A Cricket Burlesque

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 811, 4 November 1929, Page 6

A Cricket Burlesque

BATSMEN THROW WICKETS AWAY Other Side Tries to Stop Them THE extraordinary spectacle of a batsman vainly endeavouring to throw his wicket away, and then being finally compelled to wreck the stumps as the only way of achieving this end, provided a first-class cricket sensation at Eden Park

on Saturday. By a coincidence, the two central figures in this extraordinary incident were the respective captains of each team, H. •Duncan, of Parnell, the well - known ex - Otago representative player, and 11. NVetherill. of Suburbs, better known as the brilliant leader of the last New Zealand League team.

The primary cause of the incident was a rule in the laws of cricket which prevents a side from declaring its innings dosed within lhr 40min of closing time. This rule cropped up during the Australian Eleven’s tour of England some years ago when Tennyson, the English captain, in ignorance of the rule,* declared his side’s innings closed within the prohibited period, and was compelled to go on batting again. * So rapidly did Parnell's score mount up after tea against Suburbs at Eden Park on Saturday that it was obviously the game' to close the innings, and go for a “four-pointer.” But under the laws of cricket, the innings could not be closed, as it was within lhr 40min of closing time. The remaining Parnell batsmen were instructed to get themselves out as quickly as possible. The Suburbs bowlers retaliated by bowling well off the wicket, and when the last man, N. Duncan, came in. the atmosphere was ripe for something sensational. MISSED THE BALL The first ball he got, Duncan ran down the pitch, hit at and missed the ball, and waited to be stumped, yards out of his crease. Two < an play at that game. Wetherill, Suburbs wicketkeeper, calmly refused to stump the opposing skipper and tossed the ball back to the batsThis clash between the rival captains was quickly* settled a moment later when Duncan simply waited for the ball to leave the bowler’s hand and then knocked his wickets down — being out, of course, “hit wicket.” SOUND TACTICS As far as results were concerned, Parnell’s tactics proved absolutely sound as far as they went. After the innings was closed in this unorthodox fashion. Suburbs went in and lost three for 27. With three wickets out of the way, this makes Parnell’s

chances of gaining a four-pointer very much better than if it had gone on wasting time at the wickets. The incident was keenly discussed. Some claimed that it was against the spirit of the rules and was not good sportsmanship. The opposing view was crystallised by a prominent man in the game, who said: “There is nothing to stop a man from getting out when he likes, and as far as sportsmanship is concerned, I admire a man who is willing to sacrifice his wicket and the chance to make a score, for the sake of his side.”