CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 16

CRICKET.

(By "ACTABON.")

•At a recent meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association, W. OarJton wrote expressing 'his regret that his services as a. coach were not required for the next season by the association, and stating that he intended to reside in Ohris-t----church if ho could obtain a permanent appointment. Shortly after the commencement -of a "two-innin«e" match, arranged between scratch eleven*, one of the batsmen, in playing forward at a "-curly slow," just edged the baJl into the. /bonds of the. enger wiekefekwrtfr. who, atter making the ca-tc-h, promptly pat -the •wicket down whilst the batfiflian was well out of 'his ground. "How's that?" cried the vrirJcotkeeper. "Out — catobed end stumped," replied the umpire appealed to. '"But 1 can't bo both, ,, cxcJaimed the batsman. "Well, then, tha-'rt out for both imrin'e, an' that settles it," was the start]ing reply. The biggssjt score ever made ■by the Jam Sahib in (ftrst-daea cricket 'is bin 28.5 (not out) for Sussex v. .Somerset, at Taunton, in August, 1901. Hercoy hangs an excellent and little-known tale. Against a moderate first innings by Sussex, the homo county had scored 560, ami ! Rajiji -was reproached with having 4>een keeping late 'hours at billiards and night fishing—the sport in which he is going to indulge as soon as the pre-s-ent ■ericke.l season is —instead of attending to "his frame/ So he deliberately passed the whole of the night previous to scoring this 285 in fiehing the- rrver near Taunton. and did not go to bed at all! (Ranji owned up to this just before starting the great innings wnich saved Sussex. The 'English batsmen who had made 1000 rune for the season up to July 20 were: ' Den ton 1,542, Spooner 1",455, Hayes 1.430. R. Relf 1.340, Vine 1.318, Hobbs 1.23«. 'Mead 1.107. .Fry- 1.107, •Woolley 1.157, .1. W. Mearne I.l*lo. Humphreys 1.065, A. C. Johnston 1.003, At that time Johnston was lending in the aiveragps with 62.65, Fry coming next with 5ft.35. Spooner was third, with 5.1.38. Four bowlers had taken more than 100 wicket.?: Haigh 102, 'Blrthe 100. Dean 07. and Thompson 103. Haigh -headed the bowl-ing averages with 10.0:5, "The Gentleman in 'Black," writing in an English publication, gives some, particulars new to New ZeaJand.TS: — "It is in the nature of a curiosity that, both at Manchester and Lord's, Bardsley ami Kelleway should each Slave made a century in Australia's test match with South Africa, for they .have been associated since their very early days. They ■were educated at the Forest Lodge Superior Public School, of which Bardsley's father is the 'headmaster, and have played together in grade and inter-State cricket—for the Glebe Crreket Club and ■New South Wales, that "is— arc-now ind-ulging in 200 rune partnerships in international matches. -If Kelleway had been, like his already famous companion, left-handed, the coincidence would have been complete. Having been almost inseparable on the cricket field, it is not surprising that they should have develop ed a -firm friendship. (Both arc very keen players, and at one time it was t.he custom— it still is—for for them to practice regularly together at 6 o'clock in the morning 'before the •commencement of the season. I have been told that on .one occasion Kelleway hit a ball through the window of a room belonging to someone who wae not an admirer of the game, and that fee was 'run in' in consequence —a distinction which has not -fallen to the lot of many first-clase players." The world's beet eleven controversy is still raging in England. The cricket writer on the "Athletic News" gives his views in the following lines :t- "Dealing with the bowlers first, not many. I take it, would object to the selection of Barnes and }■'. R. Foster, who are verr good on hard, true wickets, and form 'a splendid contrast to each other. The fast bowling and 'googlies' may safely be left in th? hands of J. B. King, o"f Philadelphia, and H. V. Ilordern, of Australia, respectively, who are also very useful batemen. Two other fine allround performers in W. W. Armstrong and (". (i. (Macartney would have the strongest claims to inclusion, whilst Rherwell could safely be entrusted with the wicket-keeping. That leaves four ■vacancies, three of which I should fill by choosing Spooner, Ifobbs, and Trumper, all tip-top batsmen and ■splendid fields. ¥o r the last place there are several who possess a strong qualification. I am sorry that Faulkner, owing to temporary Joss of form, must be passed over; a year or 18 months ago he would have been certain of being chosen. If, as 1 am told, Noblo is still as good as ever, he could not we]] be qmitlod: therefore, I should include him and ask him to undertake the captaincy. If he preferred not to Jead the side, doubtless .Sherwell -would consent to do so. There, are several playeTs including Fry, who ha*e only Jst failed to catch the selector's eye, but some such thing is bound to happen whenever a representative team is being got together. The above side appears to be strong in all departments, ]«ig-fkldW alone excepted. But one cannot haw everything when the selection ia co restricted. Here, then, is the woridV eleven, in the order of going in:—.R. H Spooner, Hqjbbs, C. G. Macartney, V. T Trumper, ST. A. Noble, W. W. Armstrong, J. B. King, F. R. Foster. P. WSherwcH, H. V. Hordern, and Bttntte" Three bats, bearing .the autographs of the Englis-h, Australian, and, South African players, are being soJd to maintain (for a year a cot in the Lord Mayor Treloar Cripples' Home at Alton. The secretary of the Board of Control has been advised that the takings ■for the Australians' present tour in England up to July lath were £4,200, while *he expenses amounted to £4,500. He has also been advised' thai, the Imperial Cricket Conference agreed to the following dates for international matches: In 1913-14 England! ■visits South Africa; 1914-15, Australia visits South Africa; 1915-16. England visits Australia; 1916. Australia visits England; 11)17, South Africa visits England. Before being carried into effect the agreement must receive the endorsement of the Board of Control the South Africa authorities, and the Eng-