CRICKET.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 24 March 1923, Page 3

CRICKET.

: jtt was quite a good and eommon»euße arrangement, to cancel the balmn«e of the fixtures and decide the supremacy for the season by a match betnreen the two leading teams, Eltham and Stratford, whom one point only separated. The clubß are to be comxnended for the decision. This was not made until all clubs had been consulted and all had expressed their approval ©f the -arrangement. Though perhaps one or two players did not approve, they must remember that the general good, had to be considered. At time of writing one can only conjecture the re«ult. It should be, provided the luck is even, a good sporting contest. Much on the. form of one or two players on each side. May the best team win.. A M3hristchiirch paper says that cricket is deteriorating in the province, and urges that more attention be given to^ school cricket. The writer says, inter alia: "The association was now controlling 450 more players than in 19*14.' That too much attention has been paid to the Plunket Shield is the opinion of the chairman (Mr D. Kedpath), who would sooner, he said, see an extra twenty boys' playing the game , than that Canterbury should win the \ Plunket Shield. The association was! investigating the means of improving the game in all its phases, and looked to-; the: co-operation of all playing cricketers, old and young, to inspire their efforts." ... : In an atticle on the Tohbridge Nursery for. young cricketers, Captain W. McCanLis refers as follows to the discovery of.C. Blythe,.the famous English twwler: There is an element of luck in discovering likely youngsters. The case of C. Blythe is an instance. .Kent was playing a match at Blaekheath, and the usual preliminary practice was proceeding.lnoticed a vlad, one .of the eroAvd,

Jjowlaf ew balls to Walter Wright, and ;wasimpressed with his delivery. I sjjoke to Mm and arranged for him to come and bowl to me one evening. He eamej.l v?as-j»leased with hici and recommended him for a .trial at Tonbridge r-rthe. Tesjilt of >vhieh was that he was engaged -for .the ''Nursery next sea-; Bon.. There he improved rapidly, and is ; now the great, well known bowler, C. j Blythe. i There was; in this "find" a] considerable amount of luck. Blythe j lived at Deptford, a' pla.ee one would hardly go to in search of cricketers.! The lads of -this town have only the j roughest parts of Blackheath on which j to play occasional "cricket. Of, > course, under such conditions it is quite impossible for a boy to make any head- j Way in ?the art of batting; but there is • alwaysi a chance of finding a boy with S -natural abilities as a bowler, who may! ;l>e taught;tb bat and field. Blythe ia mot half a bad batsman when he goes in with thfe intention of staying; and : yet, when; he came to Tonbridge hev| had no idea whatever of batting.; Blythe, fielder, Humphreys, Seymour, • 15ardinge,-.PairService, 'Hubble and F. i Woolley have all found their way into ;the;county; through the ''Nursery.'.', Badcoiek -also passed through cit to ' i.H^rtß^;iv?,7. ■■■■ •; ,->-<::,: :\' -:---: ; s/'^'■'" ■'■ 1 "Writing in the Athletic News of De-1 ;«ember\i-1,-1922, "Achates'' refers in-1 terestirigly to the late A^ E. Stoddart, | yvhp visited- Atustraliaag a member of ! ; ait 'j9lll VEngland Eleven, and '.who also revisited New Zealand as a member of the J first ; English■'■;■■£ootball team, and ] those ■ v:wii6- sawl the ;duel.between W. Thomas ! ■ (Otagois fitlMiack) and as maintain to this> day that ~ it; tyaa: the, nioSt brilliant attack and J id^en6e«^'*h^ of these Wo great I -?«Biponents ever witiiessed in I)unedin,! r;3£^iibt;in'' ianyVpartiof the world. The ' ; dressing room ifl those days Ayas in. theV tipper. ;stbrey of what was then known JM-Blaneyvß; HoteV: and at the; conclu■■>*&s% [-.pi the niateli a large section, of the wouldj not; disperse until Stoddart '■I andJrT.^mas.- bowed their acknowledg-;fimeiit4;::2-E"-Achates? *■'■ .writes:i "Little ■Ihasb^en written about A. E. Stoddart, ; 'considering the- position he won and -world \ of cricket. Stoddart fNo ganie is; worth play--7 ing at^alltwhich is not worth iplaying 'f T^houjt; a. bat.' Stoddart'even hated >to haye 'a tall oii> at golf. But once, ■£ to^take^the conceit out of a nian, he C^layed a-member for\los, when he was of: the Neasden Golf Club. /scratclr man In a year, arid ?~the founder^; iwho .had got down to 14 SgiiC thpirght he was 8 told Stoddart he- ? wa»cnb- match player. Playing Stoddart won 8 ;4"i|iQ<i:^:-aiid put the money in tlie serftjrvantisi'^<3hristmaßvbox^ was probjy^K^jrp^i^^if. thei most tireless men who §^BTOi?-;.iiyMv^.Th"%--3ught' before; he made S^hia famfm&jßeciTe oi 485; for Hampstead ;;^4^ijw^.l^^oiies-—a score which stood d^M :13-: years,^and' as an innmore years .'"went'to ,;bed. He ||i^lbe|^ottt^l-;:thi^;to^avdance.; Any;^w^^SheMjicl some ■ £pthers^ started playthe;eariy morning 311 st for !#lutff^nihour-ffoT fun. ;JStoddie had the l^-goi^S^lor^badj:1 luok to win, arid keep on |^raninj^:^Th^yy were^ Only playing very hsirm was done. x^ytheii vfb^d but it half-past 6, i^itJi^^i^traS^nb^ good, turning in. So |P^^sK^ Ihbt Tbiaths and changed and i^eaj^^^^^again^;,-; Someone suggested Sf|-S§ipwiin^: and\theys immediately went. on S i^ft^|l^^bathjß;'(V :,An ■ jboV.to; Hampstead iP^iH^^iS^rians^;^^^^^!^;'..wias, out.'-five. ;to; ,/reach a andthen ft|;^j^^!|hi^^i^atre.yan^ I^^Jipll^y^-said^Stbddartj'^i^got^^^ p:f|j^dl|^|ojidarf ; think; jhjat he physically '■ beyond ;.<3race^was ; ;hir?ito; f|^i^gli^^^Eiigland?;^eleven^' vdra^ >^'Arthu.r-: ■::::Shrews-. ll^ij^ni^-JBtoj^y^^^kwb^ • i|®i»^Si|!^arnes.V«>o r^ ■■ •■:;- - no-' |^j^^<^|y^t-|%:^Bt fajal^^ that' ■■ '^n^hisvsoks ins l^^i^||id^:'^gniarVlikenesß:^o; tlie;late: S^^fiQiCfta^fe'Heawaßi;a;^eat: sport. >-:.