CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 299, 16 December 1911, Page 16

CRICKET.

ENGLISH CEICKHT TEAM ?N ATJB- - December 15. 16, IS. and AD& " THALIA (First Te*U, •* 1 «Jf Be !- WMt DecetXrS and 53.-V. Maitland, at Wert Mai Hand. . „„ December 26 and Bendlso, at BenDecemtoer 30, January 1, 2. and 3.—v. AOSTbluA (Second Test), at Melbourne. January 6 and a-v.Geek.ag. at Ueetong. Aauuary 12, DS 15, and ltt.—v. AUSiUIiALIA (Tbird Test), ait Adelaide. _ ~ January 10 and »•-»• Baliarst, atfiaUarat. January 24, and 25—v. Launeaston. at February a. 8." 6. and 6.—-v. Victoria, at FebruartTw: 12, and 13,-v. AOBTttAIAA (Fourth Tect). at Melbourne. February 16, 17, IS, and 30.—v. New Booth Wales, at Sydney. ' February 23, 24. 28. and 27r—r. AUSTRALIA (Fifth Test), at Sydney. March 1. 2. 4, and 5. —v. South Australia, at Adetaida.

Writing of Minnett's claims for inclusion before the Australian team was chosen, a Sydney writer penned the following:— Roy MinneCt has ail the attributes which go to make up an international player. He bowls, bats, and fields weM. He is as keen as mustard, and is beginning to abandon tihe reckless style which characterised some of his earlier batting efforts. His initial effort against the Englishmen was marked by a restraint with which few credited him. The man who bowled the first ball for England against an Australian team —William Cafiyn—still lives in Beigate, Surrey. He went out with the first team in 1861, and he remembers seeing billywhite, the famous bowler, playing in flannels and a tall hat. And he also remembers when players wore pads on their elbows to protect them from the effects of swift bowling on bumpy ground. "For," he says, "pitches were then not what they are now." Brice, the New Zealand and Wellington representative bowler-batsman, has had a funny experience so far this season. In fact, his scores ready like an extract from a fairy tale—o, 0, 127 (not out), ©, 0. That century score spoils an unenviable sequence. The Board of Control will meet at Melbourne on December 29, wben arrangtrnrats for the visit of the team to England will be made. The Selection Committee will be appointed, the number of players decided, and other matters of similar importance attended to. Berths have been booked for the Australian cricketers by the R.M.S. Orvieto, which will leave Sydney on March 13. I learn, says a Canterbury scribe, that the Australian Beard of Control has announced its willingness to receive a New Zealand team in Australia next season, and has suggested that New Zealand should ask the various associations for terms upon which they will individually receive the team. The New Zealand Councfl has consequently written to the Victorian. Sooth Australian, New Zealand, and New Boirth Wales Cricket Associations, and also to the Melbourne Cricket Club, so that satisfactory arrangements likely to be made.

Although regarded as indispensable to provide variety to the slow bowling at the other end, fast bowlers seem to be getting scarcer every season. South Africa did not have one. The mediumfast Pegler only served to feed the batsmen. The present English team has not a fast bowler, although on occasion Foster sends down a hot one —a faster ball than Hitch sends down. Hitch's crazy run is probably responsible for the strained groin which it is to be hoped will keep him only temporarily off the field. The Englishmen have sustained enough losses already, without having the list added bo. Hitch is a valu*bl» bowler, his yorker being a beauty. South Australia has not a fast bowler, while Macrow, of Victoria,, and Madaren, of Queensland, aTe both much slower than Cotter. In New Bouth Wales there is no one nearly so fast as Cotter, although Les. and Roy Minnett and Scott can make them fly. On a suitable wicket Roy Minnett bowls a very difficult jumpy ball, which is much more serviceable and dangerous than a faster ball which does not kick. Cotter's sensational hitting in the match New South Wales v. South Australia comes as a reminder that that form of batting is not extinct, although so far as big cricket is concerned such exhibitions are few and far between, says a Sydney writer. Cotter made 82 runs in 50 minutes (the first two in 10 minutes, 50 ih 30 minutes, 60 in 32 minutes, and the last 80 in 41 minutes). His scoring shots were:—l, 1, 1, 2, 1, 4, 4, 1; 1, 3, 4, 3, 6, 4, 2, 1, 2, 4, 6, 6, 2, 1, I, 2, 4, 2, 2, 6, 1, 1, 2, 1. Although most of the singles were from strokes that were retrieved en the boundary, stall Cotter did not go in for indiscriminate elpgging. He blocked many balls, but made no mistake when he did lash out, his timing being principally responsible for the way the ball flew from the bat. His four sixes were all hit from the northern end, three landing the ball midway between the fence and the scoring board, while the fourth had a Mttle more pull in it, and bounced into the southern end of the shilling stand. Cotter never made so many runs in an innings before in first-class cricket, although he has often been, responsible for fair scores, -which usually, peculiarly enough, came at a time when the rest of the side have done badly. The performance, which w most creditable to him, -was the one in which he held his end up for an hour while HaZlitt made enough runs to -win a test ma-teh. But the performance that will remain longest in the-mmds Sf the public will be his Sensational smiting as mentioned -above;