CRICKET

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12528, 13 April 1935, Page 11

CRICKET

-‘UNFAIR TO THE' BATSMAN’* The New South Wales Cricket Association' recently sent a question in cricket law to the M.C.C. tor its ruling, thus: "After hitting a ball, a batsman had run three when a fieldsman threw rt t the wicket and missed. The batsman then -ran another three when a -mother fieldsman stopped the ball with his cap. How many runs are to be credited to the batsman, ,for. under rule 41, the maximum is five?’’ In declaring that the batsman was to be allowed five runs only, as under the rule, the- M.C.C. replied: "It is unfair to the batting side, but we hope that the rule will be reviewed,” It is certainly unfair to the batsman. The rule needs revision and other rules heed it, too, (states the Sydney Referee). MORE ‘‘BODY-LINE.” WEST COAST OUTBREAK. CLUB IS CENSURED FOR, ATTITUDE. Something in the nature of a feud has been declared against L. F’. Casey, captain of the Mar Ist team, Greymouth by some members of the Cobden Club, ahd they have refused to play with him. It is believed that the trouble originated through the al--adoption of bod.vlihe bowling by Casey against a member of the Cobden team. • At a meeting of the management committee of the West Coast Cricket -sociation, a letter was received from th,e Cobden Club, stating that the reason for its not fulfilling its fixture against the Marist Club on March 10, was that certain players were not available. One member characterised the action of the Cobden Club as "meanest, most despicable, and most unsportsmanlike action ever done in cricket.” Mr W. Barlow said that the Cobden team’s argument wa.s, not with the Marist Club, but with the Marist captain, Casey. JJe (Barlow) and some of the other Cobden members would not play against Casey. The chairman (Mr A. Greenwood) moved that a fine of’£2 be imposed on the Cobden Club, but the motion not seconded. It was decided that the Cobden Cliib be severely censured for its Attitude. Those who voted against the s%sjfion contended that the Cobden Club’s attitude was justified. -/ SPRINGBOKS AND THE TESTS, Wisden’s print an outspoken statement by Jack Hobbs in which he says he doubts whether South* Africa had the right to play five tests in Eng- i land, on the grounds that no South African team had yet won a tesr j match there. He is not averse to giving them three tests in England, j as he does not forget that they have beaten England at home. Hobbs j thinks the M.C.C. has been prema- j lure in elevating South Africa, West ( Indies, New Zealand and India to the ! same rank as Australia in the matter j of test matches. There were only two top-class cricketing countries, England and Australia. Hobbs’s criticism has brought the answer from South Africa that he might have waited until the coming team had played in England before prejudicing their capabilities. Discussing batting, > Hobbs says: “We saw last season one noticeable feature about the batting j of the Australians in the power they put into their strokes. When young, they are taught first to hit ihe ball, we in England are taught 'defence.” Hobbs's impressions of the game are given in Wisden’s under the beading "The Hobbs. Era.” p - ... AUSTRALIAN BARRACKERS Australian bafrackers. are discussed by Mr Justice Herbert V. Hyatt,' of the High'Court of Australia., writing in the,new Wisdotl’s Almanack—the 72fld. edition. Justice Evatt says: j ‘'When English critics speak of Aus- ! fralian barracking, they are apt to overlook the crowd’s very- generous treatment of nearly all pur English j visitors; Flayers like. Hobbs. Donglay, Oilligan, Kilher, Chapman, ParInn, Hendferi, and Tate, were idols of Australian crowds. It- is a great mistake to judge the Australian spectators by the reaction of some of them •when many of their playcfe were repeatedly hit in 1932-33 As’the result, Of ah entirely hovel method of fast BoWling.” Justice fEvatt says that it •was all very well to counsel silence, I but nothing in the world would prevent occasional comment by some of the spectators. / , NO'TESANi) NEWS. a- .; u .. . v " . -i ) N K. C. Jam os j the well-known New , Ze'aldnd ; wickiot-keeper, Is coa'chihg the idling players Of Northsiftipton, while hhdlifying for that county, s. a: v.m • ■• ' ‘ -A first gfade cricketer achieved the t<ihiarkabld ; fe&t of hitting ‘the ball * with the bdfck df his Bat, behind his babkj iih iji inatch'at GhfictchUrch; j*. . Si -Patrick,' one Pf the West Christ- • chh fobis,! feftdiah/J Batsmen; was ‘bat- j tiiig to th'e slow bbwlingof F; Newton, of Sydeiiham., He tried •io. Ihft‘. ft' ball hhtd to ' the oh, bilt ; tjiissed it. The baih struck oiie of his ,pa*ik, ran Up it; ahd dVeh the batsmatMshbulder, Patrick havihg jburnSed right rduhd • "tvdfih the impetus of •hia..stroke,.' When-the ball began to 'ilesce'nd' bchind'. Patrick’s back • the foltewfthrougli of tbh Bat 'had 'Bebh hompicted,' arid the ball bounced oft the back of the bat.

WEST INDIAN "BRADMAN.” George Headley, who. made .270 not out for West Indies against .England in the final test match, is described by an Australian paper as the black Bradman. Headley has been a. tremendous builder of big ,scores against English bowling. He has had only one toUr in England, , but iii the Manchester match, for a side out-played, he made I(3£>. In his first test series five years ago Headley made four centuries, two in one match, finishing with 223. His scores in the .series were 21, 17G, 8, 38, 114,. 112, 30 and 223. There is a Don Bradman touch about these figures. In fact, they are good enough to make Doii envious, if Don ever does become envious. In the West Indies season of 193132 Lord Tennyson piloted an English team through, the island's. In his three matches (no tods played), Headley manage dto make 344 not out. 84, 155 not out, and 140. The latest is tho third test series in which Healdley has taken part against England, one in England and two in his own country. In those he has had 20 innings, nine not out, and scored T 4-65 at an average of '77 an innings. He had made six centuries, two of these oyer 200, and the biggest (270) the record innings .for his country in test cricket. It is not the record inningp in the series, however, as Andrew Sandham, the little Surrey bats-man,-.scored 825 at Kingston five years ago- in which game Headley made 223 in the second innings.

CRICKET KNOWLEDGE

HOW PRESENT-DAY PLAYERS COMPARE WITH PAST.

Did the cricketers of other days have a more intimate knowledge of the game than present-day players? If so, why was it ? This question was one of the posers put to me lately, and it-is not-an easy one to answer (writes A .G. Moyes, in ithe "Sydney "Sun.”) I am not one to think that the pre-war player had all the virtues and none of the failings. That would be an absurd position to take up. They had their -successes, aiicl we hear of them. Their failures lie buried with them. On the score of general cricket knowledge however; I think very definitely that the pre-war player was generally superior. In those clays there were fewer teams and consequently each side had a greater percentage of good players. Therefore, the fight for places was inevitably keener, and the individual studied the game Kith greater zest because he was forced to do l so.

For example, the howler of pre-war days- did not, when the new batsman came in, bowl a feiv outside his offstump so that he could get a sight of the hall .He aimed at tho stumps and pitched the ball well up, knowing that his enemy’s eyes could not possi. bly be attuned properly for the fray. He had to know these finer points and he had to remember them when bowling at a grade side that contained seven or eight gcod batsmen. And ,as the bowler improved in skill and mentality, so did the batsman develop to keep pace witk him. No, the cider players were not supermen, but in knowledge they were certainly superior to the present-day plaors.

THE UMPIRE WAS OUT. A batsman who had been stumped while yards out of hie crease wont on to score 73 runs in a cricket match at Durban. This is what happened before the eyes of. a crowd of astonished spectators: —Aiming low and true, a fielder struck the wicket as. the batsman vainly raced to regain the crease. As one man, eleven players cried a confident "How’s that?” The umpire shook his head. . The batsman went on running. A puzzled wicketkeeper with the batsman again absent from his create, pulled a- -stump 'from the ground. There was another chorus "How’s that?” The umpire shook iiis hefid. The batsman went on running. A few moments later tho mystery was solved. The‘. umpire- fell io tiie ground in a fit, and it was realised that what had appeared to he negative -shakes -of tho head wore the beginnings of a seizure: The batsman who had not been given not out went on to win the match lor his side.