CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1920, Page 7

CRICKET.

JANTERBBKY t. OTAGO.

FIRST DAY'S PLAY. j By Telegraph —Press Association. Christclmrch, Last Night. An inter-iprovinclal cricket matth. Canter-1 bury t. Otago, commenced at Hagley Park this afternoon on a good wicket. The batting of otago was disappointing and they were all out for 130 (McFarlane 19, Galland not out 34, Hutchison 10, Alloo 10, Carron 17). Read took 5 wickets for 44 runs, McEwen 2 for 14, Watson 1 for 13, Reese 2 for 12. When stumps were drawn Canterbury had lost 3 wickets for 63 (Blunt 18,- Worker 11, Hayes 15, Brosnahan not out 11). HIGH SCHOOL v. WANGANUI COLLEGE. A two days' cricket match, between a team representing the New Plymouth Boys' High School and Wanganul Collegiate School, will be played at Wanganul on March 5 and 6. TO-DAY'S MATCHES. The following will represent the New Plymouth Cricket Club in a friendly match against High School on the latter's ground today at 2 p.m. :—P. Sheppard, W. H. Quickfall, A. C. Lawrey, V. Elliott, G. Purdue, T. P. Anderson, C. B. S. Russell, D. Dolle, L. Erabant, S. Baker, W. Hughes; emergencies— S. Dunstan, G. Hart. NOTES BY "SPECTATOP.." By twice defeating Old Boys tlw New Plymouth A team can fairly claim to be the .strongest batting combination in the Saturday competition. Although the victors passed the Old Boys' scord with only three wlcketa down, the next five wickets fell for comparatively nothing, and It was left to Saunders and Palmer to almost double the total score for thri last wicket. Saunder3 making the best Individual score. 28 not out. Heskett, whose batting or late has been very disappointing, shaped in much better style than usual, and looked good for half a century when he was run out. Weston also showed a. return to form, making 12, the total including some fine strokes. Palmer, with Saunders, played good cricket, playing a straight bat. His display was in great contrast to his batting the previous week against Tlkorangl, and the same remark applies to Saunders Lash, who has been very consistent with the bat, scored 12 and >5 not out, whilst his catch that dismissed Eggleton was a beauty.

In this connection, I might recall an Incident, that happened many years ago. The Melbourne. Cricket Club sent a team round Now Zealand, and In due course met Taranakl. Lash was included in the local team, and on the famous Hughle Trumble going to bat, a nice ball was sent down, and the lengths' Victorian had a "go." It was a fine hit, but Lash, on the boundary, brought off what TruiMblo described "a beautiful catch." and so it was. This season Lash has dismissed many through a safe pair of hands. Whilst Old Boys are not up to the New Plymouth A standard they are unquestionably superior In the fielding, whilst, their catching is better. The absence of BottriU makes a. difference to tjie Steven, as besides being a. steady'bat" ho ti' a good bowler. Osborne has before now demonstrated his worth as a bowler, and gathered In four wickets, besides making no runs In two Innings. If he can repeat this against South Taranaki his friends will be pleased. Hushes, had some luck In securing 5 victims for 33 runs. He was being hit fairly freely til! lie struck a snot In ono ovf*. and thereafter a maiden over secured four batsmen In the next ovit. Usually a steady bat, he failed to get going In either innings .Tohnscn has had a run of non-success at the bowling crease lately, but his inability to secure wickets has given Kcskott bis chance, and harrested so many v.icketa (hiring the last few weeks that, his average must be the best In the Club.

New Plymouth B team are steadily Improving. The assistance of Qiilckfall has considerably helped the team. Against Tlkorangl the B's only failed to gain a win by a. narrow margin, and on Saturday they scored their first win against Freezing Works. Tho margin. 13 runs, was little enough, whilst they could only gather in 22 in the second strike, and had tho Freezing Works elevon gone In for another innings would probably have prevailed. Besides making ll) runs Qiilckfall secured 5 wickets. . Coming out of the A tean has given him more opportunities, and if Macdonald could also be Iransferred the team would probably create some surprises before tha season ends.

Freezing Works are a promising eleven, and rapidly gaining experience. In Clarko and Morrison they have players equal to North Tarannkl's best, and each ' Saturday their comrades are improving. Next season, with the same team available, they should be capable of doing mifeh better as batsmen. Considoring his pace Clarke has not secured the wickets he might reasonably be expected to, hut whilst ho frequently beats the batsmen tho bumpy nature of the ground causes the ball to rise over the wickets. That the wickets hero suit a slow bowler is proved by the success of Johnson, Heskett, Hughes, and O'Neill, all of whom reaping wickets from medium to slow howling. There are two factors that have told against the batsmen. The first. Is undoubtedly the tough outfields and. Indifferent pitch, a lid the other Is tho desire of almost all batsmen to attempt to score off every ball. The best of men are obllge/l at times to play steady, but not so in Taramtkl. Any ball. within reach of tho bat is sized up as a. prospective boundary, whereas it frequently ends tho batsman's career by lowering his stump. Lack of practice lo also patent, many of those playing being content to obtain all their play in a competition match, and to fail from this causa is not surprising.

■With lack of practice added to a heavy Held cricket will nevar advanco. H»rd slogging to obtain 2 runs where the hit was worth 4, Is tho recognised thing here, and will continue till the clubs work together and put imore labor Into preparing the grounds.