CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 5 December 1914, Page 7

CRICKET.

TO-DAY'S MATCHES. Law v. Tikorangi, at Recreation Ground; United Service v. Albion, at Western Park; Inglewood v. New Plymouth, at Inglewood. The match,- Albion v. United Service, to-day, will be played on the Western Park ground, piny to start at 1.-15 p.m. POSITION OF THE TEAMS. SATURDAY COMPETITION. ri -» a ~ o 'o Ph IS K! United Service ...... 5 o Inglewood 4 3 !■ 4 New Plymouth i. 4 22 2 Albion 5 2 3 —3 Tikorangi 5 2 3—3 Law 5 THURSDAY COMPETITION. I Phoenix 3 2 1 4 Tikorangi 3 2 1 2 Inglewood 2 1 1 High School 2 ".ROYAL DIVORCE" COMPANY v. NiJW PLYMOUTH. This match was played on the Recreation Grounds, and a very interesting game cven.tuatcd, despite the wet weather. The following are the detailed scores:— COMPANY. •Lewis, c Weston, b Nicholl ] Spence, b 'Whittle 2 Woods, b Whittle 5 Hughes, c Weston, b Nicholl , 3 RatcliiTe, c Heskett, b Nicholl .... S Harding, c Nicholl, b Whittle .... 0 Sinclair, c Price, b Whittle (1 Garry, b Whittle 0 Bently, not out 4 Jasper, b Steeds .. 4 Byes : 1 Total .. 28 Bowling Analysis: Whittle, five for 11; Nicholl, three for 11; Steeds, one for 2; Weston, none for 3. NEW PLYMOUTH. Price, b Ratcliffe ................ 10 Weston, 1) Ratcliffe 5 Steeds, b Piatclill'e 0 Whittle, 1.1uv., b Ratcliffe 1 Bewley, b Ratcliffe 8 R. W. D. Robertson, not out .. .. 18 Anderson, not out ... .. 0 Extras 2 Total t ..: 44 Bowling Analysis: Ratcliffe, five for 15; Lewis, none for 27. CRICKET NOTES.

High School showed up very badly with the bat on Thursday, Sykes, with 18, being the only man in the first innings to reach double figures. Monteath being away made a vast difference to the boya' play, as without his steadying influence they went to pieces. Tikorangi had a big lead with 181 on the board, and one would have expected steady play from the boys in their endeavor to catch the big lead, but they gave a rather poor performance. Sykes scored in a style all his own. Playing with a cross bat, and liitting at the pitch of the ball, he swiped vigorously. Most of the other High School "top-liners" batted correctly, but with a sad lack of energy, the innings closing for 46. For Tikorangi, Koberts was very successful with the ball,. obtaining five wickets for 20, though liis bowling was (very mediocre. With the exception of Sykes, nobody made a serious attempt to play his bowling, the majority poking at it in very feeble style. Foreman rocked down three wickets for 8.

High School played much bettor in their second innings, and managed to exactly double their previous score. The 11*2 included four double-figures, Sykcs (12), Sinclair (14), Candy (24), and Waller (10), -not out. Sykcs made his 12 in his usual style. Sinclair and Candy played good cricket. The fprmer plays a, particularly pretty bat, and it is astonishing that lie lias not a higher batting average, but lie seems to be consistently unlucky. Candy- has the makings of a very good bat, and if he were to hit more freely should bo very successful.

Roberts again caught the majority of the wickets for Tikorangi, with four for 51. C. Brown took two of the remaining wickets for 12. The High School bowling seems to having very inferior luck this season. They have some very good changes. Monteath bowls a very good ball, wiili a consistent length and. a very handy break, and can always be relied on. McMurray, perhaps the best of the re--1 maining bowlers, keeps a very good length, but his ball seems dead. If he could increase his pace slightly, or infuse a little into the ball by putting on -a slight spin as he delivers it, he ought to be a dangerous wicket-getter. Hughes and Candy bowj fair balls that would be dangerous with a little move pace. Sykes' bowling is irregular. (He bowls a short, fast ball, depending on catching the wicket on the fall o£ the ball, instead of the rise, as is usual. Phoenix were successful—and lucky—in scoring a three-point win over Inglowood last Thursday. Robertson gave three really good chances to Inglewood, one of being stumped at the commencement of his innings. He also put two ball 9 up in the slips that were inexcusably missed, and responded to the encouragement thus received by making 66. Gwillim played a very good bat ior ■B7. and gave very few chances. "Whittle, the only other man to make double figures, compiled 17, and the innings closed for 183. None of the Inglewood bowlers were conspicuously successful, Darlow getting the best average with three for 45. Inglewood scored 73 in their first innings, and in their second 48, Smith and Williams being the only men to reach double figures. Braund was very successful with the ball, with four for 15. Robertson, behind the stumps for Iugl»wood, was very slick. He smartly removed the bails on two occasions.

FIXTURES FOR SECOND ROUND. SATURDAY COMPETITION. December s.—Law v. Tikorangi; United Service v. Albion; Inglewood v. New Plymouth. December 12—Tikorangi v. New Plymouth; Albion V. Law; 'United Serviec V. Inglewood. December 19.—New Plymouth v. Albion; United Service v. Law; Inglewood v. Tikorangi. January 9.—New Plymouth v, Inglc■wood (first round match)« January 16.—Tikorangi v. United Ser-

Plymouth v. United Service; Inglewood t. Law. In each case the first-mentioned team is the home team, and has to prepare the wicket.

NEWS AND NOTES. The second round of the Saturday competion commences to-day. There will be no matches for three Saturdays, owing to the Christmas holidays, but on Saturday, January 9th, advantage will be taken to play off the first-round match between .Inglewood and New Plymouth, due to New Plymouth having been given a bye prior to Inglewood entering the competition. Playing for Oriental B in Wellington mid-week cricket, Bowles, who formerly played for United Service, lias been scoring well. So far this season he has tallied 13 (not out), 113 (not oat), and 74 (not out), or a total Of 200 for once out. He has not been so successful in Saturday cricket, when playing for Central. The first rouud of the. Saturday competition has now closed, with the exception of one match to be played between Inglewood and New Plymouth, united Service have a substantial lead, with Inglewood next, whilst Law are away in the background. The second round will probably see some changes in. the positions. Keen interest was taken in the Service-New Plymouth match, and the former narrowly escaped defeat, winning a most exciting match by two runs. Bain -was again in good form and, aided by his usual good fortune, knocked up 64, more than half his team's total of 115. After a fair opening by Richards and Heskett, New Plymouth failed badly, and looked like sustaining a bad defeat, but Stohr and Stainton made a great stand, and nearly snatched thp match out of the fire. When Stainton left only two runs were needed to tie, but Neweil was out J.b.w. —a very close decision, and New Plymouth's hopes of a win were rudely dispelled. The next meeting of these teams will be watched for. Albion fell an easy prey to Tikorangi. Thanks principally to Roberts ((53), the country team notched 120. Albion could do very little with Foreman and Roberts, and were all disposed of for 67, one less than th' 6 Tikorangi crack batsman's total.

Law was within an ace of scoring their first win, which no one would have regretted, save possibly the beaten team. The match was anybody's until the last wicket fell, and then, with one run to get to tie, Inglewood had a life, through Quilliam just failing to stump Eggleton, who promptly showed his gratitude by hitting freely, and putting the issue beyond doubt.

The second round of the Thursday competition will not be commenced until after the holidays. Advantage will probably be taken of a vacant Thursday to play off • the High School-Inglewood match.

' South Taranaki have challenged Wanganui for the Hawke Shield, and the match will be played on December l(i and 17. Wanganui have wired, offering to play North Taranaki on December 25 and 2ii, in lieut of January 1 and 2. The first named dates have been made available owing to Nelson, to whom they were allotted, being unable to make the- tri!). The matter )vill be considered at a meeting of the Cricket Council, which will be held on Monday evening, if a quorum is available. A meeting called for Thursday night lapsed on account of the sparse attendance of delegates, only United Service being present. The present is, ofcourse, a busy time, but surely cricket enthusiasts can spare an hour or two to the management of the game. If not, they should appoint delegates wfio can. It is hoped that Monday will see every club represented.