The Cricket Critic

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 925, 19 March 1930, Page 13

The Cricket Critic

Season Drawing to a Close Now that the tumult and the shouting of the final battle for the Plunket Shield has died, the 1929-30 cricket season in New Zealand is rapidly drawing to a close. And a great season it has been, with the memorable visit of theh English team and the fighting finish to the shield series. In Auckland the season will linger for a few weeks longer, until the chamiponship is over. There will not likely be much interest in it, for Parnell has a commanding lead in points. * * * The Usual Controversy The Plunket Shield match between Auckland and Wellington has brought with it its usual crop of controversial points which will probably never be settled. Below are reprinted extracts from tho criticisms of Wellington writers on the outcome of the match. Batting Strength Advanced “The deciding match for the Plunket Shield in the 1929-30 season will go down in the annals as one of the most stirring tussles of the whole series. • In the first place, the game served to show the improvement which has taken place in the standard of play in this country. New Zealand -batting strength has advanced to such a stage that there is now little likelihood of a Plunket Shield match being concluded in four days on a firm wicket.” Lowry Dominates Play “Few people imagined that the Wellington eleven, which had fallen for 283 in its first innings, would either be able to hit off the runs or hold possession of the wickets for the seven hours and fifty minutes left for play. They reckoned without that master batsman, T. C. Lowry who, at 11.30 o’clock on Tuesday morning, strode to the crease, and from then on until about 5.30 defied the Auckland bowlers with the soundest of defence while he compiled 122 runs. During his long occupancy of the crease, Lowry dominated the play, as ho not only kept one end intact, but steadied the men at the other end whenever they showed a tendency to relax strictly defensive tactics.”

More Use of McCoy?. “It might have been better policy had the Auckland captain employed McCoy more, and given him instructions to toss them well up to hit. “Seldom has better bowling been seen than Anthony, Wensley and Allcott showed on Tuesday. Haw valiantly they strove to retain the shield for Auckland! ” * * * More Honourable Than Victory “Some defeats are more honourable than victories,, and although they lost j the shield to Wellington, the Aucklanders can go back home knowing that they have proved to those in this part of the Dominion that the cricket flag is kept floating bravely in the northern capital, and that Auckland will be able to supply a fair quota of able players to bear tho silver fern upon English playing fields next year.” * * * Lessons of the Game “The most obvious lesson to be derived from the game was the value of good fielding. Some day a courageous selector' will arise who will insist on a sound standard in the field. Everyone cannot be a Constantine, but everyone can attain a fairly high standard by attention to practice and physical fitness. “Batting has reached a high level as regards style and execution, but the bowling has not improved to the same extent and, with the pitches in good order, heavy scoring is inevitable. It ! is said that bowlers arc born and not made. This is true to some degree, hut hard work and still more work is necessary to fit a bowler for high company,” * ** ♦ Auckland Stronger Team “There is no denying that Auckland was tho stronger team and deserved to bring oil’ a win. The near future is going to be hard for Wellington, as the northerners have a lot of youngsters of quality, and these are getting the best of tuition. Our own youngsters are badly handicapped in this repect, and it is about time that the Association made a move toward the appointment of a good coach.”

The Only Chance “For tho greater part of the match Auckland’s chances of success looked good; in fact, when it came to calling upon Wellington to enter upon the final Innings of the match Auckland had a credit balance of 504 runs (for fourteen wickets) and they had about eight hours in which to dispose of Wellington. Never previously has that number of runs been scored in the fourth innings of a Plunket Shield match, and little hope was entertained of Wellington making the record achievement. The only chance was to play out time, and that meant a long and stern fight. Auckland made a valiant effort to succeed, and it is to be congratulated upon its meritorious performance, just as Wellington is to be praised for its great feat under difficult circumstances.” Why is Lowry Barracked? “Some very fine hands were played l»y several batsmen during the match, but none was greater, than that by Lowry in Wellington’s second innings. It was a magnificent effort on his part, and one of the best, if not the best, fighting inning's seen in Wellington. Lowl’y is a fine captain and a fine cricketer, and it is difficult to understand why he comes in for so much barracking. At various stages of this match ho was subjected to it, but not during that great innings of his which meant so much to Wellington. It was then that he became the idol. He also played a greater part than ever before in thfe bowling department, and here again his ability as a strategist was demonstrated. Auckland was making runs too fast, and Lowry saw to it that the runs were kept down for a longperiod. Time meant a great deal to WelL igton.” * * * The Umpiring “Reference has been made to the fact that numerous appeals were answered by the umpires in favour of the batsmen. There was altogether too much appealing, but there was possiblv some excuse fo v it in the fact that the ten-

L'.L LIAJOC Ictf-L Uiiee llUlil IS> cl L LUC of the decisions might have been wrong, but the umpires, both of whom were chosen by Auckland, acted conscientiously and impartially, as they always do. If there was any doubt in their mind, then the batsmen were entitled to it. In two instances one umpire appeared to have his view obstructed by the bowler when appeals were made, and he was quite right in answering the appeals in the negative if he could not see what was going on. One of the batsmen concerned was Lowry, and he appeared to be satisfied that he was caught out.” The Badcock Incident “It was doubtless out of consideration for the game,” says a Dunedin exchange, “that the Otago Cricket Association decided at its last meeting not to make available for publication the text of the telegram which it received from Air. D. Reese, president of the New Zealand Council, regarding the decision of the association not to allow Badcock to play in the final test. The association also decided to make its discussion and decision a matter of secrecy. From what can be gathered the memebrs of the association had ample reason to resent the tone of the telegram, and they appear to have responded .with a sportsmanlike action to something which, to say the least of it, was not in the best interests of the game. It is no secret that some members of the association had very strong feelings regarding the telegram, but probably the last has been, heard of an unpleasant affair.”

SATURDAY’S FIXTURES The following; are the A.C.A. fixtures for Saturday:—■ Third Grade.—Semi-finals (two-day matches): United Suburbs v Point Chevalier, Victoria Park: Power Board v. Victoria, Domain No. 12. al(l Third Grade.—Section A: Balmoral v. Education Board, Domain No. 4; Eden v. I-’apatoetoe, Papatoetoe; North ’shore v* All Saints, North Shore; King’s College, a bye. Section B: Mount Albert v. Dilworth, Domain No. S; W.Y.M.I. v. Telegraph, Domain No. 9. Section C: Henderson v. Y.M.C.A., Henderson; Cambria v. Birkdale, Birkda'le: Turners and Growers v. Kauri Timber Co., Domain No. o; Aotearoa, a bye. Fourth Grade.—Section A: Mount Albert v. All Saints’, Domain No. 10: North Shore v. Excelsior, Domain No. 13: Telegraph v. Point Chevalier, Domain No. 14. Section B; Aotearoa v. St. Stephen’s, Domain No. 16; Grey Lynn v. Victoria, Outer Domain No. 2; Papatoetoe, a bye. Ross and Glendining at Outer Domain No. 1. MID-WEEK MATCH A match played yesterday between Auckland Milk Company and Combined Picture Theatres in the Auckland Shburban Cricket Association’s midweek competition, resulted in a win for tho former by 3G runs. Scores: Milk Company, 141 (Morman 26, Cullum 39, Aubery 16, Ray 19, Graham 18). Bowling: Cole four Engel one, Poore two, Coughlan two. Combined Theatres, 105 (Colo 30, Poor© 13, Torillo 23, Swanberg 13 not out). Bowling: Hooker three wickets, Graham three, Thompson two, Morman two.