CRICKET.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 6 September 1913, Page 11

CRICKET.

Normaphv report that they "have one or two new-comers who play, and they nope to put a. fairly good team in the field. In any c^se, the advent of new nlayers adds interest locally, even if the team is not strong enough to oytend the best outside* teams. When the time, for an, Australian t^aim to visit England is near at hand, :^»ofe is usually a feeling among Englishmen that something really oucht to be done to give promising young

players a chance of coming to the front. It is then recognised by everybody 'that the_ older players are getting past their prime, and that the time will eventually come when we shall have to think seriously about replacing them (says a writer in the Field). Accordingly, trial test matches are hurriedly fixed up, generally too late to allow satisfactory experiments to be made. As soon as there is no longer any fear of immediate danger from the Australians, we immelnately fall back on our old ways.This year several young players have" shown the greatest promise, and. if they had a few chances of playing in representative cricket, they would bo almost seasoned players by the time that the Australians come again. . But of all these promising young players, few are chosen fpr either of the matches between Gentlemen and Players. It would be a very sensible thing if an annual match were arranged at Lord's between eleven young players and a representative eleven. The' youngsters would no doubt generally 'be badly beaten, but not always. The match would be very popular, and both sideswould try their hardest. As a working eleven the following, taken almost at random, would not be bad: R. B. Lagden, Ernest Tyldesley, W. N. Riley, Chester. E. L. Kidd, P.* G. H. Fender, J. C. White. Kilner, B. G. Melle, and K. H. C. Woodroffe, with R. A. Boddington as wicket-keeper. But probably, by taking a thought, a much stronger team couT3 be chosen. The five county cricket matches which were begun on Monday, July 28, were all finished on Tuesday, and with the week-end match between Surrey and Middlesex at the Oval ending in a draw there was no first-class cricket in any part of the country on Wednesday. This is an almost unique experience, and it _ was brouglTt about by a series of brilliant bowling performances on wickets which had been rendered treacherous by the rain of the last few days. Tlie deadly character of the bowling will be gathered from the following best performances: Drake (Yorkshire v. Gloucestershire), H for 59; Field (Warwickshire v. Derbyshire). 6 for 25; Woolley (Kent v. LancasMre), 6 for 33; Tan-ant (Middlesex v. Surrey), 6 for 43: G. L. Jessop (■Gloucestershire v. Yorkshire), 2 for 3. The most remarkable cricket of the day was seen in the match between Yorkshire and Gloucestershire at Sheffield. Yorkshire, although set to get only 110 runs to win, could not quite succeed in their task, and were beaten by two runs. The bowling of Gance was the main factor in their downfall, but it was Mr G. L. Jessop who clinched matters by going on to bowl nt tKe finish and securing the last two Yorkshire wickets for three runs. Altogether Mr Jessop had the lion's share in the victory of his side, for in the two innings he scored 107 runs on a rain-damaged pitch and obtained six wicketss for 60 runs. Twice he came to the rescue of his side at a critical-period of the game. With half the Gloucestershire ,team out for 49_ runs in the second innings, Yorkshire did not look like Being set a formidable task to. winj when Mr Jessop altered the aspect of affairs by hitting up 40 out of 69 in thirty-seven minutes, his hits including two huge off drives for 6 each.

Up to the end of July, E. L. Kidd, the • Cambridge 'Varsity player, led in the first-class batting averages, with an average of 55.27 for 21 innings, CP.^ Mead being: second with 53.38 for 35 innings. Both were considerably helped with not-out innings, three and four respectively. J. C. "White was first in bowlincc, 59 wickets at 14.22 each, and Blvthe second, 95 wickets at a cost of 14.65 runs apiece.