CRICKET CHAT.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10215, 10 December 1898, Page 3

CRICKET CHAT.

jßv D.vnu Blce.]

"Weekly Press and Referee."

Cricketers were favoured with splendid weather on Saturday, when the wickets were again in good order, notwithstanding the trying time they had with the Floral Fete gathering on Thursday. The contest between the Lancastrians and Midlanders was the cliicf attraction, ami the sum of £4 8s taken at the gate is the largest this season. The Hidiey brut hers, who were not out on the previous Saturday. continued -atting, and by steady play took the total to past three figures Wore A. Ridley was well caught and bowled, he retiring with a serviceable 33 against his name. Most of those who followed gave more or less trouble, and the innings finally closed for 249. Boxshall was top scorer, with a freely-hit 43, but he gave a couple of chariot's, and some of his opponent.* allege that he was clear'- out leg before wk'ket. but the umpire gave him not out. H. 0. Ridley followed with a well-got 39, in compiling which ho gave noxhance, and he'showod sterling defence, the bowling being very steady -while he was in. Bennett contributed 32 in fair style. He played steadily, '■ out he never appeared at home to the bowling, and lie put several balls up dangerously near the fieldsmen. Bates hit very cleanly for his 28, being especially severe on D. ! Reese, his driving being particularly good. ' and no chance could be urged against him. Wilding batted fairly in putting together, his 15 and Orchard played more steadily than < usual in making his 10. Pcarce and Reese both bowled well,.but the Midland.fielding- 1 was only moderate, though Oobcroft at midoff was exceptionally brilliant. Wanting 214 runs to win, . the Midland made a poor start, losing ; four good wickets before the half '■ century' was posted. D. Reese and j I'earce, however, then got together and ( played.out time without further disaster, j Pearce, who scored 40 was, it is alleged, caught at the wicket before he had scored, i but the umpire, Mr Spencer, states he did not ! gee tho catch. Pearce played more care- j fully than usually, but when he got a loose j one he punished it as it deserved to be. Reese, who made 35 not out, gave a hot chance to WUding a few minutes before the call of time, but otherwise made no mistake, and his hittin? all round was sure and well-timed. Will to batted nicely for 15. and he was then caught off a bumpy ball at tho wickets, while Macfarlane was dismissed by a splendid catch in the slips by H. C. Ridley when ne was jnst getting set. Barry was playing j freely when a smart piece of fielding caused | him to be run out, and the Lancastrians were lucky enough to get rid of Cobcroft in tho first over. The Park fielding was good, Bixshall. behind the wickets, being especi- ' ally in fine form. , In the Sydenham-United match the former played up well, and in the finish, were only defeated by four wickets. In the losers' , second venture, which realised 225, T. W. Reese played well for 51, in compiling which he gave no chance, and his play all round the wicket was good, especially his leg strokes. Love continued to fulfil the promise of earlier in the season by making 35 in neat style, and he is evidently a batsman of more than average merit. Halley only added ton runs to his previous total of 24y ; but he made them in good form. McMurray made 29 by freo hitting and without a chance, while Phillips also reached double ' figures. Extras reached the large number of 36, and tho fielding all round was below the average. Frankish again bowled well, and he was ably seconded by Sims. The United, only had 51 to get to win, but had,it not been for the good batting of Sims, ,' it is quite on the cards that they would have failed to make even that small total. The batsman named gave a chance at the wicket , . when he had got about 20, but otherwise played good cricket. Vincent played well ' for his 13, but none of the other men who !' batted showed, any form whatever. Phillips bowled excellentl". fully makLqg up for his , ,-ill success in the first innings, and Walls at i„-. the other end also bowled steadily.. ... The I-, fielding of the Svdenhaxnites was first-class, (* -jpid was a vast improvement on their r>re- '"'.' liqus efforts this season. * j>i "R i* not often that D. Reese remains long fcv afc*'t-e wickets- that he cannot claims the ty, majority.of tho runs made during his stay. I*- On Saturday, however, he only scored 35 f!' oat of JOB, and a peculiar feature of his.ini)j rings was the little bowling that he g'oti his [-' ..partner over alter over gaining a single from sjV -. the last ball of tho over. (>: . Oni " Rafnrday the unbeaten Midland. < &nd United teams commence their first game 'of the season. Both sides are strong- in - batting, but on the whole I fancy the Mid- j * landers have ■ the. stronger howliner, and I ■ shall expect tais to give them a slight advantage. It is probable that after Saturday's cricket, no more Senior Cup cricket willbe I played, owing to the Canterbury teimTbeing I I away meeting Otago on the following "Satur- , day. and the Christmas and New Year | , holidays. "Light Blue" writes:—-The fourth round . at the various Junior competitions was com- • tnencsd on Saturday, when in the Junior Civ- ' contest Lancaster Park had much the better l of their game with the Midland and they I • should win easily. The Midland batting ! \ was very tame, and three men were run out ' and another was stumped. At Sydenham, ~ 'thanks to the good batting of Rolleston and ■j Smith, tho latter in particular olayipg well, } the United had somewhat the better of their ,•* game with the local club, for whom W. 't Rohson bowled splendidly. For the Presi>A dent's Cup, the High School easiK beat Lyt:l, telton, while the other two fames are fairly :|- even. •' iv ' Mr 0. A. U. Tapper, the hon. sec. of the New Zealand Cricket Council and treasurer H['j»' tho Canterbury Cricket Association has \% • >6en " ft * d U P V the measles, but lam I*l glad to be able to report that he is now able || to get about again. » s'| t -A correspondent writes askinc whether a *f* wnicl - pitched straight. bu«- on the edge II °* » concrete wicket, and then bounded over ?j.i the batsmen's head, out of reach, is a wide. j* jt At first sight it hardly appears fair to r| penalise a bowler on account of the state 1 it °J *"* wicket, but there is no doubt, accord- || , ln ? *° tno "J l " s3 ' that a ball which is not 1 1 within reach of the batsmen when it passes H """|M-.a wide. I asked Mr Phillips, the :,,; well-known professional umpire, his opinion £-| on the subject, and ho gave his decision that If J» 'amp-re should liave called "wide:" The ; p| wicket in question is a concrete one with the ! f jk of a few feet in the centre, which ', U iL tnrt i p hillip9 contends that if a ball is l ? beyond the reach of the batsmen from any J r,|' cause it is wide. j '! 80m ewhat unique match took place in t Uunedin on Wednesday last, when Mr H. ! f Hurraway and his ten sons played a team | 1; "presenting Pollard's Opera Company. The : »tter went in first and scored 59, Vaughan contributing 23 and Quealy 11. The "family" rt P"*a with 142, H. Harraway making 36 *nd J. Harraway 25. This, a Dunedin writer . ••""rtSi is the first time that a father and his ten sons have played as a team in New Zealand, and he expresses a doubt whether j a sunilar teajn in any part of the world has i Played together. In this connection, I may j mention that in 1866 Mr and ! 2if. ten sor " played against Shaw House at and beat them by an innings. V»* Brotncr hoods, I may add, were well i W*»» in cricket circles in the West of Eng- ] \ pi ' an< * one of tUem "laved three times for ; t: « lou ce?tershire in 1875. There have been ! 1 1 w v f&Tnilles P !a }*inc as teams, notably the • h mte brothers » bl 't the elevens have been ■ uraally made up with the assistance of •: etrasins. I

A Dunedin correspondent writes mc that • bowler in tho southern city had a rather ""Que experience on Saturday. Scobie «*cket_ie, the well-known Otago footballer w«t the M.H.R.) playing for Dunedin No. 2 •nniors against Waverlev, on the Caledonian Wound, hit a full toss to leg, from which 13 r'Jfereobtained, and Blakelevhit the next «*U for 7. The howler was taken off after '.Tr over ' m 7 correspondent adds, which is , "ot surprising. It may not bo out of place to draw the A Wellington gentleman, who does not his name, has intimated his inten- __* i P resentin K two valuable trophies to jne players who secure tho best bowling and wtmg averages in the New Zealand team •pU*©. A ? Btwlia next February. w_ £ •* ne - v competition matches arranged ' WT?, ? u Pft °™»«y 21th have been put t _♦ • April 15th !U * d 22nu ' 'is the former .'_«? '? V* be used for olie of the matches the New Zealand visitors. * _at e East Melbo «nic C.C., playing against ' &A Wn ? l Kast Melbourne on November ,;, ; «ro, made 273 runs for the loss of four i ' -

wickets in ninety minute 3, and won by. six wickets and 177 -runs.--.--For the winners, Carter compiled 84 (including two 6's two s's, and ten 4's), R. North 62 (one fiver), nine 4's), F. Layer not out 62 (two s's, eight 4's), Johnson not out 37. Malvern scored 96.

L. W. Pye is nothing if not sensational (says a Sydney writer). Playing for Parramatta incognito on November 16th against the Imps, a strong mixed city team, he went in seventh, and knocked up 119 in exactly an hour. The ninth wicket fell at 69, but Pye continued to monopolise the strike, and in the end he was stumped. In First Grade cricket the following Saturday Pye took nine Leichhardt wickots for 40 runs*- and then made 86 not out for Central Cumberland.

T. R. McKibbin arrived in Sydney from Bathurst t last month, and has since been practising djJigeutlv at the nets on the Sydney Cricket Ground. He is in excellent health, and there is no reason why he should not bowl as well this season as he has ever done. In future First Grade matches he will assist his old club, the Glebe.

The First Grade matches commenced in Sydney on November 12th. and were brought to a conclusion on the following Saturday, when a lot of interest was taken in the contest between Paddington and Glebe. On the opening day Paddington had scored 200 for seven wickets, and continuing they declared their innings closed with 235 for nine wickets. Glebe lost eight wickets for 102, -and a win for'their opponents seemed assured, although 'Coningham, who had gone in first, was still at the wickets. Duggan then joined the ex-Queenslander, and at four and a half minutes to time the pair were still in. and only 8 runs were wanted to win. Coningham hit a3, and then DuggaO was caught at slip, the ninth wicket having added 129 runs to the total. McGrath then went in, and Coningham hit Noble to the fence for 4, making the scores level, but he was bowled by the fifth ball of the over, the game ending in a tie, amidst great excitement. Coningham made 133 and Duggan 43. ■

In the contest Waverley v East Sydney, the former replied to East's 288 made on the first day. with 337 (Newell 86, Iredale 49, and S. Gregory 26). North Sydney put up 422 (W. S. Duff 136 and R. A. Duff 123) against Redfern's 207. The Duffs put on 236 for the first wicket. South. Sydney's 406 enabled them to beat Burwood by 223 runs, the latter only scoring 183 (Donnan 76 and Garrett 73) and 82 for two wickets. Central Cumberland made 465 for six wickets against Leichhardt's 73. For the former L. W. Pye scored 244 and J. C. Wilson 100.

W. J. Champin, the well-known N.S.W. cricketer, was to have left S3'dney for a month's trip in New Zealand on Saturday last.

Tho match Tasmania v New South Wales commences in Sydney on Friday next. As the New Zealand team meets both of these teams, the contest will be of interest to players here. This is the first time Tasmania and N.S.W. have met.

In chronicling the death of Mr W. G. Rees a month ago, I mentioned that another cousin of the Graces, G. Gilbert accompanied the deceased to the colonies in 1852, and that Gilbert played a few matches in Christcharch a few years ago. I had not heard anything of the latter for some time before the last Sydney "Referee" came to hand, and I notice by that paper that the veteran has written to the New South Wales Association from Bathurst suggesting the trial of a local bowler named Walker, whom he regards as likely to develop into 4 first-rate player. The selection committee have invited Walker to Sydney for a trial.

The Australian College First playing against the First Eleven of Fort Street Public School, at Sydney on November 16th, scored 249 for one wicket, Scott making 120 not out, and Chapman 116 not out. This must nearly be a school record for Australia.

A Leeds newspaper once published a map on which the small market town of Driffield did'not appear, but if the little Yorkshire spot is not celebrated for any other reason it will, says London "Evening News," always remain famous as the. native place of John Thomas Brown. A representative of our contemporary had a few. moments' chat with Brown on the subject of his bigi effort 0f.300 and its subsequent beating by Hayward's 315. The popular little Yorkshireman, in answer to a query, said he didn't, mind his score being .passed a bit. "You see," he continued, 'T might-have gone on, andpejrhapsl should'have made a" lot more runs, but? I was' playing for my county, thafs the difference. , I was playing for Yorkshire and Surrey was playing for Hay ward." "Just so; but it'must have bean a trifle galling to you after passing Gnnn's big score?" "Well, it was a little bit, but there is one thing I am glad of, and that is that the performance was done by a professional, and I would as soon see Tom Hayward beat mc as one of my own side." "I don't begrudge Tom the honour a bit," he added, in a tone which left no doubt as to his regard for the Surrey crack.

When the last Australian team were on tho point of departure for England a hubbub was raised in certain circles' about the exclusion of A. E. Trott, and out of sympathy with him it was decided by his friends that he should come over to .England willy-nilly (says an English writer). Jim Phillips, doubtless with his weather eye open to the fact that Middlesex could -do with such a bowler, whispered words of advice in his ear, and so Trott came. Tne result has been one upon vriiMtx Trott and Phillips and Middlesex can mutually congratulate themselves. A great batting county, the Metropolitans for a long time have been, weak,in,the other respect, and should now be happj, for they have found the one man "wanted. Only Surrey can claim with them the distinction of numbering two members among the few who have this season taken a hundred wickets. Trott is a bowler with original methods, which have recently been employed to the complete discomfiture of some of the crack bats, and it is safe to say that his assistance has gone a long way towards winning matches .which otherwise might have been drawn or lost. Jack Hearne is a, proven great bowler, but he cannot do two men's work. Henceforth we may- expect Middlesex to take their proper place in the table of merit, which is near the top. Cuffe, the Toowomba cricketer, who bowled so well last season when playing for that district against the Englishmen, will, most probably, soon make Melbourne his head-quarters, under engagement to the M.0.0. (says a Melbourne exchange). He is a left-handed bowler of much promise, anpl is but seventeen years of age. Both Mr Stoddart and Mr Maclaren spoke very highly of his ability, and stated that the young trundlerwas one of the very best they had met in Australia.

A contemporary tells this story of A. E. Trott. When he was touring with the M.C.C. recently a - local professional expressed the opinion that Trott was one of the worst bowlers that ever won a reputation. Presently the local professional hnd to go in to face the Australian ; but as he came up to the wicket he was handed a small piece of paper folded, and asked not to read it till after his innings. His curiosity was not long unsatisfied.' The first ball hit him in the body, to the illmannered amusement of .the field; the second he hit at with vigour, but missed, and again: the field showed its ill-manners; the third bowled him clean, and every one burst into roars of laughter. When in the privacy of the pavilion he read the slip of paper, the horrible reason of the cachinnation was made clear. On it were these words:—"Trott wins five pounds if he hits you with the first ball, makes you, miss the second, and bowls you in the first over. .Is he a good bowler I"

At the Hove ravilion the other day (says a writer in "Tit Bits") one of the greatest cricketers and captains of this or any age was to the writer and others regretting the almost total disappearance of really fine cricketers who at the same time have a reputation as " cures " and " funny" men at the game. " Would that there were coming on more men,' he said. " ot the Tom Emmett, Sherwiu, and * Little Briggs' sort; men who by their occasional harmless antics set the field in a roar, and seemed to say, • Though our livings depend on this game— never forget that it is a game, after all! One jovial, man, who was yet a fine player, not only dfd incalculable good to the * gate' (the lowest estimate of him), but he was the life and soul of the field and of our journeys. When wo were all fagged out, cross, hot, and hopeless, he acted as a tonic with- a mere word or two. I have known a_timely jest from 'Owd' Tom Emmett to'revive men who had been fielding for hours, and he has so disconcerted a roan well set that the latter has been captured immediately afterwards We have too many desperately-in-

rarnest business men. A yonng fellow who J is not actually a first-rank player, but who j is a genuine cricket jester, has a f»rtunei before him, and would be a godsend now."