Knock-out Competition Semi-finals Provide Interesting Cricket.
Police Defence Falls Before Colt's Onslaught anticipated the Stragglers and Colts won their semi-finals against the Tyros and Police yesterday afternoon in the Knock-Out Competition and as a result enter the final round. The Police defence failed miserably in the face of good bowling by P. Madar and S. E. Shroff of the Colts, and the whole.side could only knock up a total of 65 runs.
The Colts lost five wickets before they passed this total, but there was little doubt as to who would win after the third wicket stand.
-In one of the most exciting finishes seen in any important local cricket match this year, the Stragglers just managed to beat the Tyros by two wickets after bowling the opposing team out for only 86.
With seven wickets down for 51 runs, the Stragglers must thank Sluis not only for keeping his end up with Sinclair, but assisting materially in knocking off the necessary 26 runs to win.
Hart-Baker and Mehta opened for the Tyros and before the pair had settled down, the latter was woy taken by Sinclair in the slips off Duckitt for 0, Divecha joined Hart-Baker but the former lost his wicket in almost an identical manner Mehta, Read making no mistake in the slips. Duckitt again placed the majority of his field on the loft. Bowling fairly fast and making the ball kick off the pitch with a slight break, he was evidently playing for slip catches. Hart-Baker was next to go, being well taken behind the wicket by Lawrence. The score at this stage was three wickets down for 4 runs!
This unsatisfactory state of affairs went from bad to worse. Duckitt claimed his fourth wicket when he got Wilson caught by third man, While Kermani was run out just previously. In attempting a second run, Kermani backing up called two, but Wilson hesitated and Hutchison's excellent throw-in dismissed Kermani. Five wickets down for eight runs! Duckitt's analysis at this time shewed four wickets for one run a piece. White and Shroff then became associated in a stand that saved a complete collapse. Both batsmen hit out at anything. It was the correct game io play and Duckitt, undoubtedly tired, entirely lost his length bowling a number of full tosses which were promptly hit for fours.
White was particularly aggressive, hitting some amazing fours off fairly good length bowling. The pair took the score to 63 thus adding 55 runs to the total before Shroff was well caught at deep square leg off Booth, by Hutchison, White was then clean bowled by Goodwin with a ball that never rose off the pitch and the innings was thought to be virtually over. Goodwin soon dismissed the remaining batsmen and the Tyros were all out for 86 in a little over 19 only 2 runs, Boddy and Barton carried the score to 25 before Boddy going out to one from Madar, was smartly stumped by Leriou. This marked the beginning of a general collapse by the Police. With P. Madar and S. F. Shroff bowling well, the former being most effective 25 a result of varied pace and spin, the Police could do no better than knock up a total of 65 runs. Peas-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.