CRICKET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 197, 2 June 1934, Page 2

CRICKET.

CAPTAIN OF TEST TEAM

SUTCLIFFE URGED. Writing in a London paper, J. B. Hobbs says that-if neither A. P. F. Chapman nor B. H. valentine is available to captain England in the cricket Tests this year England could not do better than have H. Sutcliffe as captain, despite the strong objection* to a professional captain. This suggestion indicates that Hobbs has no beliel that either R. E. S. Wyatt or C. T. Walters would be appointed, and also that he thinks the objection to a professional captain may be overcome. Hobbs himself captained England on one occasion. This was in the fourth Test (played at Manchester) against the Australian team of 1926, which was led by H. L. Collins. A. W. Carr was the appointed captain of England then, but he fell ill while the Australians’ first innings—the first innings of the match '■—was in progress, and had to retire from the game, Hobbs then carrying on the captaincy. With Carr out, only one amateur, G. T. S. Stevens, was left in the English side for that match, which was unfinished after it had been spoiled by rain, Australia having played one innings in it and England having five wickets down. The objection to having professional captains of England in cricket does not come only from some amateurs, but also from many professionals. ON FIELD ALL THROUGH MATCH One of the notable individual performances/ in the match between the Australian cricket team and the MjC.C. was that W. H, Ponsford was on the field for the whole of the game —he fielded through the M.C.C. first innings, batted first right through the Australians’ innings, and fielded again through the M.C.C.’s second innings. The most famous performance of this kind was that of W. G. Grace in May, 1895, when he was nearly 47 years of age. It was in a match between Gloucestershire and Kent, that he was on the field while every ball was howled. Grace scored 257 and 73 not out in that game.

SEVERAL VERY LARGE SCORES.

LONDON, May 31. Exceptionally high scores were made to-day in several first-class ciicket nintclics * Kent, in a match’against Essex, declared at 804 runs for four wickets, which is the highest total reached m a comity match in England since 1899. Ashdown made 333 and Ames -02 no Lancashire, against Glamorgan, declared at 514 for seven. Tyldesley scored 239.