CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

The Managing Committee of the association met last evening to fix up things generally for the season, which at the time of writing is likely to start next Saturday.

Some cricketers braved the rain on Saturday and had a little practice, and general practice has been indulged in during the week. The ground is rapidly getting into good condition for play.

Mr A. E. Whi taker has resigned the position of president of the association. Mr Fred Earl has been elected in his place.

The Sydney University Club have been admitted to first grade" cricket.

Opinions seem to differ as regards the strength of the Australian team compared with its predecessors. W. L. Murdoch, the famous Australian skipper, says the present combination is "the best team that has ever come to England from Australia."

In connection with the tour of the Australian team in England, a great many statistics have been published, but the performance of Saunders with the bat has apparently escaped the attention of all. Not that it is very brilliant, but it certainly merits a little attention, at any rate. Saunders on 34 occasions went to the wickets, but never did he succeed in reaching double figures. Three times he reached 9, and on two of these he was not out, but the extra mm was never forthcoming. To go through a whole tour without making one score of double figures is certainly unique. London "Punch" on the fourth test match: —

Hard luck to lose the toss at first, And after they had done their worst, Hard luck, once more, to have to bas Unon a pitch as bad as that; And then to spoil our chance Again, Hard luck, indeed, that it should rain; Hard iaels the catches that we dropped, Hard luck the boundary hits they stopped, And luck as hard as well could he, That we should lose at last by three; While —hardest luck of all—the test Proved the Australian team the best. The Australian Eleven opened their South African programme at Johannesburg to-day, the opposing side being South Africa.

Trumper is the nearest approach to "W.G." in the days of his youth. Need we say more?-—"The Athletic News."

Marsh and Mcßet-h have started the season well. On Saturday week I Zingari batsmen were in hopeless difficulty against the Sydney bowlers on a tricky wicket at Busheutters Bay. Marsh whipped back fast from the off, Mcßeth turned them from the leg, and their length being good, the batsmen looked most unhappy. They got 20, and were rather slowin the operation—Mcßeth five for 6, Marsh four for 5. In the match between Surrey and Kent recently the former was dismissed in the second innings for 59. One wicket was down for 55, and the remaining wickets only added four runs to the score. Blythe secured five wickets for 32 runs, and Mason five for 25. Rhodes, since his entry into firstclass cricket in IS9B, lias -ta__e_i 101S wickets at an average of 14.73 runs. This is one of the finest performances in cricket. Tom Richardson, it is true, took 1005 wickets between 15.4 and 1897 inclusive, but that is the only instance in which the feat of Bhodes has been surpassed. A Trumper of the future. In a match 'tween North Circle Park and Laohlan Mine Clubs at Forbes (N.S.W.), the other day, young W. Dunne (aged 10) made 141 .f 147 for three wickets (innings closed), and retired exhausted. Australian upcounry cricket is keeping up its reputation for marvellous performances.

A flash of bygone cricket days was witnessed recently in England when "old man" W. G. Grace and "demon" P. R. Spofforth opposed each other for London County and Hampshire respectively, and Spofforth had the satisfaction of clean bowling Grace after he had notched 21 runs. In the Kent match Duff was out by a novel method, namely, "kicked out." His partner called for a run, and Huish, the Kent wicket-keeper, trying to save time, kicked the ball at the nearest wicket; the ball missed ihe stumps, but, being vigorously propelled, proceeded down to the bowler's wicket, which it reached and disturbed before Duff could gain the crease!

English papers report that, owing to some difference with the Sussex County Committee, Ranjitsinhji may not play again for the county. A. P. Lucas, the Essex captain, shares with W. G. Grace and Shrewsbury the honour of being one of the only three still taking part in firstclass cricket who played in the first England v. Australia match in England. He still shows fine form, and the other day notched a century against Derbyshire for Essex. A correspondent from Ayr sends the "Athletic News" an account of a curious little incident. The opponents of the Ayr C.C. declared, leaving the Ayr men seventy minutes in which to get 155 runs. The latter gallantly went for the runs, So the field was set deep to save "fourers," though singles naturally accrued in consequence. But one of the batsmen scored the shortest run On record, for he played the ball into the block hole, whence it bounced back to the wicket, but not hard enough to disturb the bails. The non-striker called "Run!" and a run was made with the ball actually touching the stumps, never having gone beyond either of the two creases. On the occasion alluded to the wicket keeper was, of course, standing back. A few of the doings of some of the team that Lord Hawke is bringing out:—-Playing for the Gentlemen of Kent against Hythe, on August 13, C.J. Burnup put together 102 in the former's second total of 429. B. J. T. Bosanquet made 93 in the same

match. F. L. Fane was principal rungetter for Essex against Notts in the county match concluded on August 9. Fane contributed 53 in faultless style. B. J. T. Bosanquet was in evidence in the Middlesex-Notts match on August 15. The Middlesex cricketer toolseven Notts second innings wickets foT 57, and put on 27 with the bat in his side' 3 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 runs; average, 13.76. C. J. Burnup got within one of the century in the county match Kent v. Somerset, concluded on Aug. 16. Burmup batted for two hours and forty minutes for his runs. His display was a fine one in every way. Burmup followed this up two days later by a still better performance, when he amassed 104 in Kent's first venture against Worcestershire. Batting for two and three-quarter hours, Burnup did not give a single chance, his chief strokes comprised sixteen 4's. E. M. Dowson, whom Lord Hawke is bringing out, had compiled 106 runs for Surrey against Worcestershire in the former county's total of 360. Dowson had also taken 71 wicketa at a cost of 23.66. All of which will doubtless be very cheerful reading to New Zealand bowlers.

The services which Lord Hawke has rendered to Yorkshire cricket are thus referred to in the "Athletic News":—"We have been careful to do this so as to draw attention to the protracted and persevering labours of Lord Hawke, the uncrowned king of cricket. On leaving Eton his .ord-hip was entered at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and while a student there he was asked to play for Yorkshire in 1881. In 1882 he was awarded his 'Varsity blue, and in 1883 he was appointed the captain of Yorkshire in succession to Tom Eramett. But Lord Hawke was not the man to step in and lead on a readymade team and acquire kudos without striving for it. The energy, the enterprise, the patience, the personality and the tact of lord Hawke have combined to make Yorkshire the, power the county is to-day. Those flippant arm-chair critics who are so fond of saying with cheap cynicism that anyone could captain Yorkshire apparently forget that this cricketloving peer has constructed the team. He is the master builder. Thero were great cricketers in Yorkshire before the Hon. Martin B. Hawke assumed responsibility, but the county seldom benefited by their assistance as they ought to have done until his lordship began to exert his masterful influence. Holding that an amateur should always be the captain of a county team, he has put it on record that a captain is responsible to his committee and to the public for the "morale" of his men. When the players have a rare personal example, and know that his lordship is he who must be obeyed there is a discipline which conduces to life and "esprit de corps." There have been moral forces at work for the advancement of Yorkshire, and these have supplemented the remarkable skill of her players. It is monotonous, we repeat, for one county to monopolise the bonon-rs, but a-fter all they deserve them, and we fail to see why Lord Hawke should not be heartily congratulated. Still it would do the game a power of good if some other county were to come to the fore."