CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 12398, 11 January 1905, Page 3

CRICKET.

[By TJarms.]

Ham sMI clings to us like * poor reW fion. Afar the stress and exc>ment of big cricket we hoped on Saturday to fall back comfortably into the quiet, "domestic proov 9 m which the usnallv If ~!L *™?™* Pastime, which mav b» Rrf I Z?4 PrWtiCa!ly J n aW,rte seclusion. beldomdoe* a member of the outside p„hm*™*> <•» an onlooker Rnrts mav be scored at the rate of one a minute or one an hour, and there is no applause—ironical or otherwise. Nor does the imperative suggestion to • get a bag" come wafted to tV> ears of the plaver who drops a catch in club cricket. He may have whole sittings of ducks-eggs to his name, and yet no one demand his immediate execution Above- all, a team which goes in to 'hat rerrarrmg only a moderate" total to win, and forgets to turn itself on at the meter is # not reminded unpleasantly of its remissness in different ways *bv different people for days afterwards. Club teams are spared all that.

Despite the rain, a little plav was squeezed in on Saturday, but in only one game did it affect tho remit. Rear-don's bowling was too good for tho Opoho men whose citadel on the hill looks liable to Ue stormed by any of the senior clubs. Dunenm have very fair bowlinjr talent at their command for club cricket. Shacklock. Keardon, and Torrance form a good nucleus for the attack.

Except, perhaps, Wilßams, none of the Albion batsmen did much to enhance the bubble reputation on Sattrrdav. Georoe Ctmrniings again failed. I understand from other players that he shaped far and away better than anyone else down at Inverc.-ir-gill last month, but since then he has either had a run of phenomenally bad luck, or there must be a weak spot in his defence which is found out early with great resrularity. s Orange had an, easier wicket to bat on on Saturday than they had in their first innings, and Baker and Johnston, who went in first, saw to it that Kahlenberg did nto get any four wickets for 10 runs this time. As i a matter of fact, tho bowler named was rather indulgent to the bats-

men as regards bafls on-the leg side, and the most was made of the opportunity. Johnston's hitting was mostly along the ground, and it was powerful and beautifully clean. Butler and Fisher were"Carisbrook A's other bowlers, the latter coming in Yor least punishment, although for the slow wicket he kept a rather short length as a rule.

Canterbury seem quite pleased with themselves over winning against Otago. They held a dinner to celebrate it. Mr "Tim" Raphael presided, and explained that, though such a gathering was not customary on the return of an interprovincial team, it was felt that "the occasion demanded some extraordinary recognition of the indomitable pluck and skill of the players." Canterbury had unhappily been in the rear in regard to matches with Otago, continued Air Raphael, .but during the last three years successive victories had bettered Canterbury's position. He added that it was only fair to say that the Canterbury success was not attributable to any deterioration of form on the part of the Otago representatives. There was little doubt that the Southern players were not declining in their playing qualities, and that Canterbury cricket was really improving. Mr Raphael was followed in the Bame strain by Mr H. D. Carter, who said the newspapers were always telling them that cricket w'as deteriorating in the province, but he could assure them that the papers wero wrong. He had recently had the pleasure of following cricket at Home very carefully, and, after watching the best cricket at Lord's, he had been surprised when he saw the form of the players in the Wellington match. In more than twenty years he had never seen* better cricket in Canterbury, and he honestly felt that the play of the Canterbury team was not a great way liehind what he had seen in first-class cricket at Home.

After others had taken up the tale Arthur Sims hod to get up and reply. He said that he had 'been pleased to hear Mr Carter's protest against those who persisted in maligning the province's cricket. For the past five seasons Canterbury had won eight of the ten interprovincial matches played, and he was inclined to believe that the decadence of Canterbury was still some distance offl in the future.

Of course, all the above, being said at a dinner, which is the recognised time and place for saying complimentary things about ourselves and other people without nocessarily meaning anything, can bo taken at what the reader chooses to value it, Sims, however, said one thing that most cricketers will heartily endorse. It is in regard to the approaching visit of the Australian Eleven. Sims expressed the hope that Canterbury would play only eleven men against the visitors. He was strongly opposed to the playing of fifteens ana eighteens against an eleven, and he believed that the greatest possible benefit would result from eleven a-iade matches.— (Hear, hear.) It was at this same function that Mr Raphael said that the New Zealand Cricket Council intended to do all in their power for the improvement of cricket by obtaining frequent visits from outsiders. He hoped to bo able before long to state definitely that an English eleven would visit the colony during the exhibition year. A report from Adelaide states flat Oem Hill will go to Tasmania after the interstate matches, and will join the Australian Eleven in New Zealand.

The Luck of the Game.—When the Victorian team to play New South Wales was chosen Stuckey was picked as an emergency, and he found Ins way into the playing eleven through the retirement of Giller. Under the circumstances his 76 (top score) in the first inings and 75 in the second was a. noteworthy performance. La.ver, who got a chanceless 164 against South Australia in November, was dismissed in his next big match for a pair of spectacles. It may bo mentioned that for ten seasons, from November, 1891, to November, 1901, he was not dismissed without scoring in first class cricket in Australia.

R. Hay, the Auckland City bowler,- has returned to his home in Melbourne, after being hi Auckland on the teaching staff of the Prince Albert College for three years. The Sydney' Referee,' in answer to a correspondent, who askod " Was Harry Graham, at his best, ever the equal oi Trumper, Duff, or Hill, as a batsman?" replies:— On all wickets he was never equal to any one of the three. On bad wickets he was superior to Hill and Duff, and one of the world's greatest players under such conditions.

The following decision by an Australian paper has been given:—"lf a batsman exceeds two minutes in getting to the wickets and an appeal be upheld, the match should be awarded to the opposing side. The law does nolß provide a penalty for the batsmen ; it is his side which is penalised." This seems a very broad interpretation of rule 45.

A. J. Hopkins's highest innings in first class cricket is 133 for New South Wales against Lord Hawke'a English, team in 1903. He has made three centuries.

The Australian Eleven has been picked. The selectors associated -with Noble—about the finest all-round player of to-day—were Darling and R. M'Leod. 111-natured people will say that that information is superfluous —that anyone could tell that from a casual glance at the names of the selected. There is often a deal of truth in the remarks of ill-natured people, and candidly it cannot be 6aid that the publication of the names of the team has tended to dispel the idea of the whole affair being a close corporation. With Johnson, Collins, and Saunders all left out, no wonder Noble stuck out for strengthening the team in bowling. Darling is not a bowler. Some people would say that on the present season's form he is not a bat (at least, not when compared with Poidevin or Waddy and others); but he is a selector. Of course, Darling may play himself into form in England. The arguments against Charlie MTLeod's claims are less forcible. He, somehow, is a player who is apt to be forgotten, and his value under-estimated. Though handicapped by ill-health, he has done pretty well in big cricket this season. Ho is sakt to be a good bat on bad wickets, but be did not do particularly'well last trip to England. The great necessity of a team is four first-elass bowlers. These. T suppose, axe Noble, Howell, Cotter, and M'Leod, with Armstrong and Hopkins as 'excellent change bowlers. The team is weak in bowling, but every man can: bat, though this is not the compensating advantage that many think. Cotter was almost bound to get in. Jones got his first trip to England on the strencrth of advice from an ex-Australian at Home, who said (it, was in the days when" Riebardson, Lockwood, Mold, Kortright, and Co. were carrying all before them), in effect: "You must have a fast, bowler. Even if he is a dead failure on your -wickets, send the fastest bowler you have got, no matter how bad has length." ■ Cotter is not a length bowler such as Jones developed into, though he hardly fits the definition just given. As an Australian paper says: " Cotter isn't of the big, beefy nature of Jones; but in his rruggety frame there is immense strength. There are possibilities in store for the New South Wales player if he doesn't overtax his strength by attempting to bowl too fast. On English wicketa there 'is a chance of Cotter being a success, and owing to the lack of variety in the Australian Eleven the inclusion of a fast, mad-headed bowler will be an advantage. Besides, his bowling is far above suspicion, and will obviate tbe unpleasantness of no-baHing by over-officious umpires."