The 1st Eleven Season, 1926-'27.

We opened the season in really brilliant style, being skittled for 50, yet in spite of our feeble total it looked as though Petone would fare even worse. 6 wickets falling for 16 runs! Unfortunately Brice had other views and much to our concern proceeded to send the first four balls from Hollings—the first for 6, the second for 4, the next for 6, and the last for another 4- the second sixer nearly hitting the War Memorial. Hain eventually had him caught on the square leg boundary, but the total had then reached (197), of which the Petone skipper had compiled 127, including six sixers. Our second innings commenced and ended, and we had been beaten by an innings and 51 runs.

Nevertheless, against Wellington we allowed such fine batsmen as Hiddleston and Airey two or three lives each and then nearly won. Hollings and McGavin gave us a fine start, the latter being seen at his best. Later, however, Hollings failed to connect with a Yorker and was bowled, and apart from P. Wilson, the rest of the side fell cheaply.

After our improved showing against Wellington we set out in determined fashion against Midland, Vietmeyer creating a sensation by taking 5 wickets in his first senior game. At the end of the day we had 81 lead with 5 wickets in hand, Hollings being assisted this time by A. C. Tripe, who reached 61 before being bowled. These two gave a very free exhibition of batting, and Hollings reached his second successive century just before "stumps." We did not have very much cricket on the following Saturday. MacKenzie being caught off a full toss and P. Wilson being the only batsman to stay with Hollings. The innings finally closed when the latter tried to pull a straight one and failed. Once again Vietmeyer, backed up by A. C. Tripe, skittled the veteran Midlanders, and we proudly walked off the field winners by an innings and 43 runs.

Bucked by our success we commenced with real vim against Y.M.C.A. collected the other five and the Young Men were out for 137. When we Vietmeyer helped himself to 5 wickets this time for only 5 apiece, Hollings went to the crease Hollings and A. C. Tripe once again proceeded to make things lively by flogging the bowling in good style. Henderson and White, the Y.M. "stars," presenting them with many a four. Though missed at 75, Hollings completed his third successive century in Wellington senior cricket, thereby creating a local record. Next Saturday, declaring with 320 page 61 on for 6 wickets, we expected to be able to force another outright win, but reckoned without our hosts. Y.M. batted practically all the afternoon and were still wanting 14 runs to save an innings defeat with only two wickets in hand when stumps were drawn.

Resuming after Christmas, our run of success ended, first of all we played Thorndon, and had the pleasure of presenting Kortlang with the highest total made in senior cricket during the season, namely, 204. Unfortunately for us he was dropped off difficult chances twice before he had reached 20, otherwise he played a fine innings, especially after reaching his first century. Faced with 368 to win, we were perhaps a trifle unlucky in not making the number. Hollings foolishly ran A. C. Tripe out when the latter was well set and things generally went wrong, nevertheless, our scoring was very consistent, only three failing to reach the twenties, Leys in particular batting well.

Our next game was against Institute, played as a whole day match on Anniversary Day. Little need be said on our side apart from the fact that Mackay bowled well and Osborne batted confidently in his second knock. Institute owed their win chiefly to a display of fireworks by Baumber, who made his 100 in a little over the hour and hit six sixers. He proceeded to bowl to such good effect that we were out for 160, his analysis reading 6 wickets for 49 runs.

Next we met the Championship winners on their own ground. Thanks to a good stand by Nunn and Aldersley. who made 71 and 112 respectively, our opponents reached 282—not at all an out of the way score. Their faces grew rather long as our total, after reading 1 wicket for 0 runs at one stage, slowly mounted till it read 114 runs with only 3 men out. Leys, who had not shown the form of the previous season, batted splendidly for his 45, and Hollings reached the half century. When these two were out the side collapsed badly, 9 wickets being down for 131 runs; however, Mackay and R. Tripe fought gamely and took the total to 165, nearly saving a follow-on. Requiring 117 to save us from an innings defeat, matters looked far from rosy when Hollings flattened his own wickets, MacKenzie and Osborne were bowled, and Tripe and Leys caught with the total 29. Cormack, however, displayed much abandon in sending Watson for a beautiful sixer into the creek, and incidentally saving us from an innings defeat.

In the Old Boys match Leys and Hall came to light with half centuries (which, by the way, were overdue), but apart from these two nobody seemed to relish the slows of Ken Tucker, who once again ran through us. In our second strike his two overs cost nearly 20 runs, so it appears his reign of terror has ended.

We finished the season by losing the toss for the ninth time (we had first use of the wicket against Petone because we were sent in—not by our own skipper, however). Kilbirnie batted nearly all the first day for 298—a moderate total on such an excellent wicket. A. C. Tripe and R. E. Tripe both bowled very well, the former meeting with the more success. He rather astonished Badcock by getting him trapped for a paltry 2. Next week we struck a veritable bowlers' paradise, and after losing Hollings, Tripe and Leys for very few, we were in a sorry plight till, to our surprise and delight, MacKenzie, who had failed to get going at all during the season, gave of his best, and first with Osborne (who had opened) and later with Vietmeyer, took the score to within 61 runs of that of Kilbirnie—a fine performance on such a wicket and against a bowler of Badcock's calibre.

Reviewing the season, we see by the score book that unlike the previous year, the run-getting and howling were left to a few only, MacKenzie in particular and Leys to a lesser degree, being right off colour. We sincerely hope, however, that these two strike form early in the coming season, and if the other members of the XI. keep at it we should certainly have a fine team. Among those who turned out with us for for the first time last year A. C. Tripe, Vietmeyer and Osborne proved trumps indeed. The first named showed himself to be a good all-rounder, being a free batsman, a steady left-hand bowler, who exploits the leg theory to advantage, and a capital fieldsman. Vietmeyer gave promise of being the bowler we were looking for, when in three consecutive innings he bagged half the wickets at small cost, but unfortunately he failed to meet with much success after Christman; he certainly proved, however, to be the slip fieldsman we were needing. Osborne, who joined up after the holidays, proved to be a solid page 62 opening batsman, and among other good knocks, played a great fighting innings against Kilbirnie.

Needless to say, we filled a very conspicuous place in the Senior Championship with only 2 wins to our credit, but it is prophesied by more than one "veteran" of Wellington that our team will not be long among the tail enders. How can we justify such an opinion? In future it is to be the aim of this Club to place Eleven fieldsmen in the field primarily—if they can bat and bowl also all the better, but before a man can hope to acquire and hold his place in the First Eleven he'll have to be able to field. Most cricketers know that a good fieldsman derives even more pleasure out of his fielding than out of either batting or bowling!

Particulars of senior games:—

V. Petone.—V.U.C. 50 and 97, Petone 198 (Hollings 4 for 79, Mackay 3 for 28). Lost by an innings and 51 runs.

V. Wellington.—V.U.C. 249 (Hollings 117. McGavin 49), Wellington 268 (Hain 3 for 18, Hollings 4 for 91). Lost by 19 runs.

V. Midland.—V.U.C. 268 (Hollings 135, A. C. Tripe 67, Wilson 25. Midland 123 and 102 (Vietmeyer 5 for 50 and 3 for 31 Tripe, 3 for 31). Won by an innings and 43 runs.

V. Y.M.C.A.—V.U.C. 320 for 6 (declared), (Hollings 124, A. Tripe 58, Leys 50. Y.M.C.A. 137 and 8 for 169 (Vietmeyer 5 for 25, Hollings 5 for 52, Tripe 4 for 51). Won by 183 runs.

V. Thorndon.—V.U.C. 344 (Leys 89, Hollings 63, Osborne 41, Tripe 35). Thorndon 367 (Leys 3 for 45, Hollings 3 for 53). Lost by 23 runs.

V. Institute.—V.U.C. 160 and 4 for 123 (Osborne 69). Institute 346 (Mackay 4 for 72). Lost by 186 runs.

V. Hutt.—V.U.C. 165 (Hollings 50, Leys 45) and 8 for 68. Hutt 282 (Leys 3 for 22. Cormack 3 for 43). Lost by 117 runs.

V. Old Boys.—V.U.C. 182 (Leys 54. Hall 50) and 43 for 0 wickets. Old Boys 324 (A. Tripe 3 for 62). Lost by 142 runs.

V. Kilbirnie.—V.U.C. 236 (MacKenzie 60 not out, Osborne 63, Vietmeyer 33). Kilbirnie 297 (A. Tripe 4 for 71). Lost by 61 runs.

Synopis.—Played. 9; won, 2; lost, 7; championship points, 7.

Averages:

Batting.

	Innings.	Not outs.	Total runs.	Highest score.	Average.
Hollings	11	1	556	135	55.6
Osborne	8	1	226	69	32.2
Leys	12	—	315	89	26.2
Tripe, A. C.	12	1	286	67	26
MacKenzie	12	3	158	60 not out	17.5

Bowling.
Overs.	Maidens.	Runs.	Wickets.	Average.
Hollings	143	22	523	25	20.9
Tripe, A. C. 98	11	444	20	22.2
Mackay	82	13	351	13	27
Veitmeyer	90	8	438	16	27.4

Fielding.

• MacKenzie stumped 2 and caught 6.
• Hall caught 9 and Leys caught 6.