CRICKET

Evening Star, Issue 17926, 23 March 1922, Page 5

CRICKET

[By Wallaby.] r rhe wretched weather on Saturday prevented any play in first grade matches, the wickets being in a quite impossible condition. A couple of lower grade fixtures were cot off, the players braving the mud and the elements in a manner that would have inspired Kipling to further rhapsodies on sport. The Dunedin and Mornington first elevens have been fighting the weather in an endeavor to conclude their match, which was begun early in the season and left unfinished owing to the ground not being available on the second Saturday. Dates have been fixed on several occasions for the continuation of the match, but on 9,nly one evening was play possible. On this occasion Dunedin, batting for a second time, lost five wickets for 75 rims. The season will close, so far as grade matches are concerned, on Saturday next, the Grade Committee of the O.C.A. having decided, in view of the interruption occasioned by the bad weather last Saturday, to alter the previous decision arrived at and conclude the matches begun on the 11th inst. on next Saturday. There is therefore a probability of two teams finishing the season level in points, for if Grange beat Albion (which is likely os the position now stands) on the first innings, the two north end elevens will have scored 13 points each. Again, if Dunedin can rice to the occasion and defeat Carkbrook, they, too, would ho level tor top place, or if *hey snatched a threepoint victory they would win the shield. Th® chances of recovering their position sufficiently to score a win against Bamsden’a

men are, however, not very big. They had their opportunity and threw it away. Even though Easter falls late this year, three teams at least will travel into the country to play matches, Carlsbrook and Grange are arranging fixtures, and a rep. team is to go to Oamam and play a twodays’ match against North Otago, who aro verv keen to measure their full strength against Dunedin's best. Two matches are to be played on tho North Ground on Saturday week, April 1, between representative teams from the north end and south end dubs. These contests should prove interesting enough to attract a large attendance of tho public. It is proposed to start play at an earlier hour than usual, with a view, to arriving at a definite result before the fading light causes a cessation.. Tho rep. selection committee is to choose tho senior teams, and the junior selection, committee (Messrs Perry, Resticanx, and Ingram) tho second grade teams. Though tho majority of the local cricketers did not put all tho energy they should have put into tho art union scheme, the benefit to the association will bo a little over filCO. This will just about pay tho debit balance on tho northern tour, but the fairly heavy expenses incurred by tho ongagemont of a coach and other necessary items still leaves tho finances of tho governing body in a somewhat delicate state. It was unfortunate that tho rain prevented tho holding of the band concert arranged for Tuesday night in connection with the drawing of the prizes, as no doubt a great many more tickets for the art onion would have been sold. Tho first and third prizes wero won by people outside Dunedin, the first going to Rangiora and the third to Wellington. Tho second prize was won by a Dunedin gentleman, who, I understand, has generously returned tho £lO for tho benefit of tho funds of the, association. At Gin Gin (Q.), says_‘ Smith’s-AVeekly, there is a one-armed cricketer, A. Unwin, who wields the willow with his left hand with deadly effect. In a recent district match he top-scored with 79 not out. With reference to the above, it may bo added that Dunedin possesses a rood allround second grade player in Cowan, of the North-east Valley Club, who labors under tho same disadvantage, and who lias made many decent scores in his time. Ho is also a fine catch, a good field, and a useful change bowler. The announcement that E. A. AUDona!d, Australia’s greatest fast bowler, -has decided to go to England and play with the. Nelson Lancashire League Club (savs “J.W.” in the ‘Australasian’) is the worst cricket news from a national standpoint since Albert Trntt left these shores for tho Old Country to play with Middlesex. £>o far as the leadincr bodies of cricket in this country and England aro concerned, there should ho no difficulty in coming to an agreement in reference to the taking of one another’s players, though with a League club it is different; and there seems no way out of the difficulty. Of course, like everything else, there is more than ono aspect of the case, and every man is entitled to look after his own interests. Not only is AUDonald’s loss a staggering blow to Australian cricket, especially coming on top of Gregory’s retirement, but his loss to highclass cricket generally is also to be deplored. League cricket no doubt is good in tho Old Country, occupying tho same comparative position as our sub-district association, and has admittedly become a serious menace to the northern counties’ first-class prospects, inasmuch as the managers of this class of cricket are offering belter monetary inducements than the counties—a case of the League and Association football in Melbourne over again—as witness tho cases of Barnes and Parkin. It seems rather remarkable that a great country like England, with all its millions, could not provide a player with tho necessary qualifications for a Lancashire League' team. But the best evidently is wanted, and a groat cricket career has been ended. Purely from a cricket point of view tho whole incident is regrettable. For what has been done regarding M'Donald' was talked of in the cases of Mailey, Collins, and Oldfield. It is fair now- to put the case for M'Donald. It is stated that his agrement is for three years, and is a particularly lucrative one, averaging, so it is said, over £26 per week. It is a handsome salary, and I am further informed that his cervices have been retained as a goalkeeper in the “Soccer” game of football at a salary of £6 a week. M'Donald is a fine footballer, a tricky player, grand mark, and splendid kick, his wonderful roving against Carlton a few years ago in one of the finals being still remembered. As a goalkeeper in “ Soccer ” is tho only man on the side that can use his hands, .M'Donald should fill the position perfectly. While sorry to lose him, we wish him all success and prosperity in his new sphere, and must turn our attention towards unearthing a suitable successor. It is a strange coincidence (says tho Sydney ‘Referee’) that two men prominent in League football as full-backs should represent New South Wales at cricket. They aro Rex Norman and Wall. Norman recently returned to Australia with the Australasian football team, while Wall played for this State in the recent Sheffield Shield games. Wall is the full-back of the St. George Club, and was also in the running for selection with the Australasian footballers. Norman is a member of the Eastern Suburbs Club. Other League footballers have played prominent parts in cricket, notably Billy Farnsworth, who is in England, where he went a number of years ago to play for the Oldham Club. Farnsworth appeared for Now South Wales while a member of the Petersham Club.

In its swaddling days inter-State cricket, was always associated with wagers. In that respect the New South WalesVictorian match in 1875 was memorable for a big bet, ■when £9OO to £45 was laid that Now South Wales wouldn’t win by an innings. Victoria was set only 55 to save the innings’ defeat and they had 18 on the books when tho first wicket fell. Then Ted Evans mowed them down, taking seven wickets for 16, and tho innings closed for 34. New South Wales landed the bet with an innings and 1 run to spare. Charlie Baun-erman (still going strong; was in tho New South Wales eleven, and Sir Edmund Barton (“Toby”) one of the umpires. Cricket (says the Melbourne ‘Herald’) is resolving itself into an endurance contest. The limit will bo reached when the bowlers will be all fast, a-nd they will send down nothing but off-theory. The reasons for the pat-a-pat batting are obvious enough. The matches are played l out, and tho wickets are protected. Consequently there is no incentive to take a risk, and quite naturally the batsmen refuse to take one. If the matches were restricted to a certain number of days enterprising batting might possibly reap the reward of victory instead of an inconclusive draw. If the wickets were not protected, a captain might, determine, when rain threatened, to make all tho runs he could in the time at his disposal,' and as a consequence get his opponents in on a damaged wicket.