CRICKET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1188, 10 December 1924, Page 9

CRICKET.

JOTTINGS OF INTEREST. To dismiss a team for eight runs and then bo beaten by it is the bad luck which befell St. Albans third-grade cricket team in the city und suburban competition at Christchurch. St. Albans put-Woolston out for 54, of which ll'. S. Sim made 38, and was then dismissed for 27. In the second innings St. Albans put Woolston out for eight, but had only made 10 for two wickets when stumps were drawn. Woolston thus won by 27 runs on the first innings. “I may be wrong,” declared Mr P. ’F. Warner, “but I think we are going to beat Australia this year.” The old .Middlesex captain was speaking at a cricket luncheon at Ashstead, where Sir J. R. Bindos’ti team played the local club. He added that tho English team then on the way lo Australia was a very line side; strong in batting, with lino fielders and bowlers who, he I bought, would turn out better than some peoplo imagined.—The People. Telling argument in favour of tho concrete wicket for practice purposes. In Billy Patrick’s best two years bo averaged 85 and 75 respectively, and he practised both years on concrete wickets 1 And it is rumoured that he is going to put in some practice on a concrete wicket this year. — Christchurch Sun.

Sidney Barnes, tho English bowler, who trundled so destructively against Australia in 1911-12, is still a power to be reckoned with on the cricket field. Recently, while playing for a league club, Castleton Moor, against Crampton, he took eight wickets for 12 runs, four being with successive deliveries. Also, he was the highest scorer in tho match, notching 47 runs. J. C. Hubble. Kent’s professional wicketkeeper, in August last had headed the wicket-keeping list for tho season with a “bag” of 38 victims. It is unfortunate for Hubble that Kent also has available an amateur stumper, G. E. O. Wood, who appears to be preferred when available. .Most counties, probably, would be content to let well alone. They must have pretty useful cricketing talent among the Channel Islanders. Recently an M.ChCk touring team, -which included Warwick Armstrong, Duleep Singlii, and Lee and Murrell, of Middlesex, was beaten by tho Jersey Island Cricket Club, by eight runs, with four minutes to go. It is said that only one amateur member of an English cricket, team that visited Australia made the trip at his own expense. That was Phillipstown, of Northumberland, who was the wicket-keeper of Stoddart’s first team.

Although many cricketers have scored two centuries in one match, only two have done so and remuined not out in each innings. O. J. B. Wood, of Leicestershire, was the first, and J. Hallows, the Lancashire batsman, the second. Hallows scored his double at the end of June this year, when tie made 112 not out and 103 not out against Leicestershire. P. 11. llornibrook, Queensland’s crack bowler, has announced that he will not go to Sydney after all. For tho next two years he will concentrate his attention on other stumps than cricket.. He is a dental student, and recently succeeded in getting a four years’ dental hospital service reduced to two years. Having (says an exchange) gained that concession, lie, no doubt, considered it over the odds to start a two years' concentrated effort by applying for six weeks’ leave in order to play under M. A. Noble in Sydney. There were two unusual incidents in the county match this year between Essex and Middlesex. Norris, of Essex, anxious for runs, and unable to score oil' Hearn’s slow breaks, began lo kick them through (lie slips and run leg byes, until the umpire ruled against it as unfair play. Later, when P. Ashton had sooted 31 out of 41 in half an hour, he fell flat when trying to drag Hcarue to leg. The ball struck him on the top of the head and he was given out lbw.

0. T. B. Turner, who will coach the New, South Wales bowlers during the present cricket season, is the most prolific wicketgetter in Australian cricket. “Tho Terror" m all lirst-elasii games dismissed 1059 victims at the average of 13.79. llis 314 wickete during the 1838 Australian eleven’s tour is also the highest number obtained by any irundler in an English season. During the samo year he delivered 10.359 balls, some thousands moro than credited to previous performers or any since. He also gained the aggregate and average honours in 1893, and tied with the famous left-hander, Jackie Ferris, for the highest number of wickets in 1890. Were I to bo captain of a side I would not include a bad fieldsman, no matter how good a batsman he might be. —Jack Hobbs. The first of tho Hawke Cup preliminary matches, to be played oil the Ernst Coast, was contested at Nelson Park, Napier, on Saturday between Hawke’s Bay and Wairoa. The result was an easy win for Hawke’s Bay by 190 runs on the fust innings. Rev. E. O. Blamires, the Otago and New Zealand representative, compiled 115 in two hours for Albion against Dunedin recently. The reverend gentleman, when playing for New Zealand against the New South Wales team lust season ul tho Banin Reserve, bagged a pair of spectacles. For once in a while cricket was thrilling in Christchurch on Saturday (says tlie Christchurch Star of the 14th inst.). West Christchurch, having made a miserable 59 in their first venture against Linwood, seemed bound for the rocks. When the final stages approached, they had 259 to' make, and about two hours to make them in. They got there full of pep. Any more displays of this kind and there will need to be a grandstand at llagley Park. How seriously cricket is taken in Australia may lie gauged from the following from the Sydney Sun:—By the end of the match (England v. N.S.W.), Bardsley will be a good bit better off than lie was before. An enthusiastic firm *of jewellers offered a gold wristlet watch to anyone who made a century. A firm of soapmakers advertised that a cake of soap would be given for every four hit,, six cakes for a six, and a ease for a century. An admirer of Bardsley offered him a shilling a run for every run over a hundred. Bardsley will collect quite a lot of good things.

ENGLISHMEN AT TOOWOOMBA. [By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.] BRISBANE, Dee. 9. The Englishmen commenced a day and a-half mutch against Toowoomba in line weather. England in the first innings lias lost seven wickets for 217 (Hobbs 27, llearue, not out, 149). —Press Association. MATCH AT BULUWAYO, CAPETOWN, Dec. 9. The cricket match ut liuluwuyo was concluded. _ Rhodesia in the first innings, made 121, und followed, on, making 212 in their second innings'(Gemmell 50). England in the second innings lost two wickets for 40. England won by eight wickets. A. and N.Z. cable. The Englishmen made 294 in their first innings. McDonald to play for LANCASHIRE. LONDON, Dec. 8. Sir Edwin Stockton, at the annual meeting of the Lancashire Cricket Club, annou need that all the 1924 players had been re-engaged and the county would havo the services in all matches of McDonald, the “greatest fast bowler in tho world." J. I. Tyidesley has been appointed instructor. —A. and N.Z. cable.