CRICKET NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 43, 14 January 1921, Page 8

CRICKET NOTES.

The latter half of the 1920-21 season opened on Rugby Park under improved conditions. During the first round a town team travelled to Wyndham every week, and the country side on its own matting wieket had little difficulty in getting a good lead in competition points, but it was thought that on the home turf wickets this lead was not likely to be maintained. However, Wyndham with a patched team, but with all the McBeaths, batted from 2.45 to ten minutes to 6, Dan McBeath after an innings of many chances falling to Tapley caught Dr Brown for 127 in the course of which scoring he hit 7 sixes, some of the strokes being reminiscent of Don Hamilton's smiting power. Much of the success of Wyndham' s batting was due to the true slow pitch and to Dr Baird's wonderful innings of 75 minutes (33 b. Doig). In the Appleby-Union match, Poole third wicket down, played a brilliant innings for 55, bowled Dixon. Dale, a colt, hit the tired bowling for 40, bowled Whelan, a Crawford product. Union failed to make a fair batting stand on an easy wicket. With the coming games against Otago, Canterbury and Australia, it will be well for Southland cricketers to get. in steady practice, and Rugby Park and Mr Alex Handford are now ready for them. ,, WYNDHAM (203) v. I.C.C. (39«for five wickets) . Wyndham came in late and played from 2.40 to-ten minutes to 6, some of I.C.C.'s batting being done under adverse light conditions. Dr Baird and H. McBeath opened the visitors' batting, John Gilbertson being supported by J. Doig in the attack. The doctcj: opejieu u'njsteadily, but the slow pitch gave him confidence, and several misjudged catches showed him his luck was in ; so he picked good length b'alls off his rniddle peg and sent them to the boundary, some of his late turns being Trumper-like in brilliancy. H. McBeath, G. McBeath, and Bogue made seven all told. Dan McBeath came in at three wickets down, sustaining a l.b.w. appeal at the third ball, and surviving numerous chances through the rawness and slackness of a few of the fi,eldsmen. His 127 was a great performance in the fagging heat, and, when Tapley deceived him with an off-break to mishit— just as Conradi got Don Hamilton in the Otago-Southland game here last year— the batsman was visibly pumped. The captaining of the I.C.C was open to criticism, as regular bowlers were tried and re-tried in vain against Dan. A. McBeath hit a vigorous 16 and was clean bowled by J'ohn Gilhertson. The rest of the team — five men — made seven runs. Extras (12) shoW the good pad-work of James Gilbertson and Tapley. Driscoll, Gleeson? Camm> Dr Brown, and Cowan fiefded keenly all through for I.C.C. f Camm and Dr Brown took strike or I.C.C. just after 6. p.m., Camm b,eing brilliantly caught left-handed by Dr Baird at point from a stroke on a rising

ball, which appeared to be gomg through. • pr grown (4) was bowled by D. McBeath with a break-back from middle and leg to off, the straight bat covering only the legward pins. Driscoll opened with a gweet 4 to leg, staying in until ha had made 11, when H. McBeath swerved him to leg and got his middle stump with a ball thafc Driscoll thought was off the wicket. A new man, Abercrombie, show. ed go°d strokes, but ran up to ihe other batsman's end and found his wickets down when he broke the silly pair. Glee8on came in and after two deliveries played with great coniidence for 22 not out, selecting his shots with judgment and scoring good boundaries on the leg eide. He did not seem to relish H. Mc*1 Beath's faart ones on his pads, but pracL tice will improve that. With 5 wickets ! down for 39— no extras— an appeal for ' f ailing light was allowed by the umpires ■and the match goes on to next Wednesday with .Wyndham in a winning poeition. D. McBeath two for 17 and H. McBeath two for 32 bowled unIfchanged, Bogue letting nothing past K him., Of the 10 wickets taken in Wyndifham's innings Doiggot 5 for 67, Tapley 3 for 22, and John Gilbertson 2 for 40. The ■ I.C.C. bowlers were not in luck's way, as vthey frequently beat bat and "wickets, and P several — indeed many — catches were refused by tired or hindered fieldsmen. I UNION (71) v. APPLEBY (170). 1 Ferguson (11) and McKenzie opened for IJUnion and got at the bowling straight i1 away, but an l.b.w. decision against the iSformer from Battersby's bowling rattled the team. A. Hamilton (9) seemed to be igoing, and Eogo slashed 18, but extras 9 was the next "man" in total, four ducks Bbounding off the total column. Poole and ■ Battersby got 5 wickets each for i» and ir' 24 runs respectively. The Appleby'field. ing was brisk. I Petrie (14) and Battersby (11) did the |introduction well for Appleby, but to iPoole's brilliant 55, bowled Dixon, the side owes its win. The veteran was in | generous vein and treated all the bowlipg lalike, in one over getting 4 consecutive Ifours. Young Dale hit a rustic 40, and I the bat must have suffered from the Imuscle behind the cane. H. Irwin made la graceful 11, but was unable to produce Ea second wind to stay in. Extras were I 14. Nine bowlers were tried by Union, F and only one of t-hem didn't get a wicket. i Union began a second innings, and drew | stumps at 6.30*prompt, with no wickets [ down for 29 — a good opening. With [ practice before next Wednesday, ^ unri I shouiu have a fair chance as Poole is the [ only "big" bat in the Appleby team when [ Groves has not his eye in.