CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15504, 10 January 1914, Page 10

CRICKET.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The Auckland Cricket Association's competitions will be resumed this afternoon, the senior fixtures being as follows :—Eden A. v. University, and Parnell v. Grafton, at Eden Park; Ponsonby v. North Shore, at Devonport; Waitemata v. Eden B, at Victoria Park. At the present time Grafton are leading for premier honours, with Eden A in second place. An Auckland team is to tour the South after all, and the dates of the matches will, it is expected, be arranged in tie course of a few days. In view of the tour the following 18 players have been chosen to practice W. B. Smith, Smeeton, Bountree, Cummings, Clark, the Rev. Hay, florspool, MacCormick, Sloman, Doble, Anthony, Sale. Wright, Howden, Dacre, Woods, Jacobsen and Moller. Those chosen must attend for practice every evening next week at the Domain. The attendances at practice will have a big bearing on the final selection. The Australian cricketers on their return from America stated that the averages for the tour were not kept. The latest issue of the American Cricketer to hand, however, contains the following batting figures of the team —

_ _ w Ins. N.O. Runs. At. C. G. Macartney ... 58 i 2379 45.75 Warren Bardflley ... 54 10 1934 43.95 J . S. Arnott 49 4 1509 33.53 L. A. Cody ... ... 51 7 1422 32.77 E. B. Mayne ... ... 57 4 1660 31.32 J. N. Crawford ... 53 4 IE3O 31.22 H. L. Collins 50 3 1389 29.55 8. H. Emery 51 7 1141 25.93 G. C. Campbell ... 49 11 995 26.18 G. S. Down ... ... 40 4 886 24.61 A. Diamond 48 15 803 24.38 A. A. Mailey 43 8 358 10.23 A. Diamond and A. A. Mailey failed to score six times, L. A. Codv, C. G. Macartney, and H. L. Collins five; E. R. Mavne, J. N. Crawford, P. S. Arnott and S. H. Emery three; G. C. Campbell twice, and W. Bardsley once. Centuries were scored by the following:—C. O. Macartney seven, W. Bardsley six, P. S. Arnott three, E. E. ilavne three, L. A. Cody two, G. C. Campbell one, H. L. Collins one, and J. N. Crawford one.

According to a Sydney writer 94 test, matches have beon played between England and Australia. England has been represented by 140 players, and Australia bv 103, making a total of 243 participants in these classical contests. Only on three occasions .has a double century been reached. Foster having the honour to head the list with 287, the others to top the mark bem# Murdoch, 211, and Gregory, 201. , Clem Fill has played in the most games, 41, and has ,the highest aggregate, 2546, while Trumper is next, with 40 games, and an aggregate of &61. The leading half-dozen averages for each country are:—England : R. E. Poster, 486 runs, average 60.75; J. B. Hobos, 13"20. 55; F. S. Jackson, 1413, 48.72; K. S. Ranjiteinhji, 993, 47.28; G. Gunn, 844. 42.20; A. Ward, 487, 37.46. Australia: V. Hansford, 893. 38.82; F. A. Iredale, 808, 35.13; C. Hill, 2546, 33.94; J Darling, 1729, 33.25; V. Trumper, 2261. 33.25 ;,B. A. Duff, 1080, 32.72. "K.H.Q." in the Bydn»y Referee, has the following to say of tie trouble between Clean Hill and the club to which the famous South Australian batsman belonged:—" It is ' regrettable, in ■* tew of the strained relationship between CI fas Hill and the Sturt Club, that the famous left-hander found it necessary to tender his resignation to his 3lnb- Clem Hill away from the association means a Jot. As a player he naa been (superb; as a legislator he has done a lot to further the interests of young players in his State. The trouble originated through the Sturt captain declining to ask the North Adelaide captain to allow a sub stitute to field in Clem's stead, after having batted the first day, though Clem had notified the secretary of his club of inability to attend, owing to his recent appointment as stipendiary steward, which necessitated his visiting Gawler races. If he had had any doubt as to a substitute being arranged for he would have taken his place on the field under any circumstances. But the captain preferred to field one short. r Jhe matter was referred to the Sturt Committee, who upheld the action of the Sturt captain, leaving no other course for Hill but to resign. There have been various rumours about regarding trouble between Qem and the association, but these are with- ; out foundation. " Clem felt a little hurt at" the action of the cricket captains in not appointing him one of the selectors, in view of his work For his State in all matters affecting cricket. The appointments were made during his absence in Melbourne on Board of Control work. All he knew of the matter was that he received a telegram from the association, asking would he be available for the Eastern trip, to which he replied: 'Unavailable!' His reasons for declining to make the trip were that his home has received repeated visitations from burglars with success, leaving the inmates nervous and unstrung, consequently he could not conscientiously see his way clear to leave his home for two or three weeks whilst the state of unrest continued." Hill will continue to play for his State while opportunity offers and his form is good enough.

THE AUSTRALIAN TOUR.

NEW SOUTH WALES MATCH.

LESSON OF THE GAME.

[from ottr own correspondent.]

Sydney, January 2. Cheered by their clean sheet, three-win record, the Now Zealanders, who are professedly seeking knowledge of the higher cricket, faced their real problem on the tour, the match against New South Wales, ■with keenness, and a certain amount of hopefulness that they would at least make their redoubtable opponent* travel all the way and at the same time gain some real credit for themselves. What a vain hope ! From the moment that McKew, standing back, snapped up Hemus for 0 and Tuckwell a minute later played one from Kelleway on to bis wickettwo for o—they were overwhelmed and hopelessly cntclassed. They were ill another cricket atmosphere, in fact. First, their batting—save for some plucky, bright adventurous work by Sandman, aided by Robinson, and a steady display by Sneddon, who here and there gave a gleam of promise with his strokes—failed dismally. Then their bowling which had begun to acquire quite a reputation by its mastery over the country teams and a representative Queensland side, was without sting, resource and effect. Sandman, who •waa the outstanding hero of a fallen side, bowled at, pluckily as he had batted, although his figures were not so 'good as

Robinson's. In fielding only did the Dominion men present any claim to class. They stuck to an uphill task on a granite turf, under a broiling sun, with, gameness and spirit to the end, but that is all the laurels they can get out of the scramble. But even in this department the Island students must have noted that there is much to learn in regard to correct placing. The came men in better positions would have saved many runs. They were given every opportunity. In the first place the home side won the toss and encouragingly put the New Zealanders in. It was obvious, too, from the way Trumper handled his bowling in the second innings that he was sportsman enough to give the Maorilanders every j chance to do something. All in vain. Why? Because New Zealand cricketers on these fast wickets and in the glare and heat haze of a 90.2 sun are hopeless when brought face to face with players who are in the highest grades of the game. Sympathetically it may be said that the occasion (which really means the mental effect of facing such stars) and the pace of the ball from the pitch beat the batsmen, and the unyielding character of the concrete turf gave their bowlers no hope. Really there is nothing in the New South Wales attack to cause dismay to any first-class batsmen. Either the standard of New Zealand batting has not improved at all or the new and totally strange conditions positively paralysed them. With another try they might do better, but yet it is to be remembered that their failure was greater in the eecond innings than in the first. In the past New Zealand has generally been able to produce one or perhaps two sterling batsmen who could give a touch of quality and real life to a side, but where are they in this team? The pluck of Sandman alone is remembered in the two days' disaster. The bright daring Canterbury youngster quite impressed one notable player who said that if they bid him in New South Wales for a few seasons they would make a fine player of him. This criticism, by the way, applies to scores of New Zealanders. They are made of the material to become fine, if not great, cricketers, but what they lack is the right | kind of education.

There can be only one conclusion on the all-round form in this match, New Zealand has not improved and at present ie in quite another class lower one— that of the best Australian teams. And it is really questionable whether a two-days' slaughter of this kind has any real practical value educationally, for the keen, will-ing-to-learn, but mediocre Islanders. It is true they had the advantage of seeing Macartney, who is displaying astonishing form at his best, and they may take heart from the consolation that the nippy, nonchalant bundle of batting tricks, known as the " governor-general," would in his present brilliant mood have probably banged the best of trundlers in the same way. But is there any real value to the student in these flashlight ormancee ? What is wanted is time to study methods and versatility in strokes. Until New Zealand can cultivate a sounder type of batsman arid more resourceful bowlers who can only be tested on concrete pitches, it must be content to remain where it is in the cricket line. That is the lesson of this match. OTAGO Y. WELUNGTON. 1 FIKST DAY'S PLAY, [bt teugkaph.—peess association.] Dunedih, Friday. The annual cricket match between Wellington and Otago was commenced on the Carisbrook ground at two o'clock this afternoon. The wicket was in capital order, and the weather was perfect, except for a stiff southerly wind. Wellington won the toss, and occupied the wickets practically all the afternoon, scoring 276. Otago at call of time had lost no wickets for 14 runs. Scores: — WELLINGTON.— Innings. Hiddlestone, b Downes 64 Grimmett, c Downes, b Torrance ... 17 McGirr, b Downes ... * 5 Wagstaff, b Downes ..." ... 13 Joplin, st Condlifle, b Torrance ... 80 Hay, b Torrance 40 Wilson, b Downes 7 Tucker, b Torrance ... 16 Blacklock, lbw, b Downes 3 Grace, not out , ... ... 16 Saunders, b Torrance 0 Extras ... ... 15 Total „. ... 276 Bowling Analysis: Torrance took five wickets for 85 runs; Downes, five for 77; Ramsden, none for 45; Eckhold, none for 30; McFarlane, none for 8; Watson, none for 16.

OTAGO.—First Innings. Alloo, not out ; 6 Watson, not out 8 Total for no wicket .*, - ... 14 OPEEA HOUSE V. HIS MAJESTY'S. A cricket match was played at Devonport yesterday between the permanent staff of the Opera House and the Williamson Comic Opera Company. Williamson's batted first and made 87 (Outfcrim 22, Lietoff 21), Opera House replying with 132 for seven wickets (Johnston not out 47, Mincham 17, Hymon 15, Hansen 14). Bowling for Williamson's, Badcliffe took three wickets for 48 runs, Outtrim two for 23, Methan one for 11, Barclay one for 12For Opera House Johnston took one wicket for 24 runs, Mincham three for 25, D. McMallum three for 15, L. McMallom one for 7, D. Perry none'for 10. THE AUSTRALIAN DISPUTE. By Telegraph— Association— London, January 8The officials at Lords are understood to be unaware of the statement cabled from Sydney to the effect that the M.C.C. will not send a. team until the dispute between) j the Board of Control and the players is J ended.