to move quickly enough to a chance given by Wetherill, off Goodsir, when the Suburbs’ captain was 12. Wetherill’s innings was undoubtedly the turning point in the day’s play for Suburbs, as the remaining four batsmen were left with twenty odd runs to get to head Parnell, and they managed this with a couple of wickets in hand. Wetherill made 43, mostly by powerful hook shots and an occasional drive. With the exception of a sound bowling performance by Martin, there was little of note in a rather dreary day’s cricket. Details: PARNELL First Innings

HAY, b Williams 1 DUNCAN, b Martin 0 SINGLETON, b Martin 0 ANTHONY, c and b Kerr SO McCOY, st Wetherill, b Webster .... ‘25 STEHR, lbw, b Kerr 4 MACALLAN, c and b Webster .... 1 TURBOTT, not out 2S VON ROTTER, b Martin 25 AIT KEN, b Martin 0 GOODSIR, c Hendy, b Williams .... 1 Extras G Total 121 Bowling: Williams, 2-34; Martin, 4-27; Webster, 2-24; Kerr. 2-13; Leikis 6-17. UNITED SUBURBS First Innings BUSHILL, b Aitken .. .. 10 MARTIN, b Goodsir 11 HENDY, c Aitken, b McCoy 14 KERR, c Turbott, b McCoy 5 WEBSTER, b McCoy 0 WETHERILL, c and b Macallan .. 43 McLaren, b Macallan 9 LEIKIS, not out 17 SMITH, b Goodsir 4 "WILLIAMS, not out 6 Extras 10 Eight wickets for 129 Fall of wickets: 1/17, 2/39, 3/47, 4/4S, 5/55, 6/93, 7/106, S/122.

EDEN DIGS IN MATCH AT KING’S BIG SCORE AGAINST GRAFTON Winning the toss at King’s College on Saturday, Dick Rowntree, the newly-elected captain of the Grafton United Cricket Club, had no hesitation in putting Eden in. Neither team had had very much practice, and Rowntree reasoned that on the day Grafton would make a better showing on the field than at the wicket. When stumps were drawn at 6.30, the dual championship holders had lost only eight wickets for 293 runs, and have thus dug themselves into a position which will be particularly hard to assail when the match is continued next Saturday. Distinctly promising form was displayed for the opening of the season, and while the rate of scoring was only a little over 70 runs an hour on the average, it gave promise of something better when all the players have got into form. ALLCOTT’S FEAT The three outstanding features of the game were the bowling of Allcott and the batting of G. 1,. Weir, and Gillespie. Allcott’s performance of sending down 31 overs, nine of which

were maidens, to secure six wickets for 87 runs, was in itself outstanding. But when it is considered that the New Zealand rep. is returning to the game after a year’s rest, and up till Saturday had hardly bowled a ball even in practice for that period, his performance is all the more re-

markable. Allcott long ago gained the reputation of being a man who could plug away all day without losing his length or the batsman’s respect, and his eifort on Saturday, when with the exception of several short spells, he bowled all the afternoon, shows what a difference he should make to the Grafton side this season. Gillespie, now that he has been relieved of the cares of captaincy, jumped off the mark with a 61 in the style which over a year ago marked him as one of the most promising colts in the Dominion. Last season he appeared to suffer from staleness, but Saturday saw him return to form with that exhilarating batsmanship which is one of the greatest joys of the game. LINDSAY WEIR’S CENTURY When G. L. Weir went out, and commenced almost at once to open his shoulders to the bowling, his club mates stared. Last season he gained a reputation for playing “the rock,” but on Saturday he overcame the old cramped style and treated the onlookers to neat, crisp carpet driving and frequent pulls

to the boundary instead. Of the other batsmen, Postles played a solid knock for 33 in hours, while Mills ran up 22. Cooper was beaten before he got going, while Butler, Brooke - Smith and Whelan also went early. A. F. Weir registered 35. Harold Wilson

put in a welcome reappearance for Grafton, he, Goodwin, Cyril Snedden and Ernie Horspool aiding Allcott on attack. One of Goodwin’s overs yielded 19 (including a six and two fours) to the Weir brothers. Except for several expensive mistakes in the way of dropped catches, Grafton’s field work was quite good. Details: EDEN First Innings

POSTLES, b Allcott 33 MILLS, b Allcott .. 22 COOPER, b Allcott 0 GILLESPIE, c Rowntree. b Allcott .. (51 WHELAN, b Allcott 3 WEIR, G. L., not out 103 BROOKE-SMITH, b Allcott 0 WEIR A. F., c Snedden, b Horspool, .. 35 BUTLER, b Snedden I 5 BENNETT, not out .. 20 Extras 8

Eight wickets for 293 Fall of wickets: 1/38, 2/38, 3/89, 4/101, 5/132, 6/214, 7/215, 8/232. GRAMMAR V. KING’S COLLEGE The secondary schools cricekt competitions were recommenced on Saturday, Auckland Grammar School playing King’s College at Middlemore. Grammar batted first and was out for 196 (P. E. "VVhitelaw 71, McKearey 32, MacCormick 27, Clapham 24). Bowling for King’s Caugliey took seven for 28, Stewart ii. 1-20, Thomson 1-30, Morpeth 1-36. King’s had lost three for 30 when stumps were drawn. CRICKET AT WELLINGTON Press Association WELLINGTON, Sunday. The Wellington cricket championship competition was commenced yesterday in fine weather. Results were: Midland, 202 (Baker 79), v. Institute; Petone, 119, v. Old Boys; University, 270 for seven wickets (Mackenzie 12 8), v. Kilbirnie; Wellington, 211; v. Hutt. BILLIARDS CONTEST McCONACHY’S SMALL LEAD Press Association WELLINGTON, Sunday. At the end of the yesterday’s play in the billiards match between McConaehy and Lindrum, the latter was one point in the lead, the scores being:—McConacliy, 14,707; Lindrum, in play, 14,706. Breaks were: Lindrum, 624, 216, 232, 104; McConachy, 207. 10S, 293.

ELLIOTT, c Dunning:, b Garrard .. .. 32 BANBURY, b Dunning1 L\ ON, c and b Garrard 27 KEMP, not out 27 WAYNE, b Dunning 5 RIDDOLLS, b Dunning .. 0 WILLS, c Bush, b Garrard 2 MILLER, not out 0 KEMP, b Dunning 32 MILLER, b Dunning . . . 1 STALLWORTHY, stp. Kelly, b Garraid 2 SMITH, stp. Kelly, b Garrard .. .. 0 SUTCLIFFE, not out Extras 10 Total 112 Fall of wickets: 1/5, 2/55, S/7S, 4/95, 5/96, 6/103, 7/108, 8/110, 9/111, 10/112. UNIVERSITY. First Innings. DUNNING, b Lyon 103 SMEETON, c Elliott, b Riddolls .. .. . 48 SCHNAUER, c and b Wells .. .. GEE, not out 23 Extras .. .. .. .. .. - Total for three wickets 194 Fall of wickets.—1/96, 2/146, 3/194.