CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2122, 22 February 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

(Notes by “Short-slip.’’) Cisborne is so glot'iously isolated tlial mutches with outside teams are iiko angel’s visits, lew ami lar between. The games with (be ’‘Blue Moon” Company's eleven this week provided a pleasant change for our 'players from the dillness ol meeting the same bowlers and the same batsmen week in and week out. The eleven from Air J. C. Williamson's Company is a long way ahead of the ordinary scratch combination. which usually takes the lield for theatrical combinations. The strongest eleven of this kind which bad previously played here was that of the liawtrey Company, which included two lirst-llighters in >S. J. Redgrave and Frank Alusgrove, the brilliant wicket-keeper. The Vlawtrey Company had a very fair side, lint I think any judge of the game will readily admit that the “Blue Moon" eleven is a .superior a'!round team, and is immeasurably stronger in howling. It is a long time since Joeal players, met a side which possessed.'.sueli a variety of howling. Hall, Sweeney, and Kenneth are steady and consistent right-hand medium pace howlers, who maintain a uniformly good length and send dow, ll little loose stulf. In .Ratcliff and J. Hogue, the Company is lortunate in possessing two slow lefthand howlers, who pitch them well up and grit sufficient turn on. the ball to make hitting at the pitch extremely dingerous. Marks is a slow right-hand leg-break bowler, with a .strong liinger spin, but be is not ,so reliable in length as tile others. ..

Hall bad exceptionally Irani kick on Tuesday morning in having several easy chances dropped olf his 'howling. TJo took his ill fortune with a smiling sang froid which lie-poke the true cricketer, and caused a deal of merriment after the 'third easy catch bad been dropped olf his howling by enquiring, with a most comical ‘facial expression: “What (lid 1 have to cut overnight that .1 should have such luck." Hall hails fro.u Adelaide, where lie pi l.ved regularly in firstgrade cricket as a member of the West Torrens eleven.

•Myles Clifton, -l£ic ctt-pta'in, is ■ a finished batsman, and it was quite a treat to watch the artistic m inner in which he handled Ins blade, -lie did not m ike many t ana, ‘but stayed lon.a; enough to demonstrate that lie had .all the approved scoring strokes at ids eoniimrnd. He made some very hook strokes and Iris gliding to leg .was executed very cleanly. Gin ton was an Oxtord man, and no one who saw his pi ly 'will he at all surprised to learn that he got his “Blue'’ at cricket. The local captain was the most surprised man on the ground on Tuesday. It was chivalrous and sportsmanlike on ill dlamore’s .part to tlochire w'tli line wickets down for-Go. when 102 runs on. To, have gone on batting wo 4ld have robbed the play ■of all interest. . Still 1 hardly think he imagined Jus side would suffer detent. 11 •all gave a magnificent hitting; display., -and standing f ist-footed time and again lifted -Mali a more over the fence and far away into the golf grounds, lie treated ' .Miller in like fashion mud several clean, -well-timed strokes teamed the hall oh to Childers road. Uhe incisure of -punishment meted out to the bowlers may be gauged when it is stated that Miller’s .three overs cost runs, and off llallainorp’s five overs 39 runs were hit. The Gisborne captain should have brought \VacK on earlier, .as be met with iunniM I' ate success. He bowled Hall right away, and secured five wickets for 11 runs off 30 balls. R. o tew art. of' 'the *Rlue tMoon team was a one-time regular member of the strong hast Melbourne first. ~ieven. Stewart, by the wa - is a brother of Nellie Stewart, "Sweet Nell of Old Drury.’’ . ' ■ The “Blue Moon _ eleven bad a disistrotis day on Wednesday. Gary won the toss, and sent the Ihespans ■to the wickets. The wicket just suited 1 harry Wack, and be, as usual, struck -o' perfect length right away. He insnired the “Blue Moon ‘[' tn i with awe when he clean bowled M<>„ue with, his second ball. It : idled a neifeet length, and came acres* quickly from the off. Ibe b itsma i plaved forward, but the brea.K just beat the .bat and fitted the bads. H. Wack can always be relied upon tor a good len.g.tli, and lias invari.udy bowled well when put on ; but ms performances on turf will prove * \;.r, bo is" a far better bowler than many people imagine. Me was unplayable . on Wednesday, and captured eight wickets for 13 runs in six overs. J. Monk bowled with his eustomary machine-1 ike 'precision, and only .four runs wore ccoretl oft* the live overs lie sent down. . After the “Blue .Moon side had been dismi.acd for 23 runs on Wednesday, J. It. Hogue caused a good 1 deal of ammement oy remarking with (rueful extiression : "It is downright . wicked >to*force tlie.itvical men to bat before 12 o’clock; none of ovei properly awake before noon. Bowman and J. Gibson gave the local side a good start, and put on 30 runs lor the first wicket. Most people 'tv ere of opinion that Gibson was caught at the wickets bv Hog.no off Hall, but umpire Thelwall ansI wered a confident appeal from stumper and bowler m the batsman s favor. , • - ■Bob Cary okayed a sowml innings. He bad tlie 'luck with him in being dropped early in his innings by Ban-u----nrst at deep square-leg off Batch lie. Carv attempted to pull a good length one. .and skied a soft chance, but tlu> fick-io goddess wan on his side, as the gonial Pat failed to hold the catch. Bob pulled 111 ini sell' together alter this, and played a watchful innings, and made good strokes all round the wicket. His was the last wicket to fill, Ratcliffc heating him with a particularly good one. after lie had scored 37 by good cricket. I am always pleased to see Gary get runs. He i* a keen enthusiast, and puts in solid practice at the lie's. Ho also kept wickets well on Wednesday, and has never done belter work with the gloves, while he .tlso captained Ins side with sound judgment. The match between Common, hlielton. ami Co. and Union m the lliuisday competition provided a close and interesting nUeruoon’s play at Victoria Donum this week. Union batted first, hut for, once Long and Miller tailed to give thenside a good start for the first w:cI kot. With the total at 19, Long I played forward to a fast one. from ’ Baxter, and was stumped with Blacki lawlike celerity by Bowman. Miller , was thrown out after he had scored 1 m by steady ulav, and Emanuel was i mag'nificentiv caught at cover l>- Joe j Monk, fielding substitute for BeyI nolds. The stroke was a particularly , hot one, and Monk took the eitcli with both hands above Ins head. Emanuel is improving with every era me, and is now one of the best allround men in the Union Club. Grant lost his wicket m a peculiar manner. A ball was played by Muller almost to the boundary, and the batsmen, imagining a boundary bad ’ been scored, stopped running. Hode- ' rick fielded'the ball about a yard ni- ! side the flags, and returned promptly to Bowman, with the resujt that ; Grant was run out while strolling leiI surely down the pitch, under the impression that the ball was dead. 1 lie incident caused a good deal of unnecessary argument on the held and «„me feeling. There is no doubt but tlu,t Grant yips’, out. but it would h'ave been sportsmanlike qn the fieldsmen's part to have refrained from taking advantage of the batsman s IU The innings closed for 79- Baxter and Brcwn bore the brunt of the attack. but neither disolayed anv in-o-enuitv in the way of varying thendeliveries. Roderick had two -.rails and secured a wicket, while 'Hairy Maude did good service in dism lucng J. Gi'bson. ' - , \Ylimi r..H. amid. went to tlmwic-

ly at the start, and Bowman, flail tmore, .Reynolds, and Baxter were dismissed cheaply, llardstick cauic. to (he rescue of* Ids side, and mixing solid defence with aggression lie was mainly responsible lor the Union score being headed. One fine on-drive oil Emanuel landed the hall on the gull links lor six. Roderick played a Ireo innings, and rattled up 1.7 quickly be,ore being well caught at deep addon by Wilkinson off J. Gibson. .11 aidstick, who went in first, was the last batsman to lose his wicket,...with his score aL 12. Austin, who should have been given a trial e irlierj cleanhowled the top-seorer with a good one with his third hall. The innings closed lor 1)9, C.S. and Co. thus winning by 20 runs. Grant and .Emanuel both howled well, and the fielding was good all round. To-day Wanderers and To Ran meet at Victoria Domain; while Unit-ed-journey out to Taniliern. There isffeortain to >bo a keen contest between Wanderers and Te Ran, as the result of this match has an important hearing on the championship.

The local Association were io lme sent an eleven to Motu to play there to-day, but were unald.e to "g n t suff--,-icnfc players,to mike up team icr tlic trip. There is always the same difficulty when there is any triveiling to bo done. Dozens of players are only too willing to play in. home mutches, hut when a trip has to he taken which entails a little self-sacri-fice and the expenditure of a few pounds, those anxious to take the trip can be counted on the linger of one hand. 'The Motu players have for the past three years paid an annual visit to Gisborne, and played three matches each season; and it is not at all to the credit of Gisborne players if they cannot scald a team to return |the visit. The trip to Motu has already been .postponed twice this season, and the Association should see to it that it is not put oil' a third time. THE FOURTH TEST MATCH. WHAT AUSTRALIA’S WIN MEANS TO CRICKET. The Sydney “Referee” lias the following comments on. the fourth Tcstma tell; Australia Ims won three out of four ‘Test matches and the rubber of 19078. This is good for cricket, .all the ■world over. In the latest match, the gods smiled on Australia, ift'er a weak and sober first innings, at the close or which all seemed so serene for England. And yet, even with the rain having made the wicket so had on Sitnrday, England possessed a very fair chance of carrying oil' file honors of the game. But on tbit day it is dear that the side did not rise to the occasion with the sparkle of astute tacticians.

Booked at broadly from the point of view of international cricket, it is well, very well, that -Australia has triumphed on this occasion. The prestige of Australi in cricket in England appears to have suffered a good deal since Warner ’came-' and conquered, and si pee England trounced the 1905 team. A few stirring wins were and are- necessity to sufficiently imbue the English cricket world with the fact that .Australia is not so barren of cricketing talent as lias been thought.

Not only necessary that Australia should win this rubber; 1 it was equally important that the matchwmning play should not be confined to the old-stagers of the game, whose figures are as well known at Lord's or Kennington Oval as here. And with R. Hartigan, V. .Hansford. C. G. Alaccartncy, J. A. O’Connor, M. Carter and F. A. McAlister in the thick of the struggle, it must he cle it to the English cricketing people that there are some good ones in this coiintrv. whom they have not yet seen.

The withdrawal 0f"77. Tiiunhle, J. Darling, C. E. McLeod, W. I*. Howell, J. J. .Holly, and F. Laver has left room for the younger men to show their hands. And the non-seieption of players Tike R. A. Duff and A. J. Hopkins, who are still but young cricketers’ in a sense, left further scope for untried international aspirants. And of these there are more in Australia than the Test matches have brought out, and better ones than some of those the Australian selectors have recognised in their twelves.

W. W. Armstrong is having a greft season with the hat, anil it is meet that he should add to his laurels by making his first century in a Test match. It has come to him in his 21st cost match, so that it has been long delayed, considering his power and the frequency of liis centuries in other first-class cricket. In compiling 32 and 133 not out (the latter in four and three-quarter hours), the critics appear to he united in grumbling about the slowness of his cricket. That is one of the penalties of being a star player.

In all first-class cricket this season, the "Melbourne -giant has made 231, (>. 7, 44, 31,77, f 7. 34, 117, .110, 13, 32, and J 33, or 852 runs at an average of 71 per innings. Victor Trutnper lnfe’ .reached the bed-rock of his luck and form at the wickets, with 4,0, 0,0, in succession against England. Considering hie inactivity as wielder of the willow in the third and fourth Test matches, Australia has done famous work in carrying off tho’ honors. This season tlie middle moil of the side and the eighth, nfilth, 'and tenth men i n the list of batsmen have been as expert as the frolitrnnkers. The list of these who have sampled two eggs in a Tist iliatcli is extending.