CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 28, 1 February 1913, Page 16

CRICKET.

After the first game in the second round, the position of the various teams in the senior champions-hip is as follows: champ. Played. Won. Lost. Drawn. Points. Sden 6 5 1 — 8 Pousonby..6sl— S North Shore <> 2 S 1 mlnns 1 University (i 2 4 — minus 4 Parnell .. 6 2 4 — minus 4 (Jrafum ..6 1 4 1 minus 6 Victor Trumper is still a wonderful exponent of cricket, says the " Sydney Morning Herald." in his younger days —lie is net an old jnar. now —he was daringly venturesome, and took more liberty with the bowling than any other known player. To-day he fees the same beautiful otyle. peculiarly his own —'he executes almost all his old strokes, but time has had a mellowing effect on his play, and where once lie used his feet to execute certain strokes, he now is content to let the baJl come to 'him. Nevertheless he still possesses the art of pleasing the spectators by his remarkable prowess, an-d is capable of a/massing a huge score against the worlds greatest bowlers. His display against South Australia on Friday and Saturday at the Sydney cricket ground, when he remained uneonrjuered with 201 do his credit, wns as tine a display of batting as the most fastidious cricket epicurean would desire. Trumper has now a unique record for an Australian, having scored 200 and upwards against every country or State he has met. He has scored 300 no.t out against Sussex, 214 not out against South Africa, 253 ajrainst New Zealand, 292 not out against Tasmania. J:<" agadnst Victoria, and 208 against Queensland. Against England in '"Test" his record is 185 not out. He also scored 218 not out a-gainst a fifteen of Transvaai, in 1902. The fact that Trumper's method of attaining runs—extreme brilliancy—is against high scores, makes his record the more remarkable. And he appears likeQy to go on notching centuries for years to come. JTOIOB NOTES. The sivth seriesoor. r matches In connection witlh the first round of t!ie second grade .premiership terminated last Saturday in beautiful weatiber. With ow exception all the game! were play.-d to a finish. Parnell and Grafton A completed their maJtchcs t/he two I'oneomby ■teams on .the prevTO"j« Satunlay-

Eden A had 131 for the lob of one wicket in reply to North .Shur_»s total of 251, when play ceased on the first day. All through Kden'o Innings run-* came at a good pace, wfnile scarcely any member of the v-siting team failed. The chief credit of .the performance belongs to McLaughlin and Harris (57), who cemented a partnership that laid the foundation to the huge total. McLaughlin did exceedingly well, and advanced his score to 141 before Coleman broke through his defence. With tlhe bowling coll-xeU, the other Edanites had little difficulty in getting runs, although they responded to ■the call of getting them quickly iv view of a three-pointer. Punch gathered together 42, Murray collected 33, and with the exception of the young stane-waller. all the other batsmen double figures. Thanks to Coleman (73), who gave the Eden bowlers a lot of trouble, North Shore saved the point by five wickete. Ooleman followed up his success on the first innings by putting together 73 in his usual manner.

The success of the 'Varsity team over W_itcmata came as a great surprise. The Northerners were unfortunate in being short-handed, and also regret a couple of overthrows on the first day, but they had every opportunity of making amends in their second venture; a rot set in, however, and University secured an outright victory. With five wickets in hand on the conclusion of the first day's play, University managed to gain a five run lead on 'the completion of an innings apiece. Goulding (33) was the principal factor for tlie eA-udenta, and played a fine innings fcxr liis side. Although not so free as usual, he laid on the wood at times- Arbloster, seven for 50, Was the chief wicket-taker for Waitemata. He clean bowled four of his victims, while two more departed stumped by MayaiL Waatemata went in with the idea of saving the game Ln the second innings, but in a Untie over an hour were disposed of by Goulding and Player for 62. Wai-_m_.__ depended a great deal on 'their hitter, Riddell, for fast scoring, but an over pitched leg-break upset his timberyard in the first over. Arbloster topsaored with 21. Holler (13) was the only other double figure score. Notwiltihstanding that the student* only required 57 runs and 100 minutes to bat to ohtain an extra point, -heir position was fraught with, danger until .the Goulding Bros, became oss-ooi-uted, and then L'ni versity defeated the team at the head of the comipletion by four wickets. It was a maifccih of small scores, and two names that figure out prominently on it are F. S. Goulding (University) and Arbla-iter (Waitemata). With the bat Goulding made 33 out of 120 and 20 out of 62. In bowling, he captured five wickets for 25. Arblaetjar'e share of the spoil was 18 and 21 with the bait, and with the bail he Beeured seven wickets for 40 and •three for 17.

To be beaten by 31 runs and bat four Efctort is very hard luck. This was the predieiamenit Grafton B were up against in their match with Eden B. ln their second venture Eden B gave a very poor display against ithe Grafton borwiing, and it was noit until the closing stages that the score reaohed any dimensions worth talking about. Somervell (27) has a. habit of going in late, and generally makes his share of the runs. Gray knocked up 20, not out, and Hobson came ibo the rescue wtith 20. Lt is interesting to note, despite Eden's mediocre scores, there was mot one "duck" in either in-iings. Grafton B have not hod much luck this season. At Christmas time they lost -their fast bowler, Reed, probably the beet in the grade; mow wicketkeeper Robinson has departed, and the team aTe shor_ha_ided. No doubt their energetic captain, Norton, will ihave .the places filled by next Saturday, tout I know that he was rather disappointed last week after pulling the game round in such a miamier- His 37 not aut, although not compiled as graceful as Grenier ox Hemus, was irrvaiuable. F. HoTßpool's run of bad luck seems to have come to an end, for he compiled 50 in a imcuqnerr that reminded one of two years' ago.

In striking contnugt -to the small totals in the oltiher games, the contest betweien Eden A and North Shore provided a most refreshing display of batting. In the two afternoons allotited for ithe match the runs aggregated over 750 runs for the lo6s of twenty wickeits, giving an average of nearly 35 runs per man.