CRICKET

Evening Star, Issue 14315, 14 March 1910, Page 4

CRICKET

AUSTRALIA V, NEW 1 ZEALAND. ■' : RAIN STOPS PLAY TO-DAY. MATCH TO GO ON TO-MORROW. [Per United Press Association.^ CHRISTCHURCH, March 14. Rain commenced early this morning and fell heavily till noon, putting an end to all hope of continuing the test match tide afternoon. Rain coased soon, after noon. The match will bo continued at 11.30 tomorrow, and play will coarse at five, as the team have to leave for Wellington by tho Maori, 2.40 p.m. As the rain cleared off and tiro ground dried quickly, it was decided to continue the game at three o’clock this afternoon, but at 2.30 rain was again threatening, and it is by no means sure that tho earlier decision will not stand. GOOD WICKETS A DESIDERATUM. [Special to the Star.] CHRISTCHURCH, March 14. Interviewed, Warno and Gorry, members of tho Australian team, agreed that the wickets in Now Zealand were unqualifiedly bad, except at Carisbrook. “ Tho ball,” said Warne, “never keeps a docent height, and you have to bo perpetually on tho look out for shoots. This naturally tends to cramp the batsman’s stylo, and you cannot expect to teach young cricketers strokes unless yon have reliable wickets, and you can’t have a good wicket without a good sole of grass. Take tho one we’re playing on now. It’s simply a hard ground wicket, without a vestige of grass on it.” Ho went on to state that ho thought it a pity that local cricketers should experiment with bulli soil. If good soil foundations were first secured, and then well grassed, tho wickets could bo made as good as that in Dunedin. It was no uso importing coaches; it was not fair to them if they woro not given proper wickets to coach on. This should be the first consideration of all dubs—wickets first and coaches afterwards. There was plenty of good material to make cricketers of, but they must have the necessary appliances. ENGL AND-SOUTH AFRICA TEST. In the fifth test match at Johannesburg England’s first innings yielded 417. Thompson contributed 51. South Africa were dismissed for 103. Following on they had lest three wickets for 102 runs at the call of time on Friday. In South Africa’s first innings Blythe took seven wickets for 46 runs. AT OTHER CENTRES. Auckland.—ln the senior grade matches, played in perfect weather, University made’ 137 and 114 for four wickets (declared) against North Shore’s 170 and 63 for three wickets. The Shore won by 38 runs on the first innings.—Grafton compiled 157 and 62 for three wickets (declared). Parnell replied with 111 and 120 for four wickets, towards which Sale contributed 49 and Anthony 51 nob out. Parnell won by six wickets,* and secured a three-point win.—Eden made 242, to which Ponsonby replied with 291 for seven wickets (Hemus 83, W. Robinson 80), and secured a twopoint win. Wellington.—Another round of tho senior cricket championship was completed. Central drew with East A. and are safe to retain tho leading position. Central put on 232 for the lore of throe wickets in reply to East’s 258 for five wickets of tho preceding week.—North beat South by 13 runs on the first innings. —East B (242) won from Petonc (193) on the first innings. NOTES BY “ONLOOKER.” The Australian cricketers were of opinion that Dunedin ought to have been allotted a test match, holding that a better wicket would be provided than at Christchurch, and that the “gate” at Carisbrook would have justified the game being played there. There seems reason to believe that their optimism was justified. Tho Otago takings on Saturday week were £214, as against £l9B at Lancaster Park on Saturday. It is a fair assumption that a New Zealand-Australian gate hero would have yielded £250. The six visiting members of the New Zealand team only contributed 19 ynns between them in tho first innings—Siedoberg 2, Midlane 0, Hadden 1, M’Farlano 0, Olliff 5, Howdon 11. That this was more tho result of chance than anything else the second innings showed. The bowling performances of -George Lawlor—who, like Whitty, is a left-hander who bowls round the wicket—in third grade competitions for the present season arc worth giving. Ho has secured 72 wickets for 584 runs, which works out at an average of 5.33 per wicket, as the subjoined shows Versus Carisbrook, six for 37 and six for 33 ; Opoho, six for 18 and six for 27; Albion A, seven lor 32; Albion B, six for 35; Anderson Bay, five for 24 and four for 37: Christian Brothers A, seven for 31; Christian Brothers B, six for 18 and two for 20; Mornington, four for 35; St. Kilda, four for 16 and three for 15. Lawlor is a member of tho Grange Chib. Tho Horton family of cricketers, of Wargicla, near Yass, have accepted the challenge of the Joftrios family team, of Tallong, near Goulburn, New South Wales. Tho match is arranged to take place at Goulburn on Good Friday. Already tho Horton family have selected their representative team, and are going into practice for the match. Tho contest should arouse considerable interest throughout the Slate (says the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’), as matches between families of the one name arc rare occurrences. r lho Wargicla Club, consisting mostly of members of the Horton family, have in their possession a largo number of trophies won at cricket. Now that the Otago Cricket Association have a nest-egg, not only certain players, but certain umpires also, arc endeavoring to have a finger in the pie. I hear that at Friday night’s meeting strong exception was taken to the amount of the charge for umpiring in the Otago-Australian game, n _nd that tho matter was held over for consideration. In Wellington—l speak with a full knowledge of tho matter—(lie wearers of the white coats give their services in representative' matches free, gratis, and for nothing. Should tho practice of demanding I a foe ho continued in Dunedin tho local governing body of cricket should have the right to choose the umpires,' instead of tho Umpires’ Association submitting names for selection. The Hawke’s Bay Association have prevailed on Board, the Gloucester professional, to spend next # season coaching the Napier cricketers. Not generally known that the Octagon was tho site of the first cricket _ match (Married v. Single) played in Dunedin, and the date New Year’s Day, 1849. Otago was founded only nine months previously. - Capital is being made out of the fact that while Manager Mackenzie told a Dunedin ‘Star’ representative that cricket had not improved since his previous visit to New Zealand, Captain Armstrong two days later stated to a Christchurch interviewer that Now Zealand cricket “ has improved considerably during the last three years.” It does not follow that tho statements are at variance! In 1894 cricket in the colony was stronger than it is to-day. There were included 'on the Otago side J. C. Lawton, F. Harper, A. E. Clarke. E. Currie (keeper), Fisher, Downes, MacNeil, and Baker. Then take the New Zealand team and contrast them man for man with the nresent combination. Here aro the names : _J. Mills (Auckland), Holdship and O. Gore (Wellington). Labatt, Fowke, E. V. C Palmer, Cuff, De Mans, and Lawrence (Canterbury). Lawton (Otago), and W. Robertson (Southland)..