VARSITY SLUMPS AND THEN RECOVERS AGAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 847, 16 December 1929, Page 6

VARSITY SLUMPS AND THEN RECOVERS AGAIN

HORSPOOL’S DESTRUCTIVE BOWLING Considering that at one particular stage Varsity’s score was 150 for three wickets, Gratfon did remarkably well to get the students out for 209 in the match at Eden Park on Saturday. Round about 5 o’clock. Varsity crashed badly. Ernie IlorsQpol started wheeling up cunning little offspinners. with a nice breeze to help him. The ultra-cautious methods of Sehnauer (after tea) and Bush played right into his hands. The veteran got a length, and stuck to it. He took five wickets for 44, and but for h spirited display by Pearson, at the finish. Varsity would have been all out for a mediocre score. The mid-innings men made the mistake of allowing Horspool to force them into back play and halfcock shots. After tea they could have afforded to have gone for the bowling. Their lack of enterprise enabled Grafton to get a grip on the game again, just when Allcott’s men looked like losing it. A GOOD START Garrard. Metge and Schnauer gave the side a good start. The Varsity skipper, especially, disclosed a glimpse of his old form, which made him, a few years ago, one of the finest allrounders in New Zealand. His leg shots were a treat to watch, and he used his long reach splendidly to get the ball away in front of the wicket. Metge has been run out twice now, and has had more than one narrow escape from the same fate. It is a pity be is not in fitter condition for cricket. His batting has been one of the best features of the past week or two, but his slowness between the wickets and in the field rules him out of consideration for representative honours for the time being, at any rate. Schnauer batted well before the interval. A VALUABLE INNINGS Pearson’s success was popular. The ex-King’s College batsman came into senior cricket with the promise of developing into a good batsman, but a disheartening series of failures seemed to take the edge oIT his run-getting powers. On Saturday he kept up the Varsity tail-enders’ tradition of always having somebody to get runs when the side is in trouble. He hit out in splendid style, making some nicelytuned scoring shots. It was a valuable innings. Up till the time that Horspool took the ball, the Grafton attack was presenting no terrors to the batsman. The bowling was always accurate, but so accurate that it was helping to play the batsmen in. Horspool was certainly aided by the fact that most of the batsmen allowed themselves to be driven back on to the defensive, but he kept on pegging away, and once he settled down to a length he practically skittled the rest of the side. His five for 44 was a splendid performance. FIELDING NEEDS IMPROVING Grafton’s fielding was none too good. Walters stops them well, but his throwing in could be considerably improved. Grafton did well to get 39 for no wickets when stumps were drawn. Sheen is rapidly developing into a more than useful batsman. Details: UNIVERSITY First innings METGE, run out 24 GARRARD, b H. Wilson » V SCHNAUER, b Horspool 29 i SMEETO.N. c Watts, b H. Wilson .. 18 j BUSH, b Horspool 27 i HAY, b Horspool <• MATHIESON, b Allcoit 1 .MiDOUtIALU c Sale, b Horspool .. 7j GUNN, lbw, b Horspool 22 BROWNE, lbw, b Allcott 1 j'KARSOX, not out 34 Extras S Total 203 Bowling: Horspool, 5-44; H. Wilson, 2-60; Allcott, 2-63; S. Wilson, 0-39. GRAFTON First Innings SALK, not out 9 SHEEN, not out 25 Extras 5 Total for no wickets .. .. .. .. 39