CRICKET CHAT.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10013, 18 April 1898, Page 2

CRICKET CHAT.

[By Dark Blue.]

It is understood (says " The Australasian") in Adelaide on the best authority, that Prince Ranjitsinhji has been asked by the Melbourne Club, and has consented, to undertake the task of bringing the next team of English cricketers to the colonies. Commenting on this a writer in the Melbourne " Sportsman " says :—I met Major Wardill yesterday, and sounded him on the point. I asked him whether there was anything in that telegram re Ranji and the next team, and he soon assured mc there was this much in- it—That the Indian Prince had certainly been asked if he would bring out the next team, but he had not been able to give a definite reply. Ranji will be met at Colombo by his father and his uncle, and after conferring with them he will write to Major Wardill from that port. If his reply be favourable the M.C.C. will then be the promoters of the tour, when doubtless we shall see some of our late visitors amongst us again, with new stars who, during the next few years, are sure to come to the front.

In the ordinary course of events (writes " Wanderer " in the London " Sportsman " of February 23rd) all the cricket world would have been on the tip-toe of expectation over the final test match, which commences this week end at Sydney, but the wholesale drubbings which have awaited us recently have placed the result of the rubber beyond doubt and taken all the " steam " out of the affair—or rather, I should say, all the public interest. Naturally, we should like to see our reputation to some extent retrieved, but many are so sick of the failures that the subject is "tabooed" by them. Singularly enough some are the.very people who at the close of the second test game with " one all"' " winked the other eye " aud hinted about " artful results in 1894-5," the likelihood of the close of the fourth game finding the record "two all," and so forth.

Referring to the team of Australian aboriginal cricketers which visited England thirty years ago, the "Pall Mall Gazette" says there is no reason to doubt that if Mullagh were of this generation he would be among the foremost batsmen in Australia. While a careful player, he was a terrible slogger if the bowling went any way loose. Old hands ot the latter •* sixties " in Sheffield claim that one of thejgreatest " lifts" ever made in this country was made by Mullagh on the Bramall-lane Ground, when the blaok player hit a ball out of the ground and over a couple of streets. Bullocky was a good bat, and so was Dick-a-Dick, the wicketkeeper. Tiger and Twopenny were good allround men, although sometimes unreliable, Twopenny especially. Unfortunately, there will never be another Australian aboriginal team —of any quality at all events. There are not so many blacks to choose from now as there were thirty years ago, and those that might be available have contracted such bad habits that they could not be kept in any sort of discipline. Lawrence, who was a fine cricketer himself—an inter-colonial eleven man, in fact—had great command over his team, as they all had a strong affection for him. He trained them for a long time before bringing them to England, and they were thus able to show very fair form over here. The only native team that we are ever likely to have over from that aide of the world is from Fiji. There the natives have taken very kindly to cricket, although a few umpires were killed in the early days of the game in the islands, and can put together a very passable eleven. Mr Udal, the Attorney-General of the colony, took an eleven down to New Zealand not long ago, and did very well. There were a few whites in it, however. But if a good team of Fijians were gottogether by taking the best men from Taviuni, Suva, Bau and Levnka, they ought to prove as successful over here as the Parsees, if not a little more so. The advent of a, Fiji team here depends a great deal on whether the Imperial Government does something-for the relief of the cane-sugar industry. No sportsman in the colony can at present afford to engineer an eleven over here. But if anyone in Sydney or Melbourne, or even in England, took the enterprise in band, it would almost certainly be a great success. The Australians drew big crowds—apart from their cricket—to see them throwing spears and boomerangs and such. It is safe to say that the Fijians would prove a much greater attraction, with their club exercises, war meke-mekes, singing, and dancing. Writing of the tour of the English team in Australia, "Not Out" of the Sydney " Referee " says:—Five months ago Stoddart's team arrived in Australia, accompanied by the ashes, preceded by a reputation of the highest, and laudably intent upon a career of colonial conquest. A number of English as well as colonial critics summed it up as the greatest combination of cricketing talent that had ever left the Old Country. This extraordinary assessment of its capacity was in a large measure based upon the achievements of the men in the last few English summers I —in 1896 against the Australians and also in 1897. The London " Sportsman," at the time of their departure, amongst other compliments said the "efforte to secure a team which should be representative, have happily been crowned with success." At the leave-taking on board the Orrauz at Tilbury, Mr 0. E. Green proposed the health of the team, " wishing them every success, especially in the five test games, a pleasant time, and a safe return." The English captain, A. B. Stoddart, in response to the toast, expressed his "satisfaction at the team he had got together, which, if perhaps scarcely Eugland, was at any rate representative of English cricket. He could not see who were to be the failures (which most teams usually had), and he defended the large introduction of new blood by pointing to the success which had attended that section in the preceding tour , . It had pained him to have to leave out some of his former comrades and best friends but it was unavoidable. They would at any rate try their best to win, and whatever success attended.them they hoped to have a favourable welcome home." And now the story of their failure has to be written. Beaten in four of the five te*t matches, twice by w* innings 1 Compelled to

follow on in three consecutive games I World's record of over 400 in otioh innings established by a colony single-handed against them ! And yet, despite all this, they have shown us some wonderful cricket. What grander batting could cricket lover deaire than Maclaren's and Ranjitsinhji's in the first New South Wale 3 and first teat matches. It was beautiful—artistic, faultless, brilliant. It has left a great and, let us hope, abiding '■ impression on young Australians. It has taught many of our players to fear go bowler on such wickets as aro now prepared. And yet the wonderful cricket of the two great batsmen of the side has not been able to save it from defeat. Gauged by English performances it was a splendid side, yet Australians were dubious as to the ability of the team to return with the ashes, or to perform as grandly as the Australians had done in England in 1896. The bowling did not strike one as likely to prove very difficult on on'r wickets against the olass of batsmen wo now have : for despite the opinions of English critics we in Australia regard our all-round batting just now as quite equal to England'? of the present day. This opinion relative to the lack of deadly l-.owling was ex* pressed in these columns as soon as the - names of the team were cabled from Eng* . land : " Whilst foretelling batting deeds of high merit one must not be too sanguine about the success of Hearne, Hirst and Wainwright as bowlers, for our polished marble-like wickets will be sure to try them sorely. Their English performances on good wickets are sufficient to give rise to a feeling that the team's bowling is, to the Australian eye, a quantity of doubtful strength." And all this has, unfortunately for the English* men, been borne out to the letter. The Taranaki batting averages for senior matches during the past season are headed by W. J.Crawshaw, who played in five innings (twice not out) arid scoredifJjSZ jruns, giving an average of 85.6 per innings. For the Hawera First Eleven, Crawshaw scored. 469 in seven completed innings, giving an average of 67 per innings. In the senior matches Robertson comes second with 36.6 for three innings, andHaggett secured third place with an average of 28.6 for three completed innings. In the Hawera Club's batting, Pratt follows Crawshaw with an average of 26.5 for nine innings, and Heenan follows with 20.5 for two inning* Crawshaw's first four innings were—64 not _ out, 115 not out, 174 not out, 71; but the Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, and last Star match brought his average down. Q. Bayly and Gudgin secured most wickets, but thfi figures do not call for special mention. The hard thing to be got over in Australian cricket is not the wicket, but the. gate (says a London paper). If the game were Rugby football and not cricket, not a single player in either team would be allowed to play in a representative match. Cricket is rapidly becoming a game in which the amateur is paid double what w given to the professional. ~,.,, j At the conclusion of the Phamix-MidlW» match on Saturday (says a Wellington pap« of April 4th), the members of the MidlMO team assembled in their club-room far we , purpose of making a presentation to Mr Jfc F Upbam in connection with his recent marriage. Mr Arnold Williams (captwnj handed to Mr Upham a handsome martote timepiece, and spoke of the very great services Mr Upham had given to the club Jβ past years. To the clock was eMxea* silver shield on which was inscribed Mβ bowling figures of Mr Upham in senior ana rep. matcTies since 1891. These figuiW establish Mr Uphara's claims to be considered one of the very best poolers in U» colony. He has delivered 12,390 balls, sent down 537 maidens, had 4427 runs scored off his bowling, and captured 453 wickets, which gives the splendid average of »./<• The rep. matches include colonial matches against Queensland \ and the Australian eleven, North Island vDavis's Sydney teaw, two Wellington contests against New Soutfi Wales teams, and Auckland, Otago, Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, and Fijian contests, .