CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 65, 16 March 1907, Page 12

CRICKET.

There will be no local cricket on Easter Saturday.

There were some surprises in store for cricketers on Saturday, and bowlers had all the best of the argument. In all 4(5 wickets fell in the senior grade for 523 runs, an average of a little over 11 apiece. North Shore, being a point behind Parnell for the championship, would have been well advised to put their opponents in first, so that use might have been made of Haddon to-day, this offering a better chance of a three point win. They ran up the moderate total of 172, much the best of the day, the only contributors who did much being Philson, Wallace and Howden. Philson played a more lively innings than usual, hitting pretty hard at times and defending well His score was the highest of the day. Prime poked about a iot in scoring 10, while Wallace played a very useful innings of 39. Magee bowled most successfully, taking four for 43, while BanBrown got three for 29. Both these bowlers had the batsmen in trouble. City lost two for 35 in the time remaining for play.

Grafton made a poor showing in the match against Parnell, the total only reaching 112. Kerr was fairly on the job, and bowled better than he has yet bowled this season, bagging six for 23, knocking the middle stump out in most instances.

Kallender and Forster, who opened, batted well for 2, 4, and IS respectively, and Mason showed fine form in compiling 36, being eventually bowled by a trimmer from Kerr with a leg break which turned about a foot and took the middle stump. After his departure Jones was the only man to show decent form, compiling ten before he had the bad luck to be run out. D. Clayton and C. Hay lost their wickets in the same way.

Parnell's fielding was slack, and had it been keener the score would have been smaller still. Barry was much below form, accounted for by the fact that he had a damaged finger.

If Grafton made a poor showing, Parnell did still worse, and six wickets fell for 25, a wretched showing. Not one batsman reached double figures. Apparently the side was playing for time, for a number of deliveries which should have been scored off were allowed to pass. Hay got three for 11, and Sloman two for S.

Ponsonby at last topped the century on Saturday, scoring 117 against Eden. Cummings scored 31 and Woods 14, but the next five batsmen were dismissed for 3 runs. Young, a promoted junior, who makes good use of his height and reach, scored 36 in good style before being bowled by Murdoch, and Gavin also played well for 15.

When Eden came in wickets fell very fast, the bowling of Cummings and Jackson being very destructive. Smith threw his wicket away for a duck, bitting outside an off ball and being clean bowled by Woods. Shepherd batted well for 21, but the only other batsman to reach double figures was Stemson, who got 10 not out.

For Eden Stemson trundled well, getting four for 39, while ~Smith got a couple for IS. Jackson, for Ponsonby, came out with an analysis of four for 21, while Cnmmings took three for S. Simpson-Hayward was unable to play in the second test match owing to a broken finger sustained m the first. Following is the record of the M.C.C. tour through the colony, commenced at Auckland on December 14, and finished on Monday last. The list shows 10 wins, four losses, and two draws, V. Auckland, drawn. V. Wanganui (15), won by an innings and 234 runs. V. Wellington, drawn. V. Canterbury, lost by 7 wickets. V. Otago, won by 232 runs. V. West Coast (18), won by 6 wickets. V. Nelson and Marlborough (17), drawn. V. Manawatu (13), won by an innings and 35 runs. V. Auckland, won by 2 wickets. V. Canterbury, won by 236 runs. V. Otago, won by an innings and 95 runs. V. Wellington, drawn. V. Wairarapa (15), won by an innings and 87 runs. V. Hawke's Bay, won by an innings and 80 runs. V. New Zealand (first test), won by 9

wickets. Y. New Zealand (second test), lost by

50 runs. The gate takings for the second test match totalled £349. The aggregate bowling averages for the second test match were as follows— New Zealanders. Runs per Runs. Wkts. Wkt. Upham ~: 135 7 19.3 Fisher ,« 86 9 9.0 Dowries „, 27 2 HLo Bennett ,- 36 1 36.0 Englishmen. Douglas - 124 12 JJB Branston ... to 4 • j*-' May • -- 59 2 29.5 Catches were made by the following: —New Zealanders—Downes 2, Mahony 2, Williams, Sale, Hemus, Tucker, and Fisher, 1 each. Englishmen —Branston 4, Douglas 2, Burns, Johnson, and Page 1 each. The top-scorer was A. Williams (of Wellington), the New Zealand captain, 72; the most successful bowler was A. H. Fisher (of Dunedin), nine wickets at an average of 9.5 runs per wicket. The finest hit was by C. C. Page, a six to the pavilion; and the finest single catch and the smartest fielding must be credited to E. V. Sale, of Auckland. For number of catches, G. 1. Branston, the Englishman, with four, stands unrivalled.

A pity it is that three test matches were not arranged, our visitors having left us with the honours easy, while a third match would very probably have decided the position one " way or the other. There can be no doubt that our cir-cket has improved since the visit of Warner's team, and if the. same progress continues. New Zealand will be able to make a creditable showing in the _a_e_efcJsW>ii4 sre long, ~_ .

Haddon, the Auckland skipper, during the course of a chat on his return from Wellington, spoke warmly of the treatment accorded the Auckland representatives by the cricket authorities in the South, everything being done to secure their comfort, so. that they had an enjoyable trip. Unfortunately, he could not speak so enthusiastically of either wicket. That in Christchurch was fair, but the one in Wellington was execrable. It was reported in Christehurch papers that Haddon was yorked in the second innings, while as a matter of fact he was bowled by a shooter, Mahoney falling a victim to a similar ball. This is pretty conclusive evidence that the wicket there was not so good as ii should be. The team was greatly strengthened for the second match by the conclusion of Upham and Fisher, both of whom bowled very well. Haddon paid a warm tribute to "the play of his fellow Aueklanders, saying that both batted very well, while Sale's fielding was perfect. The Parnell batsman's 66 in the second innings in Christchurch was a fine piece of work, some very fine strokes being included. Hemus played very attractive cricket in Wellington, his free wristy play being greatly admired. Of his own 72 Haddon had very little to say, but I gathered that he was out after the runs all the while, and got them, the pull stroke producing most of his runs. He broke Douglas' heart by pulling good length balls off the middle stump and banging them across the square leg boundary, while one extra fast .delivery from May pitched at his feet ou the leg stump was similarly despatched.

The Auckland skipper spoke highly of Mahoney's batting, and also admired* the work of Wiilianis, the wicket keejier, with the bat and behind the sticks.

Prior to leaving Wellington, the M.C.C. cricketers presented Mr. F. C. Raphael, secretary to the New Zealand Cricket Council, with a gold cigar cutter as a mark of their gratitude for his care for their comfort.

The Auckland members of the New Zealand team returned on Wednesday. They had an enjoyable time, and performed in a manner highly gratifying to Aueklanders. They speak in no measured terms of the quality of the wicket on the Basin Reserve. It was a regular paddock, said Haddon, and the outfield was as bad as tho wicket, it being impossible to judge how the ball would fly either off" the pitch or the ground. One ball which Haddon got while batting came straight at his head, and he says that had lie mis.cd it he would have got a nasty knock. As it was, lie turned it to leg. In the second innings, when lie made 71, the wicket was exceedingly difficult, not to say dangerous, when the fast bowlers were at work, but Hemu. and Haddon took the sting out of the attack, and the latter and Williams treated the spectators to a fine display of free hitting, knocking the bail to the ropes all round the wicket amid a scene of great enthusiasm. Haddon got a nasty knock on the hand, and had to retire in the second innings. The game was played in real sporting spirit, but the Englishmen were very much dissatisfied with the wicket—the worst in the world, one of them said.

The "Post," commenting on the match, says: On the first day, generally speaking, the fielding of both teams was good, with a marked keenness to keep down the runs, and it will be noticed that no extras got past Williams' gloves. The New Zealand batsmen displayed more nervousness than the bowling warranted, and they were too prone to hit the dangerously off-theory bowling of Douglas, a proneness that played right into Branston's clever hands. The wicket, which looked an excellent .bit of turf, played badly, particularly at the southern end, on which Douglas got in bis deadly work. There was an unusually large attendance of spectators for an opening day, and the crowd was impartial, giving hearty applause for, all good play.

On the second day the visitors fielded with keenness all the afternoon, and if there had been any slackness of worJt in this department, the score of the colonials would have been very much larger than it was. Harrison, Page, Burns, and Johnston were outstanding examples of run-saving fieldsmen; and Fox, who was behind the wickets, liad a hot time in stopping the express and erratic deliveries of his bowlers. But it was the batsmen who had the liveliest time, for they not only had to play the bowling, which was faster than anything we have in New Zealand, but they had to "play the wicket" also. Douglas's bowling was particularly bumpy and hurtful, and if he had not felt it necessary to maintain a =et partnership with Haddon, which was too useful to be severed, the New Zealand captain (Williams) would have followed the example of Tucker on the first day, by leaving the field, for he received a very severe blow. It was no uncommon thing on Saturday afternoon to see batsmen fling away the bat to nurse injured fingers, and those who went to the wickets scorning gloves were soon forced to seek padded protection for their hands. The special features of the day's play were the fine batting displays by Haddon, of Auckland (71), and Williams, of Wellington (69 not out), and serviceable help was rendered by Lawrence (Christchurch), young Hemus (Auckland), and Fisher (Dunedin). De Trafford changed his bowling frequently, and had varying luck with the changes. Douglas and Torrens did the bulk of the bowling, the former having the luck of a bad patch, and Torrens having no luck at all to help his average.

There was something in the nature of poetic justice in the dismissal of Page in the Englishmen's second innings, and Hemus felt grimly satisfied when he went out. Heinus dismissed him with a brilliant catch in the outfield, just such a one as Page had sent Hemus into the pavilion with in the previous innings. Hemus was very careful not to drop it.

The "Times" thus refers to Sale's brilliant catch on Monday:—"A few strokes later Bums sent a hot drive past the bowler (Upham), and it seemed to be booked for the boundary. But Sale, with almost incredible swiftness, darted in from long-off, and with a long reach of the arm gripped it. The smack of the leather as it struck Sale's palm could be bca-d, all oxer; t-«K€»*a__r aa_.ja_sv

moment he was surrounded by his colleagues, shaking him by the hand and patting his back. 'The finest catch for many a day,' was the general opinion, and it dismissed a good man."

Upham's seven wickets in the second test match brings his total captures, in 19 years of cricket, to within 3 of 1000. It is stated that in ' achieving the fourfigure feat he will retire from activa cricket.

An extraordinary incident occurred in the St. Kilda v. Willianistown game at Melbourne, on February 23, according to the " Argus." Homewood, of Williamstown, bowled Inskip, knocking the middle stumps out of the ground. (Jne bail hit the Willianistown \vicket-keeper_ in 'lie eye. The leg and off stumps fell towards one another, and the other bail rested on top of them.

That the New Zealand Cricket Council, in encouraging and promoting tours of foreign teams, is doing all that is possible in that direction to stimulate the cricket of the colony, is beyond question, says "Not Out" in the Sydney "Referee." But to base judgment on the appearance of four Australians —Mahoney, Haddon, Callaway and Boxshall—in the representative team, and the fact of some of the New Zealanders chosen being cricket veterans, it would appear that New Zealand itself is not developing any great amount of young native talent of marked ability. The conclusion appears reasonable, though possibly it is to some extent erroneous.

An interesting event took place last month when the members of the Nottingham Commercial Cricket Club presented a handsome marble timepiece and an illuminated address to Mr. C. F. Daft in recognition of his association with the club for 50 years. The most remarkable thing about Mr. Daft's cricket life was that up to the age of 27 he had never taken much interest in the game. He then joined the Commercial Cricket Club and began to play cricket seriously. With the help and advice of his accomplished brother, Richard, he was at the age of 31 not only asked to play for his county, but also at times for George Parr's famous All England Eleven and the United All England Eleven.

J. R. M. Mackay is to be included in the South African team for England. Writing of this, the South African correspondent of the " Sporting Chronicle " (Manchester) says: "There is a great stir in the cricket world —much overhauling of gear, oiling of bats, and marshalling of forces—in view of the big InterState tournament which opens in Johannesburg, and directly precedes the selection of the team which will represent South Africa iv Engl-iid in the most important tour yet undertaken by our cricket representatives. There is a strong undercurrent of feeling against any attempt to include the brilliant young Australian, J. R. M. Mackay, in the team, and should the South African Cricket Association go directly in the face of public opinion, it may prejudice the success of the tour in South African eyes. There was an outcry raised when Frank Mitchell and R. O. Schwarz were included without residential or other qualification, but that will be nothing compared to the trouble which will arise if Mackay — essentially a product of Australian cricket — goes Home ' disguised 'as a South African. As was the case last year, the cream of South African cricket is resident in the Transvaal, and it is confidently predicted that the modern Ophir will succeed in making good its claims to be considered the New South Wales of South African cricket."

A member of the M.C.C. team is supplying the "Sportsman" with some notes of teh doings of Captain Wynyard and his merry men in New Zealand. Following are a few paragraphs from his batch of gossip concerning their first match at Auckland. To Mr. F. C. Raphael, hon. secretary of the N.Z.C.C., falls the honour of the first blush. Concerning him, the "Sportsman's" correspondent says:—■

" Our second night in Wellington we were all entertained at dinner and a dance by his Excellency the Governor at Government House, where we enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Very early "the next morning we started on the first of our many and long journeys, which will never be dull or uncomfortable, so great has been the trouble and care with which Mr. Raphael has arranged every little detail. Too much praise and too many thanks cannot be bestowed on this bentleman for the exceedingly kind manner in which he has looked after the comfort of the team, and one and all of us are deeply grateful to him."

I Turning to the Auckland match, the correspondent refers to the excellence of j the Bulli-prepared pitch they found at ! the Domain, and to the leading incidents {of the match. The first New Zealander | player to receive commendation is i Whit, of whos bowling in the English- ! men's first innings he says:—"White, .who came out with the remarkable aver- | age of six wickets for 21 runs, bowled ' slow right hand, dropping ball every now. and again. There was no luck at all about his performance, and he thoroughly deserved the ovation he got from • the spectators. Of the other bowlers, ,1-err, left-hand medium, bowled well, but iwith no luck, having Douglas and SimpI son-Hayward missed off him—both sinipel catches. Hussey, a right-hand fast 'medium bowler, also bowled well, making the ball swerve away slightly. The fielding during the innings was good, Mason in particular distinguishing himself at cover-point." , Of Hemus's and Haddon's batting .n Auckland's first venture, he says: —

" Hemus made sixty-four without a chance, or even a bad stroke. His offdriving and cutting were particularly good, and as he watches the ball well, he should become a really good player. After his dismissal Hayward carried all before him, no one staying with Haddon any length of time. Haydon played very ■ bright, attractive cricket, his chief stroke being the glide off his leg stump, and a very powerful forcing stroke .n the onside off the middle and leg stump. He also drove and cut well, and as he ulayed with his legs as wel as his bat. must be classed as a better player even than Hemus. In fact, if there are any better players than these two in New Zealand, ,we shall have a poor, time in, the Test [matches." ~..--—

Of Hemus's second effort, the "Sportsman's ** gossip writes thus: " Not until the stroke of time was Hemus out, caught at cover for a really fine, though somewhat unlucky innings of eighty. His driving and cutting were excellent, and every now and again he effected a good hook stroke. He was missed at wicket on starting, and again at shortleg at 4S. Apart from this it was a really capital innings, and undoubtedly saved his side from defeat, giving them as much of the game at the close as the M.C.C."

The. correspondent concludes his observations on the match thus: " There can be no doubt that Auckland has of late improved out of knowledge of the game. Of course, we were all out of practice, but shall have to make up a great deal of leeway to stand any chanc . in the Test matches."