CRICKET.

The annual meeting of the Auckland Cricket Association takes place on September 28.

The Domain Cricket Ground will, weather permitting, be ready for practice on Saturday, 22nd inst. , The first annual meeting of the Herald Cricket Club was held last week, when the officers for the preceding year were re-elected. Several new members were elected, and it was decided to form two teams for the coming season. It was also decided to open the season with a social and dance on September 21. The club, which was started last season, and played in the Cricket La-ague competitions, is in a very sound position, and renewed interest is being taken in it by both old and new members. At a meeting of delegates of the Auckland Cricket Association held on Thursday it was decided (conditionally) to agree with tho following recommendations made to the Cricket Council by Otago, and approved by them, "That the New Zealand Cricket Council, in conjunction with the four leading associations of the colony (Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin), should undertake the financing of the tour of the English cricketers." These associations, it. was suggested, should guarantee up to £500 each, while the smaller associations should contribute up to £100. Tho proceeds of all matches played in New Zealand would be pooled, and in the event of a profit being derived it would be divided amongst the contributing bodies in proportion to the amounts subscribed. This step was taken by the delegates really as a recommendation to the Management Committee, to-be enforced if that committee were able io raise the reiuired sum. Thee seemed to be a feeling that there would be no difficulty in arranging for guarantors. There is some foundation for this opinion, lor there are a largo number of lending citizen* desirous of helping cricket in Auckland to the higher standard it is aiming at. Nevertheless it. is desirable to u-e discretion in availing ourselves of the generosity of these citizens, and we should not do so tinless in a case of absolute necessity. The way in which tho arrangements have been made for the visit of the English team shows vis clearly the necessity for having good live representatives on the New Zealand Cricket. Council. 1 am not casting any reflection on our delegates to the council, but would suggest that it would have been wise to have warned the local associations before the matter was settled. 1 think that the council itself has learnt a lesson, and will in future, when large guarantees are involved, test the feeling of the associations direct.

The association . delegates were strongly opposed to paying the expenses of an umpire and man servant for the English team. The protest, was certainly justified. Captain Wynyard has been appointed captain of (lie English team for New Zealand. The postponed meeting of the City District Cricket Club will take place on Monday, the 17th.

The Grafton District Cricket Club will hold their annual meeting on Monday night. Kent, has won the county champion-hip, while Yorkshire. Surrey. Lancashire, Notts. Warwick, and Essex follow in the order named. Last season Yorkshire was the champion county. GROUNDS AND COACHES. 1 have received from a correspondent the following:— "There is very little room to doubt that, the great disadvantages from which Auckland cricket has suffered in the past are gradually being removed. Not many years ago there was but one recognised cricket ground available for Auckland cricketers, viz., tho Auckland Domain Cricket Ground, and even that was to*) often required for other purposes. Lifter on tho North Shore Domain became available, aim under the care of Mr. George Mills became famous for its tine wickets. Simultaneously with the institution of district cricket i,a ground was secured by (lie Eden District Criciket Club, close to the Kingslamlllailuiiv Station, and the present terminus of tie Kingsland section of tho electric tramways, and which, though very rough when first taken up, is fast becoming suitable for.any class of cricket. The latest addition ,to Auckland cricket grounds is Victoria Par*:, at Freeman's Bay, which is expected to be available during season 1906-7, and which should prove to be a great boon to cricketers, especially for practice purposes. "Greater attention is being paid to the quality of both practice and match wickets, suitable soil being obtained from even as far as Bulli, near Sydney, and the caretakers ot all the four grounds mentioned can be depended upon to vie with each other in producing good wickets. With more grounds and better wiekqls will naturally follow more players and better cricket, but like most other things tricot has to be well learnt to be well done., "This fact necessitates tho obtaining of competent teachers, a fact realised by the Grafton District Cricket Club, when,' "two years ago, they arranged for the services cf Mr. Sam. P. Jones, the one-time famous Australian Eleven batsman. La-si. season Mi. Jones was engaged by the Auckland Cricket Association, and if anyone with the knowledge of the game wishes to know whether Jones' 'coaching' is producing good remits lie need only watch the pupils at practice or in a match. The play of some of the young. sters was a revelation to many who saw them for the first time last season. Jones was last season assisted in his good woilk by Sands, a player recently from England. '" With a view to still further providing for the 'coaching' of Auckland cricketers, and also in order to give the Auckland public opportunities of seeing one of England's best all-round professional cricketers playing regularly with and against our local plavers, iho Eden District. Cricket Club has, with the kind assistance of Lord Hawke, president of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, engaged Albert E. Roll', the well-known international and Sussex County cricketer, for season 1905-7. Relf is expected to arrive in Auckland about the middle of October. " He first came prominently before the cricikcting world when selcctedas a member of the All England team sent out under the auspices of tho Marylebone Cricket Club, in 1903 to Australia -to bring back 'those ashes.' Rolf was included more as a bowler than as a batsman. He is a right hand medium fast bowler with an of, break and swerve from the on, and is particularly deadly on fast wickets. He only played'in two of the five 'tests,' coming out second to R. E. Foster in tho batting with an average of 44, his one wicket costing him 79 runs." " Upon his return to England Rolf showed a marked advance iu his play, having a batting average of 28.34 for '32 innings for Sussex, and taking '85 wickets at an average cost of 23.37. His best innings-was 101 nor out, against Lancashire, his partnership with Prince Rangitsinhji producing 213 runs, made by really grand cricket. He also scored 154 for London County v. Warwickshire. Altogether in first-class cricket in 1904 Rolf made 1214 runs and took 102 wickets. Season 1905 showed a. still further advance, his 41 innings for Sussex producing 1251 runs for an average of 32.92. including an admirable innings of 120 (17 fours) v. Gloucestershire, while. he obtained 98 wickets at a cost of 23.96 each. Altogether in firstclass cricket, in 1905 ho took 111 wickets and made 1386 runs. "During the present season Relf, who is in his prime as a cricketer, being'only 32 years old, appears to be doing very well. By advices by last mail he heads the' Sussex howling averages and is second in the batting. Amongst his scores during July he made 189 not out v. Hampshire, and in the same match ho took four wickets in each innings. "It is owing to the Eden District Cricket Club having a private ground that it ha-, boon possible to arrange for the engagement of Rolf, and it is hoped that all who have the welfare of Auckland cricket at heart will support the club in its plucky endeavour to raise the standard of Auckland cricket by patronising the matches in whic'i Relf takes part, and contributing either to the club's or the association's ' coachin»' fund. a "Both the club and the association would be glad also to receive applications from parents who wish then sons to be -coached' as well as from players themselves. Such applications should state upon which of the four cricket grounds the applicant desire* the 'coaching' to take place. "It is believed that Rolf's presence in the Auckland representative team will bo a considerable attraction to lovers of the game and will tend materially to assist our players to produce . their best form when opposed to visiting English and Australian teams. 'That there is a strong desire on the part of many of the leading citizens that Auckland may take a higher position in the cricket world is evinced by the liberal and ready manner in which they have assisted the movement to obtain good coaching bv first-class cricketers." " " My correspondent has rightly suggested that the Eden Cricket Club deserve' heart support in their progressive policy. Rp'.f is certainly a good all-round cricketer. The fact that ho has represented England is sufficient evidence of his ability, but since then and during the last season he has ! according to English files, made consider- ! able improvement. He should assist in raising tho standard of local cricket besides being a decided attraction to the public here, is no doubt that any benefit that will ho derived by tho importation of Relf will be general, which makes the move by the go-ahead Eden Club a laudable one and worthy of the support of all cricket wellwishers.