THE CRICKET CRITIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 849, 18 December 1929, Page 15

THE CRICKET CRITIC

Big Cricket Begin# iS almosl heie again, and big cricket ma T>‘ n fi' OW Zealand comes •»i riCKe t. The first match in ihp x lunket Shield series begins on ChristE a ! e ' Otago engages Auck,at. it is C the S « b °, Un ' i to be v ’ id bspread, for A ot tw ° tests to which the “ team will be put before the h much l n , arriVe - Althoungh Otago can be h expec°ted renSth - a E °° d « sht Auckland’s Shield Team Crfcket tea ?l SeleC . ted . by the Auckland selectors A* soca ttion s representative Otamoo m tabe the fleld against. Otago °n Tuesday next is, with the exception of C. F. W. Allcott who is t'i?at' ,aila ia e V. •* ust about the strongest which°^n„Vjf Ve - been Chosen - and one Itself S }^ e a good account of team ,5 alnKt tbe Southerners. The p a ™d wbh < 7h r ‘ , can hardly be com - Pared with the teams which have represented the province in recent years, ?,rst Tu ee ,° f the Ktars of last year’s first Flunket Shield team. Dunning Bowley and Alcott will not be playing. Allcott Will Eie Missed The inability of Allcott to play, now ever, is serious from the Auckland viewpoint, for the Grafton allrounder has been one of the mainstays Of the representative side for many years past, and a player who created a good impression when he captained J ear on the departure or b. c. Dacre for England. The bowlmg attack, especially, will be weakened by Allcott’s absence, as he is the Dominion’s best left-hand length ?i° a ' ler ; I*- JS to be hoped, however, that Allcott will be able to obtain the necessary leave to enable him to be available for selection for the Auckland -M.C.C. game and the test matches against the Englishmen. * * 4c Seasoned Players Anthony, Garrard, Gillespie, Mills and Rowntree are the seasoned members of the team. Anthony lias been in exceptionally fine batting form this season, and his 71 for Parnell against North Shore on Saturday, when the remainder of his club-mates failed, probably made his selection certain. Mills and Garrard have also done well with the bat this season, and Gillespie struck form last Saturday after being* sadly dogged by bad li|ck. Among the younger players are Whitelaw, G. L. Weir and Matheson, all of whom have tasted Plunket Shield cricket before. Elliott's Selection The selection of Gen Elliott, the Y.M.C.A. captain, came as a mild surprise in cricket circles, but his performances to date this season entirely merit his inclusion. His consistence as a batsman is demonstrated by his five innings to date this season, which are as follows: —72, 45, 3, 10, 70. He has also taken many wickets with his half round-arm medium slows, and on Saturday skittled six Ponsonby wickets for 36 runs. After many fine performances in town and country, S. A. R. Badeley wins his cap, and there is little chance of the selectors’ faith in him proving to be misplaced.

' Garrard Appointed Captain I D. R. Garrard (University), former I Auckland and New Zealand representative cricketer, was appointed captain of the Auckland Provincial Plunket Shield team to play Otago and Canterbury during the Christmas and New Year holidays, by the Management Committee of the Auckland Cricket Association at its meeting last evening. This decision was made on the recommendation of the association’s representative selectors, and cannot but meet with general approval now that last season’s captain, C. F. W. Allcott, is unavailable. Mr. J. H. Watts was appointed manager of the Auckland teams in both matches. Fluctuating Fortunes The first match of the English cricketers’ tour, which was completed at Wellington yesterday, was one of exceptional fluctuations of form—fluctuations to a degree not met with every day even in cricket. There were four distinct phases to the match, first, the slump of the Englishmen in their first innings; secondly, Wellington’s dour first innings effort with its determined tail-end stand; thirdly, the brilliant second innings recovery of the visitors pared off gradually to mediocrity; and lastly the stand of Wellington’s last second innings men, when the game was as good as lost—a stand which lasted till the rain caused fhe match to be drawn. * * * Wellington’s Dose Strong batting side that it is on paper, Wellington had to take a strong dose of medicine when the visiting speed merchants got busy in the second innings, and batsmen as safe as churches against New Zealand bowling were made to look very sick in more senses than one in the dying stages of Monday’s play. * * * M.C.C. Match The M.C.C. side leaves Wellington this evening by the s.s. Ngaio for Nelson and arrives at Nelson tomorrow morning. It commences the second match of its New Zealand tour against Nelson at Nelson on Friday. The game will be continued on Saturday, and on Monday morning the Englishmen leave Nelson for Christchurch by car and rail, and are due to arrive there that evening, in readiness for the commencement of the third fixture, against Canterbury on Christmas Eve. * * * Otago Reviews Its Prospects The “Otago Daily Times,’’ commenting on the team selected to play Auckland, says: “In their choice of players to make the trip to Auckland the selectors have made the best of the material at their disposal, but, as it lacks the services of Blunt, Dickinson, and Shepherd, the team is far from the best that Otago can place in the field. Otago has always had trouble in recent years in getting its best side away on tour, and this fact has interfered with its chances of winning the Plunket Shield. Even without the services of these three players, the side will be capable of doing credit to the pro-

vince, and all but two of its mem-bers-Clark, the wicket-keeper, and Jacobs, who has played for Canterbury—have previously represented the province. Twelve players have been selected to make the trip, and the final choice will be made on the morning: of the match.” Can All Make Runs Every member of the Otago side is capable of making runs, but in bowling the team will not be especially strong. The attack will probably be in the hands of Alloo, Dunning, Elmes, Monk. Zimmerman and Galland, who, though all likely to take wickets, will not present a great variety, and in this respect Dickinson and Blunt will be missed. Otago’s success in the bowling department will depend to some extent on whether Elmes can produce his club form in this match. On previous occasions, though he has secured exceptional figures in club games( he has not been able to show his true form in representative matches. Should he do so on this occasion the Auckland batsmen will find the lefthander a hard man to deal with. Alloo can be relied upon to use his bowlers to the best advantage, and keenness in the field wil help to a great extent. Batting Abilities Unknown There has been so little club cricket in Dunedin this season that one can obtain little information from performances as to the batting form which the players show. Alloo, Jacobs, Knight and Zimmerman have been the most consistent, but Elmes has ma.de a score of 80, Galland 75 not out, and McMullan 50 in his last innings. Monk has played a couple of good innings, but he will probably be most useful as a bowler. Cavanagh, Dunning and Vorrath have so far done little with the bat, but all are capable of making a stand. Indeed, Qavanagh has been much more successful in representative games than in club cricket. The choice of Clark as wicket-keeper has given general satisfaction. He showed excellent form in club matches in Dunedin last season. * * * Cricketing Curiosities Surely no game can approach cricket for the wealth of unique incidents associated with it. In the Heathcote Williams Shield match at Eden Park this week, Christchurch Boys’ High Schol ran up 371 runs in its first innings. Auckland Grammar in its first effort could only reach 173 —Christchurch’s total read backwards. Not ony that, but in its second innings Grammar scored 73—the last two numerals of its first innings score.

EXECUTIVE AFFAIRS OTAGO TEAM’S VISIT The management committee of the Auckland Cricket Association held its last meeting: before the Christmas and New Year holidays last evening, when final arrangements for the OtagoAuckland Plunket Shield match were made. Hours of play for this match were fixed as follow:—11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 1.45 p.m. (lunch), 1.45 p.m. to 3.45 p.m., 3.45 p.m. to 4 p.m. (afternoon tea), 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Play is to commence at 11 a.m. on each of the four days of the match, even on Christmas Hay. Mr. G. T. Lee, 8.C0m., was appointed honorary official scorer for the Otago-Auckland and CanterburyAuckland Plunket Shield matches this season. The council of the New Zealand Cricket Association notified that hours of play for matches in which the Englishmen were engaged were to be, as far as possible, as follow:—11.30 a.m. to 1.15 p.m., 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., 4.15 p.m. to 6 p.m. The chairman of the junior management committee, Mr. H. V. Moore, reported that a protest had been received from the Mount Albert Club alleging that the Swanson third grade team, which played the club on Saturday last, did not include one registered player. On the junior committee’s recommendation the protest was sustained, and the match awarded to Mount Albert. On behalf of the country sub-com-mittee, Mr. P. Shaw reported that the tour to Thames at Christmas had been cancelled, and that no reply had been received to inquiries as to whether Whangarei desired a visit. Preparations for sending a team North were in hand, and if Whangarei wanted a visit, the team could be sent at short notice. Mr. H. E. Warneford (Ponsonby) was appointed manager of the team if it travelled. Tire management committee will not meet again till January 7. MATCHES FOR SATURDAY Following are the fixtures for Saturday:— Third Grade A.—All Saints’ v. United Suburbs, Domain No. 3; Balmoral v. Eden, Eden Park No. 5; Papatoetoe v. Western United, Papatoetoe; North Shore v. University, North Shore: Windmill. a bye. Third Grade B.—Power Board v. xamaki. St. Ueliers; Education Board v. W.Y.M.1.. Victoria Park; Mount Albert v. Telegraph, Domain No. 12; Northcote v. Swanson, Swanson; Point Chevalier v. Dilwoyth, Domain No. 14. Third Grade C.—Aotearoa v. Kauri riniber Company, Domain No. 8; Cambna v. Y.M.C.A., Puhinui; Parnell v. \ ictoria, Domain No. 10; Turners and Growers v. Birkdale, Birkdale; Henderson, a bye. Fourth Grade A.—M.-unt Albert v. Point Chevalier, Mount Albert; Alt Saints v. Excelsior Victoria Pork; North Shore v- Af o e r North Shore; Telegraph v. Y.M.C.A., Domain No. 13. P^'S? rt A, Gra ,'? e B.—Aotearoa v. Olympic, Point Chevalier No. 2; Papatoetoe v. Western Springs, Papatoetoe; St. Stephens v. Victoria, Point Chevalier; Grey Gynn v. Roskill Wesley, Outer Domain

SUBURBAN NOTES New interest was imparted to the Suburban Association championship on Saturday, when the conclusion of the third series saw Ellerslie climb to the same rung of the ladder as Green Lane. The leaders were fortunate in being able to play out time and force a draw against Harbour Board, and thus gain the necessary point to maintain their position. Both Green Lane and Ellerslie each have five points and Harbour Board four. It was a sheer joy to watch the Ellerslie batsmen Watts wielding the bat on Saturday, when he banged his way to the season’s first century in a whirlwind innings. Dancing well away from the crease to practically very ball, his bat swinging over his shoulder in the manner of a threshing flail, he invariably met the ball with a terrific blow, which either signalised a boundary or a six. Not that he did not play good strokes to good deliveries. He piled up 64 runs in boundaries and 24 in sixes, reaching his 106, with two beauties over the boundary. It must have been his day out for his fast bowling accounted for three Albion wickets at a cost of only seven runs. The Ellerslie bowlers all seemed to strike form on Saturday, for the aver-

ages were exceptionally good. Matthews’s two wickets cost five runs, Baxter’s slow breaks skittled three batsmen for 29 knocked off him, and R. Burton landed two for 24. * * * That “parcel of energy,” Seccombe, the Green Lane bowler, gave the Harbour Board batsmen considerable trouble on Saturday. He trundled practically the whole innings, and the exceptionally good length he maintained made it difficult for the batsmen to get drives away with any sting. He was unfortunate in not registering a better average than one for 11, but considering that he accounted for six wickets his performance was very bright. After performing consistently in every game ,the Harbour Board veteran Breese topped his century against Green Lane on Saturday. He did not display his usual easy style against Seccombe’s bowling, however, and many of his favourite carpet drives past mid-off and cover did not carry the weight usually put behind them. He settled down after adding 50, however, and gave a bright exhibition of strokes on both sides of the wicket until he reached 100 not out, which was greeted with the warmest applause. * * * Ponsonby was decidedly unlucky in not registering a win against "Wesleyan Young Men’s Institute, who were placed in the position of having to play out time to secure a draw. Edmonds’s 109 for Ponsonby was practically chanceless, and as an exhibition of batting was easily the best of the day. His strokes on both sides of the wicket were crisp and wellplaced, and his driving had plenty of power behind it. Edmonds has been showing excellent all-round form this season, his performances as wicketkeeper being decidedly meritorious. * Masters, the Ponsonby batsman, gave the Institute fieldsmen a lively time during his partnership with Edmonds. Driving vigorously at everything that came his way, he put on runs very rapidly, and the pair stole some extremely cheeky ones that reflected on the slack fielding.

SUBURBAN FIXTURES Following are the matches to be played under the control of the Auckland Suburban Cricket Association on Saturday next:— Senior Grade A.—Green Lane v. Ellerslie, Domain No. 2, Messrs. Johnstone and Gallagher; Ponsonby v. Albion, Domain No. 1, Messrs. Molloy and Jennyn; Harbour Board v. W.Y.M.1., Domain No. 3, Messrs. Ball and Abbott. Senior Grade B.—Ellerslie v. Invicta, Victoria Park, Messrs. Taberner and Heald; Shell Company v. Tramways, Victoria Park, Messrs. Rowntree and Edmonds; Harbour Board v. Fawcett's, Domain No. 11, Messrs. Galley and Check; Tramways house match, Victoria Park. Second Graces. —Otahuhu v. Kingsland, Domain No. 15, Messrs. Pike and Vercoe; Avondale v. Richmond, Grey l.ynn Park No. 2; Green Lane v. Comrades, Victoria Park. Third Grade A.—Star of Eden v. Avondale, Avondale; Maungakiekis v Edendale, Domain No. 7, Messrs. . Owen and von der Hyde; Royal Oak v. Gas Garage, Domain No. 6. Third Grade B.—N.R. Ambulance v. Am bury s, Domain No. 6a; Richmond v. . Glen Eden, Outer Domain; L. D. Nathan s v. Auckland Meat Company, Grey Lynn Park No. 4. Third Grade Intermediate. —Royal Oak v. Richmond, Onehunga; Parker-Lamb v. Maungakiekie, Outer Domain; Avondale v. Edendale, Avondale. Lodge Matches.—To be continued from 1 last week.