NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

With a view of encouraging country cricket the Otago Cricket Association decided to send a team through the goldfields at Easter. The project has now unfortunately to be abandoned, owing to the inability of the association to raise a team. Seems as if even in Australia, where they are supposed to know better, the public stay away from cricket matches in largo numbers A recent electorate match in Adelaide drew 7s 3d worth !

A pupil of the Heretaunga School in the North Island had rather a remarkable success with the bat in the past season. N. H. Beatson by name, and just turned 18 years of age, his successive scores for the season were:— lo, 37, 139, 64, 106, 11, 0, 34, 68, 105 (not out), 103 (not out), and 112 (not out). His- last three innings, in none of which he was out, each, it will be seen, produced a, century. His average for the season was 87.6 runs per innings. He is a left handed batsman. The Heretaunga School also claims a good bowler, L. JMackersey, who took 71 wickets during the season at an average cost of 5.9 runs per wickci. Playing for North Shore against Eden the other day, Huesey, th& ex-Carisbrook cricketer, secured fix wickets at a cost of 47 runs, and compiled 31 not out with the bar. It would appear that Bedell-Sivright, captain of the British Kugby team which toured the colonies last year, is something of a cricketer as well as a footballer. Playing in an up-country match in New South Wales the other day, he scored 57

• runs and secured three wickets for nil. It was anticipated that the Otago Cricket ■ Association would lose between £40 and £50 over the match with the Australians played here last month, but donations have been received from various sources in the meantime which considerably reduces the loss, and it is just possible that when everything is balanoed up the association will come out square. Poidevin's appreciation of "Little Tich" : Some critics class the Australian team as a band of "has-beens." "Look at Syd Gregory," they say; "15 years since he first went Home." True ; but he was only 18 years of age then — in 1890. This season 19C5 should see him in the prime of life, active, energetic, and strong" in the knowledge of the useful points of the game. S-ee him at extra-cover ! Try and steal a short one there, and then tell me afterwards, as you reflect on the vicissitudes of the game from the easy depths of a pavilion chair, whether he has lost his dash. Keen, too ! yes ! Perhaps not so eager for personal success, but great cricketers will tell you what that keenness means in tho big fights —the test matches. Little Syd's skill with the willow has not- diminished in the leaet ; his form this searon has been even better than for years past. A. C. Maclaren is at present in India with his friend Ranjitsinhji, and it is not Quite pertain that he will return by the beginning of the cricket season. The Hon. F. S. Jackson has often declared lately that he is going to give up serious and laborious cricket. But that one or th© other will captain the England Eleven may almost be taken for granted. Interviewed in Sydney Chas. Banncrman was asked if he thought the New Zealand team against the Australians could have been improved upon. The ex-international said: "I do not think the New Zealand team comprised the strongest combination that could have been got together. In my opinion Lawrence, . Orchard, Kick c on, and K-en. Tucker should have been in the first test, though it is a very hard task for a single selector to get together a side representing New Zealai d. It is a lot different ' from picking an eleven for Australia. The home team, at the same time, did not play up to anyihing like their form. The bowlers, and amongst them may be prominently mentioned Callaway and Bennett, received only the smallest support. Asked as to the conditions and prospects of cricket in New Zealand, Mr Bannerman said that the want of a district system was badlyfelt. This system would create an increased public interest in the matches, would bring into ■existence more grounds than now exist, and raise the- standard of the game. At present in some places two or three matches were played on a field very little bigger than the Sydney Cricket Ground ; consequently the area of one contest over- , lapped part of another. A batsman would be shaping at a stroke when a long-leg or cover point at the next match would run across the wicket. Good cricket cannot be expected under such circumstances. Then, again, the district system, would afford "the , lade*Jn the colleges a chance of shoeing their capabilities. In Christchurch five or "six district clubs could easily be formed, and in two cr three years a marked improvement would be noticeable. The choice of captain of the English Team in the coming test matches lies between A. C Maclaren and the Hon. F. S. Jackson. j Needless to say, either of these two cricj keters will be pr-epared to play under the i captaincy of the other. ! By the removal of Quist, the captain of the Sydney District Club, to Western Australia, whither he has gone to take up his profession as an electrical engineer, New South Wales has lost a cricketer of the first class. j S. T. Callaway seemed very much put > out over the poor folding of the New Zea- | landers .in the last test match against the ' Australians. He said he had warned the field

that he- meant to nry for Duff in the- slips

early in the innings, and when that batsman j had scored 3 he put a ball into the slips. Ib actually hit the fieldsman on j the knees before h& knew anything about it. Good fieldsmen must be chosen if New

Zealand is to make a good fight against a visiting combination. The New Zealand team had practically to get the Australians out twice each innings they played. He was of opinion- that the talk about the weakness of the Australian bowling was fully justified, and the Australians themselves w-ere quite aware of it. At Peshawar in January last, G. H. S. Fowke made a score of 309 for the Gordon Highlanders against the Queen's Regiment. This is a record for India. The prevkras best 3aras 267.

The Warwickshire County Club lofit £659 on the year's working in 1904, tho Norte Club £144, and the Leicestershire County £266. Surrey, on the other hand, gained , £364.

The last round but one of tho pennant matches in Melbourne for the^geason finished on Saturday, April 1. The only undefeated clubs arc East Melbourne and Melbourne. East Melbourne, 455, beat North Melbourne, 190 and two for 135. Melbouurne, 326 (Trumble 133 not out), beat University, 213 and five for 103. South Melbourne, 172 and three for SO, beat St. Kilda, 159 and four for 102. Fitzroy, 207 and 171, beat Carlto.l, 156 and five for 99. H-awksburn, 176 and 222, beat Richmond, 46 and 115.

A match between the Waikouaiti and Seacliff Cricket Clubs took place on the latter' s ground last Wednesday, and created a good deal of interest, as both teams have had a creditable record this season, and the winner practically decided the premiership for matches played under the auspices of the recently-formed Counties Association. The bowling and fielding on both sides was of a high order, and the scoring was consequently very low. Seacliff totalled 44 and 60 (Nicol 22, Annan 35, and Dr Brett 10, being the only ones to reach double figures). Waikouaiti netted 73 and 89 for live wickets (Beal 22 and 24, Malloch 10 and 12, John Bradley 10 and 10, and James Bradley 17, showing good form with the bat). The game ended in rather an easy win for Waikouaiti by five wickets and 5D runs. Sneeston, Annan, Carson, and James Bradley bowled well for their respective sides. The visitors speak highly of the kind treatment of the Seacliff club, and the match was played with the customary good-fellowship which exists between the two club»