THE CRICKET CRITIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 541, 19 December 1928, Page 15

THE CRICKET CRITIC

England in Australia The third test match, England v. Australia, commences at Melbourne on December 29, and will be continued on December 31 and January 1,2, 3 and 4, if necessary. The fourth test takes place at Adelaide on February I—7, and the fifth and final test at Melbourne on March B—l 4. Cricketers’ Holiday No more club cricket will be seen in Auckland till January 12, for the matches commenced on Saturday—the littli for the season in the Auckland Cricket Association’s senior A grade competition—are being suspended over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Even had they been completed next Saturday, a great deal of interest would have been sacrificed owing to the fact that most of the best players will be on tour with the representative team. “Au Revoir” to the Reps. Tho Auckland Cricket Association’s representative team leaves Auckland for the South by the 7.40 express on Friday evening on its tour of the South Island, when Otago and Canterbury will be met in the Plunket Shield series. The men selected to make the tour are capable of worthily upholding tho name of the Auckland province, and they wall take with them the best wishes of all well-wishers of the game in this city .when they leave. Plunket Shield Matches The Auckland-Canterbury Plunket .Shield match will commence at Christchurch on Christmas Day, and will be continued on December 26, 27 and 28. Tho Auckland team then moves on to Dunedin, where it is scheduled to play tho Otago representatives on December 31 and January 1,2 and 3. Tho Wellington Association’s representatives come North to Auckland to meet the Auckland side on January 3 8. 19, 21 and 22. What England Owes to H’s Three men in tho English test team for tho second test —and three of the greatest batsmen in the side—have names beginning with 11. They are llobbs, Hammond and Hendren. Another famous batsman who has gained a reputation for his opening partnerships with Sutcliffe, for Yorkshire, is Percy Holmes. Test Players Average 32 Years The average age of, the players who took part in the first test, England v. Australia, at Brisbane, was 32 years. Only two members of the. Australian side were under 30 (Bradman 20. and Ponsford 28). England had four under that age in Larwood 24, Hammond 25, Chapman 28. and Jardine 28. Bradman was the youngest cricketer playing, while Ilobbs (46) was tho oldest.

World’s Greatest All-rounder Even before the present series of test mutches hud begun, several Australian critics lauded Wally Hammond as the greatest all-round cricketer in the world to-day. This, coming as it does from the land of George Giffen, the great all-rounder of the past, and Warwick Armstrong and J. M. Gregory of our own day, is a great tribute to the G 1 o u c e s tershire hitter, who, in his own country is regarded as something of a second Dr. W. G. Grace. His magnificent double century in the second test will no doubt have further pleased the critics. Wellington Averages The following are the leading baiting and bowling averages in the Wellington Cricket Association’s competitions to date:—

Papatoetoe v. Varsity B. This match commenced at King’s College last Saturday. Papatoetoe, winning the toss for the first time this season, elected to bat (writes our Papatoetoe correspondent). Valentine obtained the coveted century, his score containing three sixes and ten fours. Winks contributed 42. Of the others, Burnside 4G, P. Swaflield 33. Rankin 28, Henderson 27 and Bright 22. all gave good exhibitions of forceful cricket. With the ball McDougall was Varsity’s best trundler, finishing with live for 39. Mason also bowled well, taking two for 57. As Varsity has a strong batting side, Papatoetoe’s total of 338 is quite within its reach, and next Saturday’s developments will be interesting. Papatoetoe’s third and fourth grade teams both notched three-point wins against Y.M.C.A. and All Saints respectively. In the fourth grade All Saints suffered their first defeat. JUNIOR FIXTURE LIST The following junior A.C.A. cricket fixtures will be played next Saturday: Third Grade A—Papatoetoe v. North Shore, Papatoetoe; Eden v. Y.M.C A., Domain No. 12; University v. All Saints’, Domain No. 13; Grafton v. Balmoral (friendly match), Eden Park No. 3. Third Grade B —Telegraph v. Glebe, Grey Lynn Park; Point Chevalier v. Technical Old Boys, Point Chevalier; W.Y.M.I. v. Birkdale, Eden Park No. 2; Power Board v. Windmill, Domain No.lG. Third Grade C—Remuera v. Avondale Depot, Eden Park No. 4; Comrades v. Victoria, Grey Lynn Park; Aotearoa v C.C.G.C., Domain No. 14; Henderson v. Western Springs, Henderson. Fourth Grade A—Ro.skill Wesley v. C. Outer Domain No. V, Telegraph v. Mount Albert A, Mount Albert; Swanson v. Y.M.C.A., Swapson; Victoria v. Cambria, Puhinui; All Saints’ v. St. George’s, Outer Domain No. 2; Parnell v. Japatoetoe, Papatoetoe; King’s College a bye. Fourth Grade B —Tamaki v. Western Springs, St. Heliers; North Shore v. Northcote, Victoria Park; Kingsland Jubilee v. Mount Albert B, Uoint Chevalier; W.Y.M.I. v. All Saints’ B, Eden Park No. 5; Point Chevalier v. St. Stephen’s, Point Chevalier; Ponsonby, a bye. EXECUTIVE MEETS TOO MUCH APPEALING At the meeting of the Management Committee of the Auckland Cricket Association last evening, a letter \4kis received from the Umpires’ Association, reporting that in the North Shore-University in the last series there had been too much appealing and talking on the ground. The committee decided to call the attention of the teams concerned to this. The chairman, Mr. E. E. Nalder. reported that special permission had been given last Saturday to P. Whitelaw (Auckland Grammar School) and D. Webb (Mount Albert Grammar School) to play for the Parnell and North Shore Clubs respectively in the first grade match at Devonport. Mr. E. C. Beale said permission had been granted because of Wbitelaw having been selected for the Southern tour.

Dempster (.1.) .. Foley (I.) Mackenzie (U.). Malcolm (O.B.) Biggar (H.) • • Bruce .. Batting In. X.O. IT S. Tl. 3 1 144* 308 1 162 237 3 0 158 207 4 3 36* 70 5 2 79 202 Bowling Runs. Wkts. Avg. 154.00 118.50 00.00 70.00 67.33 Avg. 2.50 5.33 5.40 Patrick (O.B.) . Hlddleston (W.) Foley (I.) .. -• 18 4 6.00 8.25 18 9.00