CRICKET NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 110, 1 February 1908, Page 9

CRICKET NOTES.

Tho match between Wellington "and; Midland, which was commenced on No.. 2-wicket last Saturday, proved fairly interesting. At no .call ,ot time the position was: Wellington [first innings)..lo4*; Midland, (first innings) two wickets for 52 ruiis. . ■ - • •

Naughton, who went out with Mahonv to open for Wellington, could do nothing against Upham :and Mitchell. Although .at. '.the wickets': clpso on. half an hour he made only a coupl<gof singles. . .. ~ 1 - f : MahoiVy; who hit a five and a two,-was easily., caught ;by Mitchell in the slips iri' llnhanr's' fourth over.-. , ■:

'. S* Hickson, the opened -with a five and a four off XJpham, the former'a. good drive ;• to, the on and the latter a splendid cut.. Subsequently, with the exception of. a brace, ho contented himself with'singles,'Ho lost;, his wicket through putting his leg' in froiit to Mitchell. ... , ' '.•

l' .BichArjkon achieved notoriety as ."it "-result or his stone-walling tactics. In the course of alrhourand a half he'made 17 runs.'*- ; Vare the fifth ,man, went in to "hit; and whilst he was permitted to remain lie laid on Aliii willow witfi all his'might. His total ,of 23 runs was the result of eight ruu-produc-mg strokes, his detailed score being li(5132ol Vare_hit the sis and tho four off Upham, and' tlio five ; off Mitchell. At -11 he was let, off by Williams, and at 12.: by Wynyard. His short but merry innings camo to an end as a result of. a "skier" to Unham. Vard'has played m senior ranks for his club;only- once pi evibuslj this season, which is his Jirst7-in the Dominion.

M illis, the top scorer with 31, mado.-some good strokes. His total included two fives— one a straight drive off Hickso'n,"and "tho othor a hit to long-on off,Mitchell. His wicket was obtained by Upham, who clean bowled him. :

Quinn, who notched three with a fair stroke, was well caught by Manson,.who had to rush forward and then only, just managed to grasp it. l'isher, who generally makes a fair scoro, was beaten by Upham, after he had added two twos to. tho total.

Nash was the only . Wellingtonian'- who failed to break his duck. At the beginning ■of tho season he .showed great promise, but latterly has been off. ...

Luckie played fairly well for 12. The "not out" man, Hales, who contributed nine to tho total, did not play faultlessly.

Tho best\bowling average for Midland was secured by Mitchell, who - took five wickets for 47 runs. In all ho sent down 22 overs, fcko firit 18 without a bor]]. Onlv IS run*

W f-°t. mn< '° from his first 12 overs, sevon of which were maidens, four being in succes-

: lipham, who; grtiivcd five "wickets for 51 runs, gave his'best display of, the season, nnd if soveral catches off his bowling had not been dropped his average would have, been still better. By means of catches ho brought about the dismissal of two other Wellingtomans. Hickson and Bruce sent down sereirovers apieco, 13 runs being obtained off tho former and 17 off the latter. Midland have lost C.' Hickson and Williams, both of whom were,caught out, the former .by Willis in the slips when he had mado four, and tho latter rather brillantly by Nash at long-off when In- had mado six. T. Taylor brought off two useful catches iin tho Old Boys-Pctone mutch. Tucker (49) and Monachal! (79) were, both dismissed by him. Ho effected Tucker's displacement by (a pretty left-handed catch in the slips, which .'he..had to jump to take. Monaghan ho got easily.'ion-down.in the slips. , J'etdno will require to play steadily to draw level with Old Boys in the first innings. They haveGS to their credit for three wickets, and roquiro to get 273.' Isherwood (Petono) who has 36 to his name, and is not out; learned his cricket at Manawatu. Old Boys started badly against Petone, and owed their recovery to Tucker and J. P. Blacklock. Tucker, third man in, played with 'confidence from the start. Ho hit prettily all round tho wicket; Monaghan (79) hit the innings of tho match. His score included two fives and fifteen threes. Up to 71 lie gave no' chances. C. P. Blacklock, tho only other man after Monaghan to make a stand,also played a careful innings for 55, keeping everything down. A big hit to the outfield by him was dropped by House. Barber and Brico wero the most successful trundlers. for the Old Boys against Petone'. The former bowled oight overs and took three' wickets for 38 runs. Brice took four wickets, but had 84 runs against him. ; Cobcroft started with a wicket early to his credit, but though the batsmen treated him with respect, he failed to wreak further destruction. Nono of the trundling was deadly; Cobcroft, who opened tho batting for -Potone against Old Boys, after scoring 11, drove a hot one to Tucker at cover,-which war, taken low down—so low, in fact, that s'omo spectators had doubts as \to tho legitimacy of tho catch. Cobcroft walked out .pavilionwards, and when at the gate someone, tried to persuade him he was not out. " Ho returned a little'' distance, but luck, in tho form of the umpire,, was against him. Barber was shortly afterwards disposed of in the samo way as Cobcroft and by tho samo fieldsman. . ;

Gas Company and-Nowtoivn began a match on No.. 3 wicket" .last Saturday, and at the call.of time tho former,.who went in to batfirst, wero still at- tho wickets. tho : r scorc totalling 352 and eight men-being out. . : The innings will oo memoriiOio, msomueh as Hodge and Spottiswoode, who are-still in,, havo already made/between them a good many .more' run's : for the ninth - wicket .' in senior cricket than'. the previous record, is ' understood, v was held by .Jacob's and' i isher, who 'the season' : before - last put on '101; 'for'.:that wicket'for ; 01d ;Boys 'in a match against Midland.. : . '■

Tho recoWbreakers 'scored ; -evenly,' their totals' standing : as 'followsSpottis'woodo 79 arid- Hodgo 74.' Both.completely collared tho bowling, several changes being of no avail. Both, gave chances: - v \ ; ['/Waters, who.made 49, . his top score this soason', was, one of the first pair, . but' owing to a finger receiving knocks lirtho first and second overs lie. had to'retire, returning as seventh mail., 'He gave a fine display. • ■: Dredge,' who hit .three 1 singles, was caught in the slips by A;-Day. after-being in for live overs., ■ Church,Vvlio added.- 20 to. tlic total, made: three -big hits, off Smith. , Square-cuts were a. feature'of. his innings.-- ; Waugh, who knocked up. 38, placed a number of balls dangerously in the slips. He made one or two now hits but nothing very big.. Burke, the only player who did not score, was howled, third ball. ■ - 7 Ashbolt 'secured'eight runs by good strokes. He lost 1 his wicket'.'through goine out to Tilyard and -just touching, tho ball, Which flow) into ,J. Day's , hands. Topp, .who compiled 56, showed some of his old form,-hitting all round the-wicket. His total- included, a 6 and a 5., , Ho &nd,-,\Vaters put oiv 80 for the sixth , wickot; Gourlay did riot succeed in making more than a. single;. Tilyard accounting for his wicket. ' . . - , ; ■ For ; Newtown, Tilyard has obtained 4 wickets for 62 and Ryan 2 for 82. . TEAM, FOR;,FLUNKET SHIELD. It will be known definitely* on Monday evening whether a team; will bp sent to Auckland.- There is a, consensus of opinion; -that if a fairly "strong- combination is available tho opportunity of trying conclusions : with Auckland for •the Plunkct Shield should not be missed. Unfortunately, A. Williams and J. P. Blacklock will not;-it is feared, bo ailo to;. get-away. ; If the Select-ion Committee-re-port that most' of'our leading players, can make the' journey it 'is almost a. certainty that a'team will be sent. .MISCELLANEOUS.', Clem Hill has compiled 36 centuries in first-lass cricket. , . . The>gross takings at the three Test matches are £SBl9. , Playing for Melbourno against Essenden, Veteran Hugh Truuible secured 5 wickets for 37 runs. ■ The takings in the Second Test Match amounted to £4072' 14s. Gd., a record for Australia. The previous best total was £4003 165., during the visit of the 1594-1895 team. England has two batsmen "who have each scored five centuries in the Test'/matches, viz., A.C. MacLaren; 120, 109, 124, 116; and 140; and the Hon. I l '. S. Jackson, 103, 118, 123, 144, and 113. ' ' • The question of the eyesight 'of umpires Hvas under discussion at a recent meeting of captains of English_ County elevens, ana. it was (inter alia) decided that the : wearing of glasses should not necessarily be a bar to anyone dlliciating as umpire. ' ! Threo Australians 'havo each made four i centuries against England, viz., S. E. Gregory, 201, 103, 117, and 112; V. Trumper, 185 (not out), 135 (not out), 113, and 104; C. Hill, 188, 160, 135, and 119. It is almost certain that Otago will be without the services of her mainstays at ■'the bowling crease in representative matches next year, both Downes, and fisher having signified their intention of giving up the game;

. In the three Test matches the Australians have been dismissed in the following ways: 25 caught, 24 bowled, 4 run out, and 5 l.b.w. England's batsmen have been outed' thus: 26 caught, 25 bowled, 4 run out, and 4 1.b.w.Tho Ofcago Umpires' Association has brought a most important matter under the notice of the Otago Cricket Association. It is to the effect that the time.:is, opportune to got the New Zealand Cricket Council to appoint umpires for interprovincial matches.

If some system were dovised whereby representatives of the various cricketing bodies could be deputed to keep an eye on junior cricketers, such as school clubs'in the Wellington district and school clubs outside; of tho densely populated areas,'it--would probably be the means of securing promising talent which by tuition - could bo developed into first-class players. Some of tho greatest players in Knglaud were discovered quite accidentally. . It. is related- that It. G. Harlow, tho famous English and Lancashire County professional, was discovered quite by chance by Mr. Alfred Appleby. Mr. Appleby was awaiting the arrival of a train at a small station near Bolton, in Lancashire, named "The Oaks," and 'wliiled away the time by watching tho ■ stationmaster and porters practising cricket. He was particularly struck by tho stubborn defence presented' ty ono of the players, who seemed likely, to continue batting for an indefinite period. Mr. Appleby, got into conversation with the stationmaster and paid a compliment to the young player's prowess. "Oh, he's nothing compared to another porter who is 1 now off duty. It is. tho' rule that the batsman continues batting until his wicket falls, and this young fellow has been batting for six weeks." Mr. Appleby made a point of seeing, tho young porter, and with the result that the batsman, who was 110110 other than . "Dick" Barlow; was soon found a place in the Lancashire County eleven. Another famous bowler who was accidentally

discovered was the late George Lohmnnn, of 'the.' Surrey. County eleven,, who played for England on many occasions. Lohmann had accompanied a friend who was to be given'» jxiai) in the Surrey Colts matoh, and was

bowling to him at the nets prior to the match taking placo. Mr. W. W. Head, who was batting at the nets near, by, noticed the success of the young bowler, and invited him to send down a few deliveries to him. Mr. Read was so pleased with the voung man's deliveries that he took, him straight to Mr. Shutcr, the captain of the Surrey 'eleven, and soon afterwards Surrey were* able to boast of a very successful''bowler and fair batsman in the person of George Lolimaim. . If an eye is kept on junior cricketers there is no reason why budding Barlows and LOII- - should not be discovered. As it is now, the raw material is neglected, wricrcas, if a systematic scheme were adopted, the raw material could be developed into the finished article. Many of the larger clubs in England, and in Lancashire in particular, siibastose the junior clubs by voting grants t<; their funds, and advantage is taken of any likely talent that may come to light, by giving the junior . a chance,'to show ,';is merits with senior plavors iii minor lnaVi.rei The same practice 15 adopted by main- 01 tho professional football club directors, V<«> on oif days arrange matches in which j;:m.u players are given a chance of showing tiini;' merits against senior players, the. usual mode adopted being to advertise that a ''test" match will take place on such a date, and requesting junior players, desirous of participating, to send in their names. Frequently I have heard people rashly assert (says "Mid Oil" in tho Melbourne "Leader") that it is, almost impossiblo for a bowler bowling round tho wicket to get a batsman leg-before-wicket. It will, perhaps, surprise many batsmen to hear that a ball delivored from a point threo feet wide of the off stump at the bowler's wicket, and pitching insicfo the line of tho wickets—assuming that' its courso is perfectly straight—would not go .outside tho striker's wicket unless it pitched "more than twelvo feet in front thereof. TIIO fact, which is irrefutable, mSy bo easily proved by asimplo mathematical .calculation, or, better still perhaps, anybody can practically demonstrate it with no other assistance that a few yards of twine. Mark a spot threo feet from tho off stump, that is to say, tho extreme end of the bowling .crease, stretch your twino from it to the- olf stump at tho batman's■ entl, and you will find that the 'twine intersects the line of the wicket, exactly twelvo, feet in front of tho striker's stumps. In other words tho ball so delivered, pitching anywhere within a triangle fclio base, of'which is tho striker's'wicket and' tho apex tho point whoro the string cut 3 tho line of the wicket, will hit some portion of the, striker!s wicket,'; provided it does not go over the top. Anyono who cares to take tho trouble to do so can provo the correctness of this in" fivo minutes 1 .