CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 11 September 1926, Page 13

CRICKET

There was an air of optimism and enthusiasm about the meeting of the Hawera Cricket Club last week which promises exceedingly well for the coming season. The number of new members elected makes, it pretty certain ■that the three teams wished by members will .be able to be arranged and competition thereby much -widened. It will add to the interest to have the extra team, and in addition will give to practically all players an opportunity to play in matches. This is a very useful feature of the club’s operations. Okaiawa, always full of energy and enthusiasm, have already notified an opening practice for to-day. They have made improvements to the ground, Joll Memorial Park, and all bids fair to be a success. It is good to record that their annual ball on Wednesday was a great success. The Hawera Club have a very valunblo ally in the council’s park committee, with an enthusiast in cricket, Cr. ,T. M. Townsend, at their head. This committee will do all in their power to support the club and to make all possible improvements. But the members must show themselves keen and appreciative if they are to get the best done for them. The papa has been spread on the wicket and needs constant and effective rolling if it is to make the success hoped for. If it proves as great a success as anticipated, cricket should show a marked improvement this season. The outfield is always well nigh perfect, and with the new section to the west, the ground will be as good as any outside, or perhaps even inside the centres. Prospects are very bright. It is to bo hoped that when the season actually opens, all members will attend practice regularly.

METHODS OF ROOT

lii an interesting illustration in the Referee is shown the Worcester man bowling to Woodfull, with his. leg theory field, four men being stationed behind the wicket in addition to the wicket-keeper, -with another man also at short leg, but in front of the wicket. Truly the methods nowadays are most amazing. The following, quoted from the monthly journal of a leading Sheffield business house, might be applied to local cricket: —

The cricket season will soon 3>e upon us, and everything points to us having another good season. Much depends upon the players, and it is hoped all will put their shoulder to the wheel.

We are endeavouring to get the pitch in good condition and the tools will bo in order, so there is nothing in our way to prevent us making our presence felt! Here, surely, is good advice to all who play the great game. If everyone put his “weight” in, as do the members of a properly organised Rugby scrum, how the game would move forward.

BRILLIANT MACARTNEY.

A great tribute was paid to the little wonder, Macartney, who, near the close of a wonderful spell in test cricket, caps his many great innings with an outstanding century in the fourth test. “Not Out” (Referee) says of his play: “Everywhere English sportsmen pay tribute to Macartney as the man who has shown them once again the best in high-grade batsmanship now when stodginess so often passes for greatness. Dead beat, Macartney started to lash out indiscriminately. He wanted to get out. He hit Root to the boundary on the drive; tried again to a ball well up, missed, and was bowled. His 109, chanceles, included, fourteen 4’s,. and completed the second-wicket partnership of 192. His third century in successive tests, if lacking the superlative brilliancy of his Leeds innings, was of class distinctive, and a great inuings viewed from any standpoint. Choked up with the heavy cold, he looked a very tired man as he walked in amidst thunders of applause. I have never heard heartier and more continuous applause for a batsman. Truly, Macartney in his closing years of first-class cricket has attained the heights Trumperian.”

HOBBS’ SLOWER STYLE,

Writing of Hobbs, as bo saw him in the Fourth Test, “Hot- Out/' in the Referee, says: “Batting two hours 40 minutes, he hit seven 4 ; s. Hobbs, these times, is a batsman of perfect defence, who uses his pads as well as his bat with the skill of an artist. His cle- , fensive innings was that which the J position called for. But Hobbs, on this V season’s form, the runs he had made notwithstanding, is more a match-saver than a match-winner; he is too slow, and yet is always worth watching.”

MACARTNEY AND COLLINS, t

SKETCHES OF THEIR CAREERS

Forty years of age, with a distinguished record of more than 2{) years in first-class cricket, Charles Cordon Macartney, is one of the veterans of the game, but so brilliantly lias he been performing with the Australian team in England that some English critics have acclaimed him the best batsman in the world, and the best all-rounder. Since the retirement of Warwick Armstrong we have regarded Jack Gregory as our best aC-rourid cricketer, by virtue of bis cfestrnctive fast bowling, his hard-hitting batting, and his superlative slip-fielding (says the Sporting Globe)' Gregory retains all his uncanny powers in the slips, and his batting on this tour has been highclass, but he is not now the force with the ball that he was, eliieby owing to the trouble that he has had with his leg, and on this season’s play the honour of all-round champion rightly belongs to the little man who is known affectionately throughout the cricket world as “the Governor-General.’’ That he should achieve this distinction at 40 years of age is remarkable, but Macartney in every way is a remarkable man. He is indeed a. genius. He was a genius as a hoy, and he is still a genius. At 18 years of age he carried off the batting honours of the North Sydney first eleven with an average of 121. A year later he made his first appearance as a. representative of New South Wales. a ml although at times he has been dogged by illhealth and misfortune, he has built a wonderful record. He is a supreme master of the* bat—versatile, unorthodox daring and audacious, with the audacity that only a true genius can show. No batsman since the immortal Victor Trumper lias so captured the imagination as has Macartney. In

some ways lie is like Trumper; in other ways they are as far apart as the poles. But they have one thing in common —Australia has had no other batsmen to surpass' them in the charm and audacity, of their play. Macartney has. always been a scintillating batsman, still plays entrancing cricket, and can still pulverise the best of bowling. No batsman of to-day possesses the range of strokes, and none executes his strokes with qnite the ease and charm of the little New South Welshman. To see him sailing along at his bast is a sight worth going miles to see. When he is in this humour no bowler who ever lived could keep him quiet. There is no stodginess In the hatting when he is at the wickets.

Beyond the fact that he always keeps a perfect length, his left-hand bowling is not particularly dangerous on good Australian wickets, but by -reason of his ability to turn, and flight, the ball, he is deadly on wickets that give the slightest assistance. Known to every Australian as “Herbie,” 11. L. Collins is leading a representative Australian eleven for the first time in England. He learned his cricket in great company, for as a youngster he played with \ ichor Trumper and M. A. Noble in the Paddington Club. He is 37 years of age. His' batting is modelled on Noble rather than on Trumper; in fact, his style, is quite the opposite to the latter. Herbie captained the famous Australian Force team to meet England in 1919; he was hepe as vice-captain to Warwick Armstrong in 1921, and led Australia in all the tests against the M.D.C. last year. Australia has hacl few greater players when he is at the. wicket and his side .iu a tight corner. No one can play the waiting game better than he. His hat comes down thq line of ball straight and true, liis timing is above reproach, liis style excellent, his scoring varied and well-finished. He appears to have perfect control over himself, and cannot be drawn to hit if he lias made up his mind to stay. He has the test match temperament. Someone has dubbed him “Horseshoe Collins,” because of his phenomenal luck in winning the toss. He does not deoend upon the luck of the toss, or upon luck at all, but on a profound knowledge of the game. As a howler hefis somewhat of the type -of Macartney, left hand, good length; a useful chance howler.

HOBBS THE. INCOMPARABLE

HIS GREAT PERFORMANCES,

Cricket has always been considered the game of more or less young men, and; when a player gets towards forty he has always been considered a veteran. But the test matches this year have been remarkable for the presence of so many players over forty, _ and some well on the road to fifty, a higher average age for first-class players, than ever before, probably, in the history of the tests.

One thinks' of Rhodes, coming out. at 49 to take so honourable and distinctive a part; of Woolley and Strudwick in the English team, and BardsJoy, Maeartney, Collins and Oldfield in tlie Australian team. But of -them all none approaches the wonderful record of John Berry Hobbs, well designated the incomparable. His latest score of 316 not out for fiis county brings, up in strong relief the record he -has behind him in centuries, huge scores, first wicket partnerships and other performances with the bat. Only a short time ago he beat the record held by the great W. G. Grace of total of centuries, and since then he has gone on annexing them until one wonders when he is going to •stop. It may be ( of interest to give a list of his performaces: — 1— Has made more Centuries in tests than any other player. 2 The only player who has made four centuries in Melbourne.

3 The only professional player, who has made "a century at Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. 4 The only player to make three centuries at Adelaide. 5 The only player who has on two separate occasions made three centuries in successive matches. 6 The only .player who has oil two separate occasions scored three centuries in a season. 7 The oldest player to make, a century score. , 8 — The highest individual score for England at Adelaide. 9 The only player who has scored 150 runs and over in an innings on three occasions. 10— The fastest individual century score at Lord’s for England. 11 — The fastest century score at Adelaide for England. 12 — The only player who has aggregated 1000 runs by century scores. . 13 — Has aggregated more runs than any other player without .making a ‘ ‘‘duck. ’ ’ 14 — Heads the averages of such performances. 15 — Is the only player whd has scored 1000 runs by consecutive doublefigure innings. 16— Heads the averages of such performances.

17 — Holds the record, for the best percentage of double-figure innings of total innings played by players of thirtv innings and upwards. 18— Reached liis first 1000 runs (in England and Australia) in the fewest innings 19— Heads the averages of such perform a rices.

20— Reached his first 1000 runs (in Australia) in the fewest innings. 21 — Heads the averages for same. 22 — Has made more individual scores of 50 runs and upwards than any other English player. 23 — The only player who has on two separate occasions shared with another batsman in an aggregate of 1000 runs for a season.

24 — The only player who lias gone in first, and come out first with 100 or more runs on two separate occasions. 25 — The only player who aggregates 2000 runs in Australia. 26 — Reached 2000 runs (in England and Australia) in the fewest innings. 27 — Heads the averages of such performances. 28 — The only English player to gregate 2000 or more runs (in England and Australia). 29 — The youngest English player on obtaining his first 1000 runs. 30 — -phe only player who has on three separate' occasions aggregated 400 or more runs in a. season. 31 — The only player who has on three separate' occasions aggregated 400 runs with an average of 50 runs and over in an innings in a season. 32 — Has played more consecutive double-figure innings than any other player. 33 — Heads the average of such performances.

34 — Shares with W. Rhodes the record first-wicket or any other wicket partnership. 35 — Has shared in more first-wicket century partnerships than any other

player. 36 — Has shared in more century partnerships tha any other player. 37 — Shares , with W. Rhodes the fastest scoring opening century partnership for England. 38 — The only player who has on three separate occasions shared ill three or more century partnerships in a season. 39 — Shares witli 11. Sutcliffe the record for a first-wicket century partnership in each innings of the same match. 40 — Shares with It. Sutcliffe tinrecord for a century partnership for tho .first wicket in three successive innings. 41 — -Shares with If. Sutcliffe four first-wicket century partnerships in a ■season.

42 — The only player who has twice shared in a double century partnership. 43 The. only player who has in each of four century scores hit fewer than ten fours. 44 Heads the batting averages ot those players who have played in ten innings and upwards. 45 Made the highest individual -score in the first innings of players who aggregate 300 runs for the match without making a century in either innings in their first match tor England. 40 —Tho only professional player who has on three occasions made more than half the runs from the bat in an innings. ,47 —The youngest professional player who has made more than half the runs of a completed innings. 48—Tho only professional player who has beaten - off his own bat an opponent’s innings of upwards of 330 runs.

49 —The oldest player to make a century mat Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. ’ 50 —The record for the greatest number of centuries hit by players wh,o have talren part in ten or more consecutive matches. 51—Holds the record for total number of centuries made in all matches.