CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 22 January 1916, Page 16

CRICKET.

Immediately -the school holidays conclude the New South. Wales Cricket Association will further develop its scheme for the training of schoolboy cricketers.

It is proposed to divide the boys practis- ' ing at the Cricket Ground into divisions lof merit, thus providing for those in the lower grades an incentive to work up. Then good grade bowlers will bo invited to bowl at the more advanced of the trainees. Further than this, an endeavour is to be mado to get internationals and other prominent players to interest themselves in i.c work. Somo of the boys are already playing grade cricket, and it is hoped by the association that i club captains will ho considerate in their j use of them. There is danger in over- ! working boys of from 14 to 16 years of age. The proper organisation of the schools themselves in a sporting, and particularly a cricket sense, is a matter that is likely to be talked over with the Education Department shortly.

! Having regard to the fact that there is nothing in the way of competition connected with this season's cricket under the aegis of tho New South Wales Association, the standard of play has been particularly good. Heavy scores have been frequent, but high-water mark was reached recently when Petersham hit up oSS for three wickets against University. This is not a record for first grade cricket, Paddington, in January, 1903, "hitting up CIS for nine wickets. On that occasion the peerless Trumper, just returned from his 1902 tour of England, scored 335 in ISO minutes, and, with D. A. Gee (172), was responsible for 423 in 135 minutes for the opening wicket. Paddington's big figures occupied 235 minutes. Petersham's were made in 22G minutes, Andrews getting his 232 in 149 minutes, and the dashing Xcwington College boy, Taylor, 174 in 16<J minutes. There is one thing that can bo said in favour of Petersham in this comparison, and that is tho fact ttiat University Oval is a much larger ground than that at Redfern, necessarily slowing tho rate by reducing tho value of hits.

The patriotic matches, promoted by the Victorian Cricket Association, played during the Christmas and New Year holidays, were, from a cricket viewpoint, deprived of some interest owing to the objection raised to New South Wales taking part. C. G. Macartney, who went into camp to take up his new role as a soldier, was prevented from going to Melbourne to assist' the other fifteen. The attendance was. not large, but the sale of tickets and buttons, and revenue obtained from other sources, should bring in about £2,000 for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. It is remarkable that on the opening day of the first match the receipts amounted to £7SQ, 'Which was £303 more than the net profit derived from the interstate match against New South Wales, which commenced on Boxing Day in 1914. J. 1L Blackham's autograph bat;.dated 188S, -when he made his first 1,000 runs, was sold for 40 guineas: an autograph bat of the late Dr. W. G. Grace brought three guineas; and one of his "Century of Centuries" commemoration plate and banq=uct'cards,, dated ISSS, was sold for £35. ' : :

In an interview with the Sydney "Referee" representative, the famous wicket-keeper, J. M. Blaekham, tells bow he came to dispense with the longstoo: ,f My father was an old wiiketkecper. He was a printer on the 'Age,' and there were frequent Press matches in which he took part. I was a little fellow then, attending school, and playing with Carlton 11. In a game between Romsey and the Press they put mc on to represent dad. We were playing on Albert

Park, and I stood up to the wicket -with .a loiigstop, andj impressed Jack Conway, •who was captain of South Melbourne, a crack footballer, and who became manager of the first Australian combination. Jack said to dad that I could play with the first South Melbourne team, and next season I was a club-mate of Jack, Frank Alan and 'Mid.' I showed form, and retained my place. It was in the final against East Melbourne, in the famous 'century match, that I actually did away with the longstop. The match took place at the Jolimont ground, where the wicket was as fine as any I have played on. Lou Woolf, the well known barrister, was longstop, a position in which he was a champion. He said, 'I'm getting nothing to do, Jack, , and suggested he should field j fine-leg, which he did. This was when the alteration was made. At first I did not like being deprived of the safetyvalve. It was a great surprise to them in England, where they had a longstop to fast and fast-medium bowlers. Then they followed our idea. Shortstop, I think emanated from Philadelphia. It was there I saw it first. It was introduced into England after McGregor's time, about the Storer-Lilley period. Jack Conway was the fastest bowler I ever kept wickets to."

The accounts of the Northamptonshire County C.C. just published show a loss on the year ending March 25 last of £116 6/4J, which brings the excess oi liabilities over assets up to £1,933 18/OJ.

New South Wales has produced several athletic prodigies, such as Victor Trunrper, the famous batsman; Harry Searle, "the greatest sculler of all tune"; B. B. Kieran, the swimming phenomenon; and Lcs Darcy, the boxing genius, says a writer in the Sydney "Daily Telegraph." All these men have helped to place Australia in the forefront of athletic nations, as three of themweTe, and the fourth is likely to be, a world's champion. With the exception of Searle, the recognition of the others' prowess was somewhat tardy by certain sections of the Press, but in time their performances brok,e down all opposition. It is £o"be hoped, therefore," that a better fate will be Noel Levy's portion, for, all going well, this boy's name will become a household word in the cricket world. He is a left-hander, with a style and a repertoire of strokes that f?w matured batsmen possess. Frank Iredale says that Levy is the most gifted boy cricketer he has ever seen.

It is interesting to note how this boy was discovered by a lady, the wife of the writer, who, continuing, says: Four years ago the boy, then aged about 10, was playing in Kenilworth Street, Waverley, and my wife called mc out to "see the child, who was batting." Even a woman who took very little interest in cricket was struck by his wonderful display. There he stood, a small boy then for his age, leaning on his bat whilst another youngster "foxed" the ball, which had been hit down the street. . He then prepared to take strike. The subsequent proceedings were a revelation to mc. His stand was easy, feet well placed, knees slightly bent, and right elbow well out. The bowler delivered the ball — a good length one—and the batsman played forward to it beautifully, no flaw. For more than half an hour, darkness came on, I watched that child execute all the strokes imaginable with so much ease, grace and sangfroid as to border on the uncanny. ' And the power he imparted to his, strokes!

On many occasions subsequently little Noel Levy played cricket on my back lawn with my children, but there was generally"'a climax—Noel had lost the ball, which had been hit over the top ol the house. There is a larger pieoc of land in Paul Street, Waverley, known' as Daily's paddock, and on this ground I have often witnessed Noel Levy batting against bowlers of a much more mature age. His batting had a wonderful fascination for me—just as poor Victor Trumpcr's did when as a knickerbockered boy he wielded the bat in a manner that only a master is capable of. Boy Levy, a bright, intelligent little fellow, should 1 prove another Clem Hill. He is a splendid fielder and also bowls. '