THE CRICKET CRITIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 883, 29 January 1930, Page 13

THE CRICKET CRITIC

Players Departing Both Shore and Grafton seniors are losing useful men who will be hard to replace. Roy Kelly, the ex-Varsity wicketkeeper who transferred to Shore this season, is packing his law library to hang his shingle out in the Winterless Korth at Kaitaia., and will be more concerned wth snapping- up the elusive toheroa than chances behind the sticks on the Devonport Domain. Kelly has been a lirst-class ’keeper for Shore, and more than useful as a batsman. His 50 not out against Suburbs on Saturday week was a match-saving knock in a ninth-wicket partnership with Gerrard. Grafton loses the services of a promising colt in Stuart (“Tuki”) Wilson, wVm k canine shortly for England on a prolonged holiday. The Christ’s College Old Boy has been useful to the Big Bridge club, especially in the hoveling department, and if he can get some firstclass club experience in England, he should return a m u c h improved player. U nsatisfactory Decisions There were loud murmurs from the Hillites on the bank at Devonport on Saturday when the colt, Jack Bush, was sent back Ibw just when he was opening out in his delightfully free and graceful style. Allcott was bowling left-hand round the wicket on a dead easy pitch, and a ball which landed live or six feet short of the block could scarcely have continued so as to hit the sticks if it was pitched between wicket and wicket. Allcott did not appeal, and it appeared that the umpire' was caught nodding by someone asking the question who was not in a position to see the flight of the ball. Counting a Batsman “Out” At Eden Park on Saturday in the Parnell-Ponsonby match an umpire was obliging enough to cut. across to the fence and shake up a dilatory batsman with a reminder that tern pus fugits. The question cropped up in a previous match this season, when one well-read student of the rules gave it as his considered opinion that a strict reading of the two-minutes limit between strikers gave the umpire power to declare the whole side out if the incoming batsman was not ready to take* strike at the expiry of the two minutes! Reserving Places for Stars Some critics expressed surprise on Saturday at Varsity sending Eden in to bat on an easy wicket, and others, questioned the sportsmanship of taking advantage of Eden’s weakness in putting it in when the team was shorthanded through keeping places for Mills and Lindsay Weir. Varsity would have been, foolish to have acted otherwise,

when Eden’s weakness was entirely its own fault, and two of its promising colts might have been given advantage of the occasion for a try-out in senior cricket on No*. 1 wicket. Had Eden won the toss it would most certainly have sent the students in to bat, and maybe have asked Varsity for the loan of a couple of substitutes in the field! A Useful “Weed” The North Shore ground is now in better condition than for several seasons past, and the frequent rains have kept the outfield a verdant green even at this season. The plant known to the bowling fraternity as the “Onehunga weed” lias spread to the Domain from the adjoining bowling green and is rapidly covering the outfield. It stands close cutting well, and its fine feathery growth makes an ideal carpetlike surface over which the ball flies true and even. If it is persistent enough to choke out the paspalum pest at Devoilport, it will be a valuable asset. The Next Test Eleven In the first two games against the M.C.C. team it has surprised many to _ ' k, now under engagement as professional to the Otago C.A... selected to represent New Zealand. A. few years back 33 a d c o c k came to the Dominion. after occasional playing for Surrey as an amateur, to take up duty as professional coach in Wellington. There • : that he was to be picked for a trip Home with the 1927 New Zealand team, but there was such an immediate outcry that the idea was I promptly abandoned. It js difficult now ! to grasp just, what qualifications the new professional possesses to make him eligible for selection as a New Zealander in an international Test match. There is no dispute about Badcotk's ability as a cricketer, but who first thought of him as a New Zealander? Reluctant Bails When A. 11. H. Gilligan, captain ox the M.C.C. team, was in Christchurch, he remarked that the type of cricket stump that lie had found most in use in New Zealand was quite obsolete in England. The stumps now in use at Home have shallow grooves for the bails, so that the bails fall off at the least impact of ball on stumps. A remarkable incident that added point to Gilligan’s comment occurred on a reJ cent Saturday, in the first grade match bet ween High School Old Bovs and Old I : Collegians at Christchurch. While f • Old Collegians were batting, C. M. | Harris, fielding near the boundary, j made such cm accurate return to the | wicket that the ball landed on top of j the stumps on the first bounce, and j then bounced again off the stumps, to j hit wicketkeeper R. C. Burns in the j chest. Yet the bails remained in their grooves.

Tout* of “Beale’s Boys” • "If we had any money, we would j ! be only too pleased to make a donation > | toward the expenses of the tour,’’ said | j the president of the Otago Cricket Asj soeiation, when moving that a letter of appreciation be sent to the Auckland Association concerning: the visit of E. C. Beale's team of colts. It was considered that Mr. Beale was doing a : groat work in organising these annual j tours. Who Was Right? A curious example of diversity of opinion about whether or not a batsman had hit the ball for a catch in the slips occurred in Old Collegians’ innings against H.S. Old Boys (says the Christchurch “Sun”). Slips appealed lor the catch, and the wicketkeeper j also reckoned that the bat had touched ' • the ball. The bowler, the bowler’s j j umpire, and at least two fieldsmen in j front of the wicket considered that the : ball had touched the batsman’s pads, j not his bat. The umpire was quite decided in his “Not out.” But the most curious aspect of the incident was that | the batsman himself thought that he j had touched tlie ball with his bat. i Too Restrained j Why is it that Alec Knight, Otago’s stubborn opening bat, refuses absolutely to demonstrate his undoubted hitting powers in a representative match, while in a Saturday club fixture he will, generally speaking, lay on the wood with refreshing vigour? It will be remembered (says The Sun’s Dunedin correspondent) that lie took over six hours in all to get the 110 odd runs which he made in his two innings against the Englishmen: yet, in knocking up 37 not out for Grange against Dunedin, he brought off some beautiful carpet drives and square cuts that shot to the boundary like a flash. LOWER GRADE FIXTURES j Following is the list of lower grade matches to be played under the control of the Auckland Cricket Association on Saturday:— Third Grade A.—All Saints’ v. North Shore, Victoria Park; Balmoral v. Eden, Eden Park No. 5: United Suburbs v. Windmill, Domain No. 4: Papatoetoe v. Western United, Papatoetoe; Education Board, a bye. Third Grade B.—Power Board v. j W.Y.M.1... Domain No. 14; Mount Albert I v. Northcote, Mount Albert; Point Chevalier v. Dilworth, Point Chevalier; Telgraph v. Swanson, Swanson; Tamaki, a bye. Third Grade C.—Aotearoa v. Kauri Timber Company, Domain No. 9; Carr#.bria v. Parnell, Puhinui; Henderson v. Turners and Growers, Henderson; Victoria v. Birkdale, Birkdale; Y.M.C.A., a bye. Fourth Grade A.—Mount Albert v. “Herald,” Victoria Park: All Saints’ v. Telegraph, Domain No. 12; JSTorthcote v. Excelsior, Domain No. 10; Y.M.C.A. v. Point Chevalier, Point Chevalier. Fourth Grade B.—-Aotearoa v. Victoria, Domain No. 16; Papatoetoe v. Grey Lynn, Papatoetoe; Olympic v. 'Western Springs, Domain Ho. 13; St. Heliers, a bye.

SUBURBAN NOTES Few days’ cricket produce so many exciting and unusual incidents as did Saturday, in the last match of the first round of the Suburban Association’s competitions on the Domain. The complete rout of Green Lane’s batting strength, one of tlie most formidable claimants to the championship, by the new team, Albion, was a striking illustration of the glorious uncertainty of the game. Albion’s triumph was largely a personal victory for the veteran, E. Stallworthy, whose bowling the batsmen found practically unplayable. In his phenomenal average of nine for 40 in Green Lane’s first innings, he clean-howled six, and dismissed the other three by catches. He kept on trundling in the second innings too, and managed to account for four wickets at a cost of 57 runs. The most exciting moments in the game were during the last 15 minutes, - which Albion had to knock up 15 runs in its second innings, to gain a three-point win. The crowd and the batsmen were on tenterhooks, as the | desired total drew in sight in singles | gained on the “tip-and-a-run basis.” There was no waiting the customary two minutes either when a wicket fell —three were sacrificed—and each time a padded batsman literally bolted to take up his stand at the crease, with scarcely 10 seconds delay. Albion got its runs and a three-point win, despite the time wasting tactics adopted by one Green Lane bowler that provoked a demonstration from | the crowd. One of the brightest partnerships of the day was that between Dunning (55) and V. Williams (54), of Harbour Board, which gave last year’s champions a fighting chance of pulling the game out of the fire against Ponsonby. It was a pity that tlie rest of the team could not emulate the fine stand of this fourth wicket, which produced some sparkling cricket, punning displaying excellent judgment in punishing the bowling with forceful driving and nicely-turned strokes on tlie leg side. Williams played the more steadily of the two, his strokes showing a very skilful touch. Wesleyan Young Men’s Institute revealed true batting form on Saturday j by a magnificent stand against Eller- j slie, and failed only by eight runs to ’ put the present competition leader down. Regret seemed to be felt among the other teams that W.Y.M.I. did not succeed in its task, particularly in view of the way the Ellerslie team was handled in the placing of the field. The not out men, Young and Lewis, formed a brilliant run-getting partner-

ship on Saturday, putting - on over 100 and substantially improving W.Y.M.I.'s chances of reaching its opponents’ total. Excitement ran high about 5 o'clock, wizen W.Y.M.I. required oniy -•> to gain a two-point win. and itii Fox and Chapman scoring steadily, interest heightened. The pair put up n desperate stand, but unfortunately Fox went lbw. with only a few runs required. and with him went AV.Y.M.I.’s chances of a win. It. Burton, the Ellerslie captain, bowled fairly consistently all afternoon against AV.Y.M.I., and emerged with a fair average of six for 6t>. A distinctly promising bowler is McFarlane, of harbour Board, who captured four for 47 against X*onsonby on Saturday. i GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION Following is the draw for matches to be played under the control of the Auckland Girls’ Cricket Association on Saturday: Senior Grade.—Hockey A v. University. Kemuera Xo. 1; V.W.C.A. a bye. Junior Grade.—Hockey B v. Takapuna, Xo. 3: All Saints’ v. Technical Old Girls, Xo. 4; Grammar Old Girls B, a bye. M.C.C. V. AUCKLAND APPOINTMENT OF UMPIRES Messrs. AW A. Huff and H. M. Andrews were appointed umpires for tlio Auckland-XI.C.C. match at last night’s meeting of the Management Committee of the Auckland Cricket Association. It was also decided to submit the names of Messrs. Huff, Andrews and JR.. E. Turton to the Xew Zealand Council as suitable for selection to umpire the third test at Auckland. The Auckland Racing Club wrote enclosing a cheque for £75 toward the coach fund. The committee decided to write expressing its appreciation of the club's action. The Parnell Club sought permission to send teams to Rotorua and Taumarunui at Easter. The matter was referred to the country committee. The Waipa Association notified that it had arranged for three matches against an Auckland team at Easter.