Cricket.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1911, Page 14

Cricket.

(By " Half-Volley. 'M Wickets on the Basin Reserve were in fine order on Saturday, when another round of the . senior championship was commenced. The games between North j and South and Victoria College and Central B attracted very little attention, but great interest was taken in the meeting of Central A, last year's champions, and East A. On paper Central A are a strong lot, but their form this season has been very in and out. On Saturday, however, East A found them in a batting humour, and only succeeded in getting five of them out, the score standing when stumps \\ ere drawn at 331. Blamires led j oft with a century and two, and though ' his innings was not chanceless it was agood one nevertheless. At 9 he was badly missed by Brabin, and before the coveted' three- figures stood opposite his name several other chances had been dropped off his bat. Right from the start the few gentleman went for the bowling, Hickey in particular suffering at his hands. Some of his leg hits were particularly sweet, -several finding their way over the fence near the pavilion. Bruce' s 75 was a splendid effort. Bruce j lias probably moi'o strokes than any other batsman in Wellington, and on Saturday he brought them all into operalion. During his long innings he gave only one chance, and that wat> a most { difficult one. He got out in attempting a big hit off Hickay. Beechey obtained 41 in something like his old style. The Beechey-Bruce partnership realised 112 runs, and another 150 runs were added 'during the stay of Blamires and Hawthorn at the wickets. The last-mention-ed player played his best innings in senior cricket this season. Last year he was a most prolific scorer, but up till Saturday last his form this year had been very mediocre. Laws took no risks in the concluding stages of the game. From a, batsman's point of view- the wicket was excellent; and consequently bowlers' averages suffered. Hickey and Gibbes, who have obtained some fine figures this season, were pasted right and left, especially by Blamires. Several chances, however, were missed off their bowling. Central 'A should easily obtain the points in this game, but the result will not affect the v championship, as East A are now too far ahead to be ousted from their lead for premier honours. In the other two games play was dull. Murphy, Johnson, Wagstaff, Norm, and Walters obtained double figures for South, and Lambert and Blacklock did likewise for North. A substitute for North created great amusement in the field in this match. A ball happened to be driven past him, but instead of chasing it he calmly signalled a player in an adjoining game to field it for him. Afterwards, when, placed at long-stop, he spread himself on the turf and took no further interest in the proceedings. Needless to say, another player was requisitioned. . No less than seven Central B men obtained double-fifjure scores against Victoria College, whose bowling was not of j ,the strongest. Saunders obtained five j for 83, but his length was not as good as Usual. Howden, who came on, late, finished off three batsmen in two overs. At the Hutt, Brice got away with the East B men, and dismissed five of them for 43, the whole side scoring 159. When time was called, Hutt had lost two for 56 — Brice 40, not out. The new man in the Australian team, Hordern, commenced bowling googlies six or seven ' years ago. He saw Bosanquet bowl them, and decided to practice them himself. • He worked the idea out on diagrams (says the Daily' Telegraph), and used to practice , on Eric M'Elhone's favourite wicket. There was not much success for a start, and when he did, after some practice, get the off-break with the leg-break action, his length was so bad as to make the ball valueless. It was only lengthy practice thai/ secured him this essential. He left for tho United States in 1907, and had not playe<l for New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield match, but he' figured in one match fo;r his State, and did well. He played for' Philadelphia, and did well against English touring teams. Then he went to England with a Philadelphia team, and took about 70 wickets at an average cost of 16 runs apiece. In the Tecent match against Victoria he took 16 wickets for 87 runs. A peculiar thing is that he -cannot bowl a googly ball until he warms up. Even when, warmed up he cannot bowl them always. He finds this out especially when touring. And he must not bowl too many of them in one match, or ho loses the knack of ' it altogether. The weaf her was so J cold in Scotland that he was unable to ! bowl them at all. In England very j often 30 runs were knocked off him before he got a googly ball in. In matches now he bowls just enough of them to keep a batsman guessing as to his in- j tentions. Now and again he bowls a straight ball with leg-break action, after sending down several leg-breaks, and he j finds this a serviceable ball in getting batsmen out leg-before wicket. He is a true- googly bowler, whereas Schwarz, ! who was regarded as its greatest ex- I ponent before he came to Australia, is not a googly bowler at all. As gocgly ' bowler, in addition to bowling an off- I tJreak with leg-break action, must, to, be properly effective, bowl a leg-break occasionally, or the deception goes for nothing. Schwarz, never bowls a leg- ! break. He has been a tower of strength xo his team, and if he varied his off-breaks with a 'leg-break action now .and again, he would be practically ! unplayable. His trouble is that if he tries to bowl a leg-break he goes to pieces, so far as length is concerned. And' a slow bowler without a length simply feeds opposing batsmen. Hordern gets his spin on for the googly ball with liis third finger, 2in of the inner surface of which cling to tho ball. On it is a corn, which enables him to get the extra spin. No bowler can hope to bowl this ball unless lie has this pad of thick skin— it is a, necessity. Hordern pickles it in vinegar to keep 'it resilient. The new cricket ground at Ashfield, New South Wales, is intended to bo second only to one in the State, and if the work' be carried out to accomplish that aim, Ashfield, as in the earlier eighties, should be the scene of matches In which .English teams figure. The Government is giving £2000 towards the i building of the ground, conditionally on the Ashfieid Municipal Council providing a similar sum. The council will spend the money and also £500 per annum for eight years to- make the ground as commodious and perfect as it is possible to be within reason in suburban territory.

Chief Justice White and Mr. Justice Hanlan of the U.S. Supreme Court recently narrowly escaped being run ovei> by an automobile, recklessly driven. Mr. Justice Harlan subsequently remarked : —"'Some day a real man from the West, from the plains — from that section of the country where men do not permit other men to trifle with their f eelings — some day such a man will come to Washington. He will walk down Pennsylvaniaavenue, just as you and I are walking. As he .starts across the street an automobile, will come cowling along at break-neck speed, aud come within an inch of taking off a leg. It will be an old story with the driver, but a new one with the man from the West. That particular man from the West will pull his ehooting iron from his pocket and will fill tho reckless driver full of holes, and, judge though I am, I believe the aiau from the" West will go scot free.