THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 86, 4 January 1908, Page 9

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

THE TURF.

(Br GlencoeO

'RACING FIXTURES,

Jan..4.^Westland,R.G; Midsummer. • Janl 4.—Waiau Hack R.C. Annual. Jan. B.—Amuri T.C. Annual. ' \ Jan.,B—WairioJ.C. Annual. ' ' Jan. 15- and 16.—Tuapeka Couiity J.C.

. Annual. ■ '. . >'■ „ Jari/ 18, 22 and 25.—Wellington • R.C.

■ • 'Summer.' ' . , Jan. 22 and 23.—Foxton R.C. Annual. Jan. 29 and 30.—Pahiatua R.C. Annual. > : Fob. 6 and-B.—Canterbury J.C. Summer. Fob. 13;-4Ekotahuna II.C. Annual. Fob: 26.-—Shannon Hack ; R.C. Annual.' March 5 and 6: —Wanganui J.C. Autumn. ' NOTES AND COMMENTS. ■ Owners and trainers -aro reminded that * nominations for all events at tho Foxton Raciiig Club's meeting (except the Trial Hack-and tho Maiden Hack. Scurry) .closo with, tho Secretary, 'Mr. Angus Keith, Fox.tpn, tliis. eyohing at I) p.m. Telegraph nominations, must, bo confirmed by. an .early mail. Nominations for- the Pahiatua Racing Club's annual meeting aro duo on Monday next. As this mcetmg fits in very: well with ; tho Foxton and Wellington fixtures it should attract largo entries. : Owners need riot bo fr-Mjhtenod 'of sending.'their:horscs to, Pahiatuc ■ -Tis tho racing track thcrii as' ono •of the coiilitryJ-;;: ''' : ;Aiter fßaila,rat!s:.'^:poori^showing'-in tho Scott' Memorial .Handicap ; at.;.. Bulls, it. is. ':- . ..doubtful, if the > Gold Reef "maro will bo ■ persevered with much longer. Evidently sho has lost' -her diisli as the field she met at Bulls was a: veij.. poor one." Perhaps it is rather lato .to think-of'finding a-suitable mafco . for hei" this season, but I should think that this , will bo tile course dccided upon next 'August.. l -' :. ■.'• ' Asteroid is another maro .that seems to have entirely forgotten how to gallop; and in tho Ran'gitikei: Cup sho .was last the whole way!'': She has beori a very serviceable maro- • iri : ;her tiirio, both on' tho / flat and over 1 battens,and. amongst her ; victories 'is tho Manawatu; Cup of- oiib arid. a half-miles. • I do ; not'expect'to seo her on tho racecourso very/-much .longer, - and-I: understand. Mr. t J. SYostley.--li'as"alreadv. discussM the; question, of iS<fh.diiig^Jffer; to ,t{io ; stud. JTangim6aria|-:winner of the Rangitikei Cup, is ia' Mo ; .big:-i»y:' : inßre;''.Byi > Saii.(Fraln: from Wairigbngora..;.3he ''is''four: 'years'..- old. -and'; i was'ipurcaased' as a"yeafling by.'lier- present' owner,-Mr. D. Buick of. ;Palmer'stori Nprth,: at the .Messrs. :Douglas's salo of yearlings'in January ' 1905- for tho " modest siini of 25 ■ guineas. Her 'name in - Maori ; means ' A '. murmuring stream,"'; and tho jiamo was cbosori by Mr. Buick.' TaiigimQanirrdid 'not racp as'■ a-two-year-old,':but m her next year she won.' a race at ( the : autumn'"mebtihg of tho Manawatui-Club. -; This .'season ' sho has; done' well by "winning^tho';big '.handicap at Cla'reville :on tho' seicond day' of tho' mooting'; tho Woodvillo Handicap on the opening day of that meeting';' second plaoo to' 'Moloch in -tho Summer 'Handicap at tho samo fixture'; and now, sh'o has' finished up ; tho; holiday • season" by .winning ; 'tho'Rangitikei 'Cup ; ' Hcr'trairier H." King is only >'a young mail, but 'he stems to .bo ablo to get his chargcs. well, and ! hope that-his successes will continue., '7---

It was rather a big task to expect- a little torso-like Signor to weight and ago t-o • gallopers liko- Karoroa and 'Rangipapa. -Tho .howling., gale that was blowing at Bulls oiVNew;, Year's Day was " ' little hprso was such a hot. favourite in tho Carnarvon Hack race his '.defeat is not to bo wondered at : , '

'... The. supporters _ of. ; Tilley's stable bet ,very Heavily on Noviv" in'- tho R'angitikei Cup, and l considering the very bad run the Stepniak colt got thoy were lucky .to save their money. .• . ~v .Tho' local' sportsman who races under the name of "Mr. P. Soames" started two horses at tho-Rangitikei meeting."•'Tho Musketry gelding Saltpetro showed .no form in the Maiden race, and. Happy Maid had her chance extinguished at: the barrier in.tho Pukenui'Welter Hack-race. • •, Weights for the Wellington Cup meeting aro due on. Monday. A sporting writer recently made a stater ment that Catapult defeated Motoa at tho last' Feilding'meeting. This was, of course, iiujorrect as Motoa 'did' 1 not run in tho r'aco which Catapult .won at Feilding, but . strange . to say Mr! Moore's horso defeated Motoa tho day after tho statement appeared in-print. A Oliver returned from Auckland during tho week and was in the saddle atßulls last Wednesday. Apa was-: landed home in Fordell on Tuesday. It appears that tho Addington gelding had a bad, run in- the, Auckland Cup, and was galloped all over, and as ho was scarcely fit to-appear again at the meeting ho was sent homo on the Monday. , ' . Armistice, who, went .wrong - last month, and was thrown out of .work will shortly be put in commission,again and may bo raced at the Wanganui meeting in March. . I'on- . tenoy, another member of Harry Jackson's . team, is being ridden about tho roads, arid will be placed in activo work in a week or two. "... "• '.

At tho Takapau meeting last Monday tho lightweight jockey, E. Lowe, rode three winners, and C. Prico rodo two. A bookmaker of tho mushroom class, who was conducting operations at the Takapau meeting took a risk about a favourito in a race, and tho said favourito duly won. Having no'provision for losses the penciller had to explain to his various creditors that lie was.unablo to pay but agreed to return tho money invested. Tho creditors were scarcely satished, and after giving ''.him. , a rough handling succeeded ,in discovering somo £15 in different pockets. The .assistance and advico of the police was then called and a dividend was declared : so that the different backers .of 'the favourito: received "a pro rata payment.

Sinco the second day's racing at Awapuni when. tho large bookmakers in this district commenced to bet on the courso it has been noticeable that their ' prices in races with small'fields havo been better than those paid 'by tho machine, but in a four horse, raco, at Bulls on Wednesday tho machine returned nearly double the prico on olfer by the penCillers.

.Backers who get in early, however, can usually rely on a decent price, and for that reason tho straight-out betting, though it is not . yet. understood by. tho majority of backers, is' rapidly growing in popularity. In six months' time tho totahsator turnover will probably feel the effect, but as. tlioro will bo ■ increases in the bookmakers' ranks, and consequential', increases. in .license foes for tho clubs, tho latter should not suffer seriously.. In short tho pencillors will bo. giving thoir monetary assistanco for tho promotion of' "fashionable breeding and clean racing." _. I'montioned sometime ago that tho bookmakers would havo a monopoly of silver betting on -tho courses, but-at the time I did not know what a first-class stylo of business this was. Evcryono who.bets likes to back his own fancy. When ho gets advico from ownors, trainors,. jockoys or "guesscrs" ho has doublo confidenco if it fits in with his own opinion. Ladies often wish to put tho small sum of two-and-sixpenco or fivo shillings on their own particular fancy, and havo difficultv in finding anyone willing to make up a ticket with them. Now, howover, tho bookmaker provides- a way out of tho difficulty. At a rccent meeting thero was a bookmaker, taking in tho silver as fast as his , clerk could keep tho book written up. They wero quoting a liprso at "sevens" along the lino, and a lady camo along with fivo shillings to'invest. Her ono object evidently was to get fivo shillings on the horso sho fancied for • sho was quite satisfied when tho bookmaker filled in "the card, and called to his clerk . "Seven and six to. a dollar," such and such -a horse.

RECORD 01 RACING AND OUTDOOR;PURSUITS,

CRICKET.

1 REPRESENTATIVE MATCH; Auckland v. Otago (at Auckland) —January 4,

•'•'•ENGLISH TEAM IN AUSTRALIA. Australia (second test), at, Melbourne — . January 4. . ' . V y, Australia (third test), at Adclaide-^Jamiary 10, 11, 13, and 14. Tasmania, at Launceston—January 18, ' 20* and 21. '• ', Tasmania, at Iloba rt—J anu ary 24, 25, and •: 27.' '■ ' >.'''o.': Victoria, .. at Melbourne—Jauuary: 31, and : "-''February 1, 3, and 4/ Australia (fourth test), at Melbourne—Feb-

ruary 7, 8, 10, . and 11. New South AVales, at Sydney—February 14,

15, 17, and 18; •'■■■•' Australia (fifth test), at Sydney-rFebrtiary ..." 21, 22, 24,.'and 25. '. '•■' South Australia, at Adelaide—February 29, , v and March 2, 3, and 4. 1 ' West Australia, at Perth—March 12, 13, 14, ... and 16. THE FIRST TEST. MATCH. • '" - Writing up the first: test, match,' tho Sydney. " Referee "■ comments, 1 inter alia, .as follows:—"At tho close of thc-big.match ono wont'v.out to look at the wicket. . ' Beyond a J fow' scratches near tho batting ...crease .from i tho bowlers': boots, it. was fit'to start another' test match : .upon.-". The. rain' hadlmade it ..tho easiest, of.-, easjr' wickets i'for. ' ".England's - batsmen': did riot, ' 'olio ' feels suro, do. justice totheir powers—that ■ ' is; Vpoaking. generally.' G.'.Gunn's batting was, i pf course, superb, and J. HardstafFs'.'crickot | was keen and clever, hut .on tho whole so'mo very ablo: batsmen did not show, their best, or anything like it. ■■■■.'■)"■ • . "The bowling of tho Englishmen; disappointed themselves as woll as the-critics.,One inclines inore than ever to; the. view that the attack will, be less dangerous on the wickets of Melbourne and . Adelaide than 1 it has,; on ■the whqlo,. been : here, as leading/Australians agreo , that' the Sydnoy wicket . is";.now.:, the fastest in the: Commonwealth. •• •" /"The mariner .'of this win doe's-..much for ■Australian.[cricket/ 'It is already as!a.tonic to : public, onthusi'asm; and it teaches'/thoso, few who have not seen, possibly, because they would not, that the yonugor ones in Australia aire as .fit- to -represent"their country on', tho crickotficld of the world as many oldei"Tffies; fitter,'indeed/, than have done.so within years n6't yet distant.; '•/ ' ' " In- this match/England; it must be remembered; was: beaten-,bv only two .wickets, and yet the; leader of • tta/side, ;' who had struck ,his true run-getting form,. was not thoro.-, • .Ho .was away- hundreds of ' miles, stretched l out with, illness. . And" the'.moral effect,• on-.this, tho most important event irf the -.tour., is not- calculable.'.--.: it is< to. bo -hopfd that .on'the next 'occasion each Bide..w;ill, bp; absolutely, at its, best,' and .t-hjit! the luck will not smile on. one. side only. .England.; of. ; course,;'had a smile; or two, ,for .slie won. the tpss v and ,on that last-day shb ought to/have done,something deadly beforo. luncheon'." 1 ■, ■ ■ "L.B.W."R6tJND THE WICKET-,.v.!.' ' Replying to Major; Trevor,. who; last' year, in' tho London' " Sportsman " adversely criticised' a " pamphlet . entitled. "L.B.W. round- the Wicket," tho author, "L.8.W," in the latest'issue of the Sydney "Roforce," says:—" I-stated in tho pamphlet that I was almost inclined to think that if all appeals- round the;' wic'Kct were in future invariably answered in the batsman's favour, it would.'barejy nunjbor of. in'' the'past under-tho/guisc of Law 24." Major Trevor disagreed with the statomcnt as , far as' English cricket 'was conceited., j' Ho o;on- : tended; that -'tfib I '-natural"and'-' u'ncoriscious break of either a left-hanc]ed or right-handed bowler' caused -sufScierit l deflection :to ' bring the batsman within the. just pale of the law, and that tho said batsman oftcnor than not gets the benefit of tho doubt. lam quite confident that if tho law was administered in its entirety it would revolutionise-bowling. No left-haiuler would bowl'round the.:wjckot. All his good length balls could be immediately swept to leg, and:if he. placed check- fields on that sidei gaps would be created:,in; the "off" division; which the would take:full advantago of/. 'V-; ; '

"In my littlo brochure I clearly showed that a fast,, good-length ■ ball,""delivered round the wicket, pitching on . the ; lcg stump, would miss the leg stump, by at!; least 23: inches, and so on. in my cricket experienco, limited, of course, to. our own sunny land; I have never yet'met a bowler whoso natural break deflected the ball more than.a fe<v inches .at most.' A'good-length ball doihgthreo inchbs would beat rthc bat every timo, and havo all our batsmen in hopeless troublo. As referred to above, a good-length fast ball, delivered round the. wicket, pitched :on the leg 1 stump, hiisses that'stuiiip by feet.• " By a little' calculation ' it is. possible to compare a break or deflection over - the wicket with a break ball round the " wicket. I do not proposo to go into'dry mathematical calculations in this column, probably "the editor would not stand'it,'but 1 have no hesitation in stating that the amount' of spin or dolleetion necessary' to got a .legitimate l.b.w. decision on a good-length fast ball, pitched on the .leg. stump, .delivered round the wicket is equivalent to a break of over 18 iiiches over tlie wieket. ;

"I, therefore, confidently. contend ' that it is a matter.of impossibility for a left-hander, bowling' round .tho '..wicket, to got a righthanded batsman l.b.w. oh a good wicket, in accordance with the law, with a good-length ball, or anything short of such. The umpire has to be satisfied on two points, viz., that the ball shall havo been: pitched in a straight lino from tho bowler's wickot to the striker's wicket, and would have hit tho. latter. A ball on anything like a decent wicket delivered in the fashion referred to abovo, if pitchod' on the wicket, would miss same, no matter what natural 1 twist' a bowler ■ may possess. If it- would hit the wicket, it could not, ipso facto, have been- pitchod on the wicket.' - - ■ '-. .. •' ■ '. "

" Major Trevor in the.articlo in question laments the reign of thc. 'paddist,' as lie calls him —tho man who uses his pads for the. protection of the wicket, not of liis legs. But the law must bo administered 'it is found. ,We cannot tiiiKor with it,.,admittedly unsatisfactory, until it is amended. But who can suggest an equitable solution or alteration ?"

The Otago-Wcllington .representative match, which resulted in an easy •. win for Wellington by eight wickets, .was an; uninteresting game from a spectator's point of view. • The attendance of the. public: was not large, but the play was'never of a character as to attract a crowd. ■

Otago won the toss and batted;' It was considered that, after the respectable score made against Canterbury in the' second innings, the Southern batsmen had struck form, and as the wicket was good (as Wellington wickets go), a score of two or three hundred was expected. This, however, was not forthcoming, and Otago's last wicket fell with the total at 115..

Wilson, the ex-Victorian, made 11. One of his strokes was an.cxcollent cut; for. 4. His batting, however, failed to impress one', so'that apparently'. he lias riot yet recovered from his recent illness.' Siedeberg ; shaped nicely in making 21, his scoring strokes being very clean. Watson, who played a littlo for I'hocnix a couple of years ago, and who is a very pretty bat,'was run out before he had an opportunity of showing his cricket.

lickhold, v/lio was so successful in the Canterbury match, "came off" hero. His batting is tiring to watch, and painful to think of, but it was of immense service to his side. If Eckhold could cultivate a few good scoring strokes lie would make a really lino batsman, as.liis defence is very solid.

lusher, who top-scored, • played a fine, plucky innings, but had a mcasuro of luck in not being bowled several times by Haies. Ho wont in with the score at 50, and his was tho last wicket to fall. His score, which was made at a pinch, was invaluable,

- Uobcroft's. high-tossed, slow spinners ; sot the. majority .of tho.Otago- men .thinking. Apparently they had not met such bmvling before, because' tlfey' were practically at the bowler's mercy.. . ' • •

With such a small scoro up against them, the Wellington team had visions of'.'an : easy win, • but when • Torranco finished • work the first night at 6 p.m. things did not appear to bo quite so rosy. The Otago ; players consider that Torrance bowled better'on.Friday than he has ever bowled beforo. Ho kopt'a good length, made pace from the wicket, and the southerly wind "brought him in a bit." >

Mahony was tho sole survival of Friday's wreck, and on Saturday morning ho was joined by Blacklock. Then ensued the partnership of the match, the one bright spot of tho match. Both men drove, cut, and glided in a free and confident manner until alter the Otago total had been passed. Blacldock made 60, an dhis innings was one of; tho best lie lias ever played.

Mahony, who made 84, was the backbono of tho Wellington side, and without "liini the result of the match might have been" some-: what different. ;He was shaping ■ well for the century, when he roturncd ono to tho bowler.

Monaghan and Hales -put on 86 for the last wicket. They hit at practically everything. They both had., plenty of -luck, but Monaghan played some good strokes.

Otago, in the second innings, started; badly, and lost two wickets before any runs had been made. Austin and Siedeberg made a stand, however, and 36 was on.the.-board when Austin got ill front to a straight ono.

Eckhold' joined Siedeberg,. and both played a saving game. Ones were the ;order of _the day, and the cricket'was far from exciting. Siedeberg was finally bowled by Monaghan after having mado a useful 45: At -6 p.m'. Otago had lost 4 wickets for 115,-which: was' the total of the. first.innings,- ; and.-,they,still required 74 r.uns" to . savo' an, -innings' -d< fes. Oh Monday;.' Maclte^soy.^and:jEckhold/. .cciir ti'nued the.stonewall,until tho, total/was '152, when - iickliold, .watching ono .froni Cubcroft. across the wicket, allowed . it- to touch his bat. Hickson snapped it in the slips, and Eckhold retired with 41 to his credit. With the score at 165 Mackersey did exactly tho same thing'that dismissed Eckhold, and he likewise had to go. Strangely. his total was 41, the same as Eckliold's. Fisher batted nicely for 30, and Adams made 18. Torrance was the onlj; reckless Otago player, and he took chances in making 33. :

Cobcroft.was again successful with the ball His figures for the-match were 9 for 107.

Wellington required 67, and lost two wickets in getting the runs. Mahony played a nice innings" for 22 not. out, and. Olaudo Hickson'mado 15. ' ' ' ■•■

The team: which played against Canterbury included " Upliam,' Gibbes, :and Tucker, \ inplace, of Bruce, Cobcroft, and Hickoy.' Laws and Beechoy, who-failed in the Otago game, might^on'.performances' have been dropped ill favour of 'Bruce and'. S. Hickson, or, failing-, theso two players;' Burton, Gourlay, V., Waters, or Brico ought to havo been considered. ■ Tho : 'selectors "clean forgot" S. Hickson. when picking the team. • '

': No mpmber of. the Otago, touring team was asked'to contribute in'any way-towards the cost of the trip. It: will be remembered that when the Otago team toured the colony some years ago-the players were, asked to contribute tho sum. of .£5 per man towards '■ the expenses of ,the. tour.;. ' .

■ John Tuniiiclilfe: has • severed . his connection with Yorkshire. Ho . lias accepted the post, of coach ' at. Clifton College; and willcommence, liis duties -at Bristol' on Jaiulary 1. There' aro 600- pupils 'aVClifton College, arid Tunnicliff'o -will combine, an athletic outfitter, business': with tho duties of coach. . 1 -

Tho South., African: Crickct, Union' has asked the Australians to visit Soutli Afnca in 1909, and .contemplates asking tho M.C.C. to send a team-in 1903. ■- ,

■ .Rather a good story has boon told about Barnes, a member of tho English(jrickefc teaiiil'vrOno of ..'the great social o'events' of, the -JUidland - Cycling and Athletic' Club's season .was; the annual,crickot.'match'.between tho Club juid.-the'Enfield Cycling : Club. The ilidlariders,had fared badly in..those matches, "for' th'oit: toam usually consisted of crusted veterans. ■ But 0110 year they persuaded Barnes to give them a lift. He went "illcog.," 'and'great.-was tho consternation of tho Eniielders when the stalwart young stranger scattered their stumps like ninepins. '-'Who is this fellow?" said a Midlander, who was in tho know. "Ho seems a likely cricketer.". : "Oh, he's 0110 of our novices," was tho reply. "A novice, indeed! Jle seems a pretty..warnv 6iio, then. But,wild is lie?" "Oh, lio's a'vicar's*son;-" After the match the teams were treated,-and the, winners were congratulated. Tho speaker (the person who knew all about tho- trick) then, turning to-. .Barries, slyly said: "They tell mq our young'.friend hore is a vicar's son'; I should, say, judging from the way in, which lie has mown us down to-day, that ho is a 'VickerSjVSoii, and Maxim;' " This incident,, it should bo. mentionod, happened beforo Barnes made his name in first-class cricket.»

Replying to the paragraph in the Auckland "Star' 1 regarding tho incident which led to Hawkins, a mcßiber of tho Grafton team, leaving the field during the course of tho match against Parncll,; the captain of tho .Grafton, team ■ has expressed the following opinion:—"The captain of a sido is as much in .charge of. his cloven as a colonel of his regiment or a captain of his ship, and obedience to orders is no less the duty- of a cricketer than it is of a soldier or a sailor. It is ipiito true that a wiso captain usually allows. his. bowler to. place his own field, but that. is.a matter in which ho (tho capr tain) is entitled , to use his own discretion, and no player, with .any respect for. himself would dare to absolutely reruso orders."

When tho personnel of tho Australian'Xl. for' the first Test match was • announced Major Trevor (managor of tho M.C.C. team) commented, inter alia, as follows:—"The sentonce of exclusion is one i which ono does not like'to pronounce on any famo«3 player; but I certainly think that the selectors have done cricket a big'servico by putting justice beforo generosity. The young man's day has dawned at last in Australia, as well as in England. 11l our caso it is 1 Hobson's choice' to a great oxtent. Wo cannot help ourselves; but 1 offer my respectful congratulation to the.Australian Selection Committee for prac-. tising what so In, any other'selection committees have merely" boon'.Content'to preach. It is all ; very well to say 1 in'a ; goneral way, 'Youth will be served,' but at cricket you must givo youth the chance of being served. At the same time, too much should not bo oxpected of youth at the first attempt."

.. "Never once did Noble lose his grip of the game," wrote Major Trevor concerning tho first Test match; "and his control of it and of his moil was at its best when things were going against him the .most. How tho dear old fashionable player who loves to place his fieldsmen by a diagram would liavo been perploxed by Noblo's arrangement of his men, and oven those of us who havo tried to acquire a little up-to-dato knowledge woro at first somewhat inclined to wonder at his disposition. But wonderment soon gave place to admiration, and for a sustained offort, justified-by results, Noblo's captaincy, ranks high. I wish that I had''the spaco. at my disposal to discuss in detail the various manoeuvres, etc., to which he had .recourse, because., these matters,. I fear, receive as a rulo far too little recognition. Anxious as | I was as a partisan to see his dispositions foiled, as a lover of crickot they gave me sheer delight; and, as I watched Noble captain the side, I was more convinced than ever that the system of eleventh-hour election to captaincy is not a good 0110. That system might havo lost Australia Noble's captaincy. Are there other men in Australia with a capacity like that of Noble to captain their sides finely, and do they sometimes loso the chance of doing so by reason of tlie elective principle in force? 1 am not, of course, sufficiently acquainted with the administrative details of Australian cricket to know if it is the lesser of two evils to let a team chose their own captain; and it mav bo rejoined—' They elected a very good man in this case, and they will always do srt.' The proof of the pudding, 1, admit, is in the eating, but. popular favour is unreliable, and ill England, at any rato, we should not run the. risk of losing tho services of a man eminently fitted to perform cortain duties by subjecting him (and the cause wo wish to serve) to the whim of tho.

ballot. ~ We hnvo novcr done so. successfully against an- Australian elovoir in England as in 1905.; In that season' Stanley Jackson was asked in tho month of May to captain England in all fivo test matches. England bccamo in a senso Jackson's eleven, and tho, result wo know."

M. A. Noble is tho first to captain Australia to victory in a first Test m<iitcli ...on. Australian soil sinco tho five. Test -match series was first introduced: in: 1894. r It is generally hold that tho most difficult, of theso matches for Australia to wiu is always the first.

A romarkablo performance was put up by Miss Vera Foulsliam, of the Emo, Ladies Cricket Club (Melbourne) on Saturday, December 7. Playing against Studley, sho took fivo wickets for 11 runs, tho opposing side making 26 runs.' With the bat this skilful lady cricketer hit. up no fewer than 105, not out, tho Einos making 184 for tho : loss of four wickets.

Following''is a summary of _ the receipts and expenditure, with tho division of profits, arising froni tho three Test matches played by- tho "'South' Africans' in Englandjßoceipts, Lord's: Gate money, ' £2066 v. 19s;; stands, £1454 17s."Total, £3521-16s.''Leeds: Gato''inoney, £966 145.; stands, £286 13s. 6d. Total, -£1253 7s'.' 6d. Oval: Gate money, £2052 10s."; stands, £950 Bs. lOd. Total, £3032 ISs. lOd. Grand -total, £7808' 2si 4d.; Expenses, Lord's: South African's--share, £1033 9s. 6d,; other payments, £435.35.'2 d;;'; ;' balance, £2053'35. 4d. Leeds: S.A.'s:share, £483 75.;-other payments,. £309 - 25.. i 3d.; balance, £460 18si 3d. Oval S.A.'s share, £10-11'- 55.; 'other' payments, £276 15s,'-2d.; balance,' :. £1714 ■ 18s.'- Bd. ■ Grand ..total, £4229 . Therefore, the South Africans t00k.'.£2558 Is. Cd.' as half-gato, in .tho'Test matches. ... - .. ■- \ : llanjitsinhji—His .Highness Jam Sahib of .Naw.-inagar-rhas 'arrived. ; in .Eiigla;i'di' aim ''(sayi/ tlib.'"3i)ortsinan " of_Np.vei[ib'ca:'.'l2); is {St'ayi'ng-. brothers, K. S.. Jboyansijihji .and irsinhji, at the Grosvenrir.';Hotel. ■Ho is accompanied ,by several, sii'dars,. _a f largo 'Suite,' and ati. English nurse, for-ho is not fiilly. recovered from his recent .seyerp attack of ont'eric, which left him very weak. At the critical period ho was .unconscious, for several days. Ho boro traces of-his recent, illness, though : lie is, if anything, rather stouter than when bo left' iMiglanu'-tlireo years ago, arid expresses himself as feeling fit. Tho trip has been undertaken oil medical advice, and.may bo'-for six, or oight months, or may even bo extended until next- autumn. Everything depends upon his health. As. to whether ho will be seen in tho cricket-field whilst in this country Ranjitsinhji would not givo a definite answer.

.' Auckland' cricket authorities are progrcs-. siye. -A 'scheme is now oti foot jby.iniich. : th.e'• .jiipst,-.''.promising riien 'in ..tho,, .different districts .will be coached by ,tho Sussex: professional ltelf. Each club will select-ten or fifteen 'of Its' most promising -young: players iind' send them along to Rolf for so much 'instruction- each week'."- 'Relf' is' engaged by tlib Ederi Club, but his services are at tho disposal of tho mon practising, for. the i'epre-. 'sentativo fixtures,-, and-' practically . at ;tho> disposal of any promising cricketer in >ariy district. ■ Ho devotes five mornings every week .to coaching at tho public schools — showing the youngsters how to stand at the/ wicket, how to handle the bat, how to run up to the wicket and bowl with an easy delivery, whore to pitch their balls for good length,' and how to field.. gives the representatives ' advico ;in ; ':oll dopartments of: theganis— not ! merely; in 'battiii'g' and howling. For" instance; 'lio'.has proper fielding' practice. Nets are dispensed with, and the ball is hit all round ,the wicket to' the mon, -who--.lire" taught'to return it in ■ the best way"to tho wicket. Catching in the, that: very, important part 'of' fielding, fe-prac-, I tisecl'. 'liven running between the'wickets, is not neglectod, Rolf being always, ready; both iit; practice and'' in club matches, to advise players about running smartly and having absoUitp, confidence in tho men at tho other end.' .-Rolf leaves the colony ill March, ill time , for tho English cricket season. Ho :llaS' notiibefen approached on-the subject of :r.h'ptlierl'.'r,orison's work for Auckland, but itis/riot'unlikely, that ho will bo engaged by ono or other of-tho provinces. Ho has been asked, it is. understood, to interview, ccrtain English professionals whilo at- .Homo,. on, ■behalf-of tho Caiitorburj-' Association, with tho. viow of securing. their services for that province. - ' 1 , 1 ':;

• Victorian cricketcrs . aro greatly exorcised in mind over a little problem' arising' out of a curious incident in the match against the English team at Melbourne. On the concluding afternoon of tho- gamo the Englishmen had to play out tiri)o or lose,' and Hardstaff 'and Fielder were patiently; keeping up. their wickets. Hardstaffi: played' a stubborn inri'irigs; but it was evident thathis desiro wiis to save his side' rather than to mako runs. Indeed (according to the "Argus"),'ho could have scored his century if ho' had run between tho wickets instead of walking as ho'did. He was-manoeuvring to' keep "the" bowling. ' Shortly before time lie cut the last" ball of : ari over from Haalitt, for an easy. two,, but as'ho wanted to take strike at tho other .end ho merely walked for a single. Hush, who fielded tho ball, saw what had happened, and, at a signal from his captain, his threw tho ball over tho boundary. Here was a. nice problem. The uhipiro solved .it bv adding a single to Hardstaff's score, but cricketers in general do not. regard that as a sound solution. Tho contentions may bo . reduced to theso three:—(l) Five should!. have been scored; one for the original stroke and four for an overthrow. (2) One should Have been allowed, as the incident came under the provisions of Rule,43, which provides that "the umpires arc .the sole judges of fair -or unfair play/' and Rush's action came within the scope .'of this rule. (3) Four shouldiiave been scored, as.tho ball .went.to tho boundary. The supporters of tho first'contention recall an incident in which, the famous -English umpire, Roboi't Thorns, was tho adjudicator. The ball had been hit to a remote corner of the field, and tho batsmen had already run five. The fieldsman, wishing to save n run for his sido, throw tho bail to the boundary, in tho hope that only four would be scored. Thorns, exercising his right of determining as to "fair and unfair play," decided that the fieldsman had .acted unfairly, and instructed tho scorers to credit tho batsman with nine runs, the five they had run and four-more for an overthrow. The nmpiro in.the Melbourne gamo was certainly within his rights,, but tho proposition will stand a good deal of discussion still.

Commenting on tho nervousness of certain players in ■'the'first test match, an Australian writer says there is, perhaps, no cricketer who has riot - fixporionced nervousness in . a big match. An olcl-scasoncd cricketer, who was a member of several Australian elevens, once said tliot lie seldom knew how ho got over the first over. Others, like the boy walking along the dark .street, : whistle to give thomsolvcs pluck on tho way to the wicket. Said Bobby Peel on one occasion to the batsman as the incoming mail was whistling coming to'the wicket, "I do like to hear a man whistling coming to tho wicket. I know lie. is-mine."

An intorviow with the late G. F. Vernon, who, it will" be remembered, died in West Africa in August, 1902/ is recalled. Ho was captain of tile team organised by Lord Hawke\iii the disastrous 1887-8 season, ill which year his team visited Australia, and ■also Shrewsbury's combination, captaincd by that splendid sportsman, C. -A. Smith. The interview was published in London "Cricket.".a few years ago, and in it the late Mr. Verndn describes the fooling he had when making a catch in tho country off a lofty hit by Boniior. 110 told how, while waiting for the ball, and hearing the remarks from tho crowd a few feet behind him, his logs began to shake, and ho feared that before the ball fell into his hands ho would collapse. Tho relief experienced when ho made the' catch was great. A strain of this, kind affects peoplo differently.. Some are nervous in going for a catch, others, quite oblivious of the crowd, find themselves trembling after they have made a successful effort. Tho trembling after a catch is mado does not last- for any- length of time; but a missed clianco appears never to be. forgotten. The cruellest experience a man can have' is to'ho barracked by tho crowd after ho had missed a catch. Not a few firstclass cricketers have given up the game because of the treatment tlie.v hare received fi-om the spectators, who, lint a short wliilo before, cheered them to the echo becauso of a jireat iniiincs or a .crcat catch, '