CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1037, 28 January 1911, Page 12

CRICKET.

By The Breaker.]

Place aux Dames. / As a more man might it'be permissible to say a word about]"adies'..cricket? The word is mainly "bravo!"—that .and Vkapai." Let there be more of it, more ladies in white'practising on the Basin and' at i Kelbume Park .a'.nights, ■ arid "mora representative matches. And; "if . any lady imagines that, it is not good ,to ■ play a deft bat as she may look ungraceful—some' ladies do think- that—let'-her remember, that' the ancient Greeks were possessors of a grace that has never been approached, and the Grecian ladies played cricket. ■' In fact the first, cricketer known to history was a lady, for does not one of the. Attic. 'poets relate how Nausicaa and her maidens played .the ' game? . ' \-': 'j. : ' -''■ ! ''-'."-' ;. "Just- lob ; bowling -■ and 'drags-to', ;t!ie on," .says someone 'figuring up ladies' cricket, which perhaps he has never seen. ' It-may be interesting to state that the first over-arm bowling,in the world was introduced by English ladies—sisters of a cricketer, and who used.to'give theybr6ther practice. Their style attracted 601 much attention' that it was. first dis-, ' cussed by cricketers, and then copied;; In 'these days it was all underhand'Tiowling until these two English girls' set. the style .which we still have. ..." As' for ladies' batting being all "drags to the on," that statement requires correction. In. the. recent match against Opawa C.C. there, were many very pretty strokes to the off, and one. or two rather welltimed squaro-and late-cuts; the . players, indeed, made their runs by hitting all round the wicket.

' :One cannot help supposing that, for ladies, cricket is even a better game than tennis. At tennis only four can have the court at a time, while thirteen aro on the held together in a cricket match. Opawa, they say, have been running their club for something like years, and, in a matter of two years, we have achieved two ladies' clubs-in--Wellington—Cen-tral and North. In time, no r doubt, tho number will grow, and proficiency in tho game will increase. The-Australian girls m Sydney; Melbourne, and Adelaide turn out in numbers for cricket every week and, if reports aro correct, thoy play very well. Centuries, it is stated, aro sometimes made. Tho girls, for the most part, also use the overarm style in bowling. ■ I he latter, however, is not important. , V • Bulli, Soil and Bowling. It was an exceedingly interesting letter by a correspondent which appeared in ThE'Domejiox this week on tno topic of Bu h soil and bowling. Are these painfully doctored" wickets breaking bowlers hearts? Thero cannot be much doubt that they are. 'Est, cquallv, there cannot bo much doubt that they will never, change. Man is the strangest of creatures. His games, like his wars run through a hundred stages, and, when ho gets them hopelessly lop-sided, murmurs are heard on earth, and ho plays'them no more. This, of course, may seem a littlo harmless moonshine, so let us drop it and pursue; the practical.- Should wo always havo just "natural turf?" Well, we did have natural turf for many.years here, and a lot -of batsmen's hearts were broken no doubt. Now, we have Saunders busy every day making mighty unnatural -turf at the Basin. As a bowler he spends his days in assassinating his friends, for! every lump that he shaves down is like cutting oft the head of a friend.. But the batsmen profit, and will profit for years. . Et aprcs— what then?--Sio doubt things will become very lop-sided in tho batsmen's fayouv, and then we will have' ' to put on our considering caps; but we will not go back to natural-turf—at least not to "natural Basin." Further than that, wo cannot see. Tho subject is really more interesting than it seems at first sight, for there is no doiibt that the name in Australia is ill soino peril. .' It' is strango to reflect that Bulli. soil, which was originally introduced to improve erickot, seoms now to be killing it.. It was Herbert Spencer who said that "it is one of fhp tragic wondors of tho world that the unexpected consequences-of any human action are always much greater, than the expected." . '. ■ ~:...' Double Figures Every Saturday, , A correspondent wishes to know if aiiy senior batsman this season has made ,!».-"» every Saturday, right

through the season. Only ono batsman has so far made "doubles" ovory innings, but then lie hns only batted thrco times. .The best performance in this respect is that of- Blacklock,;who' has-only failed to pass 10 "on one 'occasion.". His figures for innings played so far this season read:—2l, 5, 16, .'2-1,"IS, 33 not:'out, 91, .51 not out, 90..' . ■ ' Disappointed Hopes. The news that the South Africans find it impossiblo to pay a visit to New Zealand will be. a. big. disappointment to all good cricketers in the Dominion,- and no.\vhere .more'than" in Wellington.- A, visit by the Springboks would, havo given tho game locally a lift such as it can scarcely otherwise receive. Even a visit by an Australian team must be reckoned a comparatively t minor attraction by comparison. It may bo nssumed that no effort was spared on this side of 1 tho Tasman ,Sea to .bring about tho visit. Mr. Raphael, secretary to ; the Cricket Council at Christchurcb, has a ..gift of persuasion on-these occasions, and the disappointment that has occurred may be therefore 'regarded' as inevitable. Lucky ' Of course, nobody would dream of accusing an Australian eleven of throwing

away,a Tost match in the interests of the gate, but what a fortunato thing for the game generally, says a writer in . tho "Bulletin," and this tour in particular, that, by. a,.lucky, and happy coincidence, the Australians should lose the game the winning of which would havo destroyed public interest in the rest of the tour.; There are vile, unbelieving hogs who remark that tho Fates .belp'lhoso. who help themselves; but in this case the Fates were.oh the side .of the "sports," and safeguarded the gate. By taking no risks, combined with strict attention to business, Africa piled'up 482 in - the first innings (Zulch 105 and Snook 103). Australia responded'with 4G5, and Africa : started the second- stage with a credit balance of" 17." Faulkner got loose and 1 slammed up 115, and tho side ended with 360. The Australians thus required 378 to win.' But they succeeded in making only 339, so South Africa won by 38 runs. :The. aggregate""scorei 1546, is. said to bo a' record, but it isn't, as 1941 wero made in the New South Wales-Victoria match at Sydney, January,.l9o9. Probably the Test was genuine-enough. Anyhow, if it was "make-believe," it Wa9 well managed. .First of .all, the game was'spun out for six. days; and to end it up with 812 'to 801 shows excellent stage manage-' ment. An Inflexible Skipper,,.: A Writer in the" "Sydney Morning. Herald" - describes aa incident -in the recent Test-match at Adelaide between 'Australia and' South Africa which shows, how keenly these games are played. The-incident was brought about by M. Hathorh, ". formerly oiio of the most brilliant batsmen in South Africa.. Hathorn, who' had -been ill early in the tour, was/showing fair form at tho nets, and tho selectors decided to give him a place in ■'~t he. eleven. • Other. members of, tho 1 . team-were fearful" that;bo would liot-beJable• to--stand—the.', strain of the Test';match, an'd'tlie''running';consequent thereon, and : so it-proved; : for by tho time the". sec6hd''inriings.'of the. Australians was reached Hathorn was. in severe pain. With reluctance Sherwell approached Hill, tho Australian captain; to ask that Commaille, the twelfth man; should be allowed to field as a'substitute. for'Hathorni He was met with; a. firm but courteous ■ refusal, Mr. Hill pointing out that as' Hath'o'rn's inability to field was not the result, of injury sustained during the.match. , couUl-be-'allo'wcd; - During! the'second.Test, 'in Melbourne, wheTj Zulch was injured in. the course of tho gamer-Hill at once consented to Commaille fielding as a substitute. The circumstances vroro... different, however, in Hathorn'scase,"and : he was compelled, to take tho.field. -Though far below himself;'lie did" very: ( well: ■ .; Tho- rules -on-''.tho/subject- are'very clear, ..'arid 'it.'.wiilt 'Ijq,' see'ri' r that' Hill''was quite within his'rights in-refusing. The rules a.vs:-r"S,Tt A, substitute.shall be allowed to field or run. between w:ickots for any player who may, during tho-match, be incapacitated' from;' illness-or 'injury,; but for no other' reason-, except; with-the-- consent of the "opposite "side." - ■-Rule.""3B reads: "In I'.Ml cases, where a substitute shall be allowed;. tho .consent "of tho opposite side shall, be'.obtained.as'to the person to act I as substitute, and''tho""-place- in- the field he shall;'take'."', '", .;',."..;..,".

Hathorn has.had to relinquish the tour owing to .illness.' He.did not return to Melbourne with tho team, but is now resting.. in/.Adelaide; prior 'to: returning to ■ Africa'."''lt is' iinfortu'nSto 'Sot "the South Africans ,tb'at"ill,-health- r slranhl have robbed them of. so" gbbd-Va batsman,-and ' thero will be .1 deal of'sympathy for Hathorn in his misfortune;

SATURDAY BATTING AVERAGES. , ■..!' - a 3 » ' *ri 0 O 2 ■ -s .■«! '3 -g" g. .Bruce, Central A '-.■,-. 173 71 G 3 57.6 'llidlane. East A.'....: 319 126 7 1 53.1 Blaeklock,. North, ... 349 , 91 9 2 49.8 Cate, Hutt. .. 4S 48 1 . 0 48.0 Naughtdn, Central A 232 108 7 2 46.4 Wills; East B _. 1G5 83 5 1 41.2 ' Tucker, East A .:. 207 61 7 1 34.5 Blamircs, Central A 128 ,63 5 1 32.0 Bribe, Hutt 201 62 8 1 28.7 Staples, Hutt ....:. 171 62 8 2 28.5 . O'Skea, East B ... 52 25* 5 3 26.0 M'Gill, East A ... 77 36 4 .'1-25.6 Mahoney, East A .'_ 127 .. 54 . 8 3 25.4 Crombie, East B ... 222 63 9 0 24.6 ■Do la. Mare, College 49 31 .2 0 '24.5 ■Grace, South .-;.;.. 195 111 8 0 24.3 Gonrlay, Central B ■' 73 H* 4 1 24.3 v Mohaghan, College 170 54 7- 0 24.2 Hickey, East A ... 62 31 4 1 20.6 Stephenson, Cent'l B 101 46 -9 1 20.1 Eichardson, North 100 70 : 5 0 20.0 ■Walters, South ... 138 57 s 8 1 19.7 Birch, Central A... 116 28 6 0 19.3 Burns, College 164 79" 9 1 18.2 WynyaTd; North ... 91 27 5 0 18,2 .Wilkinson Cent'l B 181 43 10 0 18.1 Gibbes, East A ... ■ 90 ■ 46 5 0 18.0 , Waters, North 88 54* 7- 2 17.G Johnson, East B ... 83 38 '• 6 1 1G.6 taws, Central. A ... 50 31 4 1 16.6 Roberts, Central A 60 28 .5 1 16.5 Williams, North .-.. 16 16 1 0 16.0 Dickson, South ... 110 42, 8 1 15.7 M'Kay, East B ... 92 39 6 0 15.3 Stainton, College ... 107 48 7 0 15.2 Burton, South ....... 117 30 8 0 -14.G Catldick, Collego ... 50 18 6 2 14.0 Patterson, Cent'l B 123. 34 9 0 13.G Saunders, Collego ... 81 32' 6 0 13.5 Beechy, Central A 81 42 6, "0 13.5 Sheridan,,North .;. 67 " 21* 6 1 13.4 : Hawthorne, Cent'l A 53 , 23* 5 1 13.2 Grimmett, East A... 53 19 5 1 13.2 Phillips, North ... 78 35 8 2 13.0 Wilson, Hijtt 88 34. 7 0 12.5 .Wilson, South 37 22 3 0 12.3 'Aldersley, Hutt ... '98 41 8 0 12.2 Hales, East B ...... 18 28 5 1 12.0 Sisson, Central B- 106 31 ■»' 0 11.7 Cliniie, Hutt , .35 13 3 0 11.6 WilsoD, Central B : 58 15* 8 3 11.6 Norris, South G9 23 7 1 11.5 Goldhnch, East B ... 104 47 9 0 11.5 Knlayson, North ... 80 39 7 0 11.4 Cbllett, East A ... 57 1G 8 1 11.4 Hickson, Hutt ... 36 7 0 11.4 Porteous, Central.B 06 25 ■ 6 0 11:0 Fanning, College- ... 74 21 7 0 10.5 '.Hutchings, East A 31 20* B 3 10.3 ♦Indicates "not out." In addition to tho above .JrMahon (Central B), has a not-out aggregate of 43. Blamires, (Central A) has a: "retired" ia- , pings -which has been counted as "out." !'':'.' . BEST BOWLING. .-..•' -■ AverRuns. Wkts, age. Gibbes, East A'. 249 31 S.O Pringlc, Hutt 90 '. . 10 9.0 Hales, East,'B . 244.' 24 10.1 Tipham, North ...... 201 19.. 10.5 Guthrie, South ...... 117 11 10.6 North ... 151. 14 , 10.7 Monaghan, College 302. 25 12.0 Bruce, Central A ... 183 15 '.12.2 Hickey, East A ..;... 283 . , 23 . . 12.3 Grace,- South ;........ 151 :•-:-12 ,,,12.5 Patrick, South ...... 279 . ■ 22" ■' 12.0Mitchell, Central A-^'220' ''17: --12.9l!V3\:5,..Ceijtral 16' 13.1 HaiHhorn, > -,. 15 . .. Saunders,. Collego ... 234 17 13:7: Mason,. Central A ... 199 ■ , .14 . , 14.2 Endlay, North ......-315 '22 11.3 Grimmett, East. A ... 215.■, , V15 14.3 ' E. Judd.-Hutt ...... 210 -'.15' ' ' 14.4G. F. Judd, Hutt 161 11 14.6 Brice, Hutt .-...:...... ,338. ':'. 19 , .17.7 Stephenson, Central B 211 10 21;1 Jbhnson, East B ... 218 10 21.8 (Wilson, Central B ... .327 , 13 :'".'" 25.1