CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 280, 20 November 1908, Page 4

CRICKET.

NOTES BY "SEMPER AMICO." 'J he United Service A and High School match proved a very close and interesting one, the former team only averting defeat by a very few runs. The boys made an excellent tight of it, thanks to their splendid fielding, which might he emulated liv some of our senior teams. There was no comparison between the fielding of the two teams, and to sum up in a few words, the High School saved as many runs by their briskness as the United Service lost by their slackness.

'As regard* tlic batting of the winning sick-, four of the team unly reached double figures, and of these Mackav and Colville stood out prominently. Maekay gave a very sound display, a:id looks like making a lot of runs this season. Colville also batted very soundly, and looked like staying all "the afternoon. Without these two players, I am afraid the A team would have been in a sorry plight, as, not only did they share the batting honours* but they had to bear the brunt of tile bowling. Mackay's change of bowling nearly spelt disaster to his side, but, fortunately, he saw his mistake and corrected it in time.

For the school, Sinclair, Mr. Wills, and Glasgow were the only double-figure batsmen, and of these Sinclair was easily the pick, as he batted very steadily and soundly. Mr. Sevcme and Orev were the only successful trundlers. and both finished uj) with fairly good averages. A Xew 'Plymouth team journeyed to I'gmont \ illage and, thanks to their selector mostly, suffered defeat by 27 runs. Steeds and Horner were the'onlv batsmen to show up prominently for Xew Plymouth, and .Steeds and McLaren shared bowling honours. For tin- winners O'llvrne proved a ver» hard man to get out, and he was well backed up by ilarsh, Kinsclla, and 1 Cih-.on. O'liyrne was in excellent form with the ball and finished with the excellent analysis of si.v wickets for 13 runs. O. Kinsclla bowled well, but was much more expensive than O'liyrne. The t'nited Service 1! and Fire llrigade match looked, on paper, a very tight go, as the former were only leading by J runs on the first innings, lint considering the fact that they dismissed I their opponents for 14 runs in the s-c----ond innings, and only required 11 runs for an outright win—and had, I believe, about an hour and a quarter in which to them—it looks as if they might easily have wo n with several'wickets in hand. They had the misfortune, however, of seeing their opponents wending their way homewards, one by one.

I as each finished the second hillings; and liv the time the tenth wicket fell there were only four men left to take the field. This, of course, was out of the question, so the service men had to rest content with a deadly exciting win 011 the first innings. _ I think it a great pity that the Association did not. before the season commenced, arrange the awarding of points diftereiitlv. The team has won one match outright, and I think they could have won a second on Saturday last; | yet they have to lie content iwith the same number of points as a team that wins a match on the first innings. It is also a pity that the Association cannot do something in the way of official umpires for their cricket. Most of the umpiring that I have witnessed in Xew Plymouth shows n want of finish, and lhat of Saturday last in the Service— Kire ISrigade match was distinctly prehistoric. l-'or the winners. Southall was lop scorer, but he seemed decidedly ill at ease, and I consider he was very lucky to score as many runs as he did. However, they proved very useful to his side. Dixon hatted very nicely for his few runs, ami I'fankuch was shaping very well, too, but had the misfortune

to lut—well, I think 1 had better call it "Anibridged out." Southall aiul Lash bowled unchanged throughout the match, ami did all that was required ol" them right manfully. Although there iwere at least five catches dropped during the two innings of fire Brigade, the general fielding was distinctly better than usual, it makes oik.' wonder what the total of the second innings might have been when one considers that in amassing a total of 14 runs four easy catches were dropped, still further when these catches were hit up by four out of the live batsmen who scored runs. Prior and U'gg were the only heavy scorers for the Fil'e llrigadc, the former hitting very hard. He was eventually dismissed by a brilliant catch in the long field by Pfankueh. Hilling and Prior both bowled exceedingly well, and gave the service no chance ofjiialdng a lengthy stand.