CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 December 1928, Page 11

CRICKET

THE FIRST TEST. THE AUSTRALIAN DEBACLE. I Sensational scarcely defines the result of tlie: First Test between the English team and the Australians for (the (possesses of ithe Ashes, now held by 'tho Molther Country. It was considered certain .before the match commenced that Australia would give England a close run, though no. oine disguised the strength of the Englishmen all round, but especially in batting. The result, however, has astounded every one, and Ithe successive failures of tho Aussies, with, their reputation, for stem fighting against odds, have been a sensation' of •.the cricket world. It is a matter for regret, however, ■that the visitors played so obviously for keeps and dug themselves in so- securely. Their slow cautious batting during most of the first innings and .part of the second is no.t in the best interests of cricket, and the disinclina- . it ion on the part of the captain to tako the slightest risk even when he found himself in such an outstandingly strong cohciiusion after the conclusion of the first innings, is open to. criticism. There is no, doubt about tho effectiveness of the tactics which have, brought about a | most decisive rout for Australia. The i wicket cannot be blamed for the failure | of thear cracks, oecause their opponents 1 scored heavily on both occasions. 1 This is England’s first victory on on Australian soil since 1912, with the ' exception of Ithe Fourth Test in 1925 at Melbourne, when she had an oiverwhelming win by an innings and 29 runs. On that occasion Australia won the remaining four Tests. That last fact will make the Englishmen cautious perhaps, in case history should repeat itself. This, however, does no.t seem likely, though the 1 Australians should do much better on the sunny Melbourne and Adelaide grounds. The ahouneerheut of 'the team to meet England will be awaited with much amtiiepation because of the certainty of alterations. The possibility of Gregory not playing again is a great blow. KeMcway, tfiough a “rock” player, m too old, and one wonders whether Ryder will .maintain his position. The efficiency of the English .players in tho field is eminently proved for in the match there were ten Australians caught, (all the wickets, in the second innings falling to catches and most of :theru, it would appear from tire score sheet, in the slips. Tho fortunes of (the Second Test at Sydney on December 14 will be, watched with the keenest interest, and the result will give an indication whether the. Englishmen on all wickets are so much the, stronger. An instance of similar over-careful-ness occurred at Adelaide recently, records “J.M.” iu the ”Australasian, ; ' when, in the iuter-Statc cricket match, the Victorian captain only thought it safe to l dose his innings when he had set the South Australians over 600 runs to make for a fourth hand. “I have often h'caird, ’ ’ lie adds, ‘ ‘ cricket do scribed as a sporting game—in fact, the favourite way of condemning the du | bious practices and strategies of other) kinds of games is to say, “It i,s not cricket, don’t you know! ’ If we are in need of a now metaphor, lot me suggest reference to a game played with three bads instead of one, and I don’t mean billiards, either. Let us frown down bad sport,smainiship in future with the remark, ‘lt isn’t .pawnbroking! ’ ” NOTES. The game has been played at several of the girls’ secondary schools in the Dominion for some years, but to Amok- j land belongs .the honour of the first association for girls. Last week eight, teams took the field at their grounds at kemuora. The form is said to, haivc been quite good. It is unfortunate, but has been unavoidable, that the Taranakl-Wauganui Hawke Cup match has fallen on 'the t same days as the Town v. Country• match in Wellington, and that there- i

fore no .players from the two centres were available. The 'Wellington! selector picked it very strong teaun, amuck too good on paper for “The Best.” South Taranaki players will have motieod with pleasure, that Lambert, wlto played for Stratford some yeans ago, made a. century for his -club last Saturday in Wellington, and just, when runs /were wanted. When is a man out in cricket ? A batsman the Other day, when making a. swipe at a ball missed it, hit himself on the back of the neck with the bat, ain'd was retiring hurt when the ball hit the wicket. But, such is the uncertainty of cricket, tlvere is some idoiubt. a's to. how the batsman did officially get ou!t. The leg-before rule is still unsatisfactory. Doubt arises in the minds of players and spectators when ai batsman is given out l.lnw. If batsmen did not wear pads on their shins there anight bo fewer disputes, but who could advocate the. removal of such a' natural protection for the batsman in these days when we cover the. pitch against rain? Players and spectators are now In training for long-drawn-out Test •matches. A long, hot and dry sumimer •liais been predicted. But can anyone reicolleet when it has not raided before, during, or after an important cricket match?

The first referenCo to cricket being played' outside England is .contained in “The Diary of the Bov. Henry Tc'ofiige, ’’ who was vicar of SpcnnaM. dated Maly (5, 10*70: “This morning early (as "it is the custom-alii summer lornge) at the least 40 of the English, with his worship the. Consuill, rod ouit of ■the eytty about 4 miles to the Greene Platt, ai fine val'ly by a river syde ,tc> •reereatci themselves. Where a princely tent .was pitched; and we had several pastimes and sports, as duck-hunting, fishing, shooting, hand-ball, kricketit. scroll Io; and then a noble dinner broil girt thither, with great a plenty of all sorts of wine, punch, and lemonads; i:iind at 0 wee xetume all home in good 'order, but soundly tyred and weary.’’ The “evttv” alluded ho was Aleppo.

THE VALUE OF FIELDING

(By Patsy Hendren.)

However good a. batsman or bowler a cricketer may be, he is not much use to his side if ho cannot field smartly. In fact, many maltehe's have been decided by the fielding. Dropped catches or runs given away by clumsy fielding are very disheartening to. a'bowler, who sees his carefully laid plans nullified through no fault of his own. Fielders should also, be careful to stand exactly where the bowler has placed them. It. is disc oncer ting to him if lie has to look round after every ball to see if someone lias moved out of position. Bowlers, of course, can be too exacting in this respect.

For instance, at one village, cricket match 'the captain of the fielding side was bawling. He was a local genitlo,mq:n with an aggressive and over-bear-ing manner and was very unpopular. After each ball ho would delay the game by moving a fielder a yard or two one way or another, and he nagged ciontinitally at unfortunate, yokels who did not stand absolutely on the spot where he had placed them. At last one of the batsmen, a stout butcher with a sense of humour, could stand it no longer.. Just a,s the bowler was about to deliver the ball he held up his hand and cried “Stop! ” “What’s the matter?” the botwler demanded. “Beg pai-don, zur.” Then with a glance towards one of the slips, “Yonfellow’s on the wrong buttercup.” To my mind the- secret of good fielding is concentration. Half the catches that are missed are dropped because the fielder was think of something else at the moment.

A good fielder never takes his; eye off the ball from the time it leaves the bowler’s hand. He notes as carefully as he can what delivery the bowler is intending to make and watches how tho batsman shapes up to strike the, ball. By doing this he can anticipate to a' great extent in which direction the ball will travel. Also, he always 1 stands on his toes. No one can get quickly off the mark if he stands with his weight on his- heels.

To bo caught napping is considered a great disgrace and is often strenuously denied by the offender. I remember an amusing occasion when the whistle of a: ball roused a fielder frlom a pleasant doze as it whizzed toi the ■boundary. “Wake up, Jones,” shouted the indignant captain. “Wake up?” demanded Jones in, the tones of one who has been deeply maligned. “If I’d (been asleep, how d’you think I could have got out of ithe way?”

There is a • great temptaltion for young cricketers to fry to be too spectacular in the field. A one-hainded catch look's very nice and usually brings a 1 round of applause from the spectators. If the fielder could have used two hands, however, hei had no earthly right to. have employed only One. “Safety first” should bo your motto when a. catch comes yobr way.