CRICKET.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 36, 19 November 1920, Page 8

CRICKET.

The 1920-21 season opened on Wednesda.y last under very unfavourable local weather conditions, while the wicket on the Herbert street ground was so faulty that Groves could not be used, the fast bowler proving dangerous. Thus Appleby lost ^he services of a representative bowler through no fault of their own. I.C.C. wer.t to Wyndham to find the matting and the lack of practice fatal to anything like a score, Doig being the only one to hit resultfully at any ball— his 26 being the best effort for his side, the other batsmen making 14. The S.C.A. has been very energetic ; but, unless wickets are prepared, it will be unsafe to play to an ordinary paced bowler. With better weather and the shortening of the tail of each senior team some standard of 1 cricket may be brought back to the pro- 1 vince - by the New Year, at which time it is customary to meet Otago. APPLEBY (105) v. UNION (81). — First Inninga. — Union took strike on tne bumpy wicket, Fogo (40), bowled Poole showing wisdom in smiting hard especially in pulling to on. He scored well off Petrie, Poole keeping him 1'airly quiet with off-stuff . W helan (10), not out, and Mcivenzie (6), looked like staying in ; but the latter succumbed to an lbw decision when he looked confident. No other Union batsman could play into the tens, and Leggett kept down byes to 5, a very good record on the wicket. The running of Union was extra poor, on the weakness of the tail of Appley's field getting them at least 10 runs. Union should try to get some more men of senior calibre. Poole's 6 for 32 was a creditable result, the veteran bowling steadily and capturing most of the better wickets. Petrie was unlucky in that his field showed a marked tendency to come in for company. On a fastish, bumpy t-urf this means twos and fhrees instead ! of singles as well as losses in catching. The fielding of Appleby was lceen enough. Appleby's first bat, T. Groves (20), b. Hamilton, opened in his accustomed steady way and put heart into his side's batting. Poole played his own free style for 16 when Whelan beat him with an extra good one. Petrie (23) fell to Cherry, the young bowler getting the wicket to the delight of his wise captain, who tried frequent charges to be rewarded. McKenzie (16) had brought his side over the danger line when Corbet googlied him, McKay j (11) carrying his bat, the Appleby batting ! tail, with extras (11), bringing up the total I to the respectable sum of 105, and making the first day's play of these two teams look fairly well on paper. With a good pitch the scoring must have been much higher. Union must keep down extras, the Appleby guardian ta'r' the palm from them and saving his . .. vviers considerably by not letting the batsxnen have too much freedom in crease — work. Hamilton 2 for 23, McKenzie 2 for 11, Corbet 1 for 4, Cherry 1 for 7, Whelan 1 for 18, show how the skipper tried to keep Appleby thinking. Union oegan a second innings and lost 5 wickets for 22, Richards (11) not out being the only one to keep Poole out, the Appleby man getting 4 for 7. Next Wednesday should see Richards getting into his old stride. Leggett surpassed himself and did not let a single extra appear. WYNDHAM (77) v. I.C.C. (50). S —First Innings. — I.C.C. took out a fairly strong team to Wyndham, but the changed conditions and the dearth of practice through bad weather told seriously on the side, As mentioned above, veteran Doig (26), saved a very bad beating on the first day's play, extra (10) showing the wicket to be uncertain in bounce even for Bogue, the Wyndham hand-guarded man. D. McBeath's 7 for 14 showed he is in length already, his hrother Harold getting 2 for 26, I.C.C. batting only ten men. Bogue's sUimping of Doig was a smart piece of work. Dr Baird s opening 10 b. Doig a run out, and two blobs made Wyndham 's first strike look poor ; but A. McBeath (26) b. Doig and T. Bogue (25) c. Dr. Brown, b. John Gilbertson, made up for the five ducks that laid, James Gilbertson keeping the extras down to 10 — a somewhat better perforinance than Bogue, as he was not behind the sticks all the time. The I.C.C. is a good team, and with practice and a stiffening of a couple of joints in the tail will be hard to beat. Doig 5 for 40, John Gilbertson 3 for 12, James 1 for 15, and 1 thrown out accounted for the Wyndham side. Wyndham should do even better than last year, the McBeath quartette and T. Bogue, with Courtis to come on later should make a fair batting side, while D. McBeath's bowling and T. Bogue s wicket-keeping with the known

keenness of the must make the U\, , "V &ide's fil. 1 l>ard to beat. ...» ings lias lost 2 for th« mg- D. McBeath 1 7'°^ aPr'5' Beath'a