CRICKET.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 7 October 1922, Page 9

CRICKET.

The season has opened very ans«iciously a good number of players being out for both Saturday anc? Wed nesday and prospects are 'SfsS*" iThe outstandi4 feature of toL» £?*? eVeut was Jar vis' fine score. There was, too, some good bowling and fieldmg, and altogether both <Lays_were good and full of interest. • Practice I Practice ! Practice !'' tos once given as the foundation and ■sole cause of success in a 'game by one achieved a very high posiiton in Xiiat game. It is a motto that everyone might adopt. Some play naturally fcetter than others—due to an inherent gilt, a straight eye, supple wrists, and . strong shoulders, combined with a • sense of intuition which every great • natural player has—but everyone will I>lay better with practice, and some will never play at all decently without practice. It is up to every- member to bear this in mind and, for the sake of his own enjoyment as well as • for his team, to get all the practice .possible. In fielding, however, practice is absolutely essential, and this is •a branch of the game at which every one can do well. -It is, too, full of interest and a joy to stop boundaries, to take a flying catch, and to generally endeavour to anticipate the batsman s ■strokes, and perhaps edge round to the •spot for which he seems to be partial. . Often a chance is secured in this way. One- has only to watch first-class neldsmen. to realise all that can be done. ivery member of the local clubs should strive his best for improvement. Reports of the various clubs in.., Wellington point to a good season for 1922-23. In all the club reports two jpoints are stressed-—the essential necessity for practice and the encouragement of the boys. These are two most important points in the road to success. .The team spirit is emphasised by one club, who attribute to that spirit a very large share in their success. There is no doubt is a point worth . a lot of fostering. . Thorndon last year, -srfys the report, "unearthed some very promising school players, and it is intended to again cater for the boys." Dickinson, the Otago High School boy, who earned a place in the AllBlacks' team recently in his first year in senior Rugby, was also an Otago v, i./'"rep." in his fi rs t year in senior A .cricket, last season winning the trophy for tide "best bowling average. i Neglect of selected players to practise for interprovincial matches was a topic stressed in the address of Mr. D. Hedpatly.who presided at the Canterbury Association's annual meeting. In future, defaulters at practice are to- be dropped. Associations are to be commended on this step, in vi*w of the need for the maximum; amount of improvement in provincial cricket, and if a good showing is to be made against the Englishmen this season. Soys' crickets-absorbed a * good deal of the discussion at the Canterbury annual meeting. Wellington and Christchurch had been compared to the latter's disadvantage, said the president. In Wellington, however, the* care of the grounds was a municipal TindertaMng^ in Christchurch tney had" to be maintained by the Boys' Associa- ; t ion. In a 'lengthy discussion it was! suggested that a*" secondary schools' ! competition be instituted. The whole subject of school cricket received a thorough airing, although no. resolutions were actually tabled. The Maoris evidently as a race have always taken sport very naturally. In an article on the life of an old r North Auckland settler it is reported by him that he and his brothers used to play with some of the Maori boys and taught them cricket, rounders, and other games.. \-':-\ >- jj Writing of ...South, Australian cricket,,.' the Referee says:—"lndications point to a successful season (writes Wheatear from Adelaide) in South. Australia...! The \huge registered at the test match last year indicate how , \ -interested the South Australian, public ■' vis in good cricket. If the State* could ; only fiiid a sensational bowler and another international batsman, the crowds would soon roll up to the interState games. We.have a- useful side, but lack the stars.' Last season it was , felt that the association had almost ' completed negotiations for an English coach, and the name of Kennedy kept cropping up. However, her© we are at the" beginning of another season, and still without a ground bowler. "What a pity it was that J. N. Crawford was allowed to slip away! He was a tower of strength to South Australia, and a : good, game, and generous cricketer with many years of usefulness in him." The South African Cricket Associa- . tion would appear .to have made better terms with the Marylebone- Cricket Club than New Zealand in regard to

i;he tour of the English cricketers visiting that country year. In a country which gets far less rainfall, where -wickets are more easily prepared and more reliable, three days hav.e. been allotted to provincial matches, and four days to each of the five tes"E matches. Two tests will be played at "Durban, two'at Johannesburg, t and one .at Capetown. The association has decided that local professionals wttl be paid £20 each per test match, plus Tail fare and £1 per day allowance to cover board and lodging. Should the match be within a radium of 20 miles •of their home, the allowance will be Teduced to 10s per day. Amateurs playing in. test matches will receive an ajiowance of £2 per day for each match J(or £1 within 20 miles. It is the associ"ation's intention that all players pay their own. hotel and other expenses, rail fares excluded, in New Zealand no payment whatever is made to"players, whose rail and steamer fares and hotel expenses are met by the New Zealand Cricket Council.