CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1920, Page 7

CRICKET.

NEWS AND NOTES. i ("Spectator.") Last Saturday the game between New Plymouth and Tikorangi proved very disappointing. Whether the long spell from playing, or the extreme heat prevailing that day, upset batsmen I caunot say, but, whilst the bowling was good, it was not so extraordinary that a team like New Plymouth should fall for 22 runs. It was a small score, and, with one exception, Tikorangi deserved all they secured, as with the fail of Heskett's wicket the country players fielded splendidly, and never once lost a grip of the game. Where they had some luck was in securing Maekay's dismissal. Lash played a ball hard to the off. It was a good hit, and a run was there. Indeed, Mackay ran to Lash's end, but the latter, watching the progress of the ball instead of his partner, anchored in his crease, and with two batsmen at one end Mackay lost his wicket. Dinniss gave a good display, but, with the wickets falling almost every ball, he was obliged to hit out, and, attempting a hit, waR out to a good catch, and so it continued throughout the innings, four men out of eleven scoring, the others failing, and failing badly. McDonald only scored a single, but he played a atraigh bat and helped Dinniss to carry the score from five wickets for one run to six for sixteen.

Although participating in and watching senior games for a number of yearn, I cannot reeall five wickets falling for one run previously, and yet there was no hat trick. It was a memorable innings. I might add that Lash, in opening the innings, cut Foreman's first ball for a single. The second ball, well into leg, saw Heskett hit-out and held. Johnson played the next safely, but mistimed the next and was out. Stalnton followed, and was puzzled with Foreman's first delivery, and played over the second. This brought Mackay in, and Tikorangi succeeded in dismissing Heskett, Johnson, and Stainton in the over.

Sarten took up the bowling at the other end. Lash cut his first ball, but, failing to go for the run, Mackay, who had run through, was out. The next Lash played, but the following one crash--1 through LaSh's defence, thus making New Plymouth five down for one run. Saunders, who succeeded McDonald, also went first bail, whilst Sutherland, a natural hitter, did not last long, Sarten securing him after two had been scored.

It v.-as a sorry exhibition of batting. I must pay .tribute to C. Foreman'® bowling. He kept an admirable length, and was always dead on the wicket, whilst, as previously stated, the fielding was good. It wss undoubtedly an "off day" for the town eleven, and mightn't happen again for many a long day. As it was, they tried hard to overtake the disaster by getting the runs in the second innings, but time was; against them, and, in going for the runs, sacrificed some runs that nearly landed them 3-point losers instead of 2-point. Whilst the batting was feeble, and generally of a schoolboy nature, the bowling was good, Foreman and Sartei being on the spot throughout New Plymouth's innings. Of the town bowlers Heskett was most successful, and his success was secured by using the head, as he quickly found out the weak defence of his opponents and took full toll. Johnson appeared to be kept on too long in the first innings, and his last two overs were punished, Lye scoring a beautiful sixer off the left-hander, the ball travelling to the northern fence. Sutherland also obtained four wickets cheaply, whilst Saunders, in the second innings, found it ail easy matter to obtain victims.

As was the case in the first round, Old Boys secured a three-point win against Neto Plymouth "B," but this was a great deal the fault of the latter cluh through failing to place a full team in the field. Batting three men short in each innings cut play down somewhat, but, as in the previous match, the batting was dull, extremely so, a total of 15 runs indicating cither exceptionally good bowling or lamentable batting. It was a mixture Of both. Osborne and Hughes have captured a lot of wicket 3 this season, and, besides this pair, Old Boys are fortunate in having in their eleven Eggleton, Bottrill and Monteath, all good bowlers. Included in the list of men chosen to practice for the North v. South Taranaki is C. Wilson, of Urenui. He is a steady batsman who taade good scores against Waireka and Albion, and the selectors might have gone further and given O'Neil a chance. He is a left-hand bowler, and a fair bat. The season has been unduly prolonged, but there was a match I should have liked to have seen played, and that 'Was Town v. Country. With Inglewood, Tikorangi nad Urenui to choose from, a good eleven could have been chosen—a team strong enough to make a hard fight with a town team. What has become of junior cricketf tt appears the bottom has fallen out of the competition. This is to be regretted, as Tikorangi, Freezing Works, and Waireka wefre going strong when the school vacation arrived. Seems to me that, in the interests of the other teams, a different method of conducting the competition will be necessary next season if interest is to be sustained. Arrangements have been made to play the match between Old Boys and New Plymouth on the High School Ground, so that the freezing works and New Plymouth <- B" meet at Pukeiaira Park, where the grass has quite recently been cut. In both cases interesting games may be looked forward to, particularly between Old Boys and New Plymouth, in a game which will decide the championship. Bv defeat : o<>' Waireka on Thursday Albion scored their first win this season. As was the case in last Saturday's play scoring was on the low side, ths> bowlers having the upper hand throughout. Waireka vpi-n minus the services of Cnrrin and O'Donneli. Albion have fulfilled all their engagements and the RUtwe* achieved in this match may stimulate them io further increases. To-day's match between tlie leaders rif the Saturday's division, New Plymouth A an-' Old Boys, should be worth seeing. The former is nl ncing a strnnsr eleven in the field, bringing Quickfall from the B team lo strengthen an already strong side, Should Old Bo"s i'tive the services of Bottrill and Kcifflpton. teachers who have hecn ini >f town Hip fi'hio] vacation, thev possess a pond chance of scoring a win on til" Art inning. Tn the first rrnnd. thanks to a , rr cnd start by He=kett and Lash. New Plv«•*?s W*ly rrsfi-rt-Wx. b>:4 the

P'ay of the batsmen mentioned during the past fortnight or so is not of the standard they played in November cricket, and should they fail early anything might happen. When set both Heskett and Lash play attractive cricket, and the Old Boys will have to take every chance offering. Wellington had designs on the Plunket Shield, but were soundly trounced on each occasion by Canterbury, Otagp and Auckland. Otago and Canterbury meet next week and then Auckland, present holders of the Shield, tour the South, thus affording Canterbury and Wellington further chalices of winning the Shield.