FIFTY YEARS OF CRICKET

Evening Star, Issue 23100, 28 October 1938, Page 4

FIFTY YEARS OF CRICKET

PLAYER AND UMPIRE MR GEORGE GROSBIE’S FINE RECORD [By H.P.S.] Fifty years’ active association with cricket in Otago as a player and umpire is the proud record of Mr George Crosbie, who retains his love for the game to such an extent that he still officiates as an umpire. Mr Crosbie’s playing days were spent with the Grange Cricket Club, which he joined in 1889. There was no third grade team at the time, and he followed the junior eleven around, getting an odd game or two. He recalls that the president of the club for a long period was Mr A. C. Hanlon, K.C., who was ever ready to encourage good howling by putting a coin on the wicket which was the reward of the accurate trundler. Others associated with the famous north end chib about that time were Messrs Gus Restieaux, Alex. Downes, Billy Johnston, the kite Charlie Frith, the late Billy Barrow (an old Yorkshircmar)), Jim - Baker, Alf. Esquilant, Pat Williams, and Inter on Charlie Chadwick and Arthur Galland. It was Barrow who was Dir Crosbie’s first captain in the third grade, in which games wore played against the Green Island and Ravensbournc Clubs, and the junior second teams and senior thirds. In third grade cricket George Crosbie’s left-hand leg-breaks were something to be feared, and he averaged 80 to 100 wickets a season at a cost of 3 runs apiece or under. For 10 or 12 years Mr Crosbie captained the Grange junior eleven, during which period it won the Junior Shield, and the strength of the Grange senior eleven at the time may be gauged from the fact that its attack included Charlie Frith, Billy Parker, Alex. Downs, and Tom Downes, and n

team, as a rule, carried only two or three bowlers in those days. Alex. Downes, in the senior team, and George Crosbie, in the junior, were hardly ever changed in a match. In 1912 George Crosbie became a member of the Grange senior eleven permanently, and in 1913 he was one of the side which won the Senior Shield. At that time he was associated as a. bowler with Alex. Downes, Popple (another Yorkshireman), and “ Snowy ” Henderson. Mr Crosbie played senior cricket until 1922, and continued in junior cricket until he retired in 1926. His keenness for the game may be judged by the fact that he cycled! to the North Ground from Ravensbourne for about 20 years, averaging three nights a week. Mr Crosbie was hon. secretary of the Grange Club about 28 years ago. and was on the Selection Committee. Shortly before his playing career came to a close he was elected a life member of the Grange Club. Mr Crosbie registered two or three outstanding performances during his career, which were chronicled in a cricket year book that used to be published. On one occasion he cleanhowled the whole Carisbrook junior team, captained by Alex. Martin, and the amazing part about the perform ance was that 60 runs were scored before a wicket fell, and then Mr Crosbie took the whole 10 wickets at a cost of little more than 30 runs. It was a wet day, and the rain made the ball greasy, but George to make a bit of a dent on the wicket and kept the ball on the same spot. On another occasion he took six for 2 in a third grade game against Dunedin, taking four wickets with four balls. After retiring from active play in 1926, Mr Crosbie took up umpiring, and he has officiated several rimes since. Among the games in which he umpired was that between Vic. Richardson’s Australian eleven and Otago. Ho has been employed by the ‘ Even ing Star ’ Company Ltd. for 53 years, and recalls that the 1 Star ’ used to play games against Waikouaiti, Mil ton, Tapanui. Roxburgh, Soacliff, Orakanui, and Portobello. The ‘ Star' used to call upon such playors as Charlie Frith, Jack Honker, Jack Ash, Billy Brown, Guy Pickard, and Jim Jago, and these were among the most enjoyable games in which Mr Crosbie played. In the 1912-13 season George Crosbie and the late A. Eckhold dismissed a strong Carisbrook A side for 47 runs, each of these Grange bowlers getting five for 20. George followed that up in the next match against Opoho by taking seven wickets at small cost. One season Port Chalmers had a very strong junior team in the competition, including Albert and Don Geddes, who up to the time Grange mot them had. as opening hats, not been separated for loss than close on 200 runs. Mr Crosbie got Don first ball, clean bowled. Albert was caught off Ids howling when the score was 21