CRICKET.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 310, 16 December 1936, Page 6

CRICKET.

GOOD-BYE, HAWKE CUP! No Challenge Possible Till Next Year. What Happened To Reserve Team. Good-bye to a Hawke Cup challenge by Taranaki this year. Manawatu fears Taranaki; it must have been relieved this province’s reserve team failed against Wanganui at Wanganuidast week.

Two teams of bowlers fought out the match ‘in which Taranaki was beaten easily. The difference between them was ‘that Wanganui, when its bowlers had an advantage, held the superiority whereas Taranaki in each innings, after having Wanganui almost ditched, let them climb out again. Taranaki supporters need not groan at the result. A scratch team was sent away and as far as most of the batsmen were concerned it scratched. It was an inexperienced 'team with a learning of older players, who, out of form, were expected to bear the burden —but they didn’t. Most scratch teams have one or two notabilities about whom the batting can centre, with a result that a stand by them will weaken the opposition io allow the mediocre men to give of their best. H. Barker, W. Barker 'and Hay, who were the stars of the team on representative experience -and performance, were sound, would in fact have been really useful had their moderate efforts —excluding W. Barker’s fine second innings—been in support of a typical century by S. Betts, the South Taranaki star batsman, swing bowler and hope for the New land team. Foreman followed good club battling early this season by a display that should keep him in the selector’s eye, but the up-and-coming youngsters failed to grasp an opportunity, mainly due to seven men being unable to make the trip.

All praise for Bowlers. The bowlers made a great bid for victory. Christensen, ■ Groombridge and H. Barker did damage in the early stages by sending Wanganui back in a procession. In the first Wanganui knock Groombridge came to light. This cheerful play'er has turned out time after time to aid Taranaki when players could not travel and has received gratitude from selectors in the form of being dropped for nearly every match at home. Until two or three years ago Groombridge bordered on the representative standard, being worthy in fact of inclusion. Last season he corrected a few faults that had made him harmless the season before and romped throughout club teams. Last week he made a mess of Wanganui. He thoroughly deserved his success. Christensen was as reliable as ever, finishing up with eight wickets for the match. Had he been fitter he would surely have skittled more of the opposition, but as it was he fully' justified his selection. Although it appears unusual to talk of the crack left-hander in this way, he has not been at his best so far this season. Then in the second innings H. Barker, with fast bowling combined with his brother behind the wickets, to be the main cause of Wanganui losing 6 for 24. Christensen was the other destroying agent, but. after he and Barker had been mastered on Friday no change bowlers came to light. These three bowlers should make any Taranaki team and should also find they are not responsible for everything that happens. The steady old war horse, Parkinson, must need rearming. He didn’t worry Wanganui and in a club match on Saturday he certainly did not cause New Plymouth to rue his presence. All we can say about the match is that it is to be hoped other districts don’t imagine Taranaki’s strongest team failed miserably. We are better than that and will have to show what we can do in further matches.