CRICKET.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 421, 9 December 1911, Page 3

CRICKET.

The material ordered by Te Kuiti Club has now come to hand, and the fact should fire the blood and inspire the enthusiasm of the Nights of the Willow. The weather has of course been treating our players unkindly, but the hope that springs eternal_ in the human breast impels the cheering that the summer must come some time. Even at the worst, assuming the season continues rainy it will serve 10 accustom the players to soft wickets in view of a future trip to England. The Auckland Association has decided to send a team in search of the Plunket Shield this season and have high hopes of being able to find it. The trophy was unaccountably lost last year. The team from the northern city will be a strong combination, but the" bowlers will require to show rather better form than hitherto in order to prevent big scores being registered against them. Avery strong batting side can be chosen but even at the best a side that is weak in bowling requires to have the luck with it in order to win matches. The inclusion of Thompson, the English professional, will be a tower of strength in the bowling department, but the local trundlers are not of the highest grade. Moreover, Canterbury players are noted for their batting ability. The South Australian team is having rather a harrowing experience this season. After being soundly beaten bv the English players and the Victorian team, they met New South Wales this week when the catalogue of disaster was further increased. New South Wales scored oil) in the first innings to which the South Australians replied with 20!). In the second innings New South Wales again made a big score. The chances of S. Gregory's inclusion in the Australian team for the test matches are being widely discussed. Gregory has been batting remarkably well during this season, both in club cricket and in representative games his latest effort being 7G against South Australia. His field ing is still brilliant, and with his knowledge of the game and capacity for rising to the occasion when runs are required he is a difficult man to drop. The claims of two or three of the younger players are highly assessed and as one writer puts it, the picking of the final team is likely to give the selection committee, a headache.