CRICKET IN WAIRARAPA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 December 1938, Page 7

CRICKET IN WAIRARAPA

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY REVIEWED

Notes and Comments

(By “Blue & Gold.")

The batting in the senior championship matches on Saturday contained many bright displays, especially among the College and Old Boys. The competition has now reached an interesting stage, Red Star and Lansdowne being equal for first place. The Holiday Spirit. There was a real holiday spirit in evidence in the Wairarapa College-Red Star match. When Red Star realised that victory was out of the question as far as they were concerned they gave the College some good batting practice. Every member of the Star team had a turn at bowling, even the wicketkeeper taking over the ball. It was a splendid win for the College players who are to oe congratulated on their display. W. Peterson’s Sound Strike. The Red Star team with 3 down for 93 were all out at 3 o’clock for 163. wally Peterson carried his score to 60 by good batting, while N. Hoar (16) and Coleman (15) both batted nicely. Both registered a boundary in their score. Patrick again bowled well and secured most of the wickets. Another Good Display by Tier. The College, in a safe first innings position, did not open well in the second innings, 5 being down for 56. Upston and Patrick had lives with only a few runs on the board. _ However, ■ Tier steadied the defence and his splendid play prevented all danger of defeat. Tier, who reached 67 in the first innings, played an even better knock in the second innings for his 54 (retired). He made excellent shots all round the wicket, and inspired the youthful College players with confidence. He notched seven boundaries and his driving was well timed and to the off he clipped well measured shots. His smart, well judged running between the wickets was something which could well be emulated by mapy other batsmen in the competition. When he retired the Star’s chance of victory amounted to nil, and thereafter the College boys obtained some splendid practice for an important inter-College match this week. With 5 down for 56, the next wicket did not fall till'lB4 was up. Attractive Efforts. * Thomson played a particularly attractive bat for his 56 which included eight, 4’s. Prior and Jones also shaped well with the bat, the latter scoring no less than seven 4’s in his 39. Prior hit three boundaries. Newman Hoar was the best of the Star bowlers and trundled well to secure 4 wickets for 32. A Surprise Stand. The Old Boys brought off a surprise by the stubborn game they put up in the second innings against Lansdowne. •It was not expected that the team would get very far in the way of scoring but Ryan, McWhinnie. Alexander and Hatton “dug in” well and ‘truly and left the bowling have it hard and often. The Old Boys are to be congratulated on their excellent display, as they play the game for the love of it, and come up smiling no . matter how hopeless the position may look. It is becoming very noticeable that the batting strength of Old Boys is improving substantially and now that some of them appear to be well in their stride we should see some very creditable scores put up by Old Boys. A Delightful Innings.

Ryan played a delightful innings. A most attractive batsman he displayed a variety of shots on Saturday which would have done credit to any batsman in the competition in recent years. A keen cricketer, a good sport and an outstanding fieldsman, Old Boys have certainly one of the best all-rounders of recent seasons in their ranks, and no one will begrudge the runs Jhat Ryan makes for he is the first to appreciate good batting in an opponent or a clubmate. He scored eight boundaries. Ryan and McWhinnie raised the score from 2 for 12 to 3 for 131. McWhinnie Bats Well.

One was pleased to see McWhinnie come to light with a very fine display of batting. He has the ability to score runs and has at last "arrived” in his batting. ' He makes no mistake when he lays the wood on and can score equally well on both sides of the wicket. He found the boundary seven times and also hit six 2’s. The Lansdowne bowling was accurate and hard to play which makes McWhinnie’s display all the more creditable.

Remarkable Bowling Coincidence.

In the primary schools match at Masterton last week between the Wellington and Masterton teams King, for the former, took 8 wickets for 4 runs — a remarkable bowling performance, but one which, however, has been equalled, and strangely enough in a primary schools game. In March, 1911, the Wairarapa schoolboys defeated Wellington schoolboys, and Beard in Wellington’s first innings took 8 wickets for 4 runs — which was to be equalled by a Wellington schoolboy 27 years later. On that occasion the Wairarapa eleven contained Ted Perry (who on Saturday last captained the Red Star B junior team in a match against Masterton at the College ground). Ted scored 53 and 33 not out for the Wairarapa schoolboys and took in all 9 wickets for 47 runs.