CRICKET IN SAMOA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18631, 12 February 1924, Page 4

CRICKET IN SAMOA.

STRANGE ■ RULES OBSERVED. TWO 1 HUNDRED A SIDE. SOME AMUSING SIDELIGHTS. [B'Z TELEGRAPH. — CORRESPONDENT.} WELLINGTON. Monday. An amusing account of the game of cricket, as it is played by the natives of Western Samoa, is furnished in an interview with Captain Bell, of the Administration Staff. ' A° far as possible, M.C.C. rules arc observed, bat there are some material changes from the parent code that ar» ■worthy of mention. ■ For instance, the wicket is composed of but one stump, and the bat is narrower than ours. The Samoans would make some of the fastest bowlers in the world, and are remarkable in their accuracy in throwing at the singlo stump. Up till recently, the game lie rl such a hold on the natives thatwhole villages used to visit each other, to play, the 'earns comprising as many as two hundred a side. All work on the plantations was suspended while thv> match, which often lasted a fortnight, was in progress. The entertaining village ran out of food by the end of the jousting, and something approaching temporary famine was often experienced. The Administration was forced to issue an ordinance, prohibiting cricket on any day but Wednesday ana Saturday. xi white flag is flown, as a cha.<eng» to play" a cricket match. It remains up until the challenge is accepted, and is then removed, and the task of selecting the team, which comprises men and women, young and old, and children, commences. Each village, which is accompanied by its chief, lias its Talking Juan, who expresses the chief's wishes. On the present occasion the "Administrator was present, and the Samoan3, intensely loyal to Britain, sang songs, and played their ukeleies prior to the commencement of the match. Then a speech was made, couched in flowing let ms, thanking the Almighty for such a beautiful day, and for tho opportunity of meeting such chivalrous players. The Samoans do not commence a match as we do, by the toss of the coin. Th always send* the visitors to the wickets first. The field is taken uj a limited number of fieldsmen, as, with a couple of hundred surrounding them, the batsmen would find it difficult to score any runs. Each batsman has two runners. to run for 1 im. The ball, a leather one, is always howled fairly; there is no throwing, and the no-ball rule is strictly observed. All the bowlers endeavour to get the greatest amount of pace in their dots ling, and if the bat touches it, there are runs to be got. Each of the runners takes turns to run, so that nobody might get tired. If a fieldsman catches a batsman, he is brought from the field to the pitch, and made to pass up and down the wicket, while hundreds form a guard of honour on either side, and sing and dance, to perpetuate his feat. If, on the other hand, he misses a catch, he is soundly bastinadoed with a club. The result is that the Samoans are expert fieldsmen or Seldswomen. When a run is scored, there is a fifth cficial, standing in tho centre of the pitch, at short raid-on or mid-off, who indicates how many runs tha runners are to register. When they reach the number stated, they cease running. An agile wicket-keeperthere is close competition for the —shows plenty of efficiency in running batsmen out. Just as the Samoans are all fast bowlers, so their batsmen are all {doggers. The batsman ia accorded coram honours, according to the number of. runs he scores. There are many interludes in the game sad at each one the Samoans embrace the opportunity of saluting the Administrator ! on their knees or show some other form j of loyalty. Decisions of the umpire are frequently discussed in a perfectly friendly way, but sometimes the discussion takes ten or fifteen minutes. Once an agreement is reached the play is continued, good humour always prevailing. During critical moments in the batting, sievas and haka* are Held bv Snmoan bovs and girls on the field, to inspire the batsmen. After each day's play speeches are made in the evening, during winch every feat of note in the day's pj»y receives its oratorical reward.