Out Door Sports Pastimes

Free Lance, Volume VII, Issue 331, 3 November 1906, Page 19

Out Door Sports Pastimes

By Touohline.

ONCE again the weathei was kind to the votar.es of outdooi sports Last Saturday afternoon. Dwing the might o£ Friday a heavy moi tdnedy gate had been blowing and when Saturday morning broke with many heavy clouds in the sky the prospects of an afternoon's sport seemed very remote indeed. There wae a shower or two of rain w. tihe marnmig, but the afternoon was a. gloraous one foi ©ticket. On, behalf of the cricketers I return, thanks to Cap tarn Edwin for his kmdness in this direction. • • • Tihe weather amdi the possibility of a good finish in the Wellington-Midland match drew a splendid attendance to tihe Basin Reserve, andi weld pleased were the majority of them with the display of .cricket they witnessed. The two not-out Midlanders — Quee and Stephenson— did not trouble the fieldsmen to any great extent and t!he Midland innings closed for 109, Stepheinson getting 15 and Quee' 9 (not out). The WalJangton captain sent Maihony and Naughton in to open the innings, but the Tatter left with the' score at 12, his bat producing no runs at all. Mahony had been busy from his first ball and when "Stan" Hickson joined Slim and showed) similarly good form, the chances of a Wellington victory seemed within the bounds of possibility. When thas pair aire weld they axe as good' as any other two in local ©rioket and they gave a, rare taste of their labilities against the redoubtable MAdlanders. The tens went vup one after another in reguila,i order and! when the* hundred was posted Hiokson and Maihony were still together, and) it was not till 130 anns were on tbe board tlfoat Mahony was beautifully caiught at the wickets by Arnold Williams, off Upbam's bowling. The retiring batsman had made 54 runs, and the result of the match had: been put beyond doubt, as only 38 runs were wanted to wan with eijgfht wickets to fall. In Ma homy 's total of 54 there were 1 five, 5 fours, 8 threes and 5 singles. Gore joined 1 Hickson,, the latter being still full of play. He, however, ■was bawled by Stephensoin with the score at 148, his contribution being tbe highest so far this season — 80. In cludled in this total were 1 six, 3 fours, 7 threes, 10 twos and l 21 singte. Weybourae joined Gore witih 20 runfa to win, but the latter was caught with 7 opposite his name. Weybourne was joined by his captain and the score, mainly by the former's aggressiveness, mounted to 161, or watftiin seven of the number ■wanted to win the match. Just here Upham brought off a catch an the slips tihat ondy he could take andl Richardeon was sent back to the pavilion with a single opposite has name. The Midland captain was deservedly applauded for his fine piece of fielding. Nash followed and the few runs necessary to win were a lomg while m coming. The new batsman Jet the bald hut the bait — lie made no effort to get it away. Hus only trouble seemed to be to keep hie end up while Weybourne made tihe runs that were required. They came, (however, and a generous round of applause from the spectator© greeted l the WellAnigftoin team on their unexpected and meritorious win by five wickets, Weybourne being Wot out with 15. * * * The Midland-Wellington game absorbed nearly all the interest of the spectators while it was in progiess, but, truth to tell, there was nothamg to rave about in the displays of batting in tihe Old BovsJPhoenix match. Laws continued 1 has innings of 61 (not out), and kept going, mainly by uppish strokes clear of the fieldsmen, until lie had got 74 opposite his name em<P tiben one of those huts got in -fahe road of Currie, th© Gasworks pla.yer. who was fielding substitute for Fkihier, dletadmed in the "talking shop" by his Pafliamentaay duties. After Laws left, the Pihoenix batsmen seemed to be satisfied 1 with the fact ihait tihey were a few runs on. At any rate, until Wright and MoLennian gob togietiher for the last wicket, none of them stayed till tihey put a two-figuire scape on the date. These

two batsmen were a long wluLe together and When "Mao" was di&miu-fcied tlhe total had readier 225 — Waight (not out) 15, MoLemnan 32. Witili 145 inns to make to win, Old Boys started wirtih J. P. Blaoklook and Beechey. When stumps were drawn they had lost torn wicketw tor 83 inns — 0. P. Bkiekloek 25, Beechey 18, J. P. BLacklock 15 and- Tuakei 7. At the time of waiting I am not oertain wihen tins match will be resumed. I caoiNiider »t too early yet to oommienoe pLayuuig these matches of an evem/mg, tor the light last (Saturday was beigmnang to fade at tax o'clock. I'has wouJidJ mean tibat half-an-hour's play would be all that oottldi be got of an eveniung, andl at <woudd not be worth while sending twenity-two players up to the Basin Reserve far au> tattle p/kiy as tlhat. Besides, it would mean the curtailment of prao&Lce just when the pilayers in the different teams aie needing it most. • • • The match was resumed 1 all right on Monday night, the captains of botlh teams 'having agreed to euioh a couise bemig taken. It's their funeral and not mine, so I suppose I shouldn't trouble. Wills and Monaghan resumed to Bnoe and Laws, but the former was dismissed by a clinking off-break firom Brioe, which kept very :low, when he wias witihin one of double figures. "Dan" Hay joined) Monaghan and the pair played out time. Both were on the defensive mostly and runs came only from snacks through the slips and to leg. But they came ailil the same, and, as they were out to make the position as good as they couild, perhaps they were wise not to try to foioe the play. Last year's College boy was the more successful of the two, he put together a double-figure score for the first time in senior cricket. When stumps were drawn the Old Boysi' total was 104 for five wickets — Hay 12 (nod: out), Monaghan 1 (not out). They have still to make 41 ruins to win. The bowling averages up to Monday night were • Redgrave, two for 30 , Laws, two for 11 ; Brioe, one for 38. This match will be resumed to-night (Friday). • • • The Gas Company-Newtown maitoli looked a foregone comolusion. and so it proved. The former made the 75 runs required to win for the lose of four wickets. Waugih 32, McKay 16 (noi out) amd Lingard 14 were the dkrabliefiguire scorers on Saturday. • * * Bowling figures — Old Boys Tucker, five for 69 , Momagnian, four for 107. Phoenix : Laws, Wo for 5, Redlgnave, two for 30. Wellington . Luokue, six for 52 ; Hades, two for 38 : Taylor, one for 5. Midland' ■ Stephenson, thjiee for 72 , Upham, two for 50. • * * Mahony is one of the best bats in Wellington when going well. His 1 defence is good and' some of his strokes' are real beauties. Jack, however, is on the anxious, sidle and! if he does not make runs every time he goes in to bat he is inclined to broodi over the matter, with the, result that has over-anxiousness generally proves his undoing. This, in my opinion, was the main reason for hie apparent nomsuiooess last year. Therefoire, the fine display given by him against the Midlandlens 1 shomJid oanvimce him that his bat can sitkld be made the medium of many rums if hie plays himself in before tiryainig to make tihem. The principal scoring stroke m has inminigs on Saturday was the late out, t(he ball leaving his bat with a Jot of pace and beautifully .placed. It is true thait he made rums with many other strokes in front of himself, but it is not often that a looail crioketeor makes the late cut so pirettuly as Mahony did in the inniinigs umdiea notice. • * # W. R. Stanley Hiokson is a batsman whom it is a pleasure to watch when he gets into his stride. The Midilianders were fain to admit this last Saturday and those wlho had the privilege of watoliing him will agree that Hiclosoai's display of cricket was 1 one of the prettiest sights seem in local cricket for some time. AH round the wickets "Stan" made Jbis runs, and it is hard to say which was his pet stroke. There was <me particularly sweet hit to leg that produced six runs, there w&re many that sailed straight over the fence behind tihe bowler and' tfoe drives (both the on amd the off) and the square out wene there in plenty. Verily, it was a fine exmaple of aggressive cricket under circumstances that demanded 1 the best that was in him. ♦ # • Influenza is busy among the cricketers as well as other people just mow. Several of those whose form was a bit indifferent last Saturday were among the sufferers.

At the annual meeting of the Maryiebone Cricket Club, on the 2nd' oi May, Law 54 was altered to read a» follows: — "That in a twiMlay match the captain of tine batting sade bias power to declare his innings oloaed! at any tune but such declaration may not be made on the first day .later than one hiour and foaty minutes befoie the hour of drawing stumps." As all matches in Welhington are held to be two-day ones, tins new rule is of much interest to local players. In the junior and 1 tihiird-class matches, wihei 1 © play is hmii'tedl to two days, the opportunity of declaring aii innings closed on the first day is one that may be taken advantage of by the oaptaiiu of a strong batting team. A case in po.nt. Last Satuidlay the Wellington juniois batted all theaftainoon against Thomdion and their oaily chance no*w of scoring the fuilll points is by getting the Thoradons out tw^ee tomorrow afternoon. This .is a pretty steep contract to take on against any team. But, if th© rule I have quoted was known, th© 1 Welkmgtoin oapitajn would undoubtedly ha vie claimed the benefit of it andi dosed has) 'innings ait 4.20 last weeik. By the way, cannot the New Zealand Cricket Council inform its vaii'iious affiliated bodies when alterations one made* to the laws of the game p • • • Arnold Williams put the gloves on in Wellington's second) innings and showed' that he is stiiH thei first wicketkeeper in Wellington. Some of lias takes on the leg sadte were bi'iililiamt on Saturday and' nothing could haive been sweeter than the catoh that sent Mabony baok to his dressinig^room. The Midland bowlers' averages suffered considerably on Saturday. Thougib both Fpham and Stephensoai pegged away consistently, at times Miahany and Hickson made their bowling seem quite simple. At tihe same time, I don't think tine Midland .captain made as much use of Ban-on as he should have dome under 'the circumstances'. A special meeting of the Giucket Association was nefld on Monday night to review tihe action of the Management Committee in refusing senior status to the Thorndon 01 üb. The snowing of tih'6 team against the Wellington seconds last Saturday is a satisfactory oammeindiation of the action of the Committee — 344 runs for eight wickets is convincing enouigh that the Thorndon bowling is not up to seniotr standJard. An exchange : — "Johnny Fowke and Jack Wheatley are the oldest senior orioketers in Ohristohuiroh in point of playing years. Tihe former is Sydlesnnam's skipper and wicket-keepe<r and still is about as good 1 as ever he was. The latter is in the Lin wood team, 'and, ■besides being an. active field, is a very finished! batsman, but it is some time since the fates were kind to him in the way of a big score. Both are very popular with the boys.' " It is pleasing to find) tihe old' handls performing well with tihe bat. The best performers to date are : S. Hickson, Laws, Tucker, Williams, Oobcroft and Mahony. The six of them, if they retain their form, woulldi make a fine basis for the representative team when that comes round to be selected. But thiat was not what I sitairted! to write. So far this season mone of the new handls to Wellington, with, perhaps, the exception of the Newtown Waters, have shown any form that woxiildl oannse onte to rave. Which is 1 not good in the interests of the game. I hear the Phoenix eleven to take the field againsifc Midland to-morrow is going to be a stronger team than the one that ptfayed' against Old' Boys. "Vic" Waters will be on dieck and 1 others to go in the team aire Gibbes and Corny ns;ham. The three likeily ones to be droppied in their farouir are : Hickey, Little and Mffier. I think Wright ailso has outlived his usefulness as a wicket-keeper, amd) as, I believe, the Phoenix Club have a good) junior to fill this position, I would not be surprised to see him replaced). I hear other rumoursi, too, but I cannot print them in this connection. Thinking over tihe Phoenix-Oldi Boys match, I think it is time the senior igames were limited 1 to three days' play. The latest two Phoenix batsmen were as slow as they well could 1 be in making the runs they did' and' if tihe match was decided' at the end of that day's play there is no question, but that tlhey •wooild have been in. .a bigiger^ hurry to get runs. For, being in a minority on the firs* innings, they would hiave lost the .game through their cautious play. Anytihifflg to brighten up our cricket should 1 be the aim of the Manaigemenlfc Committee and' three afternoons # is surely long enouigh for the senior matches in Wellington. Two days as enough for the Auckland andi Oamteirbury senior cricketers. (Continued on page 20.)

(Continued from page 19.) Monaghan as a stonewallei . He batted for half-aoi-hour on Monday sight for one mn. Hutohings made 24 in his operating strike in Auckland, ' by bound and attractive cricket." C. P. Blacklock made two fine cuts in hie score of 25 agaa.net Plioanix <xnd generally seemed to be full of confidence. Moss was an absentee from the Midland team on Satouiday, the death of his father being tlie cause. I extend him my sincere sympathies. C'hxistchurch scores. Bain 82, Williams 68, Eead 79, Ollivier 38 (not out), Patrick 95, Bennett 59, Young 35, Oook 32, Weston 79, Fuller 48. If all that I hear is correct the "wickets" at Miramar do not deseiye such a title. Newtown Park at its worst was a pleasure to play on compared' to them. A Midlander said to Mahony on Saturday before play started : "You're m the wrong team, Jack, my boy!" After the game, Mahony could 1 have returned the compliment with, interest. E. F. Waddy, playing for Waratah against Hamilton, in, the first match of the Newcastle competition, at the Newcastle Cricket Ground on the 6th October, scared 203 out of a total of 306. An Auckland note : — "Some splendid form is being shown by the boys in tine secondary schools' competition and it is quite evident the coaching of Sammy Jones is having a very beneficiail effect." A Christchurch paper quotes the Paddington as a London cricket club. M. A. Noble, Y. Trumper and J. J. Kelly will not feel highly honoured by being classed among the members of a olixb so far removed! from Sydney. Pearson Blaoklock is stall very stiff on lias pins and, through not being able to move his feet quick enough, was caught at square-leg off a bail he would ihave put over the boundary if he bad been m his full health and strength. A writer to one of the Christehurcb papers advocates the adoption of a two-year residential rule to apply to members of teams chosem to represent the colony. The New Zealand Cricket Council is- urged to consider the question. The principal scorers m Auckland last Saturday were: — It. Mason 102, S. Jones 49 (not out), D. Hay 46, Forster 37, Simms 26, Robdmsoni 54, Hutohdinge 24, Braitihwaite 22, Hollingrake 37, Smith 33, Dazeley 52 and Williams 55. Beeohey was very quiet in making (his 15 rums, but seemed 1 to have taken root and wanted digging out. A masty smack om the finger from a arising ball disoomfitted ham a lot and he was finally caught in the slaps off one of the fast ones. In one of the Northern exchanges last week I searched 1 the paper through and through a. couple of times for cricket news. I was giving it up in despair finally when I discovered the notes of the play had' been given tlhe heading of "boxing." Laws has developed a new ball this year. In previous seasons has main ball was a slow to medium off-break, now hie rocks in a fast one round the wicket, which comes fast from the pitch and has a tendency to whip back. It is a bit destructive, too. "The catching in senior matches so far this season has been atrocious — far worse than in previous seasons. It "would well repay the various captains to give their teams several nights' practice in this department." — A Ohristchurch writer. Princb Ranjitsinghi, the famous cricketer, with the approval of tihe Government of India, is for the future to be Jam Sahib of Nawanagar. The State over which "Ranji" now rules is the largest of the little kingdoms under British protection in Kathiawar, which lies in the north-western country along the Gulf of Cutch. "It's a long lam© that has no turning 1" The Midland senior team have won their matches for so many years now that the fact of them being beaten by Wellington last Saturday is pausing the supporters of the remaining senior teams to whoop with exceeding great joy. And, as it is for the good of the game that the one team should not be always on to^ I add' my whoop to the rest. "Dick" Miason, the Aucklander, who pleased the spectators at the Basin Reserve when he played for the North against the South Island, is tin© first century-maker in Auckland tlhds season. Thus the "HerafcF : — "Mason played a fine innings and did! the greater part of the scoring. Most of has runs were scored in frorntJ of the wicket on either side and his jniMtiga was characterised by some partdculairly crisp drives and, excellent 'on' strokes."

Fied Midlane is now playing for the Sydney second team. He scored 17 on Saturday week. Downes, the Otago bowler, does not seem to have reached the "has-been stage yet. On the opening Satuidlay he seemed six wickets for 2b runs. A lemark overheard at the Basin Reserve what time Mai tin Luckie wa&> catching the Midlanderw out — ' On, Luckie's too good in the field altogether." Do you see at? Some Adelaide scores.— Clem Hill 108 Darling 22, Mcßae 84, Mayn>e 119 (not out), Roy Bill lib (not out). Bowlung figures.— Mcßeth, three for 59 ; Gehrs, four foi 40 , Ree&, five for 71. Relf the English cricketer, under engagement to the Eden Club, Auckland was crowded out of tlhe "Mamufca as she was a full ship when he went to book. Consequently he will not arrive in Auckland tall Sunday next. I have been asked if the batsmein complete a run before the ball is caught does the run count? Ihe answer is "No, it does not count. Ut course, the argument was amongst boys, but it is a delusion many of us used to share nn oui younger days. Sid O'allaway made a start last Saturday in Ohristchurch. H© made 24 with the bat and secured l six wickets for 25 runs with the ball. A pie&s comment : "Riccarton undoubtedly owe their victory on Saturday chiefly to the fine bowling performance of Callaway." This is sonnet mug new . — "Victor Trumper batted over hialf-an-hour for 9 runs against the Glebe bowJers at Hampden Park. Playing cautiously, he did not attempt to force ruiingettdng with his customary and superb unconcern for the quaihty of the bowling." — Sydney "Referee." Latest Sydney batting figures: — Redgrave 149, White 50, Duff 31, Hopkins 39, Deane 41, Chapman 30, Blaxland 93, Barrel 34, Gaooud 32, Bentley 53, Bardsley 46, Brisbane 42, Cotter 30, Ground® 33, Pite 69, Richardson 38, Chapman 54, Macartney 45, Iredale 73, Jordan 53 (not out), Wooloott 45 (not out), Harvey 48 (not out). Auckland! bowling figures : Howdlen, five for 79 ; Hussey, one for 22 ; Haddon, one for 22; Woodward, thiree for 20 Oliff , one for 68 ; Fairburn, four for 37; Barry, three for 8, G. Mills, four for 38; Freeman, two for 11; Stemson, two for 33; Banr-Brown, two for 68; Magee, one for 68; Kavanaigh, one for 54; Hemus, three for 52. Frank O'Suilivan, who was always worth has place in the WetLlingfton setoior team when in form, is now-a-days a junior. He bad a good tame against the Thorndon last Saturday. Aided by a bit of luck, perhaps:, hie had a loag stay at tibe wickets and 1 rattled up 139 runs— the first century of the season. If O'Suilivan can spare the time to practise lie should win his way back into has club's senior team. Bowden, the Sydiney bowler, had a field day at the expense of the Paddington Club on Saturday week. He secured five wickets for 10 runs. Other Sydney bowling figures: — Cotter, one for 17 ; Howell. two for 63 ; Fox, three for 12 ; Connolly, three for 48 , Newell, four for 48 ; Keele, f our for 33 ; Stack, five for 34; Allen, five far 33- Campion, three for 55 ; Deane, three for 77 ; Gregg, two for 44 ; Carty, four for 35 ; MicCloy, three for 34 ; Noble, one for 37. Monagh&n is practising a new hJkl, and when be brings it to perf ection he will be able to tie several of our batsmen in a knot. His swerving ball has a tendency to whip to leg and the batsmen play at the pitch of the ball accordingly. Monaghan's new delivery is with the same action, buit a leg break. A cricketer does mot need to be told what is likely to happen if he plays to a ball that is 1 supposedly going away to leg but which comes back instead. Monaghan got one of these balls on to Brioe on Saturday and it only missed the wicket by a coat of varnish. My advice to the Karori lad is to persevere, and, with his assistance, tibe Old Boys may yet please their admirers by winning the senior championship. "P.T.0." tells of an episode which occurred' in the pre-deelaration cricket days andi which that paper declares to be perfectly true. A well-known lesser club went on tour for one week for six one-day matches in Kent and the South. The toss was lost six times. The home team batted throughout the day each time and not one of the tourists ever put on has pads for an innings. It is repoi-ted of this unfortunate side that they buried their first captain on the Wednesday evening, looked the second! into his room on the Friday morning, in case' he should lose the toss amdl threw all their cricket gear out of the window on their way back to town on the Safcurdlay.

The boundaries on' the Basin Reserve are here published for the information of cricketers and spectators genexal/ly. They have been drawn up by the Umpires' Association and have the approval of the Championship Committee. They are as follows: — No. 1 Wicket. From the near side of the screen behind No. 2 wicket to the sooring-botu-d at No. 4 wicket, hits striking the fence or rolling on to the path count 3 ; clean over the fence or on or over the path, 4. Bits over the fence beyond screen, 5 ; hit© on to or over path beyond ecorang-board, 5. All othei hits run out. No. 2 Wicket. From the far side of the turnstile in front of the pavilion to a marked post in the bend of the fence, 2 to the fence and 3 over ; from the said marked post to near side of seat directly op«poaite Kent Terrace, 3 to the fence and inner edge of path, and 4 over; over the fence beyond the turnstile m front of the pavilion, 4 ; on to the path or over beyond the seat above-men-tioned., 5. All other hits run out. No. 3 Wicket. From far entrance to pnvy on the Kent Terrace side of th© ground to far end of the fence on the Fountain side, 3 runs to the inner edge of the path and 4 over ; hits on or over the path beyond these boundaries, 5. All other hits run out. No. 4 Wicket. From seat between scoring-board on No. 4 wicket and screen beyond No. 1 wicket to far side of road leading to College Green, 2 to the inueir edge of path and 3 over ; from the 1 far side of road above-mentioned to the neaiest edge of fence oca tlhe Fountain sidle, 3 nuns to the inner edge of the path. 4 over. All other hits rum out. * * • Cricket matches will be postponed in Ghristchurch to-morrow (Saturday) because of the races. The membership of the Melbourne Cricket Club now stands at 4500 and the cry is "still tihey oome." In 19051906 the receipts from entramce fees and subscriptions amounted to £11,928 10s and the aggregate figures m the statement of receipts and expenditure are surpassed by only one club in the world, viz., the Marylebone Club, whose total receipts in 1905 were £24,839 7s 3d and payments £24,942 11s.