Cricket in New Zealand.

Evening Star, Issue 7252, 1 July 1887, Page 4

Cricket in New Zealand.

The following remarks on cricket in New Zealand are taken from a letter recently received by Robert Thomas from Mr W. J. Ford, the well-known Middlesex cricketer, who is now principal of the Nelson College. The contents (says' Cricket' of May 0) will be interesting, Dot only for the particulars they contain of New Zealand cricket, but also as showing that Mr Ford, whose friends in this country are legion, is not only in good health, but apparently ■well satisfied with his new sphere of usefulness: —"Cricket is as noble a game here as at Home, but we poor folk in Nelson have to struggle with abominable grounds, and we shall never make runs till tlje new one, now making, is finished. Wo always reckon to play a match out in a day, and always do —in fact, 80 or 90 is a winning score ! If you saw the shooters, you would not be surprised. At the big places there are splendid grounds, several of which I ; nave sampled, though only in the way of practice, and anything better human beings oan'tawant and won't get. Here in Nelson is the bowler's paradise, and I've had a better time among the wickets than at the wickets, but with an average of twenty one can't grumble, considering how scores run. You know I can't reach a shooter, and it's either been that or 'off his leg'; add to which that they never dropped me, however hard or high. I ran over to Australia, and saw Shaw and Co. polish off N.S.W. in great style; had a talk and a yarn with all the team, and it was very jolly to see old faces and old antagonists over again. I did not like the look of the Sydney ground, but we can't beat Melbourne at Home ; a fine oval of turf, excellent pavilion and stand, and wicket up to the best, say Brighton or Liverpool or Portsmouth; I that there is lots of good cricket in New Zealand if men had time to play, but we've no idle men, so that matches •re few and far between. Next year, however, we hope to make a trip to Tasmania, and perhaps Australia, with an united eleven, which would be very strong. We've a splendid bowler from Christchurch— Dunlop —of the Stratford type, but much straighter; another from Eden, a la, Barratt, and some minor lights. What they want here is to see good cricket, and learn how to do strokes; there are lots of good eyes and strong arms, but very little style, but they seem to think that no man ought to hit; consequently, when I got on to a half-volley, they opened their mouths, and were, like Nebuchadnezzar, astonied. I met one Fletcher, a brother Incog., in Sydney, who is boss of an affiliated club of the same name there; it was curious to see the old colors about. How you would laugh at the umpires here! No professionals, of course, and no qualifications as far as I can see. The batsman generally calls leg-byea, and the number of balls in an over varies hugely; but the difficulty is to get anyone at all. One point they look upon as all important, that is to carry a bat, , without which they are not properly equipped. Some of the fielding is wonderfully good, especially among the country fellows, who are as active as cats, and know no fear, however rough the ground is—and isn't it rough sometimes ! One of the beauties of the small scoring is the closeness of the matches; you have to back up in the field, as every run is of hcrrible importance, when you only win by a dozen or fifteen runs. If you put in a side to get b\ as ■we did yesterday, you rather expect to beat them. What would you expect at Home 1"