CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume L, 29 November 1930, Page 10

CRICKET

DEPRESSING CONDITIONS It is many years since South Taranaki lias had such a run of bad conditions for the opening, weeks of a season and so far only one fine ►- * " day has been experienced. it is cienressing tor the players and awkward tor the association in its arrangements However the conditions here are not singular and in some centres they have been even worse. All will hope soon to see a complete reversal of . form, •on th part of the weather. Cricket is .eg essentially a hot sunny weatnei sport that few other games are so senou.slv affected and upset by cold wind and "heavy rain. . ~ Jt is interesting to note that, m tne opinion of men in a position to know, the huger wickets have come to stay in England. Auckland, Otago and Canterbury are in favour of them, hut Wellington is not iso. However, Plunket Shield matches will he played wit-li the larger wickets. _ There is a possibility of the West indies team touring New Zealand at the conclusion of the Australian tour. , Steps are being taken to raise money for the expenses of the English tour in 1932 and an art union is to be run. Members of the Cricket Council look forward to a. profit on the tour. There will be five test matches played by the West Indian team in Australia, one each at Adelaide (December 12 to 17), Brisbane (January IXS to 21), Melbourne (February 13 to 18), and two at Sydney (January 1 to 6 and February 27 to March. 1, the final). All will he limited to five days. Cricket was first played in New Zealand in Dunedin in 1848. George Farr’s team of English professionals, with Dr E. M. Grace, played four matches in New r Zealand in 1864, winning three, drawing one. The first cricket club in Wellington was formed in IS6S. The New Zealand Cricket Council was formed in 1894. Its first president was Mr E. H. Williams. Interprovincial matches between Otago and Canterbury were commenced in 1863. Lillywhite's professional side visited New Zealand in 1877. Included in the team were Alfred Shaw, G. Ulyett, T. Emmett, and T. Armitage. The Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association was formed m 1882.

1000 RUNS IN MAY

Bradman lias been erroneously credited with a thousand runs in May. says an enthusiast in Wellington, and his name has in certain instances been added to that very small yet distinguished' band of cricketers who has performed this astonishing feat. As a. matter of fa.ct Bradman, like Hayward, just missed the distinction by starting hostilities on the last day of April. He is. however the first Australian cricketer to gain a four figure aggregate so | early in ail English season, and his performance is the more remarkable lowing to the fact that be missed tne (match with Essex, and that his scoring ntas considerably checked by rain both at Leicester and the Oval. His first wonderful month in England, which lias since been followed by far more startling figures, can be set forth as follows: v. Worcestershire, 236; v. Leicestershire, 185 not out; v. Yorkshire, 78; v. Lancashire 9 and 48 not out; v. M.C.C., 66 and 4; v. Derbyshire 4.4; v. Surrey, 252 not out; v. Oxford University, 32; v. Hampshire, 47 not out; total 1001. Average 143. Only three players, all Englishmen, have succeeded in actually collecting a thousand runs in May. Their records are as follow : —-

I. N.O. R, H.S. Av. 189-5 —Grace ... 10 3 1010 288 112.3 1927 Hallows . 11 3 1000 232 125.0 1928- 13 0 1028 192 79.0 Inclusive of April, Hayward’s and Bradman’s figures give the following return: —t

I. N.O. It. H.S, Av. 1900—Hayward 13 2 1094 193 97.6 1930—Bradman 11 4 1001 252 143.0