Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 225, 22 October 1904, Page 19

Cricket.

ALL championship matches under the Wellington Cricket Association will commence on Saturday next, the 29th instant. The original deteimmation to start to-morrow was made hardly possible by the bad weather last week, mainly because the playeis have not been able to indulge in any preliminary practices, and therefore the competing clubs had no opportunity of soi ting out their respective teams. There were many who argued that matches should have started 1 this week in any case, principally because the season is likely to be a protracted one because of the late beginning— a fortnight behind last year— and any disadvantages because of the lack of practice would be felt equally by each of the competing; teams. Personally, I agree with the Committee's decision, and consider that the preliminary net practices are essential to the clubs, and the opening matches will therefore be fairer indications of the merits of the different teams. • * Talking to a gentleman who takes a keen interest in cricket matters, he argued that, even allowing for the fact that each team has perforce to stand down for one match, owing to there being an odd team in the Senior Championship the possibilities of Wellington cricket are much improved owing to the increased number of senior players indulging in the pastime. Further, that the extra team will not make the difference to the other teams anticipated, for, with six teams playing only one round oould be played, and the competition would be over so soon that at least five Saturdays at the end of the season will remain on which the majority of our players would not have any cricket at all. Therefore, a bi eak of two or three weeks during the progress of the season's play would be much preferable to a long spell of idleness at the conclusion. I give his arguments space-room mainly because theie is a lot in them, and they strengthen the dceision of the Management Committee of the Association in admitting the Austral Club to senior status. * * * The Cricket Association have a horse which assists in the preparation, of the wickets on the Basin Reserve. During last week, when the storm was at its height, the horse was relieved from duty. and, on the old principle of no work no pay. the animal was left to its own devices for three days. In plain English, during that period it received 1 no attention whatever from the party who was responsible for looking after it, and did not get a feed of any description. The matter was brought under the notice of the Ground Committee of the Cricket Association by a gentleman who has some of the milk of human kindness in his composition, and, as is only to be expected, that body wants: to know the reason for the neglect of the horse. The Management Committee of the Association, at its next meeting, should give a decided indication of their feelings in regard to the duties of their employees in this connection. * * T» The Wellington Umpires' Association aie now an established institution, and, judging from the support that has been accorded them, have come to stay. At time of writing, the membership of the Association has reached to the fair figure of twnty-five, with promise of still further development. The present intention of the Association is to provide umpires for senior and junior championship matches, third and fourth class matches being provided for as the membership increases. There was a positive need for the Umpires'' Association, and now that they are fairly started, it behoves all lovers of cricket to encourage the Association in their work, either by joining their ranks as members, or by the kindly word of sympathy and assistance. Good umpires tend to make the gamp of cricket much more enjoyable to the players than indifferent ones, therefore the Association's efforts deserve encouragement. • # » The cricket season opens in Auckland to-morrow (Saturday). Caßaway^s average in last Saturday's Canterbury cricket was five wickets for 19 runs.

The newly-foimed Thoindon Club is making good progress. The members offering have exceeded tke management's gieatest anticipations, and teams have been entered 1 for the junioi and third-class competitions, and two for the fourth-class. An asphalt practice wicket is being laid out on the Manawatu Railway Company's ground, adjoining Thorndon Quay. The club hopes to get its playet s into good foim by the time the championship matches commence, but personally I think it is unwise to practice on asphalt when the ordinary matches are played on grass. The difference in the pace is often disastrous to the batsman. * * * Tom Reese, the Christ church cricketer, bagged a brace of ducks in his opening match. "Barney" Ronaldson acted as umpne in the Sydenham-TJnited match, at Christchurch, last Saturday. Trumper and Kelly, playing for Paddington against Waveiley, in Sydlney, scored 217 runs in seventy minutes. An Umpires! 5 Association has been formed in Dunedin. The four principal centres of New Zealand have now all fallen into line. The Melbourne Cricket Club has 3526 members now on its roll, and theie are more than 1000 candidates on the proposal books. The club contemplates improvements to its giound which will cost over £2000. An Auckland writer says — "Foi some seasons past cricket in the North has not prospered in the way it should have done. This season the prospects seem brighter than has been the case for some considerable tune." Some Sydney items : — Mcßeth (Sydney District) captured four wickets for University for 31 runs, and Cotter (Glebe) bagsed four of the Balmam wickets for 57 runs. Hopkins (North Sydney) came out with four wickets of Redfern for 42 runs. F. R. Mason, a membei of last year's North Island team, headed the batting averages of the Auckland Cricket Association, and was presented with a trophy at the annual meeting of that body. Mr. W. Stemjson, also a North Island representative, won the bowling average, and was similarly honoured. Darling has returned from Tasmania to Adelaide. He has been elected to replace Hill as South Australian selector of the Australian eleven, and takes Giffen's place (with Hill and Claxton) as selector of South Australian teams. Which seems to suggest that the exAustralian captain is eager for more cricket. The Canterbury Cricket Association have offered Sydi. Callaway £30 to bowl on three nights throughout the season to the United, Midland, and Lancaster Park Clubs, and promise him a further sum of £10 if a match is played in Canterbury by the Australian Eleven. The clubs interested have also to subscribe £5 a-pdece.

(Continued on page 20 )

Mr. G. G. Burnes is sole selector of Southland's representative teams. Carpenter, the Essex batsman, is on his way to Australia, to act as coach to the Melbourne Cricket Club. Messrs. Skitch, Hope, and Gooch are the selectors of Otago's representative cricketers this season. New South Wales play South Australia on December 17th and January oth, and Victoria on Deember 24th and January 26th. Most interesting features of recent Adelaide cricket are —Clem Hill, 79 , Claxton, four wickets for 48, and J . Reedman, five for 29. "Dark Blue," m the ' Weekly Press," expresses the opinion that cnoket in Canterbury is not a bit better now than it was twenty years ago. Harry Trott, the old Australianßepresentative, will be playing m Melbourne this season, having been transferred there from Bendigo. He is joining the Carl ton Club. Trumper 189 (not out). Kelly 98, Diamond 138, Meares 126, Richardson 86, Waddy 77, Duff 66, M. A. Noble 50 (not out), W. Hume 51— a few tallies in Sydney first-grade cricket. Snofforth— the "demon" Australian bowler of his day— playing for Hampstead v. Charlton Park recently, secured seven wickets for nineteen runs, with the hat-trick as a wind-up. Bishop, who was a member of the North Island team last season, and was a Hawke's Bay representative on that occasion, is playing for the Lancaster Park Club, in Christohurch, this year. For Oundle Rovers against London County, L. O. S. Poidevin, the one-time Sydney cricketer, made 233 and he followed up this score with 153 tor Lancashire against Sussex. Poidevm is on his way back to Sydney. McGhnchey, a left-hand batsman, who secured a place in the second representative New South Wales eleven or last season, is stated to be coming to Wellington. If he does come he will play for the Austral Club, and will be a decided assistance to Wellington cricket. Fryer, the young New South Wales cricketer, who threw in his lot with the Phoenix Club, has received marching orders, and left for Auckland <m Wednesday. He is in tjesemceof tte Bankof New South Wales, and will be stationed in Auckland until he .returns to the Mother State Frye*\oame with good credentials from Sydney as a iunior cricketer, and shouid prove an acquisition to whatever club he joins in Auckland. In view of the next Australian tour of England, and its series of test matches, it is interesting to read! that Ernest Jones is in splendid health, and, according to Crockett, "was never m such fettle as he is at the present time. "Mid-on" says ■ —"This may be Hnpor^ tant news, for Jones, who is only thirtyfive years old, stands alone amone Australian 'express' bowlers. I should like to hear of him comine baok eastward, either to Adelaide or Melbourne, before the season has far advanced.