CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13304, 10 October 1906, Page 4

CRICKET.

, e The Parnell Club will send teams to North [ Shore to-day to play against the seaside club. The games will start at one o'clock. A prominent member of the Midland Club . in past years, Mr. W. Hutchings, has, during . the off season, taken up his residence at > Auckland. At the annual meeting of the 1 club it was decided to mako a presentation s of a framed photograph of the full eleven (winners of the championship last season) to Mr. Hutchings. Hutchings will pixy for 5 Ponsonby this season. j A correspondent, who signs himself " Out j Von Port," writes to 'me expressing the opinion that the good old game of cricket is not as interesting now as it was in the 2 past." In looking for the cause, ho says , that the first idea that strikes one is the r excessively prepared and artificial pitches t which have made the game very expensive, and thrown the best part of the game, viz., the batting, into the hands of a few. Boundaries, he considers, have also prolonged the j I game in favour of tho batsman. Continuing, j r my correspondent says:—"To-day a cricketcr need only be a batsman, and an ancient ! one at that, as littlp exertion is required, i He stays at his wicket and scores, on paper; j but in bygone days a man was chosen not i only for the runs he made, but also for tho 1 runs he saved by brilliant fielding, sure catching, swift and unerring return of the ball; but these qualifications are an unknown . quantity to-day. Cricket, as played on the , village green, was a simple and inexpensive [ game, but to-day it is costly and the grouud artificial."- - >•