CRICKET.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 15 November 1913, Page 11

CRICKET.

The following are the championship fixtures. for the first round. All matches will be played on the ground of the first-named club.

Nov. 20—Manaia v. Eltham. Nov. 19—Hawera A v> Okaiawa; Normanby v. Hawera 8.. Dec. 3—Normanby v. Manaia; Hawera B v. Okaiawa ; Eltham y. Hawera A. Dec. 10—iHawera A v. Normanby; Manaia y. Hawera B. Dec. 11—Okaiawa v. Eltham.

The attendance at practice has been only fair. Some field practice might be added to that at the .nets. The wickets on the whole have so far been fairly good. It is hoped 'that funds will permit of more work by a ground man. The grass must be got under. It is not fair to ask visitors to play in a hay paddock. That is what the Park is rapidly becoming. At a meeting of cricketers in New Plymouth it was made a recommendation to the incoming grounds committee to endeavor to- obtain the use of the Tukapa ground for the permanent use of both junior and senior cricket. With very little expenditure it is said that at least two good wickets could be obtained on the old Tukapa ground, on the pitches where the wickets had previously been laid down. If this ground could be secured for the exclusive use of cricket it would mean a great fillip to the game in New Plymouth.

Commenting on the play of the teams last week, the Christchurch Press says of G. T. Westori, who used to play agobd game for Hawera: "In the first innings Weston made a number of beautiful strokes —chiefly drives: and cuts. Indeed, they were so good that one could forgive him his couple of difficult chances, and his effort was a bright spot in a very sombre innings." .

Of Whitta the Press says: "Whitta joins the select band of those who have mafle si double century in grad£< cricket with, an 'innings that was chock full of cricket.as brilliant as it was sound. When Sid. Callaway some years ago dubbed him 'the little dasher' it was in sarcasm, and the ex-Australian Eleven bowler probably never imagined that his 'little dasher' would hurl back the sarcasm by playing an innings of 207 not out in two hours and twenty minutes." Dan Recce put on the fine total of nearly 200 last week, but had the luck when "clean bowled at 96 to hear the call, ominous to the bowler, "noball." Says the Press: "Dan Recce's 180. was. the finest innings he has played for a long time. Indeed, I would class it as the best he has played in grade matches, for it was a much better innings than the one in . which he scored 209 against Riccarton last year. His driving on both sides of the wicket was exceedingly powerful, whilst his other scoring strokes were good enough to make up a great batting performance. Four times he opened out for a big hit, and got it over the fence each time, with something to spare. This is the seventh century Ban Reese has bdgged in first grade matches. His record is: Season 1906-7. 134; 1907-8. 160, 100, 105; 1909-10. 157; 1912-13, 209; 1913-14, 180. This record of centuries has never yet been eclipsed, and only equalled by one, H. B. Lusk, who also has seven' centuries to his credit, including one double century. During the first week in September there was a- lot of bad weather in some parts of England. Still, there was some very fine scoring. A second Surrey team beat "Wiltshire by 71 runs after being 49 in arrears on the first innings. In the second they declared with the fine total of 388 for five wickets. Wilts set to get 340 in a comparatively short time, and they almost got them. For Surrey, Abel (good cricket name) got 126, and Awdry for Wilts 115. Yorkshire v. Sussex was stopped by rain after two days' play. Holloway got Rhodes, Denton "and Kilner for 8, and three of the Tykes were, down for 20 3 when B. B. Wilson 108 and Hirst 166 (not out) changed the aspect of the game, and 374 were totted up. Sussex had only one hour's batting before rain stopped play. Worcester beat Somerset by an innings and 34, < thanks mainly to a fine 114 by H. K. Foster and great bowling by Burns (6 for 41) and Burrows (4 for 41 and 5 for 55). Leicester were completely outclassed by Surrey, going down before their great rivals to the tune of an innings and 161. Hobbs played a dazzling innings of 92. Playing against Gloucester, Mead scored 51 and 171 (not out), and materially., assisted his side to a substantial win. In the second innings Newman, for Hampshire, got 4 for 20 and Kennedy 6 for 52. In Kent's sensational win by five runs over Middlesex, Hardinge, by scoring 110, topped his 2000 runs and got his fifth century. ._.___■

It is reported that A. C. Maclaren may play for Norfolk next year. Playing for Mr Robinson's XI. versus Oxford Harlequins, Archie Maclaren showed that he has not forgotten how to bat by putting up 141, "an innings worthy of his best day" ; while B. J. T. Bosanquet, on the latter side, scored 33 and 108, and at the beginning of the second innings, in conjunction with Crutchley, began a collapse of bis opponents." He secured five wickets. Smith, of Surrey, secured 14 Sussex wickets for 134.

Hirst, the great Yorkshireman, in the match with M.C.C. on September 2, secured his hundredth wicket. This feat he has" accomplished fifteen times. Seventeen times he has made 1000 runs, and fourteen times he has had both 1000 runs and 100 wickets in a season. What a man it is! ; A correspondent who-.once h#d the. curiosity to ask Hanjitsinhji whether he ever felt nervous on the cricket field, received this reply: "Anxious often, nervous only once. When was that? On the eve of the match which was or wasn't going to get me my 'blue' for Cambridge.". Hardinge's feat of making four centuries in successive inhincs lifts him into a very select list. Hay ward did the same thing inside a week in 1906, C. F. Fry did it in 1911; and there is no other genuine record in firstclass matches, though A. C. Maclaren was robbed of one such by the fact that Queensland and New South Wales played 13 men against the English team of 1897-8, thus putting the I match outside the first-class category. Of course, C. B. Fry made six in succession in 1901. . / In an interview with a prominent player in Winnipeg a lot of interesting copy was secured by a Cricket representative. * The player in question. Mr T. Smith, says: "I still preserve a newspaper cutting which tells how I achieved the sensational analysis of 2.4 overs, 2 maidens. 0 runs, 8 wickets! This included a double hat trMc." '■ c ■..-.■ . , The growth of playing grounds has been on a level with the mushroom growth of the American towns. Mr Smith says of the grounds: "They are ali new. I don't believe any, ground now in use has. been played on for

more than Hve'or six years. Cricket .n tnis city owes much to the generous action of, the Parks Board. Twentyfour teams play every Saturday, and this would be absolutely irmjossible but for the provision made for them in the public parks. The best wickets in Winnipeg are to be found in Assinibome Park. The area for cricket has been extended, and it is hoped that, in all public parks to be made in the tu*ure,, the ground will be given a An Australian writer, dealing with the question of military training and its working in with cricket and other 2£& %**' 1 "Dri11 is Quired- every second Saturday m Sydney. Grade matches last two Saturdays. The military districts and the cricket districts do not coincide. Hence there is likely a -T difficulty with the grade clubs, who may have half their oth£ Mfc«l?' a& °ne ? atu| T 4 ay and the other half the next. Well, training &™^n? d on?« «wmtry is a higher thing than cricket,, and it remains for the cricket authorities to manage so that the innovation should not hit them harder than need be. The susgestion is to re-grade Sydney in accordance with the military districts and it seems feasible enough. Some' say there are too many first-grade clubs, and a suggestion to lessen their S a Ume be t rime S"bemS at the

! Bathing m the river Nene at CogenP~ on® Sunday morning recently George Thompson, the Northamptonshire cricketer who is an expert swimmer, saved the life of a companion. We was not alone in the rescue; but it was one not without difficulty and risk even for a good swimmer and he deserves much credit. But George Ihompson always was a reliable man! In a match between Alton and Basmgstoke the Rev. F. Farebrother, ™ has P^yed for Wiltshire, bowled a ball which knocked one of the bails into the air. It fell upon the other bail and lodged. The umpire's decision was "not out."*

*uMrr, Archlbald William Barrett, of the Cottage Haropstead. distinctly scored when he chased a burglar who ftad broken into his residence; and knocked him down with a cricket bat Possibly Mr Barrett is a ' century maker; but he cannot often have used a bat to much more telling effect I his reminds one of the golfer who used a discarded cleek for the same purpose, and said after he had cowed the burglar into submission: "Well I never did like that club before." ' w r e. haye T , received a copy of the Winnipeg Telegram says the Australasian, containing an account of the match in which the Australians dismissed Winnipeg in the second innmgs for a total of 6. "Extras, 4 " headed the list, E. Layer (good cricket name) made a single, and D. McNab succeeded in contributing a like number. All the rest made ducks. J. N. Crawford's bowling figures are: 26 balls. 0 runs, 4 maidens, 4 wickets. 0. G. Macartney's figures are: 24 balls, 2 runs, 2 maidens, 6 wickets. Referring to the match, the Telegram says: "The cricketers of Winnipeg may have at least this satisfaction, that they have provided an ' incident in the history of cricket which' will appear in the annals of the game to the end of time. Two runs off played balls, for 10 wickets, and 4 extras,' total 6 runs for an innings, is unique both as to the j total score and as to the fact that the extras were double the rest of the score." I

The renowned Warwick Armstrong wrought havoc in a district match at Melbourne last week. He went on at 135. He had one for nought off 5 balls, two for 4 off 21 balls, three for 4 off 23 balls, and four for 4 off 37 balls. He had six maidens out of seven overs, and wound up with four for 7 off 54 balls, 6 maidens. He bowled with plenty of verve, had an admirable length, and troubled every batsman who faced his deliveries. Vine, of Sussex, has a great record of appearances for his team. In an interview lately he said: "I haven't missed a match 6ince June 19, 1899, and mv benefit at Hastings will be my three-hundred-and-ninety-first in succession for Sussex. It is a wonderful record. Physical fitness has played a large part in it, of course; immunity from serious accident has also helped, though once Vine was 'absent, hurt.' in each innings of his side in a match with Surrey. He dislocated a finger on a Thursday trying to catch a hard hit by Hobbs. and could not bat on the Friday. But he was playing again the following Monday, and going in first as usual."

Cricket has the following breezy little paragraphs in a late number: — Gilbert Jessop was paid a- real" compliment recently when the stop-press column of the Brighton Argus announced that he would appear at Hove next day. The sequel was disappointing. A duck in the first innings—absent, ill* in the second. '

I am no Sherlock Holmes; but is there —can there be —any connection between these two items? '.'The ladies of Brighton and Hove will dispense tea and ices each day during the Brighton Week on the Hove ground." "Mr Jessop was in bed with a chill on the 6tomach." If so —at his age— well, enough 6aid! Thompson is somewhat too old for cricket, but he always offers his services as umpire at the annual match, in which the representatives of his profession compete against the representatives of a kindred institution, and they do not like to refuse him, for he is a very decent fellow, although he has built up a reputation as a shocking judge of the game. A few days a<?o he sat on the tram opposite a familiar face. "I know "your face," he remarked. "I must have played cricket against your' somewhere." "Quite right, old chap," dryly remarked the man with the familiar face, i "You did play against me. You were the blooming umpire!"