CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3383, 25 November 1911, Page 9

CRICKET.

ROUND THE GROUNDS.

(Notes by “Short-Slip.”)

On. account of the Labor Day _ sports being held on Victoria Domain on Thursday last, no matches were played in the Thursday competition last week. The Alhambra Club took advantage of the holiday to take a run out inv> > the country as far as Te Kanaka, where they engaged the Te Karaka Club in a friendly match. 'These little trips into the interior usually serve as a pleasant break for town clubs from the routine of regular competition matches, and also help to stir, up interest in the game in the rural centres.

It is a matter for regret that a. dispute should have arisen between "Jock’ Scholium, the Alhambra captain, and Mick McMahon, who led the country '•eleven, as to the time at which stumps were to have been drawn.

Te Karaka have a few really good all-round performers, among whom may be mentioned * Mick McMahon (a serviceable fast bowler), Percy Soften, and Southcombe (a recent arrival from the Old Country). It is not surprising, therefore, that Te Karaka headed Alhambra on the first innings It was then that the dispute as to the hour at which stumps should be drawn arose. The Alhambra men were desirous of playing till 6 p.m., while McMahon stood firm that 5 p.m. had been settled as the hour at which play should cease. In the heat of the moment, some rather unkind things were said on both sides, which marred the pleasure of what had up till then been a very pleasant game. Players should try and remember that, after all, those country games are but pleasant outings, and need not be taken so seriously as competition fixtures.

Who wins or at what hour stumps are drawn really does not matter, as nothing attaciies to a friendly game. If the Alhambra and Te Karaka teams had borne this in mind, there would have been no necessity for a heated controversy, and the game would not have been brought to an abrupt termination .

In future, however, to avoid similar misunderstandings, captains would do well to arrange the boundaries and the hour for drawing stumps before commencing matches. The chief topic among cricketers this week has been the set hack given to the powerful Wanderers _ Club by Y.M.C.A. at Victoria Domain on Saturday afternoon last. Wanderers had first use of the turf wicket, but their strong array of batting talent could make no headway against the bowling of Harry Jones, the Y.M.C.A. captain. It will be remembered that when these teams met at the end of last season, Y.M.C.A. inflicted a crushing defeat of an innings and a few runs on Wanderers, who up to that time had not lost a single senior competition match for two whole seasons. As on Saturday, Harry Jones was the destroying element with the ball on that occasion.

The Wanderers do not appear to relish Harry’s fast off breaks. None of them were at any time at their ease when facing him last Saturday. It is rumored that Harry Jones and a few of his merry men have been getting out at all unholy hours of the morning during the past fortnight, and putting in a solid hour’s practice before the breakfast bell. Be this as it may, Jones was in very fine form with the ball on Saturday. He kept a good length, and made even his fastest deliveries break back in paralysing fashion. After sending down 42 balls, the innings was over, and Jones had the scalps of such capable batsmen as Gus Cranny, Sam McConnell, Mick Guthrie, Len. McMahon, Steve Wilson, and Harry Maude dangling at his belt. Jones hit the sticks in every instance with the sole exception of Maude’s wicket, which fell Ibw. In all he sent down seven overs, which included four maidens, and secured seven wickets for 24 runs —a capital bit of trundling. The Wanderers total only reacned 54, towards which Mick Guthrie (15), and Lane (12, not out) were the omy double figure contributors. Y.M.C.A. shaped very creditably with the bat against the strong Wanderers’ attack.

Law, a. new man, who played junior cricket in Napier last season, played a most serviceable innings for 55. He started somewhat streakily, sending a number of uppish strokes through the slips off Young’s fast ones; hut once the batsman settled down he played capital cricket, and made good strokes all round the wicket.

J. Wilson (17) and Aitken (15) also batted well for Y.M.C.A.. whose total reached 123.

Len. McMahon was a long way the most successful of the Wanderers bowlers. ‘He kept a fine length, and mixed his pace and break cleverly. in all he captured six for 44 off 6G balls. Athol Young had to be content with one for 27 off 54 deliveries.

When time was called, Wanderers had made a better showing in their second innings, the hoard reading: 49—1—1.

Young (28. not out) and Wilson (18, not out) put on the runs in good style, though the latter gave a simple chance in the slips which should have finished his innings.

If "Wanderers can put on 150 quickly next Saturday they may declare and make the finish a very exciting one. Considering that Y.M.C.A. were without three of their very best men, in Don. Miller, A. E. Wood, and Rev. Pine Tamahori, their showing against Wanderers was a distinctly creditable one.

The Taruheru men had all tho best of it in their game with United on the Taruheru ground on Saturday. Neither the wicket nor the outfield on this ground are in anything like as good a state as when Charlie Whiteley was groundsman last season.

There was too much grass on the wicket and one or two nasty-looking holes in the pitch had been filled with loose soil,, watered, and rolled flat. Tho wicket kicked at times, but on the whole did not play .as badly as expected.

The Taruheru batsmen played tho more enterprising game, considering the long grass in the outfield. Stitchbury and Hooker hit out freely and lifted the ball high and often. The former was going strong when he > was run out for an attractive 39.

Mick Hooker scored 37 in good stvle, and had bad. luck in being dismissed by a one-handed catch at extra long-on by Gibson off Olsen. The fieldsman could not get two hands to the ball, which he just managed to grab with the right hand high above his head as it was about to disappear among the willows.

Kelly (13) and Sharpies (15) also notched a few, the latter showing sound

defence and handling his bat stylishT/immy Cough mesmerised the United batsmen when they went to the wickets. He tossed up harmless looking stuff, but it had the guile of the serpent in it. “Tiny” Olsen was clean bowled with his very first delivery, which the batsman shaped at as if he expected it to break from leg. The ball did nothing of tho kind, however, but travelled straight oh, and hit the off stick. The United innings thereafter was a procession, and nine w.ickets were'down with only 28 on the board. Bernard Jeffreys aiidi “Buff” Stubbs (a promoted junior), however, came to the rescue and made a capital stand for the last wicket, taking the total to 51 before the colt who had batted really well and confidently for 10, was caught in attempting to swing one from Hooker to leg. Jeffreys made 17, not out, in attractive style, and appeared full of fight when the innings closed. Gough bowled really well, mixing nis Saco and break cunningly. He sent own 54 balls, and bagged six wickets for 28 runs. Sharpies kept a good length and bowled at a rare pace. His tally was three for 19 off nine overs. Taruheru did not fare so well in their second innings, as six wickets were down for 4G when stumps were drawn. Golding scored 15. and Stitchbury,< (15, not out) and Sharpies (12, not out) were both showing solid defence when the boll rang. Stitchbury gave a chance in the slips to McC'oll off Olsen, which should have been accepted. McCall, however, had just previously made a splendid running catch in the country,, which disposed of Woods, off Jeffreys. The fieldsman had to run fully fifty yards a t top speed. No one thought he had a ghost of a chance of getting up in time, but the catch was taken in brilliant- style,, amid hearty applause. Bert Greene bowled well for United in this innings. He struck a length, and made the ball swerve in a puzzling fashion. In three overs, lie secured three wickets for 7 runs, and had the batsmen guessing at the flight of the ball.

Jeffreys, who is inclined to overpitch them, also found a better length in this innings, and bagged two for 11. “Tiny” Olsen l bowled well, but without any luck. He was robbed of a wicket through the umpire not hearing a delicate snick at the wickets, and also had a couple of chances dropped off his howling. If United can get rid of the remaining four Taruheru batsmen for anything about another 40 runs, the finish should prove highly exciting. The upholding of the protest by High School A against Y.M.C.A., on the ground that the latter played Paku In both the senior and junior games for his Club last week has caused a good deal of discussion.

The Association on Monday night ordered the match, which was won by Y.M.C.A. to be played over again. The fact that teams can be changed on the second day of a match at the Taruheru ground has led town l clubs into the belief that they could play a junior on the first day of a match and replace him with a senior on the second without question. The sooner the Association gets its by-laws revised and copies supplied to each club the sooner will such irregularities be done away with.

To show that other clubs were laboring under the same opinion as Y.M. C.A., it may be stated that United played Stubbs, the captain of their junior eleven, against Taruheru on Saturday last, intending to allow him to take his place at the head of liis own team at Victoria Domain next Saturday. According to the ruling given by the Association, Stubbs will not be allowed to play with the juniors until lie lias completed the senior match he is engaged in. It seems hard that Y.M.C.A. should lose their match when they simply followed what other clubs considered a permissible course. The Public Schools’ teams are delighted with the handsome donations of a set of wickets, two bats and a ball, which were received from Mr. 11. J. Barry recently. School teams as a rule are hard put to it to finance matters, and these generous donations will give the lads a big lift along. The boys are entering enthusiastically into the competition, and as the masters are likewise personally encouraging tlie teamls by attending the matches anti umpiring, it seems that tU 0 Public Schools competition has come to stay.

It is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, and let us hope that many of the lads now. starting out on the game will graduate through the successive grades until they find a permanent place in the P.B. representative eleven.