CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12654, 7 September 1904, Page 7

CRICKET.

NEXT AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN FOR ENGLAND. The end of the summer should, in the ordinary course of events, see the departure of an Australian eleven for England (says a writer in a Melbourne paper). It has been the custom, sines the first Australian eleven in 1878, for teams to make periodical visits to England, which were arrayed by the players in Australia, who, writing to an agent in England, had a list of fixtures made when the county programme was beiug drawn up. Visits of English teams to Australia were conducted on the same lines for a time, until the Melbourne Cricket Club and the trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground took control. The last English team, however, was sent out by the Marylebone Cricket Club, which body financed and managed the whole venture. The leading English club has now taken in hand the matter of die next. Australian eleven's visit, and has sent an invitation to Australia. By the last English mail letters were received by the leading cricket body in each State from Mi*. F. K. Laeey, the secretary of the Marylebone Cricket Club, covering an invitation to an Australian team to visit England in .1905 and . assuring a hearty welcome. The team,- which will be the twelfth Australian eleven, would have to leave Australia aljout * the" middle of March, but in the meantime there is much to be done. Of the 1* men who visited England % in 1902, H. Trumble, E. Jones, and J. Darling have- retired, while W. P. Howell, J. ' V. Saunders, H. Carter, and S. E. Gregory are not deemed likely to again make the trip. Therefore, only half the band which did so well in England in 1802 will be availableM. A. Noble, It. A. Duff, V. Trumper, A. J. Hopkins, and J. J. Kelly (New South Wales), C. Hill (South Australia), and »». W. Arm- i strong (Victoria). This is certainly a strong nucleus* but it is sadly deficient in bowlers and thiu is the point towards which all cricketers are turning their attention. From where are the bowlers to come? Already the leaders of t)xb team which played in the test matches last summer are in correspondence with one another on the subject. F. liftver. O. E. MoLeod (Victoria), N. ft. Claxton (South Australia), and A. Cotter (New South Wales) were four bowlers who met success in Varying degree in big cricket last season. Cotter is considered a certainty as the fast bowler to fill the place of the South Australian " express," E. Jones, while Claxton is mentioned as a likely man to .provide the good length bowling, like Howell's; but where is the left-hander to come from in place of J. V. Saunders? And last, but by no means least, who is to replace the veteran Trumble? These questions are giving the leaders some concern, and they are, not likely to be easily solved. A suggestion has been made to one of the selectors of the last Australian eleven, which is practical, and goes to the root of the whole matter. It is that the Selection Committee should, when the inter-State fixtures are being drawn up, arrange for a series of matches in, say, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and some provincial centres, such ns Batlmrst and Ballarat, in the hope of finding a bowler or two idea is that the Selection Committee should early next summer choose, say, half-a-dozen certainties, and that these, with some probables, should play in the places mentioned. Two Brisbane bowlersT. J. Byrne, a loftbander, who took five wickets for IK against the Englishmen, and H. R. Griffiths, a me-dium-paced right-hander, who took five wickets for 92 in the same game; three Ballarat bowlers—Stevens (right band), Hole (left hand), Hennah (right hand);, two Bathurst men—Allman and Kefcria; and E. A. Windsor, of Tasmania all showed fair form against the last English team, and it is lelt by the gentleman who made this suggestion that one of these or otherß may be worth a trial. In Victoria a young artilleryman named Shaw has been spoken of Very highly as a promising left-hand fast bowler, and I am told that the Australian umpire, R. Crockett, thinks him a likely man. Whatever may be the merits of any of these men, there is but little doubt that, as far as test ' cricket is concerned, no new bowlers have come forward, and it is urged that if A. C. Maclarea thought it worth while to go into second-class cricket for a fast bowler 'ike Barnes, our selectors might well look off the beaten track for the roan they want po much. I mention this matter thus early because, if new men are to be found, ample opportunity should be given for them to be tried.