CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 22 January 1927, Page 12

CRICKET

THE HAWKE CLP MATCH

CONDITIONS IN TARAN’aKI

"Writing ot the success oi Taranaki in the Hawke Cup .match in Aew Plymouth, “Burwood" ox the dominion, after ottering congratulations, said: “The success should make supporters see to it that the players have Setter wickets to play on. 1 aranaki •has plenty of fiat land and gooil rich soil and it should not cost a great deal to provide first-class turf wickets at New Plymouth,Haweva, Elthaxn, Stratford, and other towns wherever the game is played, if this were done Taranaki would soon go on to further successes, and might soon become as renowned on the cricket field as were her Itugby footballers in the nineties. ’ Apparently Burwood does not know local conditions' as well as he might nor be aware of what has been, and is being, done here and in New Plymouth, where a section ox turf is top-dressed with papa, and is proving very satisfactory. The outfields of course are equal to the best. The only part- of the whole game at New Plymouth, outside of Lowry’s batting, that suggested international form was Kingston’s wicket keeping, it was in a class by itself, anti impressed the selectors very strongly. If ne were a fit man, his claims would have to be seriously considered, because he is a stylish bat when properly in his stride. He is, however, inclined to want to score too quickly and not- to be so careful at opening as he might be. , . It is of interest to read what the Referee’s Special says of Lowry s batting. He says that Lowry, in Wellington, was the" outstanding batsman, ms runs being made with good shots and plenjtv of power. His stand with Lambert was the feature of the innings- both forcing the runs in pleasing style. Of Worker he wrote that he seemed to have lost much of his attack and allowed the ball to hit the bat and most of liis shots went straight back to the bowler.

NOTES

The biggest first wicket partnership in a representative match in New Zealand is the 303 by L. A. Guff and P. D. Lawrence, for Canterbury against Auckland, at Gluristchureh in the nineties. The Oxenham family, of Queensland, can put a good cricket team in the field, with umpire and scorer, and have issued a challenge to any other family, to play a match on behalf of the Children’s Hospital. It would he most interesting. In this district there have been Hughes family team, Caves (Wanganui), and Welches (Wairarapa). Generally speaking said an old representative cricketer, the youngsters of now-a-days do not show the keenness in play, specially in fielding and in running between the wickets, as one would like to see. A Sheffield paper records _ the sacrifice made by the son of Waiter Sugg, a groat county crickotcr of bygone years, to save his father’s 1 i fCj by allowing a transfersion of blood from his veins. It is good to not© that the sacrifice resulted in complete success. , „ Why 100 should he the coveted ngure in cricket no one knows. In bowling, of course, the numerical triumph is three, the coveted “hat-trick.” There, again, it is asked, why should it be three, and not a brace, such as is the recognised unit in shooting circles! Already there are six or eight balls as a base in cricket, while tennis favours powers of 15 for its scoring. The Itugby football code also subscribes to the “five” principle by the grouping of two and three, but, says a writer, golf can claim no special sporting numbers of its own. At a recent meeting of the hoard of Control in Australia, it was decided to adopt a smaller ball, which shall not be less than 8 13-16th inches nor moie than nine inches in circumference. The old, ball did not measure less than nine inches, and did not exceed nine and a quarter inches. In. proposing the toast of the Lancashire cricket team at the dinner held in Manchester to celebrate the winning of the country championship last season, Mr. L. H. Tennyson recalled an incident which occurred during the progress of the Test Match between England and Australia at Manchester in 1921. H. L. Collins, the Australian, had been batting about five hours for 40 runs without taking the slightest risk, and it seemed impossible to dislodge him, when a spectator shouted out, “Tennyson, why don’t you recite kirn one of your grandfather’s poems ? ’ The English captain did not take the advice, but Collins’s patient, if rather tedious, innings came to an end almost immediately afterwards.

GREGORY'S RETIREMENT. Jack Gregory's retirement from big cricket was not unexpected. Rut it is none the less regrettable. It deprives the cricket field .of a joyous and outstanding personality that gripped the biggest crowd' —not only m Australia, but in England (says the Melbourne Herald). It was not only Gregory's, express howling and marvellous fielding that held the attention, either. There was something more about him —personality, vitality, magnetism —call it what you will, but at any rate that Indefinable quality that brings success to a great actor or singer. The average cricket onlooker “fell for” that tall Australian as soon as he strode on to the field flinging the ball here and there, full of the energy of life. . Cricketers who can dominate the field in that way are very rare —for . simple brilliance at the game is not. sufficient -in itself. Warwick. Armstrong, partly by reason of his size, good humour* and “wiliness,” had the same knack of attracting attention. But looking back over a good many years an old cricketer to whom I talked on the subject could only recall one other man who could so grip the crowd —that was Victor Tromper. Incidentally, the retirement of Gregory, the omission of Collins from -the New South Wales team, and the present Sheffield Shield games all suggest that the promising young player has his chance at last. The next visit of the Englishmen is not so very far ahead. And before then wo have to find new blood to help Teenpturo the ashes.

ENGLISH TOUR. NEW ZEALAND CRICKET TEAM. The team will leave Wellington by the Tahiti on March 29, and will arrive in San Francisco on April 15. From there the team will travel to New York, where the Majestic will

take them to England, arriving on April 29. First Game Against M.C.C. The first game will take place on Mav 11, 12 and 13 against the M.C.C. The time between the first game and the landing will he occupied in regular practice at some quiet ground. The New Zealand Cricket Council is fortunate in having Mr Arthur Sims, one of New Zealand’s best batsmen in his clay, to help look after its interests in'England. Thirty-five Matches. The itinerary in Great Britain has been arranged by an M.C.C. enthusiast, Mr H. I). Swann, and the team will play 35 matches. The programme is an excellent one, including all the best counties, the Army, Navy and Civil Service, etc. New Zealand lias very rightly not aspired to play test matches against England, but a game against an English eleven will conclude the tour on September 7, 8 and 9. If the New Zealand team plays as we hope it wall the English eleven can be made any strength that England desires. A Preparatory Test. (Referee.) When the South Australian Association let the tour fall through (provided that they could get the players needed), they made a feeble effort to give the South Australian players and tiie game a push forward in their State. The New Zealand people next desired the Board of Control to send a. team, hut, I am informed on the best authority, that the hoard had no application from New Zealand in front of it. If it had there is a possibility that something might have been clone. Then the Melbourne C.C. was invited, provided that W. W. Armstrong, H. L. Hendry, V. S. Hansford were available. The club has accepted, subject to the consent of the V.C.A.. which, no doubt, will be cordially given. I understand a strong side will be got together. It should provide the New' Zealanders with a fitting test prior to leaving .for England, and also help them financially. The Melbourne. Club is to be congratulated on meeting the New Zealand desires at such short notice.

Why This Apathy? New Zealand, just now on the eve of sending the first team to England, needs all the money possible and the heartiest assistance from Australia. This experience ought to lead to the New Zealand Cricket Council appointing someone in Australia to officially represent it in matters of this sort, so that things shall he arranged, in good time and with thorough satisfaction to all concerned.

The fact is not generally recognised, but I am certain that Australia is passing through a peculiar eTa in which much superficial thinking on cricket is indulged in, and much that is unsound determined on. It is so in New South Wales, but not confined absolutely to that State. It is in a sense reflected in the doings of the New South Wales teams in the Sheffield Shield this season, and unless changes are made very soon in the trend of things it wall become more pronounced, with a tragic slump in the standard of play. What- I desire to lead rip to is that the success of New Zealand cricket is of real importance to Australian cricket of the future, and it behoves all who occupy positions on governing bodies in the States and on the Board of Control to recognise this, to look ahead a little, and determine to keep an annual connection, if possible, with New Zealand. _ playing either over there or in this country. London Opinion.

All arrangements have been made for the tour of the New Zealand cricketers, who are to arrive in this country in the spring, and spend the summer here (says a London writer). Matches have been fixed with all the : ounties with the exception of Hampshire, and the latter greatly regret tuat they cannot find a date, to meet the visitors. •

Provided the team is strong enough the tour should be a success. Rather unfortunately the New Zealand eleven will not be asked to meet’ the full strength of English cricket in test matches. Presumably, it is thought that this would be trying them too highly, but from an English point of view a series' of, say,'three games u ould have been useful, not only because it would have. kept the England eleven in practice as a team, but it would have offered the opportunity for some young players to be tried.

Maoriland’s first cricket tour of England (says a . Sydney writer.) will be commenced with a match against an eleven selected by H. Martineau, who gave the last Australian team its opening gallop on his private ground at Holyport. As the counties have agreed to use the smaller ball over which controversy has been raging, the Maorilanders may find conditions awkward at first. Nevertheless., since English wickets and atmospheric conditions approximate much more closely to Maoriland’s than to Australia’s, both bowlers and batsmen should be happier than on our concrete-faced nitches. Not that last vear’s Maoriland team in Australia—iby no. means the Dominion’s best side —did not make runs. Its trouble lay in the inability of the bowlers to get the other side out on batsmen’s wickets.

FOSTER SECOND ELEVENS. Excellent advice is given by the cricket writer of the Referee when he says that if a bowler drop out of the first eleven, one of a similar type should be promoted to the firsts from the second eleven. The fast bowler of the seconds should replace the fast bowler of the firsts when necessary The same applies to the slow bowler, to the all-rounder, to the batsman. He adds that this scheme is always in vogue in Victorian League football, and could be worked • well in cricket also.

UNIQUE COMPLIMENT. Reigning princes in India are very ardent enthusiasts in cricket, and the. fact is well recognised in England, where they are, in sporting circles, very highly thought of. A rare compliment was recently paid to one- by the M.C.C. The Mahrajah of Patiala, a great cricketer himself, and one of cricket’s keenest supporters in India, was offered the captaincy of the M.C.C. team against the Punjab, but declined, as lie had already accepted the leadership of the Punjaub against them. It was understood that the Mahrajah will he a member of the M.C.C. team in, one of their matches in Bombay. He is related to Ranji( whose uncle, when that famous Indian was in Au.straia, about 30 years ago, was then reigning Maharajah of Patiala. The present Maharajah was in the All India team in 1911, arid is 35 years of age.

YOUNG AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONS.

In view of the fact that th© next Australian team will be almost exclusively new men, it is of interest to give some particulars of young players now outstanding. Below are a few of note: Karl Schneider. Australia, has had some notables among the small men of cricket. Sydney Gregory is one of the best known in first-class cricket. Probably no shorter player has figured in the representative elevens of any of the big States than Karl Schneider, developed by Victoria, and now a strong opening batsman for South Australia. Ho belongs to the left-handed fraternity, and is a fine young sportsman. Schneider already holds the record opening wicket partnership for South Australia, against New South Wales, in Sheffield Shield matches, it being accomplished with Arthur Richardson at Adelaide last month. They put on 120, it being incidentally the first time over 100 had heen scored hv the opening pair against New South Wales. Schneider is noted for his sound defence, but he has also many remunerative shots— behind the wicket. His cuts arc deft and well-nlneed. and his drives carry a great deal more power than might he expected from such a small man. As fieldsman Schneider has earned a brilliant reputation, being very fast, wonderfully clean in his work, and a strong thrower. He is a verv sound catch, and so makes a first-rate fieldsman. N. L. Williams, the South Australian Slow Bowler. Williams has heen a representative cricketer for a. few years, but never before howled with anything like the success he has had this season. In his first three matches he secured 23 wickets at a comparatively cheap cost. James G. Hogg. A Sydney University colt, whose brilliant fielding has'been a feature in New South Wales’ play in recent Sheffield Shield cricket. A prolific run-getter, he has made 565 runs in grade cricket this ..season, and heads the aggregate. Hogg has commenced with credit in the higher type of cricket, and is a. batsman of rare promise. Several others are pointing their way towards international honours, notably A. Kippax. A. Jackson, A. Fox (New South Wales). O’Connor, Oxenham (Queensland). V. Richardson. Tnkster, Love, Blaekie.

CRICKET EXTRAORDINARY. WHAT THE WIND DID WITH BALL AT GOULBURN. (Referee.) The extraordinary tilings of cricket are always on tap. Go where you will you hear of what might have been thought impossible happening. A correspondent from Goulburn writes giving details of one that has the appearance of the unique. He says: I want to tell you of a most extraordinary happening up here in a match about a month ago. It was between Maruian (Leslie Sieler’s team) and Wheelmen, on the Goulburn Sports Ground. ’ It was a terribly windy day, and up here on the Southern Tablelands it knows how to blow . Maroney was batting, and the bowler was Hearne. Batting at the northern end, Maroney attempted a big hit against a terrific southerly wind. Getting too far under the ball, he skied it perhaps 100 feet directly over the bowler’s head. The batsmen ran, and the howler shaped to take the catch. When the ball was perhaps 50 feet from the ground, an extra special gust caught it and blew it back towards the batsman’s wicket. It landed a few feet out from the stumps, and actually rolled on to the wicket and removed the bail from the middle and leg stumps. The batsmen were still running, and, being out of his ground, a fieldsman appealed for ‘‘run out.” This, of course, was disallowed, as no fieldsman had touched the ball. And it was not till after the game was over and the incident was being discussed that it was realised that the batsman was actually out howled, although he had hit the hall 100 feet away. This seems to me an extraordinary incident, and I feel sure will be of interest to many readers of the Referee, who collect peculiar happenings that have occurred. I would like to state that the incident can be vouched for as being absolutely true. Swerving in the air, and various ■ swingers, are all put down to the atmosohere, but surely the wind never played .sucb a trick as this! A peculiar thing is. that nohodv thought of appealing for “hit on ‘ wicket” or really “bowled.” The batsman was fortunate in a sense, for he was out bowled.

ART OF BALL-SPINNING. ‘ ‘lf you wish to succeed as a bowler you cannot do better than acquire the art of ball-spinning,” was the advice given by Rhodes in an address broadcast from 2LO in London.

The tendency of the past few years, said Rhodes, had been to create “freak bowlers.” The googly type could, on certain wickets, be very successful. Some years ago the Kent amateur, Mr D. W. Carr, had a tremendous run of success when howling what was called the “wrong ’un.” Alluding to his own bowling, Rhodes said he was going to let his hearers into a little secret, and also make a confession.

“Every time I bowl a ball,” he said, “I try to impart spin, but I do not always knew what the ball is going to do. Usually I pitch the hall otn to the leg stump, and it goes away to the off v But sometimes the ball .will do something I don’t expect, and it is when this happens I very often get a wicket.

“The cause of this is simply that, the ball is spinning in its flight. When it touches the ground it might strike a tuft of grass that is slightly moist or greasy. Should this be the case, the ball will do all manner of queer tricks. “Good length, plain, straight bowling, while having its virtue, would not- get a good-class batsman out once in a month of Sundays.”