CRICKET

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10230, 8 January 1927, Page 9

CRICKET

dominion and overseas. NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By “Willow.”) Representative Match. Mr. E. C. Beale’s Auckland tnn'r uig team provided local enthusiasts start *1 g r\ fUll ,° f intere st Tom start to finish and gave the renre pSS. 6 team SOme exCellent match

(By “Willow.”)

The visitors cannot be classed as a brilliant side, but they are certainly very solid right through. Every member of the team is a batsman—even Loates, Jones. and Simpson gathered m a few runs and showed themselves possessed of very sound hitting powers. in Coates°they have a very line bonier with plenty of pace and a' turn from the ofi on some of his fastest balls. Saunders, too, is a very useful slow-medium break bowler and Butler is very dangerous when the wicket is “doing anything.” Simpson has plenty of pace, too, and is very young, so should be useful after another season or two. In the field the team shine and very little goes begging. Jones at point is brilliant and his Cave in Poverty Bay’s second innings was a gem. Saunders is a bundle of activity in any position in the field and his Hying dive to gather in Bobertson’s hard drive in the second innings was another brilliant effort. Most fieldsmen would hardly have attempted to stop the ball, let alone catch it. Monteith and Butler are another pair of excellent fieldsmen. Really, however, there was little to pick and choose among them in this direction. Poverty Bay covered themselves with credit by leading, the visitors on the first innings and especially so after the dreadful start. Every credit must go to G. J. Robertson for his splendid century. He is said to have given a “chance” in slips early in his innings, but I did not see it. Wliat may have been mistaken for a “chance” occurred early when he chopped a ball hard and it bounced sharply between Gee and Butler in slips. In the second innings, Robert-, son was all at sea and was fortunate to last as long as he did, though unlucky to go out'to such an unexpected catch as Saunders gathered in. A. C. Cooke rtsuck his best form again and batted excellently in both innings. His 36 in the first was _ a 'chanceless display, occupying 68 minutes, while his nine not out in the second had a great deal to do with saving his team from outright defeat.

Forster was very confident in both innings and each time appeared to be settling down for a big score when, he was dismissed. McCarthy, behind the wickets, took a snick from him in fine style in the second innings. LocJlett played very well in the first innjigs but was at fault in the secojr in going for a risky run when the Mb on hand was simply to keep his picket intact. I" A pleasing feature of the batting was the display of Joe Scholium in the second innings when lie appeared to get right back to his old form again. He was out to a very weak stroke on the first day, but was going splendidly on the sec'ond when he took the rather unusual course—for him—of running out to smother Saunders' on the full —he missed and McCarthy did the rest. Cave showed some of his real form in the second innings and had anyone else than Jones been at point, his score might have been far more substantial—as it was, it was the highest in the innings. B. Scholium and Bennett had little chance to show their batting ability, as was also the case with Baker who was not out both times.

Moody did not restrain himself enough and in both innings went out through trying to naste the wrong ball- , . Tasker played a useful hat in the first innings and helped to carry the total past Auckland's score. Poverty Pay relied, in the main, on Robertson", Bennett, Lockett and Moody for the Joe Scholium sent down four overs for two wickets and 20 runs in the second innings —he is a good type of bowler to get rid of the tail end of a team especially if they are inclined to hit hard. Of the four main bowlers, all had periods when they bowled very well and also occasional bad patches. Takit all through, Bennett stands out clearly and. was never at any time collared —though, for the master of that, no bowler was at any stage really in that position. Bennett sent down 30i overs all told for 103 runs and five wickets. Not a startling result, but it shows very steady bowling. Totals of other bowlers were: Lockett 29 overs, 6 wickets, 109 runs; Moody 19, o, 96, Robertson 21, 2, 64. These four howlers-are a combination against which most teams will have difficulty in scoring 250 runs. Poverty Bay’s helding was good “--'I, on tlie second day, even than the first. Throwing in is the matter requiring most attention —the general direction of the wicket was the apparent aim ol most of the players. There was no ideta of giving the keeper the ball on the full or on the first bounce. Practice may never turn a weak bowler or batsman into a first-class player, but solid practice will certainly produce a good fieldsman, and of the various departments of fielding, throwing in improves most * and quickest with practice. One or two players, too, were slow in getting to the bail, or, if they got to the hall, were slow in gathering it in and returning it—there were at least three chances of run-outs lost in this way.

Lockett’s catching or Simpson m the second innings off Bennett was a wonderful piece of work—from the ■stand the chances appeared to be about 100 to 1 against bis touching the hall. “Bcrnie” Scholium’s wicket keeping can only be described as brilliant. Not-to allow a single bye in a match whem totals of 202 and 193 were compiled was a wonderful performance. Not was it because the batsmen were stopping every ball—quite an average number went past —but “Bernie” gathered them in cleanly on both sides of the wicket without the slightest difficulty. The only blemish was his failure to catch Gee off Lockett and that was a hard chance - coming a foot above the wicket.

It was unfortunate that rain should have interfered on the second day. Had the pitch remained firm and the light good, there might have been an interesting finish, though, of course, Auckland might have made more than 193 in the second strike. Not a great deal of notice can be taken of Poverty Bay’s- collapse in the second innings Had the nositions been reversed and Auckland taking fourth innings on the wicket as it was it is very likely that they would have done no better thaii did the local players. Messrs P. Roots and Wf Carter, the latter now on a visit to Gisborne, acted as umpires throughout and gave every satisfaction. Two deeis-

ions were questioned by the players concerned, but that is nothing remarkable. When yet has there been a game wherein every decision was accepted without question ? ■ The two officials are a pair of the soundest judges in the game locally, and any questioning of their decisions was quite unnecessary.

Poverty Bay should feel very grateful to Mr. E. G. Beale for including Gisborne in the intinerary of his tour. We get 'all too few outside visitors and only rarely a team from one of the big centres. I believe it is fourteen years since an Auckland .team last played here. Mr. Beale arranges a similar tour every year. While we cannot expect to be included every time, for we are rather of the beaten track, we will live in hopes that we shall see Mr. Beale’s Auckland Touring Team many Lines in the next few years. Auckland, and New Zealand too, is very fortunate to have such a keen enthusiast as Mr. Beale to stir things along. He always chooses likely talent for his touring teams and such a .tour is a wonderful education for any young cricketer. They can truly be termed the “hatching-grounds” for Auckland’s Plmiket Shield teams and some of the talent they have developed will be packing .bags for the trip to the Old Country.

How the Records Flew. Here are a few of the records broken by the sensational match between N.S.W. and Victoria in which the latter team made 1107. The previous record and holders are given in parenthesis:

World’s record total in first class cricket (1059 by Victoria against Tasmania.) Sheffield Shield record total (918 by N.S.W v. South Australia.)

Record number of centuries in game by Victoria (three.) • Individual score by a Victorian in Sheffield Shield match (250 by W. W. Armstrong v. S. A.) Record score hv-Victorian against N.S.W. (203 by F. Tarrant.) . Greatest score by any batsman in N.S.W. vi Victoria games . (321 by W. L. Murdoch. Best first wicket stand in N.S.W. v. Victoria games (For Victoria: 154 by J. Worrall and T. Warne. For N.S.W.: 267 by R. A. Duff and V. T. Triunper). Best second wicket stand for Victoria v. N. S. W. (213 by E. K. Mayne and R. L. Park.) Best sixth wicket stand in same games and also Victorian record in all Shield games (127 by W. Armstrong and N. E. Brown.) There are quite a number of others also, particularly in the way of “record bad” bowling figures, i

Random Notches. Mr. A. B. Williams has taken £SOO worth of shares in N.Z. Cricket Ltd., the company which has been organised to finance the tour of the Now Zealand cricket team in the Old Country this year. Maoriland’s first cricket tour of England (says a Sydney writer) will commence with a match against an eleven selected by H. Martineau who gave the last Australian team its opening gallop on his private ground at Holyport- As the Counties have agreed *to use the smaller ball over which controversy has been raging, the Maorilanders mav find 'conditions awkward at first. Nevertheless, since English wickets and atmospheric conditions approximate much more closely to Maoriland’s than to Australia’s, both bowlers and batsmen hould be happier than on our concrete faced pitches. Not that last year’s M.L. team in Australia—by no means the Dominion’s best side-—did not make runs. Its trouble lay in the inability of the bowlers to get the other side out on batsmen’s wickets. A suggestion that W. M. Woodfull, the Australian Test cricketer, who is a teacher in the Education Department, should visit the State schools in Victoria and talk to the boys on cricket and sportsmanship lias been adopted by the Directorjjf Education. Teachers and boys alike welcome the proposal. It is the opinion of the teachers that Woodfull’s talk on the moral aspect of sport would do an infinite amount of good. Reaching- the boys first hand, • it would leave a more definite impression than text book talk. Asked as to the lines he would adopt in Ins lectures, W'oodfull said he would endeavor to combine an explanation of the correct strokes and general technique of the game with an exposition of the character-building value of the team work, discipline, and self-con-trol necessary in match-winning. The Australian matches in _ Scotland were delightful affairs, with interest by the public very keen. - The grounds are neat, and the players very fair. Some splendid sportsmen are associated with Scottish cricket. .It is good to know that the finances panned out so well. The Scottish Union 'received £2500 from the Australian matches.

Here’s the cricket yarn sometimes told, in the West of Scotland. Two rival teams were battling for mastery, and when the light began to fail’ the game was still at an exciting stage, and it was uncertain whether or not there would be a decision. A forcing batsman called Adam was sent lif to knock off .the necessary runs, whereupon one witty spectator remarked: “Well, it’s a case of Adam or eve now.”

A correspondent, writing to the ■ ‘‘Otago Daily Times,” urges the inclusion of A. Galland in the New Zealand cricket team. He considers that Galland merits inclusion because of his all-round ability. Last season Galland was one of the most successful bats that Otago had. He did not do much against Canterbury, being dismissed for 8 in the first innings and 3 in the second, but against Auckland he made 44 ancl 115, while against Wellington lie scored 5 and 53. This gave him 228 runs in Piunket Shield matches for last season, and an average of 38. He came tenth in the Plunket Shield batting averages, and he did not have any not out to assist him. Galland is also a very fair change bowler, and 1 he has the additional advantage of being a good wicketkeeper. The new Oxford University captain is E. R. T. Holmes, (Malvern and Trinity), and J. A'. Nunn (Sherborne "and New College) is the new; secretary. Holmes batted well last season for Surrey in county matches. He lias a Blue for Association football. Nunn is a Rugby Union Blue. Interviewed at Fremantle on his return from England Warren Bardsley said lie-Avas disgusted with the “piffle” that- had been written about the team. England had, won the Test on its merits. In the deciding match both teams Had the opportunity to win, as a treacherous wicket in the second innings gave both bowlers a good opportunity. England wdn because its bowlers, vie re able..to make, use of tli6 favorable conditions.. Without making excuses," it shoiil'd be remembered that the eleven had tough luck,- as a chapter of accidents meant that several players were overworked. ,