CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 12

CRICKET.

It has- not yet been definitely decided to accept the dates suggested by Canterbury for the Plunket Shield match. Mr J. Watts, secretary of the association, having yet to ascertain whether several of the players can get the necessary ten days' leave. A veterans' cricket club for players over 40 years of age is to be formed in Auckland. The players are to have a room in the pavilion, and will practice on the Domain, playing a few matches during the season. The Yictori-an Cricket Association has agreed to the admission of Tasmania and Western Australia to the Board of Control.

C. B. Fry has returned to the Sussex eleven, from which he had been absent since he met with his serious accident at Ijord's last year. Unfortunately, owing to the heavy bandages on his left leg and his natural reluctance to do anything which might tend to put a strain upon it, he quite failed to do himself justice in his first match, scoring only five in his first innings and a single in his second. On each occasion he fell a victim to Fielder. Whether he will ever again be quite himself is somewhat doubtful, as his leg will always be liable to give away if much strain is put upon it. The phenomenal performance of Albert Trott, who in his benefit match, with Somerset created a new world's record by accomplishing the "hat-trick" twice in one innings, is thus referred to by an English writer. Strictly speaking, this is not correctly phased for Trott dismissed Lewis, Poyntz, Woods, and Robson in four balls, while shortly after he followed that feat up by disposing of Mordaunt, Wi-ckham. and Bailey by three balls in succession. This, feat has never previously adorned the page of the recorder of first-class cricket curiosities. In IS9O when Middlesex played Somerset for the benefit of Wilfred Flowers and Gregor McGregor was captain for the first time of the Metropolitan County. J. T. Hearne and Trott were unchanged, and dismissed Somerset for 35 and 44—the whole match being played out in three hours. In the second innings Trott was simply invincible, and delivered S overs for 4 maidena, 13 runs, and 7 wickets—which is a finer analysis than last week, his figures then being 8 overs, 2 maidens, SO runs, and 7 wickets, and yet in 1899 Trott never did more than secure three wickets in an over. Again, in 1900, Trott went to Taunton and took all the ten wickets in an innings. Surely Somerset must have a wholesome dread of the AngloAustralian. We remember Alfred Shaw, "the Emperor of bowler," performing a wonderful feat in 18S4 for Notts against Gloucester. The Western county were without the Graces, owing to the death of their respected mother. Shaw did the '""hat-trick" in the first innings, and followed that up by obtaining three other wicketa in four balls. That is the nearest parallel we can recall to Trott's achievement, but the Emperor went one ■better than that, as he again performed the""hat-trick" in the second innnings, Shaw's figures for the match being 79 overs. 47 maidens, 65 runs, and 14 wickets. There have been many sensational and wonderful "hat-tricks," but, so far as we can discover, these extraordinary deeds of Alfred Shaw and Albert Trott stand by themselves. Their relative merits must be purely a matter of personal choice, and it boots not to discuss them. Faulkner eeored the first century for the South Africans, a&kimj 109 not-fint against; Esses,