Club matches are apt to lose their interest after an Interport game, but thanks to two excellent games in the local championship, the interest was fairly well maintained and certainly above the average. This competition provided two splendid finishes in which the Police Cricket Club defeated the Shanghai Cricket Club, and the Wanderers by the narrowest of margins. To get 954 runs in the fourth innings requires some doing in any class of cricket, and the Police team is to be con-
607 gratulated on this performance, which must be very nearly a local record.
Once again it is sad to record the decadence of the one-time all-powerful Recreation Club. Deserted by their star batsman, H. B. Ollerdessen, they have had another sorry season. The melancholy picture of a brilliant batsman deserting cricket for baseball will bring tears to the eyes of all who have learnt to love the old game of our fathers, and the sad epactable of his entire loss of form at the wicket and has inability to field without a glove, must be seen to be believed.
Nevertheless, it must be admitted that the Recreation Club possesses undoubted talent in bowling and in the field, and the team hae played up and always worked hard. This is as it should be, Nothing would do Shanghai cricket more good than to seo the Recreation Club in its former position, and it is sincerely hoped that it will soon regain its prestige and be not down hearted.
The Police Cricket Club had its record season, winning the championship. The team showed all-round improvement, and Inspector Lynch bowled as well as in any of the last ten years, which is saying a good deal.
The second XI League once more proved a great suees. The B.A.T. XI is to be congratulated on comin, out on top, and a word of praise is duo to their captain for this satisfactory result, Individual Work, E, I. M. Barrett has been the most suoceseful bateman, although hardly playing so well as in 1913, By scoring 201 (not out) v. Recreation Club he had the satisfaction of creating © record in local Saturday cricket. Quayle has not sustained the promise shown in 1913, and A. E. Lanning has played little. A J. Hayward shows much improvement and should develop into a capital batsman. He wants to learn to hit a half volley and not rely so much on purely off side shots and late cuts. Stagg played some good innings, and is difficult to move. W. C. D, Turner, so well known in Hongkong, is a distinct acquisition and we hope he may remain with us. Of the bowlers, it is pleasant to note the return to regular cricket of V. H. Lanning. He has bowled splendidly throughout the season. We can ill afford to lose his example of energy, and his fielding, especially in the the, is a delight.
Quayle bowled well in the Interport match, but is losing pace owing to increasing weight. However, he has finger-spin and will get many wickets as a medium paced bowler.
The left hander, G. C. Wingrove, has improved wonderfully. If he will only spin the ball more and rely Jess on the in-swerve, he will do better against good batsmen. This remark applies also to R. A. Brand, who has had an off season. Bill-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.