ENGLISH CRICKET.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12946, 28 October 1907, Page 7

ENGLISH CRICKET.

.— • -■ . MB H. H. SECRETIN'S IMPRESSIONS/ In the days when there were giant* in Canterbury cricket, Mr H. H. Secretan not only took keen interest in the geroo, but represented Canterbury against Otafio in "many interprovincial matches. During his recent visit to England ho made it His business in company with Mr J. Millton, another Now Zeal«nder, to see as much firstclass cricket at Lord's and the Oval as possible. A member of tho staff of "The Press" had an interesting interview with ham on the subject of English cricket, especially as exhibited in some of tho matches he had seen. Aβ will bo seen, Mr Secrotah is Tery strong on tho necessity of Canterbury going int for a first-olaes professional coach in tho way Auckland has done. In answer to a question as to what firstrclass cricket he had seen, Mr Secretan raid: "I saw the first test match at Lord's botwoen England and South Africa. The wicket was very bad, playing very stickily; Hayward waa walking about hie wicket and ploying the bowling with his legs. Tyldesley is a beautiful bat, and ma do 02 with C. B. Fry, who raado 33. Things were going very badly for England, and it was whet is called et Home "sticky cricket. ,. At this juncture G. L. Jeseop came in. Jeesop is the idol of the London cricket enthusiasts. Braund was then in battling away with the South African bowling. Braund had made 40 when Jeasop camo in, and was keeping up his end. Jessop set to work <at once and made tuo bowling, which scorned so difficult, perfectly easy, and in an hour and five minutes by the perfection of batting he made D 3, and ultimately the innings, which opened so badly for England, olosed for 425. The match wee afterwards drawn on account of bad weather. But whilst this match was at one time looking bad for England, es a whale the South Africans had Dot much chance. They had trained on matting, and to go home to play on such wickets as we saw did not give them much, of a show. On the Oval I caw • match, Surrey v. Yorkshire,, and. speaking generally, I may lay that county crioket in England is very fine indeed. Notts won tho championship this year, and thoroughly deserved it, ac they play pure county cricket, getting tijeir men from their own county, β-nd not importing them from others. I saw Middlesex v. Kent, in which Hutchings played. Hβ is coming with the team to Australia, and I think on Australian wickets he will make a lot of rune. Fielder, who is coming with the team, is a fast bowler—very fast, — and lias five men in the dips. With regard fo' the team, Ido not think they are strong enough. They have some fine bate amongst them, mostly young, but the* havo no experienced cricketers like Hayward, Tyldesley, or Warner. I saw Knox, tho Surrey bowler, and P. R. May, bowling. They are bo.th fino bowlers. Tho latter was here with the Marylebono team. Knox ie fast and erratic but he gets plenty of wickets. ' The two things that struck mc about English cricket were fitrst the wonderful fielding; it was, like machinery. Then all the fine point* of > the game aro brought out and professionals like Braund play for their side and not. for themselves. "The scoring cards at Lord's and the Oval are quite a revelation. They are published about every, ton minute, costing one penny each, giving not only the score of the matoh you are watching but the scores from all the great county matches going on all over England. In the matter of •coring boards we here are, so far as concern* the gratuitous information afforded to the spectators, far ahead. Titer© is, however, a.reason for that. The sale of the scoring cards runs into many thousands and , produces quite a revenue to the counties interested. In order not to interfere with the sale of these they take oare not to put the names of the men playing on the Moting boards, but only numbers. The , names of the players only appear on the cards and the number* are placed against them. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary to have a card to foiknr tho match. In England every ran - as it is made is shown on the ■coring board as well as the totals. .' "Now there is one thing that I, 'ai an! old cricketer and one who has seen ' and played, a good deal, want to impress most forcibly upon these having the > management of Canterbury cricket. "That is the absolute necessity of having a professional ooach, one orV the best. Auckland, for two years running, has brought out A. .£. Rolf as professional ooach, and he cwne out with-me this time in the Rimutaka. Why could not Canterbury do tho samo'thing and get a tip-top num.' to teach the Canterbury men cricket P Relf told mc that he was perfectly delighted with the improvement shown in Auckland* crioket after, one season's coaching. ■ Had it not been tbafc ■ he had this Auckland engagement he would havo been a. member of the M.C.C. team. If Canterbury, ac I hope it will, goes in for a professional coach, I nope that the web will bet got: But at any rate it ie imperative, if we want to bold our own end do honour to our crioket traditions, that we shoul9 have a professional coach here. As to the weather affecting cricket this yesff in, England, I may say; that we went to tee Surrey r. Yorkshire on the 17th August, and that was only the second) Saturday during the whole season they had been able to phy owing to the continual wet weather^'