ON THE CRICKET FIELD.

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 154, 17 March 1923, Page 16

ON THE CRICKET FIELD.

MATCHES AND PLAYERS

NOTES AND NEWS FROM ALL SOURCES

(By

“Burwood.”)

The Marylebono C.C. Advisory. County Committee has decided to reduce tho residential qualification to twelve months, and not to alter the - system, of points in the county championship this season. Tho old quali’’"fication was two years. The system - "of allotting points provides for 5 for '."outright win and 2 for first innings Alwin, the points to he divided in case "tof * tie.

Since he made his world’s record •core against Tasmania, W. H. Pons■"‘ford, the Victorian batsman, has been "'.\ihundated with congratulatory mes- — sages. Most of the messages have 1 '.:come from personal friends within the Common wealth, but a few have come "’••from overseas. Ponsford was delight--ed to receive a cable piessage from “-Frank Woolley, the crack Kent professional, who is touring South Africa -'’•'with' lie English .team, congratulat- — ftg him on his feat. Woolley was ul- ‘ '"‘ways a fine sportsman, and not sjow '"’ to appreciate merit.. When the Eng- — lish Eleven visited Tasmania in the 1911-12 season, Woolley made a score of 305 not out. |

Cable messages described an inci3bht "in the match between the Engteam and Natal, in which Taylor, "the Natal captain, late in the day or--~<aered his bowlers to bowl leg theory Tto the English batsmen, in order to Xtbat in good light next day. This inIlnident aroused a good deal of com--I'jnent at the time, and Taylor was criticised in some 'This action being held to havo been “Trnsportemanlike.

The Test match between England ~»nd South Africa completed recently Cwas the thirty-fourth played between '.representatives of the two countries. '.’England has won 21 of the games, " South’ l Africa 8, and 5 have been ijfrawii. On two occasions only have the South Africans won the rubber, in -'1905-6 and in 1909-10, the series in each instance being played in South • Africa. Although they again lost the ’rubber this season the colonial reproUsentatives performed very creditably, tin each of the Tests there has been i-'a very stubborn fight, and the expori- . ence gained by the young South Aff.rioan players should prove invaluable .when they visit England next year. They have a great fighter in Taylor, who made such a splendid attempt to bring victory to his side in the .last Test. In the five Tests his scores were: 31, 176, 9, 68, 91, 11. 101, 3. 102, _his average thus being 64.66 per innings. During the previous tdur of South Africa by an English eleven (captained by Douglas), in 1913-14. he bad an aggregate of 508 run si and an average of 50.80 for the Test games. He visited England in 1912 and took part in the triangular series, but was average of 50.80 tor the Test games, •though he did well in county matches. His score of 176, coiqpibid in the .first Test matdh this season, was the highest ever made by a South African •gainst England.'

By scoring 140 and/111 in the last Test match against South Africa, Russell, the Essex batsman, shares with Bardsley the honour 'of being the only player to score a century in each innings of a Test match. The feat recalls the batsman’s excellent perform- ~ Mice in the third. Test match in Ade- • [aide, in 1921, when playing for Douglas’s English team. In that game he scored 135 not out and 59. He is a •1- : h'atsman of very high standard. He ''■'becomes very depressed, however, with -•one or two failures, a temperamental -“defect which has kept him just out- ■ ‘ side the champion class. Bardsley ■•-compiled ihis two centuries (136 and ■■”130) in 1909 when batting against -"-England at the Oval J Apart from itTest matches’the feat has been per.Yfbrmed scores of times. Worthy of 1- ranked with Test match per--"formances was that of F.- O’Keefe, “-”‘#ho, playing for the Rest of Austra■tdiit against Armstrong’s Australian -ilEfeven at Sydney, scored 177 and 144. ~ _Tho most prolific double score in firstcricket was compiled by Armfor Victoria against South Ausat Adelaide in 1921. his figures "-•being 157 not out and 245. performances in grade in Melbourne:— —G. Healy (Prahran), not «?biit, 126; W. M. Woodfull (South Melbourne), 99; P. R. Le Couteur (Haw-thorn-E. Melb.), 86; W. W. Armstrong --(Melbourne), 81; A. Thompson (Rich-X-mbnd), 75'; IS. -Thomson (Prahran), 2- V? S. Ransford (Melbourne), 58; Q. Johnstone (Melbourne), not opt, ic.53.; A. Dean (Richmond), 50. BowlLdng—D. Blackre (St. Kilda), six wic,"kets for 69 runs; C. Langlands (the '’'•University), six wickets for 75 runs. X Armstrong once morp demonstrated ; .his superiority as a batsman by maky'ing 81 in two hours. He began slow••■ljji' but later hit very hard; some .of --his straight and cover drives having "-"all his ‘weight, combined with masterXful timing, behind them. He hit nine _-;4’.s, arid hut for a chance at 35 to '.Alathers at mid-on, which a more agile fieldsman might have reached, there ■’ .was no blemish.. It was an educational t innings. Playing for Melbourne C.C. against the Press. Armstrong retired at; 77, and took six wickets for 47 ‘-runs. . W. M. Woodfull (Victorian batsman) had a peculiar experience recently In ’?a,2grade match. Playing against Essondon, he was given not out on an appeal for a palpable catch at the wickets when only 7. It was a had mistake. Then ho gave the Essendon bowlers a taste of his quality hv gett’rig to 99 in 145 minutes. He hit ■.. five 4’s and gave no chance. Then when his contairv seemed a certainty he was given but. 1.b.w., the decision 'being as bad as tjie first one. . A rising ball struck him on the Grip, and ; oven then it is declared that h c was not in front. After cricket patrons have had copious potions of champagne, they do not care for hock and-soda, although they look alike. Thus, there was little intorest evinced in Saturday’s round of ’ senior-grade matches .which have been ttdderl by the association to fill out the (Season.’ A match between Hutt, who -.a.rxi loading theni by two points, and Petone, three years’ champions, was /what they wanted, and would have «»on productive of a “gate As both Sutt and Petone look like getting, a rce-polnt win each, things will be. "as you worn,” and Hutt will capture championship.

On Saturday, Hutt ■ met Thorndon on tho Basin Reserve, and, despite the fact that tho wicket gave but little assistance to the bowlers, were dismissed for 101 runs, to which Condliffe contributed 35 not out. They wore feeling “down in the mouth,” hut, before they took the field, McGirr, the captain, told his men that, if they took every catch and stopped every ball that came their way, they would dispose of their opponents in less runs. Such proved to be the case, for, though the fourth Thorndon wicket fell for the same amount of runs as Hutt, the remainder of tho team did very little good, with the exception of Brook. The experience should convince the Thorndon skipper that Brook is too valuable, a batsman to send in so late as eighth. His run-getfing capacity 'was discounted on a previous occasion through being sent in so late. The exhibition ho and Mason gave in the match against Wellington, when they added 130 for the ninth wicket, should have guaranteed that bettor use be made of this enterprising pair of young batsmen.

Pot’one established the moderate total of 173 against Y.M.C.A., but, to everyone’s surprise, Y.M.C.A. made their poorest showing of the season. Finlayson and Brice made their batsmen look like novices, and, at the. draw of stumps, they had lost six wickets for 39 runs, which gives them something of a task to avert a follow-on.

Midland team were in run-getting humour on Saturday, after losing the previous match by eight runs “’■uy* Tattersail, who got 70 against Wellington on the previous day, his first appearance with Midland, compiled a useful 73, helping Baker to get 137 for the first wicket. Baker, who reached the century, and is still undisturbed, is showing his best form as the season draws to a close. A magnificent catch by Macintosh cut short Hutchings h career when it looked promising. After being dismissed for 3 and 17 by Hutt, Halley struck his best form, and played one of the attractive innings of tho season for 65 not out. Midland have 295 to their credit,. with eight wickets still in hand, against Old Boys

Institute had a day off at the wickets against Wellington, and were back in the pavilion with but 89 to their credit Good, who took six wickets for 61 against Thorndon, got six for 14, off 15 overs, six of which were maidens. Kortlang batted nicely for 44 not out, and Wellington are 27 runs to tho good, with six -wickets in hand.

“It seems, therefore, that to improve cricket in New Zealand the governing body should not go beyond Australia to find teams to tour. The proposition is much less costly, and the ultimate benefit is' all the greater. A side like the one that came to the Dominion two years ago would fill the bill to a nicety, to wit, young fellows just rising to the’ top of their form, with a couple of wol.known players of international reputation to help the publicity man to give the tour a boost.”—To this suggestion by a Sydney sporting journal every cricketer in New Zealand will say, “Hear, hear.”

His enemies are. beginning to say that Premier J. B. Hayes, of the Speck, is a better cricketer than ' statesman, writes “Ashmead,” in the “Bulletin. Playing for Bagdad v. Bridgewater, J.B. knocked up 58 of Bagdad’s 200. There is talk of pitting him against Buttenshaw, of the Near South Wales Assembly, in a single-wicket match.

A cricket enthusiast, writing from Hastings to the “New Zealand Herald,” says:—“l attended the match between the M.C.C. and Rotorua. The local captain, Mr. H. Hampson, Who batted first, received a knock on the hand the first over. He continued batting for an hour and a half, only scoring 35, but revealing a stubborn defence, with some nice scoring shdts. Next day the local paper stated that Mr. Hampson had broken a bone in his left hand, but continued batting. Having some knowledge of anatomy, it appeared to me impossible that anyone could stand the unceasing grinding pain that would come from the fractured bone every time the ball hit the bat. I accordingly made it my business to verify the statement, and found from a medical man. that there had been a complete fracture, and the bone was in splints. As an old cricket enthusiast, who has followed the game for sixty years, I can recollect no parallel te this for sheer pluck on the cricket field. Can you?”

In their great first-wicket partnership in the second innings of the Englishmen against Victoria, both Wilson and Hill-Wood compiled their first centuries of the tour. Besides the bowlers (Gibson, Freeman, Brand, and Tyldesley) the only batsmen on the side who have not scored centuries are Hartley and Maclean. Their highest scores, 60 and 84, were compiled in test matches. The world’s record for the first wicket partnership is 554 runs, by Brown and Tunnicliffe, playing for Yorkshire against Derbyshire in 1898. ENGLISH~AVERAGES

Note. —The batting and bowling averages in the match against the. Combined Universities at Melbourne, which are incomplete, are not included in the above.

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET AN ENGLISH REVIEW The excitement created by the Hulling finish at Cape Town, in the second match against South Africa, caused less attention to be S M „ on , ® M.C.C.’s game with New Zcala ™L a Christchurch than it deserved a rites The Gentleman m Black, in Athletic News,” London. It mav, therefore be well to recall that when the ™ atch was drawn, the position was : Neu Zea land, 375 and 270 for eight W'Ckets innings closed; M.C.C., 384 and 14 for five wickets. . . In some respects the Dominion gave a much better display than they had at Wellington a few (lays earlier, when they were overwhelmed by an intongs and 156 runs. They made four changes in their team, and. it will be interesting to learn why two such useful players as Hiddlbston and Brice, who had done well in the first game, did not take part in the second. The improved form shown should do much to hearten the home representatives in the third trial of strength, which is duo to commence at Wellington next Friday week. But, if they are to have any chance of lowering the tourists’ colours, there must be a tinct improvement in their out-cricket. The cabled reports emphasied the fact that, in both innings of the M.C.C. at Christchucli, the fielding and catching were poor. This having been the case, they should consider themselves fortunate to have shared the honours of the match with their opponents COLLINS AND SHEPHERD.

D. C. Collins, an old Light Blue, could claim chief honours by his innings of 102. Whilst in this country he was recognised as a sound batsman with an attractive style, and it is, 1 believe, a fact that in his early days, he was coached by his mother. Whilst nt Cambridge in 1909 he made three separate hundreds in consecutive innings, two of them in the Seniors match, and more than once he has proved most useful with the ball. His analysis of four wickets for 10 runs for Minor Associations against tho Australians at Wellington a couple of seasons ago is a case in point. A year later he was most successful with tho bat for Wairarapa in the Hawke Cup matches- scoring 99 and 76 v. Rangitikei and 150 and 25 against Manawatu, in each case at Masterten. Shepherd, of Otago, who made 66 m the recent game at Chistchurch. is another most useful player. Against the Australians iji 1920-1 he scored 24 and 38 for the Province at Dunedin and .81 for New Zealand at "Wellington, while a year ago he made 48 and 84 vCanterbury at Christchucli, and 61 (besides taking 3 wickets for 19 runs) v. Wellington, at Wellington. He, like Collins, would probably bo one of the certainties fcr a team for England at the present time, and it is quite likely that if such a project is carried through in 1925 his cricket will have made his claims then even stronger, although he was a player with an established reputation before the war. THE YOUNGER GENERATION. In the drawn match of a week" ago C. C. Dacre, of Auckland, was well to the fore in each innings, lor he made 45 and 58, and many things are less likely than that he will prove himself to be one of the. best batsmen New Zealand has ever produced. As a school boy of very tender years hei did some remarkable things. It often happens that young players wdio make a name for themselves in such cricket prove most disappointing later, but this has not been so in Dacre’s case, for he has shown his-worth several times in the best company in which it has been possible for him to appear. During the season of 1912-13, when only thirteen years of ago, he had (to January 11.) made 1025 runs—sB3 for North Shore 4th Grade. ’44 for. 2nd Grade, and 398 for his school., Included in the aggregate were five hundreds, and his average in 4th Grade matches was 145.75. Against Eden he made 175, running out all hits, which included two 7’s and three 6’s. All this was surelv most remarkable for a lad of thirteen.

Compared with the game in Australia and South Africa ,cricket in New Zealand is not strong. Should a side come over the year after next it would, of course, bei for educational purposes chiefly. The team might make useful totals against our weaker sides, but its bowling would (sb far as it is possible te foresee) often bo punished severely. But a Dominion side would be assured of a hearty welcome. ■ IN OTHER CENTRES AUCKLAND The senior club championship cricket competition, under the auspices of the Auckland Cricket Association, was continued on Saturday. The weather was fine, tho wickets generally were good, and the outfields fast. Tlie results of tho senior matches were: —Ppnsonby, first innings 219, v. Grafton, 44 for ono wicket, University, first innings, 149. v. Eden, 122, for three wickets. Purnell, first innings. 201. v. North Shorn, 56, for one wicket. The best performances were :—Batting : Smith (Pousonbv), 84; Gillespie (Eden), not out. 54: Goodwin (University). 54; McLeod (Parnell), 43; Burton (Ponsonby), 40. Bowling: Baker (Grafton). 3 for 32; Taylor (Eden). 3 for 33; Scott INoitb Shore), 3 for 34; Coates (North Shore). 3 for 34; Cooper (Eden), 4 for 56. CHRISTCHURCH, Tn the Canterbury Association’s competitions the ninth, and what may possibly bo tho final, round of grade matches, was commenced on Saturday in perfect weather, says tho “Press.” Tho .game between Linwood .and St. Albans claimed most interest, us, if Linwood should win, they win the championship. If St. Albans should win, then Svdenhan., bv getting a threopoint win against East, would be level with Inn wood, and a pfnv-off match would bo necessary. Linwood have good prospects of a win. as they only require 7 to win, with three wickets in hand, for a first • innings lead. Chief performaXices worvi -Battiiur: R. C. Blunt, 88; It. Glasson (Sydenham), 66 not out; Smith (Linwood), 46. Bowling: W Cunningham (Svdenlmm). wickets for 21 nine. R . ’Ute'''‘-re— - " tivv for 63 : D- J- Mcßeth, four for 32.

Andrews, the Australian XI batsman, scored 201 in 2 hours 25 minutes for his club in Sydney, who reached their opponents’ total of 419 for the Joss of six wickets. Andrews hit twenty-nine 4’s 'and a 6.

BATTING. 6 cd ci ■ £ X tr r o MacLaren ... 9 2' *200 408 58.29 Clwjtnnan ... 27 2 183 1296 . 51.84 Titchmarsh ... 28 2 154 1005 38.65 C'althorpe ... 27 1 136 916 35.23 Wil kin sou ... 25 2 102 694 30.17 Maclean .... 23 9 84 416 29.71 Hartley .... 15 5 60 273 27.30 Lowry .... 21 1 130 526 26.30 Wilson .... 25 3 *142 522 23.73 Hill-Wood ... 25 1 *122 546 22.75 Brand 90 1 85 431 20.52 Gibson .... 22 7 *58 303 20.20 Freeman . .... 20 6 49 159 11.36 Tvldeslev .... 14 2 40 113 7.42 *Not out. BOWLING. Tvldeslev Wkte. Runs. 45 557 Av’ge. 12.38 4 61 15.25 Hartley Brand 15 251 16.73 39 '06 18.10 Rill-Wood 16 319 19.94 76 1589 20.91 Free m ail Cult home Chaoman 74 1 >59 21.07 50 1155 23.10 4 25 31.25