CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 253, 15 March 1913, Page 7

CRICKET.

The following are the positions of the teams in the two competitions:— SATURDAY COMPETITION. J* a - -3 3-2 £ o o United Service 11 i) 2 IS Law 11 4 7 8 New Plymouth 11 4 7 8 THURSDAY COMPETITION. £2 ?£ s° S -3 .New Plymouth 8 5 1 2 10 Ingle-wood A. .. S 4 22 8 Ureniii 8 4 3 1 8 Waitara 7 2 4 1 4 Inglewood 15. .. 5 1 3 1 2 High School S 1 4 3 2

Saturday last saw the completion of the Saturday competition, which has proved very interesting, although the defection (if Inglewood at the beginning of the season threatened to rob it of its interest. United Service have bee.) easily ahead right through the competition, and their record of nine wins and two losses is very creditable. New Plymouth and Law each lowered their colors once, but had to submit to defeat on four occasion*.

United Service fittingly concluded the season on Saturday by scoring the first innings victory of the season, when they defeated New Plymouth by an inning's and ten runs. New Plymouth's collapse in the first innings, when they only scored 28 runs, rendered this possible." Bain and Dinniss were practicaly unplayable in the early stages, when the score stood at seven wickets for five runs. New Plymouth's bowling was good and service had to hat warily for their 122. Bain was top scorer with 27. after being missed a couple of times oir Williams, "whose off theory was successful.

Law and New Plymouth are level for second place with eight points each. A proposal was mooted to play nn extra match for the wooden spoon, but this has been abandoned in favor of a match, Married v. Single, which takes place this afternoon. A good game is expected, as both teams comprise good men. Seven of the representatives to do battle for North Taranaki against South Taranaki at Easter will be seen in action, viz., three in the benedicts' and four in the single men's teams.

. The team to meet South Taranaki has { been selected by Mr. G. Gudgeon. It jis a strong combination' and should J worthily uphold the traditions of the I north end. Tt is perhaps the strongest available, though no doubt some will find fault with its selection, reckoning that other players have .claims to selection. The Saturday competition has no reason to complain, having no fewer than eight representatives (United Service 4, Law 2 and New Plymouth 2). Of the Thursday plavers Inglewood has two and Waitara 1. the emergencies , being from I'renui and High School. The i Saturday players have had more praeI tice than their mid-week confreres, and 'are therefore entitled to consideration'. Nicol has been bowling and'batting well lately, and was looked upon as a certainty, but he was not available. Hascll, too. might have found a place. j The Thursday competition has advanc- ■) ed a further stage, when another match was got off. New Plymouth, by defeating High School, have established a clear two-point lead, and now head the competition with 10 points. They played a sporting game after disposing of the boys for .V2 (Cos* 20 not out). They went to the wickets and just knocked up the required runs for the loss of three wickets, when they sent the hoys hack' to the crease again, with. the. object of giving the boys some practice. The boys did much better in their second innings, scoring 122, Richards being top scorer with 3S not out. New Plymouth certainly took a risk, considering the uncertainty of cricket, as the hoys ipigbt possibly have put up a fair score, and disposed 'of New Plymouth quickly, thus winning the match. Such things have' happened. Nicol was in fine bowling form, his figures reading four for (i and six for 34.

In 1805 a very peculiar incident happened on the Sydney Cricket (".'round during practice. -MacNamara and E: Ilognn were howling, the former with an old ball and the latter with a new' -ne. .The batsmen played the old hall on fheground about three feet in front of* the crease, and Hogan. bowling his ball, struck the other Lwrlv, The batsman made a hit at the ball, and the result 'was that the old one was struck and sent 70 yards away on the on-side, whilst the new ball remained in the spot from whence it had displaced the other one."

P.. J. Kortland. of California. Bermuda. New York. Melbourne. Sydney.and other localities was last heard of in Buenos Avrcs playing for Buenos Awes Great Southern Railway's team v. Hurringham. He was expected to be performing in Wellington this season, but he seems to have found a temporary habitation a long way from the Windy Citv.

The New South Wale* total of 014 for live wickets against Tasmania is the second highest si-ore compiled in the series. 830 at Sydney in 1800 being the highest. 11. l! Collins' big innings of 282 is also second to Victor Trumper's 202 not out. and the defeat of Tasmania bv an innings and 280 runs second to that of an innings and 487 runs in 1800. Tt is the only Century Collins has made in first-class cricket. Tt must be the highest innings every played by any man in making bis fir~t century in first-class cricket. Tis a great, performance to score 282 runs in an inter-State match. For New South Wales such a score has been surpassed only by W. L. Murdoch, V. Truntpcr and H.' Moses. N. M. Gregg, who made 70. and V. Trumper 87 not out. both under the hour, must have peppered the Tasmania)) howlui". Trumper was batting 57 and Gregg 50 minutes.