CRICKET NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11227, 26 March 1897, Page 2

CRICKET NOTES.

[Bt Scoring .Board in “ Canterbury J Times.”!

■The play in the South Canterbury and Canterbury match, last week, does not demand much comment from me. In the first place neither team was representative by any means, and the cricket provided, was as a consequence of a very secondary order. Added to this was the fact that ;the southerners were out-classed all 'through, and it can be easily understood |that there was never much interest apparent throughout the two days’ play. The bowling of the visitors was good enough to cause interest, but their batting was quite below what was expected. I can easily account for that, though—the wicket was an extra fast one, and the pace of the ball from the pitch beat most of the batsmen. I have often recommended country clubs that cannot afford or arrange for first-class 'turf practice wickets to indulge in the luxury of a good asphalt pitch covered with cocoanut matting. Speaking, as I am, with a personal knowledge of the subject, I suppose what I say should carry a certain amount of weight, and I was strongly impressed when looking on at the recent match, with the very patent inability of one and all of the South Canterbury men to face the local trundling on a wicket that was altogether different from what they were accustomed to. A good matting wicket is preferable to a bad turf one, is always reliable and costs but little to set. I would therefore impress upon the cricketers of Timaru and the district the absolute necessity for putting down some asphalt pitches, and thus doing away with any cause for promising batsmen to face bowling that they—half the time—expect to rise apd strike them in the face or thereabouts. I can easily supply details as to cost and arrangements to any correspondent, and with a natural affection for the !game of cricket anywhere, I will cheerfully -guarantee to do so to any country applicant.

The chief feature in the match -was the good hatting of Wigley and Hasell in the first innings of Canterbury. Both men scored safely and regularly, and practically saved the innings from mediocrity. H. M. Eeeves batted well though, and got his runs in a workmanlike manner until he was abjudged Ibw—for the first time in his cricketing career. Wicksteed, of the South Canterbury team, is a stonewaller of a most pronounced character, and carried his bat right through the first innings and for a good .part of the way in the second. Bennett's bowling feat in the South’s first innings was very unusual, hut his trundling seemed to me to ho assisted a good deal by the pace of the wicket. Panthorpe secured a good bowling average for South Canterbury. He sends down tie ball with a dodgy delivery that puzzles the batsmen a good deal. Brosnahan, though, gave his opponents most trouble, and, working both ways with a fair amount of length ‘ and pace, proved very hard ’to play. The wickct-keeping of M’Donald, the old Christ’s College boy, was somewhat above the average, and as Pearpoint in the subsequent scratch game also per-

formed well with the gloves, and Sugden, who was not playing, is reported to be a better wicket-keeper than either, i,t is evident that the southern part of this province has, at anyrate, some fine exponents of the wicket-keeping branch of the game. Saturday’s cricket did not evoke much interest or enthusiasm. The championships had been all practically decided, and the season had been virtually declared moribund. The only game that caused .any speculation was that between the United and Lancaster Park elevens. A heavy fall of rain about noontide followed by a hot drying sun, though, robbed even that game of nearly all its interest, and had, too, a vital effect upon all the matches played. The wickets were at first bumpy and treacherouijand the out-fields slow, but matters improved as the day wore on and at the finish things were in favour of the batsmen. Considering the state of tne wicket, the United Eleven did very well to score 168 against the Lancastrians. Seady play only brought about this result. Collins and Vincent were responsible for most of the runs, although every man in the team scored, and seven of them got double figures. The Midland Eleven threaten to demolish the Park Thirteen very rapidly. Tveir struck me as being the best batsman in the latter team, and got his runs well. Willis hit up his score very freely, but most of the team seemed disinclined to stay and face bowling that was never very formidable or deadly. Lawrence’s batting in the Midlanders’ innings was quite up to his old form, and his hitting on the leg-side, was characterised by great crispness and power. Macfarlane played very steadily and neatly, and although not scoring many runs, he was in a long time. The game between the Sydenham and United Thirteens principally proved the fact that Ayrey, of Sydenham, who has been promoted to senior ranks in his club, is a fine vigorous batsmen, and that M’Murray can, when occasion offers, show fairly good batting powers. Ayrey’s hitting was very clean and well-timed, and he scored at a great pace. Nine of the team were out for 115, and the end seemed near, especially as C. Lafferty was absent. Principally through Ayrey’s play, the score was carried along merrily, and 52 runs were added for the last wicket. The United hatted in a bad light, and Malone and M’Murray quickly settled four of them for one run, so that at present the suburbans appear to be on top. Bennett, by clean bowling both DeMaus and C. W. Garrard on Saturday, performed rather an exceptional feat.

Orchard’s fielding at Lancaster Park was of a very high order, and in addition to some first-class ground work, he brought off a couple of fine catches. Brosnahan, who bowled so well for the South Canterbury team in the recent match is, I hear, likely to settle in Christchurch shortly, and will play for the Midland Club.

As I expected, the finish of the play in the United and Midland Senior Cup match ended with the former team easy winders. Wigley’s batting was too good for his opponents, and his recent successes place him in the position of one of our beat players, especially when one remembers that he is by no means a bad wicketkeeper. The finish of the play in the Midland eleven v. United eleven match produced an incident that has given rise to much argument and controversy in cricketing circles. Just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening Wigley, who was batting for the United team with a good score to his credit, asked for another man to come in, as he had to go. Just afterwards his partner was bowled, and both men retired. The Midlanders refused to allow Wigley to continue hatting on Friday, in spite of a protest from the United captain, and whilst no actual unpleasantness occurred, a great deal of friction was apparent. I think that had Wigley not expressed his wish and determination to retire before 6 o’clock, the Midland captain would have had no right to stop him from batting on the resumption of play, but as he had expressly declared his intention of retiring before the call of time he was practically debarred from any further participation in the innings. I clip the following from an English paper, and give it for what it is worth: — Prince Eaujitsinhji, the popular cricketer, was the heir to a magnificent estate in India ; in fact, a Eajahship worth at least .£30,000 a year. But through leaving India and settling in this country, he is held to have forfeited his right to the same. The Midland Junior Cup team by its easy victory over the Post and Telegraph

on Saturday won the .Junior Cup for the season. The team has gone through the season with only one defeat—that by the High School by a narrow margin early in the season. The winners, strange to say, only won one other match in the competition. The Midlanders won every other match either in an innings or by over 100 runs, and I have worked out their averages and submit them to my readers. BATTING.

IVetl. Eobertsnn played one innings for 49 runs. * Not out.

BOWLING.

Iredalo’s figures in Sydney cricket this season so far will bear reproduction, and are as follow: —21, 1, 150, 8, 84 not out, 140,124, 19, 98 and 112. They remind one of his sensational scoring in England last season after ho was left out of the first test match. After that he ran on with scores of 13, 94 not out, 22, 114, 9, 40, 10G, 171, O, 103, 11, 73, 0, 62. L. W. Pye, the hen secretary of the Central Cumberland Cricket Club, recently played another three-figuro innings in Sydney, scoring 139 not out against Waverley. He has scored nearly 1700 runs this season, his principal efforts being 300 not out, 188 not out, 139 not out, 115 and 101. His style of play is said to resemble that of A. C. M’Laren, the Lancashire player. A recent ebullition of larrikinism at a match between the Glebe and University Clubs iu Sydney was the subject of some court proceedings afterwards. Bad language and resistance to the police, who had to draw their revolvers before they got their three prisoners to the lock-np, was proved. Each of the prisoners was heavily lined, one of them in addition falling in for three months’ imprisonment.

The following interesting paragraph I clip from a recent number of the Australasian, and have no doubt that it will be heartily appreciated by the elder generation of cricketers in New Zealand: — While I was looking on at the match between Melbourne and East Melbourne I had the pleasure of meeting an enthusiastic old cricketer in the person of Mr Walter Eduey, who was on a visit to the metropolis. Mr Edney saw the first intercolonial match played in 1856, on the Melbourne cricket ground, and well remembers old Harry Hilliard playing in that match. * * * I introduced Mr Edney to the veterans Prank Allan and W. H. Peryman, and together we had a. most nleasant chat about the heroes of the early sixties, including Jack Huddlestone, Sam Cosstiek.Tom Wray,°Gld Elliott, Jerry Bryant, Greaves, Tom Wills, Tom Morres, W. J. Hammersley, “ Gibbic,” George Marshall and Jack Conway. Ten years ago Mr Edney visited the Old Country _ and found many changes, especially in cricket grounds, notably Kennington Oval, which, in his youth, was rathor in the nature of a common compared "with the beautiful and well-appointed ground it is now. During his stay in England Mr Edney had a trip up the ’! hames to Windsor Castlo and was quite pleased when I mentioned that the old intercolonial longstop, Ben Butterworth, gave the first Australian team a delightful picnic up the river to the Castle —a picnic which is still one of the brightest gems in my cricket memory. Mr Edney was glad to hear that the famous Billy Caffyn is still living, and has been handsomely dealt with by the Surrey County Club, for which he did so much in bygone days. Prank Allan related that on his appearance as a colt to play in the first Intercolonial match, in 1867, Billy Caffyn watched him sending down a few. Prank Allan was wily even then, and sent down nothing but slow stuff of uncertain length. At the finish Caffyn went up to him, and said, “So you are the young follow who is going to bowl us out. I tell you what—we’ll score 600 off you, and I wish they could keep you on at both ends.” In .the match Caffyn came in, and found Frank came off the pitch so fast, and with such a fine length and work, that he could not get him away, even in his favourite spot, to cover; ancl after the players had got to the pavilion Caffyn went up to Frank and said—“ Young fellow, you’re a much better bowler than I thought you ■were, and ’cute, too ; I think you’ll make a name for yourself.” Billy was a good judge, and Prank relishes to this day how he “had” the veteran. Mr Edney had a glorious time in watching the test matches against A. E. Stoddart’s team, and he is looking forward to the advent of the famous “Banjl,” and other celebrities next season, and I agree with, his view, that if “Eanji,” comes, he will get the_ heartiest welcome ever extended to a cricketer in Australia.

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