CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 March 1928, Page 12

CRICKET

SOUTH TARANAKI FINAL.

NOTES FROM EVERYWHERE The interesting ■ stage of the senior ■competition, which was reached last Saturday, when Midlands and Olcaiawa met in the final match of the season to decide the supremacy, will be advanced to finality to-day, when the teams will again take the field at Hawera- Okaiawa, who unaccountably “slumped” last week, have a lot of leeway to make up, while Midlands are iu a very healthy position. The result is being watched very closely by all players and enthusiasts. The choice of the probable Australian test team to meet the Englishmen this year is now being wfidely discussed, says an exchange. Most experts are well satisfied with the batting strength but all fear that the bowling will be below the English standard. The following are regarded as the likeliest ■members of the team—Wbodfull, Ponsford, Andrews, Hendry, Ryder, Oxenhain, Grimmett, Oldfield, Biaekie, J. M. Gregory and Ironmonger. The Melbourne “Herald” says that 'Woodfull’s qualifications for the captaincy are conspicuous.

Northern papers give rather vivid accounts of the exceedingly difficult wicket at Hamilton, when , the Australians were there. The “New Zealand •Herald” says: “The wicket was very treacherous for the first couple of hours, after which an improvement was noticeable, although even after this stage several deliveries rose over the batsmen’s heads. Eadcoek, who opened the innings, did not enjoy a very pleasant experience. Morton’s first delivery, a short-pitched one, went clean over the batsman’s head, while the next hit him on the shoulder. Other bowlers’ deliveries also bumped up disconcertingly, so much so that Oldfield did not take any risks and stood back to all the trundlers. It was difficult to play correct .cricket.” Manawatu Association has received a telegram from the Marlborough Cricket Association agreeing to 16th and 17th March as dates for the Hawke Hup Challenge match. The New Zealand Cricket Council wrote stating that the winners of the Manawatu-Marl-borough match would be required to play Hawke’s Bay and Southern Hawke’s Bay for the cup. Correspondence has also been received from Southern Hawke’s Bay asking for a Hawke •Cup match, but the chairman reported ■that he had notified the writers that it would be impossible to play them earlier than at the end of the month. The cricket match 'between Victoria and New South Wales provided a new Australian record in the making of eight individual century scores in the game—Kippax 134, Morgan 110, Oldfield 101, Nichollg 110, and Bradman 134 not out for New South Wales, and Hendry 138, Ryder 106, and Rigg HO not out for Victoria. There are two previous instances of seven century scores in a match, the first being in' the game between Victoria and New South Wales at Syduey in 1908-9, the second in that between New South Wales and Queensland at Sydney last season. In the first-mentioned match Ransford made 180 and 110, McAlister 108, and Armstrong 171 for Victoria, and Bardsley 192, Noble 213 and S. Gregory 179 for New South Wales; while in the other match Macartney made 114, Phil, lips 144, Kippax 182 and Jackson 100 fer New South Wales, and O’Connor 103, and 143 not out, and B. Oxenham 134 not out for Queensland. There are several instances of six centuries being made in a match.

Matting wickets are used for Test matches in South Africa, but few know when matting originated, or when it was first used. As long age as November, 1875, the Victorian Cricketers’ Association was asked by Mr T. V. Foote to be allowed to show the members his new invention, the playing of cricket on matting stretched along the ground. The application was granted, and the trial took place on the South Melbourne ground. The minutes of the association were not kept with the care which is now observed, nor was the annual report complete in every detail as it is now. Thus there is no record of what happened, but it must have been successful, for it was not long after that that matting was in general use. The first match on record in which matting was used was East Melbourne v. Hamilton, at Hamilton in 1876.

Herbert Strudvtiek, the .Surrey -wicketkeeper, has a fund of good cricket stories. He teils how, in a country ?natch in Australia, Patsy Hendren, in chasing a 'ball in the outfield, picked up an apple and returned it instead of the ball. It landed in front of Strudwick and broke in pieces. One large bit was put on the top of the wicket and stayed there, the bowlers endeavouring without success to hit it. An aeroplane flying low over the cricket ground at Johannesburg recently, during the first Test match between England and South Africa, caused an indignant, roar of protest from the crowd. But evidently the spectators did not appreciate the humour of the airmen, -who dropped a bowler hat near the wicket.

A VETERAN RETIRES. K. H. Tucker, "Wellington’s veteran cricketer, has definitely announced his retirement from active participation in the game. ‘He first took strike as a senior player with the Midland Club away .back in IS9G-97 seasons, and has ever since been right in the fore-front of Wellington’s players. Thirty-one years as a senior cricketer is a good record, and one that will take a power of beating, and right up to this season Tucker has justified his inclusion amongst the ranks of Wellington’s senior players. Ken Tucker has scored well over 11,000 runs during his career, and has put many fine performances to his credit. In the 1898-99 season he credited himself with the record individual score (221“), which held pride of place until beaten by W. A. Barker (241*) in the 1915-16 season, lie lias represented both Wellington and New Zealand, scoring for the Dominion team, 255 runs at an average of 25.91, being a member of the eleven that defeated the English team, captained by ‘C. E. de Trafford, on the Basin Reserve in 1907.

During his connection with the game K. H. Tucker has been sole selector of New Zealand representative teams, and during the last five years has had the job of putting Wellington teams in the field.

CRICKETER DISQUALIFIED. An unusual incident is reported from Greymouth. At a. meeting of the West Coast Cricket Association, W. Balderstone, 'Of Blackball B Junior team, was disqualified for twelve months for disorderly conduct. At a recent meeting, Mr iG. Barker, a member of the association, reported Balderstone for disorderly conduct, alleging that ho had used offensive language to an umpire, Mr Hallinan, when given out leg before wicket. Mr Barker stated that he was on the ground in company with his wife and another lady. He saw Balderstone given out leg before wicket and heard him use offensive language, in addition to throwing his bat almost the full length of the wicket. We have often, felt that way ourselves, but have never succumbed.

In all cricket records until the first Australian Eleven visited England “long stop” was an important post in the field. In the early days in Victoria B. Butterworth was described as “as good a long stop as anyone in England. ’ 3 Good old ‘ ‘ long stop ’ ; however died a natural, if not sudden, death, when John McCarthy Blackham went to England. He was not the wicketkeeper for the first Australian Eleven, that position was filled by W. L. Murdoch, known as “Spofforth’s wicketkeeper,” for iSpofforth declared that no one could “take” him like Murdoch. He refused to play iu the lirst Test match iu Australia because Murdoch was not to keep wickets. When the first Australian team played in England the famous umpire “Bob” Thoms looked with amazement when he saw Blackham. standing up to :Spofforth without a long stop he whispered to Tommy Horan who was fielding at square leg. “You’ve forgotten your long stop,” and he stared in amazement when Horan replied, “We never use one.” As ball after ball was taken by Blackham Bob Thoms could only murmur, “Wonderful, wonderful.” From that moment no self-respecting wicketkeeper in England would belittle himself by having a long stop. During the visit of the French tenuis players to Sydney they were taken on one afternoon to the interstate cricket match between Victoria and New South Wales. The particularly large crowd and the fine surroundings created a great impression on the visitors, Borotra remarking, “This cricket, it must be a fine game. I think we must introduce it into France when we return.” “That will be a splendid idea,” remarked Gerald Patterson, the captain of the Australian tennis team. “Y'es, and when you come to France, Gerald, you must bowl t'O us,” said Borotra. An inspection of the wicket was made at the luncheon adjournment, and Brugnon was asked !iow he would like to play tennis on it. “Not at all,” was the reply. “It would be too fast. What I cannot inderstand is how the players can hit -,he ball with such a narrow bat.’ After witnessing the play for a. few minutes after lunch the Frenchmen departed, but, as only 4 runs were scored in 15 minutes, they probably wondered what was in the game that kept such a large crowd interested all day, and probably decided that there was not much possibility of the game being regarded with much favour in France.

Recently there was a sudden and altogether unusual ending to a cricket match in a suburban competition. One of the teams, after making sure of the points for a lead on the first innings, had such a bad run in its second knock that it looked as if time alone could save it. from defeat over both innings. .Something desperate had to be done, by the fielding side to support its friend the clock, whose inability to hold the fort was every moment becoming more obvious. In fact, to save the match it had become necessary to retard the activities of the batsmen. So a clock, assisting scheme was adopted. Which involved numerous last-moment and_ slowly executed alterations in the disposition of the fielders and bowling tactics probably unknown to the wiliest trundles from the days of the famous lefthander of the eighties. Tom Kendall, right down to those of Don Rlackie and Clarrie Grimmett. These proceedings were, of course, viewed with grave disapprobation by the batting side, whose patience at length reached vanishing point. The last straw came when, just prior to starting another lagging'over, one of the bowlers walked slowly down the pitch and engaged in a consultation with short slip. Thereupon the skipper, a veteran,. brought up in a school somewhat strict about playing the game, advanced and wrath, fully told the opposing captain that if his side were so desperately keen about it they could have the blanky match, and withdrew hi s men from the wickets. It was a bolt from the blue, and, although the winners got..the full points they went away in an unenviable state of mind. • AUSTRALIAN TEAM. Following are the remaining matches v. Poverty Bav, at Gisborne, March 20 and 21. First test at Auckland. March 24, 26 and 27. Second test at Dunedin, March 31, April 2 and 3.