CRICKET.

NOTES BY LOKG SLIP. It seems no time since the close of th« " 1901-02 cricket season, and here we arc t (gain, ■ww^j"g' preparation* for the king * of~ summer pastimes for 1902-03. Evidences "6f the near approach of cricket are on all ' sides, and the season promises to be a busy and interesting one, and has special ' significance by virtue of the visit of Lord Hawke's Engl»h team to the colonies. And ii'aa 'not that selfsame Lord Hawke got a xtowerful side together? Certainly a much Jbetter team than the most sanguine of us hoped, and much superior to the 1 team oriinnally cabled out. T. L. Taylor, C. J. Burnup, P. F. garner, P. L. Pane, B. J. 3\ Bosanquet, E. M. Doweon, and Lord to take the first seven as they figure nn the averages compiled up to and including August 16, are in the first flight of batsteen in the Old Country. Hargreave and E. M. Dowsot fend a plaoe dn tlie bowling averages, the form*- being sixth from the top, having taken 100 wickets at a, cost of 1516 rune, giving an average of 15.16. Bosanquet, too, besides being a batsman of the front rank, is a fine bowler. An English •writer says of him: — When he was at Oxford Bosanquet was a fast bowler of more than ordinary promise, but he has altered bis former style, and now bowls leg-breaks .which break from Hhe off, and off-breaks .■which break from leg. Until quit* recently OBosanquet's length was, to say the least of it, uncertain, t>ut he i« a cricketer who is oiot .easily put off -when be has made up ' his mind to do a thing, and by dint of constant practice he has acquired a very fair length. There are grei-i-, very great possibilities in Bosanquefs bowling, and so experienced a batsman as William Gunn has declared that he cannot for the life of him tell which way the ball will break when it leaves Bosanquet's hand. It was really ■ quite amusing and not a little interesting to the close observer of the game to see the feeble efforts the Notts men made to play this kind of bowling. The characteristics of Bcsanquet's bowling may bo summed up as follows : When you expect a leg-break you receive in off-break, and when you ex(mo* ta» bail fe \m**k from the og it

breaks from! leg, while every now and again one will come along perfectly straight. To return to local cricket. Carisbrook look hopefully to the* coming season, and notwithstanding 1 the departure of several of their last year's senior players, expect to put one strong eleven in the field. The loss of suoh players as Burt, Broad, Monk, Harkoess, Ouff, and Tapley by their departure from the city, is bound to be severely felt by the Carisbrook Club, bat the gaps in the A team will be filled 1 by men from, bhe B, and the B's ranks in turn wiH be recruited ¥ from the juniors. The only player of note who has thrown in his lot with Cariabrook this season is J. Hussey, who represented Hawke's Bay last year. However, a number of new members have joined, and it is intended to place four elevens in the field — A and B tetuns, a Junior Cup eleven, and. a third grade. The club will hold a practice on Saturday. , Opoho will be no better nor worse than last year. As far as I can gather, the same players will constitute the senior eleven as represented the club during the 1901-02 season. They have, however, several promising juniors in the Opoho and if these oome on to any appreciable extent, they will give one or two present seniors a go for their places. Turnbull, I hear, is hot likely to be found in the ranks of the hill club this season. Last Saturday the j members had a. strike for an hour or two. j They are looking forward to a good day on Saturday afternoon next, when the "First Eleven play the Hest of the Club. " The North-East Valley Band hie consented to play selections during the afternoon.The Albion Club were v tbe first, to show signs of activity having an. addition made to the pavilion and the wickets prepared for the coming sexson.. This club has a promlsuig future. At the end of last season they^ showed remarkably good form, much better than that of many years previously, and were beginning to take themselves seriously | ously when the Cup matches concluded It j is to be hoped they t<ake themselves up { when they left off last season. All che i ! old members with the exception »f Geddes. i who has taken ove? the Port Chalmers j Eleven, are rejoining, and several new ones have promised tc play. Among t«e latter ' is Hales, the South Australian cicketer, ' i wio w«s twelfth man in. the team which j ! claims Clem Hill. A good practice by this • club is looked for on Saturday. ! The Grange Club have taken a new lease I of life, and under the captai-icy it Billy j ! barker, who ie taking up the game again for bia old club's sake, a sucoeisefui season is anticipated. Several retired members have signified their intention of rejoining, besides those who were oonnected with, the club ■last year. Baker, Joiuistoc, Downes, \ Parker, and 00. skctrld? keep tim t>!ub together, which I hope to ccc "well to the • front in ithe Cup matches. i The Dunedin Cricket Club open their season uext" Saturday with net practice. tb is the intention of the club to provide afternoon tea for flic playerß and lady fcaends during the season. A' start in this direction will be made on -Sa/tuMhy, When j ■ * large 'number .of .supporters of tUg dub are excected to put in an .appearance? A few .enthusiasts of tho JJnnedin CKib, including" 3. Croxford, W. Stitch, C #rKh, * and A. Hume, had a practice last Batarday ] afternoon on. » Wicked of Iftr Bkjtco's own ] construction near .Manor place. ; I cannot pose as a "eriok:et«r in many , .climes" (says W. J. Ford in latest Athle-tie News], referring to Lord Ha.wfcei's visit -to New Zealand), though it has been my fate to play a certain amount of cricket — three seasons that is — in New Zealand, where we got plenty of fun out of the noble game, so much fun tha* one is sorry to hear that there is a possibility of Lord Hawke's trip falling through. Am English team would have had a warm welcome, out there, would I%ave seen some splendid eceneiy, have had some very decent cricket of the second class in the big cities, and some rough but amusing cricket if they had gone up country. I was located in N-elson, j where the cricket and the grounds were primitive, to say wie least of it, but had opportunities of playing at Auckland, Dunedin, Cliristchurch, and "Wellington, where the grounds are good and the cricket good, but only at Welling! on did I play MJ 'a mateh — each time when the province of Nelso - n was beaten, once narrowly, but once by a big majority, and 1 that too when we had a good side and fully expected to win. However, we got 'a most outrageous licking, and our friends — save the mark! — made thoughtful arrangements that the local hearse should meet us on our return ! I Luckily our boat was delayed, and we ari rived on a Sunday mowiing, so that the j hearse man declined to turn out. [Lord | team., as cricketers know, is coming to New Zealand. — Loxg Sup.] Playing for Middlesex against Gloucester, Albere Trott was in great form with the ball. In the course of eight overs he j bagged, seven wickets. He bowled with - all his old-time brilliancy, batsman after I batsman being in a hopeless tangle, and | none played him with confidence. i In the Sussex-Somerset match on August | 7, 8, and 9, English cricketer Braund com- ! piled his 1000 runs aud captured his 100 th j wicket for the 6eason. Playing for the Gentlemen of Kent against | Hythe, on August 13, C. J. Burnup, a memj ber of Lord Hawke's team for New Zea- ! land, put together 102 in the former's second | total of 429. Another member of Lord | Hawke'a team, B. J. T. Bosanquet, made I 93 in the same match. | F. L. Fane, another member of Lord Hawke'e team for New Zealand, was principal rungetter for Essex against Notts in the county match concluded on August |9. Fane contributed 53 in faultless style. Hie best figures being seven 4's, three 3's, and three 2's. B. J. T. Bosanquet, one of Lord Hawke's [ selection for New Zealand tour, was in evij dence in the Middlesex-Notts match on | August 15. The Middlesex cricketer took I seven Notts second innings wickets for 57, aud put on 27 with the bat in his side's innings. Hargreave, the professional bowler with Lord Hawke's team, was third in the bowling averages at the end of August 9, having taken 99 wickets at a cost of 1363 rtm-s : average 13.76. Hais?h war leading, 108 j wickets costing 1313 runs, tnerage 12.15; | Rhodes was second with 149 wickets, 2033 runs, • average 13.64. C J. Burnup, who is coming to New Zealand with Lord Hawke's team, got within one of the century in the county match Kent v. Somerset, concluded on August 16. ' Burnup batted for two hours and 40 minutes i for his runs. His display was a fine one in I every way. Burnup followed this up two clays later by a still better performance i mhAn hq amfuvifid. A9^ in Kent's, frmi, yeulurfi 1

against Worcestershire. Batting for 2% hours, Burnup did not give a single chance, 'his chief strokes comprised; 16 4's. Commenting on this, a writer in London Sportsman says: — C. J. Burnup had an un- , lucky experience last week at Taunton. He was not out 99 at the drawing" of stumps on Friday evening, but the first ball sent down on Saturday morning clean bowled him. Ninety-nine runs are every bit as good as a hundred runs, but it was hard luck to get so near, and then fail to reach three figures, i But Burnup is nothing if not consistent, and ' he followed up his fine score at Taunton by a remarkably good innings of 104 against Worcestershire at Tonbridge. There Sre not- a few of us who think that Burnup might, with advantage to our prospects of success, have been given a. plaoe in one of the test matches, for, on his form for Kent ' during the last six or seven years, there are few safer batsmen in England. Burnup is, above all, «. great waicher of the ball, and is almost invariably successful on slow, difficult wickets. As a fieldsman, either in the country or at third man, Burnup has no superior, and three years ago he obtained a remarkable bowling analysis against the , Australians at Canterbury. Curiously enough, Burnup has never played for the Gentlemen at Lord's, though he has made a oentury in this match at the Oval, and his non-inclusion in the Lord's game this season gave rise to a good deal of comment at the time. Robson, the Somerset professional, accomplished he "hat trick" against Yorkshire on August 20, dismissing- ~E. Smith, Haigi, , and Rhodes in- successive balk. ' | Dr W. G. Grace received a- request to take a team of English cricketers to tits United States at the end of the season, but had to deoKne the invitation. j When the mail left. E. M. Dowson, whom Lord Hawke is bring to N.Z-, had compiled 106 runs for Surrey againet Worcestershire in the former county's total of 360. In view of Lord Hawke's intended visit with an amateur team to New Zealand to, i play x, series of matches, the committee of the M.C.C. have invited him to visit Victoria, aud have placed .the club's ground at his disposal free of charge. Recognising ' the necessity of encouraging the abundant 1 talent displayed by a great many youiig J members, the oommittee instructed Major i Wardill to secure the services of a first-class ' coach in England, and it is understood That the Major haa been fuccefesful. j j P. F. Warner and B. T. T. 1 Bosanquet iigivred prominently in tli© Middle»ex-Gloucs«ter match concluded ' on August 9. Jn Middlesex innings P. F. Warner made 109 in two hours and 40 minutes. Apart from one or two faulty strokes, his inn-ings .was a fine one. He hit 13 fours, 7 threes, and 7 twos. B. J. T. Boe&nquefc compiled 32 in as many mmuies, j hitting freely all repaid the wicker. j itain interfered with *everaf county ] matches commenced on August 7 and follow- j days, with the result that they were j diawn. Worcestershire and Derbyshire j played bet-ween the skowers, the former ' I county putting up ' 463 for seven wickets, • I printajp&lly dv© to the batting of H. K. ] Foster 112, Bowley 122, and R. E. Foster ' 108. A E. Lawton <:aptured fottr V/orces- ! tewhire wickets for 59». Derbyshire :.id «ofc i I bat on account of the rain, aud ii*e gain© j j Was abandoned. ' . j I Alter lh» wretchedt ytea£b&r of August , I 7 and 8. the first tiro -day* cf the Somerseti Suwsex niateh, th© weather broke on 'th.c ] ■ibird day, aad' good 3>rcgreß6 was made- with j cricket, but the game- wa* -eventually drawn, Sussex made 148 and 118 for six wickets, EL ' P. Latham with 37 and 43, being principal . rungetter. Somerset replied with 258, de- 1 elaring their innings with eight wickets i down. Of this total Brcnnd made 89, 8. M. i JJ. Woods 68, and Lewis 30. Robeon was not ©vi with 21. 1 1 Chi-ef ieatur& of the Gloucestershire- i Middlesex match was the fine- bawling of Aaglo-Australian cricketer Albert Trott, who ba-gged seven Gloucestershire wickets at a cost of 36 runs. The match ended in an -easy victory for Middlesex by an in- ' nings and 57 xuns. In their first venture 'i Gloucester compiled 165, T. Fowler making 54, R. W. Rice 39, and G. L. Jessop 32. Middlesex replied with 328 and "declared their innings closed after eight wickets had fallen. P. F. Warner was top-notcher with 109, G. W. Bedlam 42, J. Douglas 35, Albert Trott 35, B. J. T. Bosanquet. 32. Gloucester in their second venture did even worse than the first, and, thanks to the bowling of Trott, were dismissed for 95, of which total Jessop made 25 and ~Rh-& 22. After a couple of days wasted, owing to the rain, it was only to be expected that the Warwickshire-Lancashire match would be drawn. Warwickshire declared their innings closed with throe wickets down for 142, of which Devey (58) and T. S. Fish wick were ! top scorers. Lancashire had two wickets j down for 148 when stumps were drawn. ; Tyldesley was not out with 70, and Sharp ! not out 68. Maolaren rested, in view of the fifth test. I Kent's victory over Surrey, by an innings ! and 191 runs, ooncludied on August 9, was ! the fourth reverse received by the latter county in the 21 matches played, the previous defeats b&iug iuflicted; by Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Hampshire. Kent put together 389, mainly duo to the batting of C. j H. B. Marcham 92, A. Hearne 73, C. J. Burnup 60, and J. R. Mason 45. Surrey collapsed at 139 (Hayes 48) in the first innings, and a complete rot set in in the second, which yielded only 59, Hayward (26) and Hayes (22) accounting ofr 48 of this total. BJythe (five for 32) sund Mapon (five for 25) were right on the spot in Surrey's second innings. Faue, Kortright, and Buckenham saved the game for Essex against Notts on August 9, by superb defensive batting, during which they played out time-, making a draw. Essex 76 and 197 : 'F. L.. Fane 3 and 53, O. J. Kortright 11 and 43, and Bxickenham 2 and 32. Notts 186: Iremotiger 69, W. Gunn 43, and Shrewsbury not out 37. J. Gunn bagged seven Essex first innings wickets for 38 runs. Notts accounted for Derbyshire in the county match concluded on August 12, by an innings and 89 runs. W. Gunn 101 and A. Shrewsbeury 108 were mainly instrumental in the victory, and were responsible for the bulk) of Xotts's 325 Derbyshire 152 and 84. Storer 49 and 5, L. G. Wright 36 and 17. Bestwick took fix Notts firet innkigs wickets for 82, and Wass five Derbyshire wickets for 64. Trott and Mead were mainly responsible for Leicestershire's email eeore against M.C.C. end Ground, the former taking 1 eleven wickets for 125 and the latter nine i for 46. Leicestershire 93 and 118. M.O.Q. I 395, of which total A. Hearne made 194, Thompson 68, Captain Blundell 45, and I Trott 40. j

wickets in the county match, ccexcluded on August 12. Yorkshire 79 and 134 for four wickets (Brown 10 and 52). Worcestershire 82 and 130. Haigh captured seven Worcestershire first innings srickets for 38 runs. I Lancashire gained a seven-wicket victory ore* Sussex on August 13, mainly due to the fine- bowling of Barnes and I'Anson, who took four for 39 and five for 45. Sussex 213 and 92: Tine 43 and 0, Killiek 3* and 2. Lancashire 208 and 101 for three wickets ; G. i Potter 86 and 18 not out, A. Eocles 39. 1 Deadly bowling by Rhodes, Hirst, and. Haigh was mainly responsible for Yorkshire's win over Gloucestershire on August 15 by an innings and 102 runs. Rhodes captured four Gloucester first innings wickets for 26, and six second innings wickets for . 36. Hirst three wickets for 22, and Haigh four for 32, and four for 10. Deadly bowling truly. Gloucester's first, total was 104 with Jeeeop top rungetter 42. The second attempt realised , only 55. Yorkshire in their only innings compiled 261 ; Hon. F. S. Jackson 41, Brown 34, Hirst 47, and Denton 41. la the first match against Gloucester, Yorkshire were successful by an in- . nings and 91 runs. j Worcestershire accounted for Hampshire in two days (August 14 and 15) by six wiokets. Hampshire- compiled 110 and 143 : Major Poore 10 and 39, E. 'M. Sprot 10 and 37 not out. Worcestershire replied with 210 and 54 for four wickets. Gaukrodger was principal rungetter with 76. next best was A. W. Isaacs 28. .^ Bird took six Hampshire first innings wickets for* 37, and six second , for 60. | Middlesex defeated Notts by nine' wickets in the mateii concluded on August 15. Notts collapsed in the second innings to the bowling of Bosanquet, who got seven of then ' i for 57 runs. Compiling 198 in the first vett- J ture, they were mowed down for 93 in tl»e ' seccod. Middlesex put together 257 : Rawlin 46, J, Douglas 41, and G. MacGregor • 39, and lost one wicket for 36. Sussex-Loicestershire match ended in a draw on Augiwtf 16. Sussex totalled 341, j out oJ which Killiek claimed 96, Itelf 61, Vine 52. Newham 43, and P. H. Latham 41. Leicestershire 147 and 247 for the loss of . seven wickets (Whitehcad 11 and 18, King i 27 and 50, Dr R. MacDonaM 33 and 48, Coe i 2 and 62 not out). ~ " j i Big scoring ..(561) in Dfrby&h ire's only in- , 1 mugs against Warwickshire gave them & vie- 1 tory by an innings and 250 runs. CA. j i (Xhriture plaj cd » magnificent innings of 1 167, and A. E. Lawton 126. Warwickshire amassed 219 and 92, T. S. Fishwick being '• top ecorcr with 39 and 14. Warren oap- ( tured* six Warwickshire second innings wickets for 33. Somerset gained a two-wicket victory over j i Kent in the county match, concluded on j ! August 16." Kent put together 66 in their | ! firsf, venture, aud Somerset 189, giving the j ! latter cousity a lead of 123. In their ! second innings Kent amassed 356, thanks to I a fme innings of 99 by C. J. Burnup, 80 1 by ft. H. "Day, 61 by A. Hearne. and 49 by I [R. N. R., Blakie. L. C. H. Palairet 80, f S. M. J. Woods- 40, and Robson 38 laid the foundation of Somerset's eecond innings, and ! the ccuniy .finished up with 234, and two wicket* in liand. In Kent's first innings ! Robson took Xonr wickets for 8 runs., Ma1 son six Somerset first innings wickets for ! 42, and fife second for 71. I Surrey settled Lancashire pn.'jSiugviet 16 by 291 ruas — a meritorious victory. Thanks I mainly to the batting of Holland 90, Ifocki wood 63, and A. Baker 38, Sxirrey brought tlicir ftrsfc' total "to 315. Lancashire could ■ only raise 100 agaiiiat the fine bowling of Lockwood (jjevem for 48) and Richardson (three for 43). Surrey's second venture realised 187, Lockwood being top scorer with 37. The deadly bowling of Lockwood a-r.d Richardson again settled Lancashire, who could only raise 111—291 behind. JLoekivood took cix wickets for 48 and Richardson four for 56 in Lancashire's second innings. The two-days' fixture London . CountyWiltshire in the defeat of Wilts by ten wickets. London County amassed 341 (of which total W. G. Grace claimed 127 and ex-Australian cricketer Poidevin 70) and 30 for no wickets. Wilts 228 (Snell 66) and 140 (A. W. Adwry 28). Rain feJl for three days at Lord's, and as a result the county match Middlesex-Lan-cashire, set down for August 18, 19, and 20, had to be abandoned without a single ball being bowled. Rain' prevented the continuation of the match Derbyshire and Surrey, commenced on Monday, August 18, and tbe game was abandoned with the -score of 208, made by Surrey (Abel 87 not out, Hayward 62, and Hayes 27). Kent defeated Worcestershire in the county match concluded on August 20 bynine wickets. Thanks to a splendidly compiled 104 by C. J. Burnup and 64 hy S. H. Day, Kent wore able to declare their first innings with 263 for eight wickets, and lost one wicket for 10 in the second. Worcestershire's scores were 98 and 173 (H. K. Foster 7 and 67, Wheldon 21 and 39). Blyrhe captured 11 Worcestershire wickets for 121 runs. After two blank days owing to rain, the Yorkshire-Somerset match was drawn. Yorkshire 129 and 63 foi one wicket (Brown 7 and 37, Tunnicliffe 33 and 0, Washington 11 and 19 not out, and Hirst 37), Somerset 104 (Braund 43, L. O. H. Pakiret 37). Rohson took four Yorkshire first innings wickets for ,10 runs. Cricket summarises the position with regard to Victor Trumper in the following trenchant paragraph: Various rumoura are afloat with regard to the future of Victor Trumper. They are ali founded on. most unimpeachable authority, and are as follows —(a) That Trumper has had two offers, each worth £350 a year, on condition that he will quabfy for a certain county ; (b) that h« intends to return to Australia, where his income is £150 a year, derived from an office under Government; (c) that he will play in 1904 for Surrey; (d) .that lie will qualify for Lancashire, for which he will play in 1904; (c) that he will qualify as & professional ; (f) that he will certainly remain an amateur; (g) that no offers whatever have been made to him. From Major Wardill, manager of the Australian team 'at present in England, a cablegram has been received by the New South Waleß Cricket Association. This message was read at a meeting of the association on September 15, and asked if a match could be arranged in Sydney for December 12 and following days, the Australian team to have half the gross takings. The executive committee had, it was stated, replied to the effect that the date was suitable, and, asking that an agent should be appointed, with whom terms could be arrangea. Some discussion followed as to whether the terms offered were suitable, and also as regards the team which would oppose the Australians, i Whether frft wfluM b| Itaati'tif Aa^^l^~^U

New South Wales. It was, however, generally agreed that the teajn should be Rest of Australia, and, furthermore, it was decided to accept the terms proposed by Major Wardill. After the match against a South, of Eng"land team at Hastings, some ill-natured accusations' were made against the Aitstra* Hans of wasting tune. On the last day (says a cable received from a London correspondent on September 13) it will be recollected that the match was drawn when the Englishmen only required 8-runs to win, and had still five wickets" to fall. Darling andl Trumble, in an interview with a representative of the London Sportsman, emphatically denied the accusations, and quoted tha number of overs bowled at Hastings and at Scarborough in refutation. According to the old-established custom, the present Australian team is not to be allowed to leave England without a number of rumours being circulated regarding the future- intentions, of the various members. On September 14 the London correspondent of an exchange cabled that Darling and Trumble had contradicted a statement that they intended to retire. They, however, stated that they do not intend to revisit England but will not abandon first-class cricket in Australia. Howell, Jones, and Gregory also declare they will still continue to play io. Australia. For a Welsh cricket match the takings air the "gate" during the two days that the Australians "v. Glamorgan and Wiltshire match took place, ainks easily as a record. The total for the two days reached £1120 15s. Of this amount the Australian share was £560 7s 6d. " I Why does the present Australian team i take such a lot of beating (asks Dr W. G. ■ Grace in Country Sporty? I think it is because they combine so well together, ami have in Trumper and Hill two of the best bats in the world. Th-eir bowling is good, but nothing libo so strong as some of Uie former teams who have visited us. The fielding and I wicket-keeping are also one of its sticagesc point 3. I heartily congratulate them on their victory, but must say 1 think they ['have been lucky to win the rubber in the i present tour. i The Rev. Walter Fellows, who died at : Tcorak parsonage (near Melbourne) a few ! weeks ago, was a famous cricketer in. his j day and generation. A fine batsman, and, above-average fast bowler, he played for Oxford v. Cambridge for four year's., i.©.', from 1854 to 1857 inclusive. He also played for the Gentlemen v. Players in 1856 and 1857, and for many years did doughty deeds for the Zingari dub. Mainly for reasons of heal tli, ho emigrated to Australia in 1863, j and was immediately appointed incumbenb of St. John's, Toorak— a large and importi ant suburb of Melbourne. This charg© v«« ! only resigned about a couple of years ago on account of ill-health. Mr F. C. Raphael has resigned the position of secretary to the Canterbury Cricket Association, as he has been appointed secretary of the ! Xew Zealand Criclwt Council. ' ( THE TEST MATCHES. A special correspondent of The Times deals with the unsatisfactory basis on whioh tli©' tost mutches are -conducted at present. He points out that "in Australia* the team. is ohosen with the greatest care Iff » small oommittee of the most experienced cricketers, and the- "whole tour in England is under the management of the Melbourne Club, whose paid secretary accompanies the cricketers and undertakes the btfeiticss details. In the same way, no English tour in Australia is "undertaken' except on the invitation of the Melbourne Club; but then, instead of arranging with the Marylebone Cricket Club, a sort of private bargain is made with somebody like Mr Maclaren, for instance, who invites anybody he may choose to take part in the tour, and always meets with some refusals." He proceeds: "The test matches between England and Australia are not only the great matches of th» age. but, as far as can be seen, they ar« permanent institutions. The time has come, therefore, when the Majrylebone Cricket Club and some representative body from Australia should- come to some agreement and make some conditions binding on the two countries; and one or two point« seem clear. In the first place, the nianageraeut, selection, and control of the English teams both here and in Australia ought to be in the hands of the Marylebone Club. Secondly, matches in both countries muso either be played to a finish or limited to three days; to have one system in one country and another in another is one-sided and absurd. My own opinion is that the system of playing matches to a finish is a thoroughly bad one ; if so many runs are scored that three days is not enough to finish- a match, the rules ought to be altered so as to bring about a reduction in the run- *' ' Lastly, both her&-*nd~in Australia there are too many of these periodical visits. The Marylebon© Club have 'in this country such a position and prestige that, .though they will not be able absolutely to select the best team possible to go to Australia, still they hay« a better chance of doing so than any individual can have. But, though on patrurtie grounds our leading amateurs may oe persuaded to go to Australia once m six years, they will not go oftener. It will be sufficient if alternate visits every three years are arranged ; the Australians are here in. 1902, the next tour ought to be m Australia in 1905," and in 1908 the Australians could come here, and' so on. "These criticisms and suggestions are made solely in the interests of the greatest matches of the greatest game of the worldv The test matches «ro too important to oe conducted on any conditions other than the fairest and best, and it »s the duty of the authoritiee in both countries to take steps to ensure that this is done." LORD HAWKE'S TEAM . LONDON, September 24. Lord Hawke's team for New Zealand consists of Lord Hawke (Yorkshire)^. F. Warner (Middlesex), C. J. Burnup (Kent), T. L. Taylor (Yorkshire), F. L. Fane (Essex), B. J. T. Bosanquet (Middlesex), Johnson (Cambridge), J. Stanning (Cambridge), E. M. Dowson (Surrey), A. E. Lea Sham (Gloucestershire), S. HargreaTes (Warwickshire), G. J. Thompson (Northampton), and an amateur wicketkeeper. The team sail by the Majeetio on October 12, via 'Frisco. They will probably play at Hobart as well as at Auckland, Taranaki, Wanganui, Napier, Wellington, C/hristohurch, Dunedin, and In-

Zealand team. They return via VanoouTer. The above team represents a distinctly strong combination. Messrs Taylor, Warner, Bunrap, Fane, Dbwson, Bosanquet, and Stanning, with Lord Hawke himself, are all fine batsmen. Taylor was included in the selection for the English team in one of the test matches in the past season, and he it regarded aa one of the very best batsmen in the Old Country on a difficult wicket, while Warner's claims to a place in an English team have been frequently urged by leading critics at Home. Hargreave and Thompson are the professional bowlers of the team, and Bosanquet and Dowson are also good bowlers. It is not clear how, coming via 'Frisco and returning, via Vancouver, a snatob at Hobart is practicable. An idea of the batting strength of the team Lord Hawke lias chosen for the tour of New Zealand in the ensuing season may be gathered from the averages in first-class taatches for the English season in the papers that have come to hand by the San Francisco mail. The Sportsman's averages, compiled to the loth of August, contain, in the batting list the names of the following

Jfigaree were compiled Burnup 6cored 104 fdt Kent against Worcestershire and Doweon made 105 (not out) for Surrey against Worcestershire. Scanning and Johnson, both Cambridge University men, had probably not played a "«ufficient number of innings for inclusion in the list, and Thompson, the professional bowler, being a member of a second-class county team (Northamptonshire), was not eligible for inclusion. The Northamptonshire programme was, however, concluded just- before the mail left, and for his county Thompson had a Catting average of 36 runs per innings and «. bowling average of 11.1 runs per wicket, exactly 100 wickets having been secured by bim in fche season. Hargreave, of Warwickshire, the other professional bowler in I/ord Hawke's team, was actually seventh in tne first-olasa bowling averages on August 16, below him being suoh men ac liockwood, the Heajnes, Hirst, Braund, Richardson, amd several others of the finest bowlera of the day. He had 100 wickets to hk credit at a cost of 1516 runs— average, 15.16 runs per wicket. It is worthy of note that every amateur in the team wbose name has been supplied to us has figured in University cricket in England, either at Cambridge or Oxford.

members of the team : — fli 11 li I T. lif Taylor ~ ..89 3 1406- 142* 39.02 C. J. Burnup .. .'.40 2 1376* 161 36.21 P. F. W«»er.. ..21 1 663 ' 139 33.1* ' F^'li. Pane" -. -.31 3 *84 106 31.57 3. J. T. Boaan<iuet 27 £ 686 103. 27.75 V3S3&. Dowson .. 33 3 874 72 24.97 , ' Esfggawke .... 27 4 511 126 22.21 ' to the date up to which these 3£