Out DOOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Free Lance, Volume XV, Issue 798, 15 October 1915, Page 20

Out DOOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

By Touchline.

The Off Season. THIS is the time of the year when a writer on outdoor sports subjects is hard put to it to find matters of interest to write about. For many moons Rugby football has kept my pen busy, but the jerseys and the other paraphernalia .have all been stowed away till next March, and, with the passing of the winter, cricket will be the main theme of my writings while the warm days come and go.

CRICKET.

The Opening Postponed. It had been determined to commence the local cricket season last_ Saturday with, net practice at the Basin Reserve, but the parade of the soldiers caused the opening to be postponed. And quite rightly, too, in my opinion. It is in order to play our games, but_ such playing must not be allowed to interfere with the more serious business of war that the nation is engaged in at the present time. I had hoped, however, to gather much useful information about the nrobable composition of the teams contesting the senior championship this year from this net practice, but my disappointment is not so keen as. to cause me to worry a great -deal. That can be found out at a later date. The first thing that seems to me to call for comment at this stage is the fact that A Team from Trentham will play regularly in the championship matches every Saturday afternoon. And what a fine side it promises to be, too. J. H. Bennett, the Canterbury anl New

Zealand representative bowler, is amongst those in camp just now; another is Don Sandman, another New Zealand representative from Christchurch, and a slashing all-round player. Others are: E. Bernau, the Wanganui College lad; H. M. McGirr, East Club and Wellington representative player; S. W. Dempsey, last year's Victoria University College's captain, and an enthusiast for the game; and G. Hawke. a Hawke's Bay representative by the name.

J. Gordon Kinvig. another "Wellington representative, goes into camp with the next batch; and J. J. Tilyard will . be there directly. The brothers Wetherall, who played for East last year, are also soldiers in the making: one of them is in camp just now, and the other has signed on, and waits his call. ** So that it will be seen that the side from the Trentham Camp will be a strong one. * * * * The Other Senior Teams will be Petone, North, Central, East, Old Bovs, and Hutt. As to the probable strength of the various sides I can't say anything at the moment, for the simple reason that the information at my disposal does not permit me to form satisfactory conclusions on this headMany of last year's players are not available beca.use of the enlistments for the year, but I fancy the pinch will be* felt more keenly in the lower grades than amongst the seniors. The majority of the latter are married men, many of them veterans. The only new team besides Trentham to compete for the senior championship this year is the old Hutt team, revived once again. I don't know what new material has come to light in the Valley to justify them entering for senior grade once again, but the games with them in the past have always been enjoyable, and the short run into the country of a Saturday afternoon rarely comes amiss. * * *. * Why Not ? The desire of the Boys' Institute Old Boys to enter a team for the senior championship has been turned down by the Cricket Association, and I fail to see the wisdom of their decision. The Boys' Institute is an institution' _ that has come to stay, the proof of which the fact that an Old Boys' Association has been formed with object of keeping the boys in touch with one another as they grow up into manhood.

As time goes by, they will become stronger, both numerically and physically, and embryo senior cricketers should not be kept playing .junior when they want to advance a step.

G. Lambert, who was given a trial with East last year; W. Garrod, 'who got good bowling figures in outside junior matches; and B. Mabin, another East senior (occasionally only, though) were probable Institute Old Boys this year. G. Henner had the fine batting average of 56.1 in junior matches last year: he ought to be given' a trial senior this year, and some of the other lads are: E. Guise (average 30), J. Howitt (average 28), and E. Renner (50 wickets at- an average of 12 runs per wicket) would all be welcome in most of our senior teams. But the position is like this: these young fellows are going to stick together even if they are forced to play junior. Therefore, I hope the Cricket Association will reconsider their decision, for it is in the best interests of the game to have in the senior ranks all those players whose abilities entitle them to be there. * * * * Personal Notes. Amongst the soldiers marching out on Saturday was Clifton Geddis, who last year played in the Hawke's Bay representative team. Although he did not get going with the bat against Wellington, Jack Board told me that he was a batsman above the average, with a good career in front of him. Let's hope when he gets to Gallipoli he will show the boys how to drive to leg or cut past point the best deliveries of the Turks and the Germans, and put up a good tally to his credit. Good luck to him By the way, J. H. Board, the Gloucestershire professional, has arrived in Napier to put in another season's coaching of. the schoolboy cricketers of Hawke's Bay. They like the burly one in the squatters' province, and he likes the boys, so they get on very well together. At the annual meeting of the Hawke's Bay Cricket Association Heathcote Williams (the president) said he had written to M. A. Noble, asking that New Zealand cricketers and enthusiasts should be given an opportunity to help if it was decided to do anything to perpetuate the memory of Victor Trumper. Probably this matter will be mentioned at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council. I hope it will, at any rate, for the incomparable one

made many personal friends iii this country,' who would like to help, if even in a small way, in -honouring his memory. Writing about the Boys' Institute Old Boys reminds me that Charlie Dick, who organised them into an association, has been wounded in battle in the Dardanelles. I hear that D. C. Collins, who won his cricket and rowing blue while at Cambridge, will be playing for the Old Boys team this season. His appearance at the Basin Reserve will heighten the interest in the matches. * * * * A Fine Cricketer Gone. H. M. Butterworth, killed at Ypres last month, was the well-known Wanganui cricketer, who captained, the Nomads team when they played on the Basin Reserve two years ago. It will be remembered that in the early part of last year he made some phenomenal scores in Wanganui, finding; the making of, centuries as easy as they say shelling peas is. He was educated at an English public school, and the Oxford University, and was twelfth man in the University eleven of his year. Comin°: to New Zealand, he became a master at Wanganui Collegiate School, where he quickly made a name for himself as an effective and stylish batsman. When the -New Zealand team was selected to tour Australia in 1913, no one would have been surprised if H. M. Butterworth had been, chosen ;as it was, only the selectors know why he wasn't. Besides being a cricketer, he was an excellent golf and tennis ' player: yet this cruel war numbers him amongst its victims.

CRICKET. Notes from Here and Tftere. • The cricket season opened on Saturday week in both Sydney and Melbourne. J. M. Taylor, with a score of 154, headed the".tallies in the New South Wales capital, with an innings that was truly delightful to watch, and in keeping with the displays given by any of the old masters of .the game. This is only Taylor's second innings as a .senior cricketer, so his career should be worth watching. . "Eight balls to an over!" This is an innovation they are trying in, Sydney this season. The only noticeable thing about the change on the first day's play was that- -it decreased the number of maiden overs. I wonder what our bowlers would say if one were to advocate its introduction here P Amongst New South Wales cricketers in khaki are:—C. Kelleway, E. P. Barbour, It. B. Minnett, N. M. Gregg, H. L. Collins, C. J. Tozer, R. J. A. Massie, A. Cotter, C. W. Hosking and G. C. Willcocks. A very good side on paper, and one that would give a slashing account for itself as representative! of the Mother State on the cricket field. A. J. Gaston, who has written much ,about cricket, oil which he is recognised as a great authority in England, has five sons who are all. serving ~in the Army. ' Has . any Australasian cricketer five sons on active service? Tom Garrett, an old-time Australian-representa-tive, has three sons in khaki. Major H.H. the Maharajah Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, better known as Ranjitsinghi, has received promotion. He is now an A.D.C. to the Command-er-in-Chief, Sir John French. Championship matches in Christchurch commence this week-end. Six teams have entered for the senior championship. An item from Australia: —"No allowance is to be made to cricket-um-pires during the ensuing season. This decision has been arrived at by, the New South Wales Association. But clubs are_ to be asked to consult members on their willingness to contribute 3d each every Saturday for the umpires." This reminds me that the Wellington Umpires Association is sadly in need of members. Allan Wallace, who played for Auckland against Wellington on one occasion at the Basin Reserve, has been killed in action at the Dardanelles. If memory serves me right, it was some line batting by this young fellow in the later stages' of the game I am referring to that enabled the Aucklanders to gain a one-wicket victory. He was a fine cricketer, a grand young soortsmah, and one of the best Rhodes scholars New Zealand has sent away. The match referred to above was the last one he played in before taking up the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford that had been awarded him. Mr. Fred Earl, the president of the Auckland Cricket Association, said, %t that body's annual meeting:—"The policy of the Cricket Executive was, and would be, to 'encourage earnestly and without ceasing all cricketers of military age to join the forces of the Dominion without delay. Subject >o -this the Executive considered at a duty to keep the game going.""