CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 February 1925, Page 10

CRICKET

THE SHEFFIELD SHIELD. This is the sixth season of Sheffield Shield competition since the war ceased, and New South \\ ales and \ ictoria have each won the State cliampjonship three times, Victoria three times in the last four seasons. In all six years South Australia has been third. The win of Victoria this season does not necessarily indicate that Victoria, is the strongest side, for the teams ■which represented New South Wales in the two beaten matches were weakened by the absence of the Test players. But even so, Victoria has played very solid cricket in every match. Some of their players are vetei ans now. yet still pretty good. And whether the younger players will have been brought sufficiently to take their places a little while hence is not too clear. No doubt the Victorian selectors know what they are doing; but to people on this side the position is somewhat obscure. The success of Melbourne teams in other phases of play, such as the intef-Varsity. inter-Gram-mar, and other matches, however, suggests tliat there is plenty of young talent ready for advancement when the. older men determine to drop out, as some of them must in the near future. Below is a list of the Sheffield Shield N.S.W. has won the Shield 16, Victoria 10 and South Australia 3 times.

WHEN W. G. GRACE ADVISED. THE TYPE OF BOWLERS NEEDED TO MAKE SOUND MEN. The following, above the name of H, G. Tvlecote, in London Field, should he treasured by all cricketers. H. Tvlecote is probably a brother to E. F. S. Tvlecote. who kept wickets for England in several Tests, and topscored (33 and 38) in each innings of the match in Melbourne just 4*2 years ago, when the Hon. Ivo Bligh’s Eleven were defeated by Australia. N “When I was a schoolboy W. G. Grace came up and said to me. ‘I hear that you are going to be captain of the school XI next year. Would yon like to have a few hints from me, as I have played more cricket than, you?’ I replied: ‘I should be only too glad.’ “The substance of what he told me then I have never forgotten, and every word he said was absolutely true, and has been proved so over and over again in all the matches I have ever played at Lord’s. Hi.s advice was as follows: “ ‘Always have your bowlers, a fast one, a medium fast, a. slow bowler and a left band bowler if you can get one. A bowler that keeps, a good length is always dangerous. Never put two fast bowlers on ho start with, especially if they both howl over the wicket Begin with a slow howler and a fast one, and you will soon see which the ground suits the best, and which the batsmen shape at worst. Change after 16 to 20 runs, unless the batsmen seem stuck up. but do not keep the last howler on too long, or he will loose his sting, and lie is often more useful for the* end batsmen. If you have a good left-hand slow howler do not forget to put him on very soon. It is no use expecting him to get men out at once when they have got their eye in, so have no hesitation iii putting him on soon, especially if he can break the ball ’ fairly well, and keeps a good length. If you know that any good player who comes in has a favourite hit, pitch him up the first ball to tempt him to make that hit, and put a man out, and the odds are that he will have a go at it and send a catch, maybe in the slips, before lie lias the time of the ground.’ “Now, after Half a century since this advice was given, how true it has proved? In the Gentlemen and Players matches at Lord’s over and over again one has seen two fast bowlers, both over the wicket, start bowling on a plumb wicket till the batsmen have got their eye in, and then, rather reluctantly, after 50 to 60 runs are on the board, a slower bowler is put on in hopes of getting out one of these good batsmen, so that the fast bowlers can again go on. “The M.C.C. have sent out a splendid selection of good cricketers to Australia, and, ■ though they will have their work cut out in the Test matches, which they play to a finish, i think a great deal more will depend on tlie captain than people think. Anyhow. let us hope that our slow howlers may have a. chance of getting out sonic of their great batsmen before they have settled down, and that the advice of the greatest cricketer that ever held a bat may. as far as possible, lie followed.”.

TWO VICTORIAN BATS. W. M WOODED LL. The two innings by W. M. Woodfull for Victoria against New South Wales in Sydney, in their defence and care, were like some of the big scoring innings in the Summer’s Test cricket. Woodfull is one of the best batsmen in Australia, of a type the public does not admire, but, nevertheless, a rungetter that wins matches when time is no object. Perhaps if a time limit were imposed in Australian first-class cricket be might quicken bis methods, but as the game is played, with wickets always perfect, there is no reason for him to depart from the. methods by which he has commanded so much success. Woodfull has been in first-class, cricket only three years or so. His sound defence has meant a good deal to Victoria, for he lias rarely been dismisssed for few runs. In the New South Wales matches he has made 553 runs at an average of 61, and in the South Australian 594 and 66, and m all the Shield games he lias made 1147 runs at an average of 63. These are very fine figures. Whether he would be as successful if he could cultivate a little more ginger by the use of the wristiness that made such players as H. Graham and S. E. Gregory mav be doubtful. But if he could cultivate it he would be a much more attractive player, and would come into hi.s own in the matter of recognition for higher honours. In the field lie was one of the keenest, triers in the recent Sydney match, and did good work in the outfield cutting off fours, though he may Jack, the brilliancy of a Pel lew or a Hansford. a B. WILLIS.

Tlio position held by Carl 15. W illis in Victorian cricket is difficult to follow. tie comes to Sydney and plays what is in point of class batsmanship the finest innings for the side, showing the nower to take hold of the howling and'score fast and heavily in the expiring minutes of the innings when every run possible is of value. He brings into action forcing strokes on the drive high and low, and goes for the howling in much the same way as William Bruce or Harry Graham would have done in a similar position, and, in doing so, made easier the task ot keeping up the wicket by the man at the other end. Willis also fielded brilliantly on the ground, far more so than any other man on the side save the schoolboy, Schneider. True, he