Cricket.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 98, 22 October 1898, Page 3 (Supplement)

Cricket.

[By Pavilion.] Glancing over last Saturday's senior matches in Auckland, I find four ex-Wel-lington Midlauders taking part in the Auckland Eleven v. North Shore contest — viz., P. Laws, J. Smith, F. Warren, and ' Tabby ' Wynyard. Laws notched 6of the 122 scored by his $ide. Warren was to the fore with fivo wickets for 32 runs, and Smith bagged a victim at a cost of 11 runs. North Shorohad compiled 46 for two wickets \vbeu stumps were drawn, Warren having 23 (not out) to his credit. ' Tabby's ' contribution was 9. Senior cricket was started in Dunedin on Saturday, but largo score's were out of the quest iou, owing to tho ground being dead and cricket slow. Carisbrook A registered 83 against Dunedin. Tho latter could not make headway against Fisher (five for 17) and Austin (four for 14), and were all dismissed for 34, of which number Clarke alone was responsible for 21. Albion stored 54 against Opoho, Webb (seven for 14) doing great execution amongst tho timbtvs of his opponents. Opoho scored Ist> for eight wickets. T. Downos got a remarkable averago for Grange agaiust Crtrisbrook B, his figures reidiug iivo wickets for 5. His brother Alick captured

four, at a coat of 15. The total of the Caisibrook first essay wat 32, and 48 for live wickets in tho second innings. Thauks to Smith's excellent bowling (eight for 42) Grange ware dismissed for 56 in their first innings. W. O. Whitridge, chairman of the Cricket Council (writes the Bulletin), is anxious to secure the managership of next Australian Eleven, but if thera is a compromise between the Council and tho M.O.C. Wardill will probably be a " deadbird." Whitridge, who only lost the position last time by a casting vote, is an old interprovinoial cricketer, and practically inaugurated district cricket in Adelaide. He is publisher of S. A. Register, and although 45 years old, is still an active player. • The -will of the late George Ulyett, the Yorkshire cricketer, has been proved at £1064. In the first matches of the campaign at Adelaide, the leadiug teams of last season, Torreus and North Adelaide, met in delightful weather and on a glorous pitch. Joe Darling and Jack Lyons commenced batting against the great express, E. J«nes. Jack Lyons was bowled by Mathews for 11, and Joe Darling was held by Jones off Mathewa for 6. Then Jones himself got into bowling twing, and did so much execution that he captured six wickets for 41, and all East Torrens went to grass for 125. Jones has been keeping himself iv splendid fettle throughout the winter by playing football, of which he is a first-class exponent. Playing for West Adelaide against West Torrens, George Giffen contributed a solitary single when his stumps were floored by a ball which came up very fast from the pitfch. The South Australian Association has donated £25 to the Trotfc testimonial fund. The friends in New Zealand of the popular Victorian skipper, and they are legion, will be sorry to hear tLat from latest advices he was mending very slowly. Those who were engaged at the Sydney Cricket Ground (writes ' Short Slip ' in the Sydney Mail) were reminded of the terrible fire then rag-ing close to Eveleigh railway station by burnt paper now and then dropping on the field of play ; it had been carried by the gale a distauce of probably a mile and a half. Clouds of smoke crossed the wickets at a right-angle. 4 Short Slip ' says it is singular that the two Nobles— M. A. and his brother E. G. —should have met wjth such remarkable success with the ball in a recent mutch, and from the fact that E. G. is a baseballer of a not indifferent class— as Australians go at the American national game — ifc is to be inferred that he has used his knowledge of the curving in pitching to develop that peculiarity in bowling which has made M. A. famous at both enda of the world, and which brought about the discomfiture of the Englishmen iv the recent tour on so many occasions. Even Noble will probably admit that with a breeze blowing along the wicket ifc is almost impossible to make the ball deviate from its true course after the manner of baseballers' chuckers, and that to curve at all there must be assistance from the wind. As bearing out this, it may be stated that in all the matches last year in which Noble played he was not as successful as when working up against a wind coming to him at an angle. Mr. W. H. Skitch, one of the promoters of the present Danediu Club, is retiring from the captaincy of the club, a position ho has held since its formation. Mr. T. S. Graham, President, presented Mr. Skitch with a handsomely framed photographic group of the committee of the club, and a gold watch suitably inscribed. In doing so he said that not only had Mr. Skitoh done everything he could personally for the club, but he had made liberal use of his purse. Some of the heartiest applause at Lord's one day lately was caused by a lady, who neatly fielded and threw in one of Maclaren's drives to the boundary. Such an event is believed to be without a precedent, and the professional who stood waiting for the ball looked almost paralysed with astonishment. At the last meeting of the committee of the Canterbury Association, Mr. Caygill took exception to what he termed the "•silly " practice of players scrambling for the ball at the close of a " rop. " match. The speaker pointed out that the player who got the ball was frequently one who had done little for his side, and he cited one case where a man had dropped four or five catches, but he held an easy one from the last man, and thus became possessed of the ball. He suggested that it should be given to the bowler who had done the best work during the match, and a motion to this effect was carried. C. W. Garrard, Wheatley, and W. Pearce, members of the Midland (Christchurch) Club, and representative players, have decided not to take part in matchea this seaso7i, ©wing to the decision of the Association to play all matches at Lancaster Park. Sims, -who scored 117 in the UnitedLancastor Park match at Christchurch last Saturday, has never previously accomplished the feat in senior cup matches, although he put up 103 not out for Canterbury against Wellington the season before last, and he has frequently reached three figures in minor matches. The Hon. Spencer G. Lyttelton, one of the famous brothers), who some years ago played for Eton College, Cambridge University, Worcestershire, and other prominent clubs, passed through Wellington on his way to Christchurch this week. Some twenty years ago he was a good batsman and a fair bowler. Apparently the funds of tho Hawkes Bay Association are not in a very flourishing condition, as it has intimated its inability to assist the New Zealand team for Australia. The Association has deferred consideration of the nomination of players from Hawkes Bay for selection to the team. Jack Worrall, the Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney Referee writes: — It is to be hoped that the ame is not far distant when a Victorian team will tour New Zealand. It ought to he one of tho grand aims of an Association to popularise the game by sending teams to every Australian colony. It might be managed in this way : after an Intercolonial matoh in Tasmania, the team could be sent to New Zealand. It is worth while considering. There are considerably more than 100 cricket clubs taking part in competitions of various grades in Sydney suburbs. Besides theso there are innumerable clubs who figure in no competition, merely playing one- day matches for the honour, glory, and pleasure of the thing. Keferee Clippings. — George Giffen has scored over 3000 runs in intercolonial cricket. He has made over 2000 against Victoria and over 1000 against Now South Waleß S. E. Gregory has never made a century iv big cricket against Australian bowling on the Sydney Ground. He has done so twice against English cowling, viz., 201 and 171, besides scoring 93 not out against Lord Sheffield's team captained by W. G. Grace Doanau and Iredule Have each scored three figures on the Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney grounds T. R. M'Kibbin has met with greater success on the perfect wickets of Australia against Australian batsmen than any other bowler within the last tev years Only three Australian bowlers have done the hat trick i" Australian big cricket— viz., Spofforth' O'ffen, and Turner. Tho last-named is tha onty one who has done it in intercolonial cricket.