CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11950, 26 April 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

The Australian cricketers have arrived in England, and commenced practice it' view of forthcoming engagements, the first of which commences on Monday, May 5, when at the Crystal Palace they will meet tho Loudon County representatives. J. Darling has informed the Home authorities that ho considers the team quite as strong as tho last Australian eleven that visited the Old Country, and says he expects it to come through with a creditable record.

A Sydney writer says that tome of the New South Wales team are of opinion that Henry, the Queensland aboriginal, is for kx or eight overs a faster bowler than Ernest Jones ever was. This view is held by A. C. K. Mackenzie, who often played against Jones both at Adelaide and Sydney. With coaching it is thought he might make a good bowler in first-class cricket. Henry is described as very tall, and very thin, and a splendid field, but has no idea of conserving his strength, as ho rushes after the ball everywhere.

Says "Not Out," of the Sydney Referee: — The Australians will probably play above their Australian form of 1901-2: at all events. I quite expect them to do so. But should they only equal their form of this season in Australia, England should win the rubber; that is, it English cricket be up to its best this year.

-Interviewed at Fremantle, Mr. Hugh Trumble expressed the opinion that if the Australian team played up to their Australian form they would prove one of the best combinations that had gone Home. Respecting the inclusion of .Tones and Howell, he said they were two men whom the selectors would be sorry not to have with them. Their fine physique fitted them for a heavy tour, and he believed that with the constant practice Jones would regain the pace he had lost this season. One fast bowler was essential, and Eady, the other candidate for Jones' position, could not get up to really oxpress speed. It was the little extra speed that made the fast bowler a success against firstclass Howell lie expected to do well, foi the English wickets would enable him to get a "whip" on the ball which he could not bring to perfection on the lard Australian turf. Travers, Trumble admitted, might have been used as a slow bowler, but the objection against him was that, his deliveries were too slow for balls not of the " curly" type. The selectors feared that the slower English wickets would further deaden Travers' bowling. WAKEFIELD C.C. AVERAGES. The Wakefield Cricket Club, winners of the fourth grade championship for the season just closed, won the whole 10 matches in which they played, and scored 1312 runs for the loss of 123 wickets, an average of 10.66 runs per wicket, against the 653 runs compiled by opposing teams for the loss of 185 wickets, an average of 3.52 per wicket. The club's averages arc as under: — BATTING. In. N.O. H.S. Ag. Av. C. Robinson ... 12 I 46* 200 20.0 R. Mageo 12 1 40 202 13.5 •'. Jones 4 1 23 50 16.6 .1. Robert-haw ... 0 2 26* 94- 13.4 W. Robinson ... 10 0 38 131 13.1 T. Brew i 0 19 38 9.5 R. Mackoy ... 12 C 38 113 9.4 J. Williams ... 11 1 21 86 8.6 W. Magee 10 1 22 76 8.4 U. Morrin ... ... 12 0 22 100 8.3 L. Reid ... ... 8 3 15 35 7.0 S. Walker ... 0.0 21 57 6.3 J. Heald 5 1 11 22 5.5 A. Jenkins ... 9 2 15 38 5.4 S. Magee 3 17 7 3.5 H. Cash 6 0 12 17 2.8 * Signifies not out. BOWLING. Overs Ifdns. Runs. Wkls. Avg. R. Mageo ... 124 30 175 85 2.05 L. Reid 27 11 32 8 4.00 C. Robinson 42 16 59 14 4.21 .1. Jones ... 17 5 51 6 5.16 K. Mackay ... 65 11 137 26 5.26 .1. Heald ... 10 2 27 5 5.04 S. Walkei ... 58 19 124 21 5.09 Note: R. Magee performed the "hat trick" on three occasions during the season.

RAN.H. OX CRICKET REFORM

Interviewed at Ceylon recently, Ratijitsinhji made some remarks on the throwing question, which will carry a lot of weight. The report of the interview is: — "I do not know if the M.C.C. have discountenanced for the future tin; artificial preparation of wickets, but I think it a very good thing to do. It must lie for the good of the game in every way that this preparation of wickets which has gone on to such an extent in England should be put to an end. 1 gather that for the future the M.C.C. encourage the employment of nothing else hut water and the roller, and this is right." " Are many of the wickets at Home unduly prepared, do you think? Old Trafford is not, surely?" "Many of tho county ground wickets are unduly prepared. Old Trafford is not, but the worst offender in this respect is the Oval." " Do you think the abolition of prepared wickets will bo a disadvantage to the batsman? ' •

" No, I don't. At present when we get rain the prepared wicket is the worst in the world for the batsman, even if it is the best when the weather is all right.

" Personally, I don't agree with the action of the M.C.C. in asking county captains not to bowl bowlers who are no-balled for their delivery. I don't believe in legislation against bowlers. I find them all fair, excepting, perhaps, one or two. I tnink the rules of the game want altering more than the bowlers. Some of the rules are too.old, and lots of them could be replaced by better ones. For instance, under the rules, every bent action of the arm is illegal." " The word generally used is 'unfair.' But I rathei think you agree with others that this is a wrong word to use." "Certainly; 1 think the word 'unfair' is :: perfectly wrong word to employ. It implies that there is a dishonest motive on the part of the bowler, whereas what is meant is that he unknowingly and unintentionally bowls illegally." "Do you consirlo. Mold unfair?" "' Well, my own views have been found so much at variance with those of other people in everything connected with this throwing question, that J fear they are not hold by many cricketers. Every man who bowls occasionally sends down an illegal ball, and, perhaps, Mold, as well as the others, doe. so. But, as a rule, you find that if a man has a reputation foi throwing he soon gets considered by most people to be a thrower, whether they see that he is or not." "For instance, would you bowl Mi. O. B. Fry next year, after he hail been no-balled once or twice?" " Certainly. fie has been really no-balled only by one umpire, and, as I gay, most of the so-called throwers are fair enough, in my opinion. A man gets out to a so-called thrower, and he is glad of the excuse to say he was beaten by a thrown ball. I don't . think it is quite good enough. However, my views, as I said before, are, I am afraid, peculiar to myself."