CRICKET

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 47

CRICKET

SATURDAY’S MATCHES. Nor-withstanding the five weeks’ interval since senior cricket was played in Wellington, the calibre of last Saturday’s play was very fair, the only team which seemed handicapped in batting being the Midland—and its failure was in a large measure due to the extra fine boiling) of Ashbolt, who, for the first time in the present season, displayed! his tru e form with the leather. As a result of Saturday’s play the Wellington team has established a fair lead on Midland in the first innings, while haying still four wickets to fall. Phoenix made things merry for the old Collegians, dark© being exceptionally severe on the bowling. His score of 88 was the outcome of clean, hard, hitting, and it was unfortunate for him that he missed! Ms century, for the catch which dis-

missed him was an exceptionally difficult one to take.. On present, appearances, Phoenix have the match well in hand. Following is a list of the scores* made in each game : MIDLAND v. WELLINGTON. MIDLAND.—First Innings. Quee, b Ashbolt ... ... ... 1 C. Hickson. a Duncan, b Redmond 5 Williams, c Redmond, b Ashbolt ... 16 Tucker, o Redmoffd, b Hales 7 Robertson, c and b Hales 17 Stephenson, b Ashbolt ... ... -3 Upham, b Ashbolt- ... ... 2 J. Weybourne, b Ashbolt ... ... 9 Holdsworth, not out ... ... 21 Read, run out ... ... ~ Windley, c Richardson, b Ashbolt... . - lb Extras ... ••• ••• ® Total ... ••• ••• p® Bowling Analysis.—Ashbolt, 19 2-3 overs, 8 maidens, 35 runs, 6 wickets; Redmond, 5 overs, 2 maidens, 19 runs, one wicket; Hales, 14 overs, 4 maidens, 36 runs, 2 wickets. . • WELLINGTON. —First Innings. '.l B. Weyboume, b Tucker ... ... 3 Richardson, h Upham ... ••• 22 S. Hickson, run out ... ... 34 Gore, c Y/illiams, b Tucker ... ... 5 Duncan, not out ... ... ... 3<9 Crombie, b Tucker '... ... 7 Wilson, b Upham ... ... ••• 13 Ashbolt, not out ... ••• ••• I Extras • • • • • • * • • - • • Total for six wickets ... 132 PHCENIX v. OLD BOYS. PHCENIX.—First Innings. Blaeklock, c Blackiock, b McKenzie 29 Clarke, c Leslie, b Cooke ... ... 88 Midlane, c Jacobs, b Dongles ... 32 Waters, b Douglas ... "... ... 29 Na ugh ton, b McGowan ... ... 10 Benbow, st Blackiock, b McGowan 21 Stevens, c Jacobs, b Douglas ... 0 Wright, b Douglas ... ... ... 1 Hickey, not out ... ... ... 3 Pope, st Blackiock, b Douglas ... .0 Miller, not out ... ... ... 1 Extras ... ••• ••• 15 Total ...229 Bowling Analysis.—Gilmer, S ovens, 46 runs; Leslie. 10 overs, 52 runs; McGowan, 11 overs, 2 maiefens, 25 runs, 3 wickets; McKenzie, 6 overs, 35 runs, 1 wicket ; Cooke, 5 overs, 25 runs, 1 wicket; Douglas, 6 overs, 31 runs, 5 wickets. OLD BOYS. — First Innings. Jacobs, 1.b.w., b Clarke ... ... 9 Kirkcaldie, b Clark ... ... ... 5 Cole, b Clarke ... ... ... 0 Parsons, c Benbow, b Clarke ... 3 Douglas, not out ... ... ... 2X Gilmer, b Miller ... ... 24 Blackiock, not out ... ... ... 6 Total for five wickets ... ... t . 68 JUNIOR CUP. Midland v. Kilbirrde R. —Midland:, 180 (Jones 103, H. Davis 42 not out). Kilbimie B scored 75.

THIRB-CLASS. Midland v. Phoenix.—Phoenix, 74 (O. Bush 17, Vance 1.1); Midland, 137 for nine wickets (Mans-on 45 not out, Lash 15, Latta 14, Atkinson 12 not out, Staples 11, R. Davis 10). F. Harris, for Phoenix, and A. Smith and Man son for Midland, were most successful with the ball. In the Third-class championship match College A v. Karori on Saturday, the College made 81 in their first inningsBrodie 84, Jordan 26, Maguire 8. McKenzie secured seven wickets for 35 runs. Karori made 85 runs —Lowe 12, « McKenzie 15, Dasent 20. McDougail secured three wickets for 26 runs, Brodie two for 4. The College in their second innings have lost on© wicket fear 23. In the match College B v. Wesley, the latter made 84—Thompson 24, Godber 21, Roberts 11. The College compiled; 114—Smyth 18, Ward 24, Bee 19. In the second innings, Wesley have lost one wicket for 39 —Hansen 18 not out, Roberts 17 not oiit.

The takings at the gates of the Basin Reserve on Saturday amounted to £6 6a 6d from an attendance of. about 600 persons. The moral of this is that there are more cricket enthusiasts than, cricket benefactors in Wellington!. This afternoon senior cricket will be resumed on the Basin Reserve, after an off-season of five weeks caused by a number of unavoidable causes. There will be a collection taken up at the gate in aid of the Cricket- Association, which is much in need of funds at the present time. The sending of a cricket team South last month involved the association in a heavy expenditure, and it is rfo exaggeration tp say that the loss to the Association in ground fees during the five weeks amounts to close upon £4O, Under the circumstances it is to be hoped that the pubilo response to the appeal will be free and hearty The Midland and Phoenix third elevens. will meet at Karori this afternoon. Great interest- is being taken in the match, as the result of it will probably decide the destination of the third-class championship. ... - ' : : Wellington is not the only place in. the colony where the cricket reason has been a “casual Lone this year. At Napier on Saturday cup patches were resumed after an intermission of three weeks.

At a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association one of the speakers

olaimed that the result of the recent match with Auckland-had dissipated the view previously held that Hawke’s Bay

was a “soft thing” for any visiting team. It was decided to again remind the Wellington Association. of its long overdue visit, it being felt that the impetus in •favour of the game received of late would be considerably augmented by a trial of strength with the Southern Association, and in order to foster the game amongst the younger Generation, to- allow anyone under sixteen years of age who showed genuine keenness on the game free admission to the ground for ail cun fixtures.

Clem. Hill pub up a good performance last month. After playing in Sydney for his colony against New South Wales, he left for Adelaide and only arrived there on Saturday morning, but in the afternoon lie obtained 176 not out for East Torrens v. West Torrens. To travel 1100 miles, spend two nights in the train, and then obtain 176 unfinished, is a great performance. “Bob” Thoms, now 75 years of age, has this year retired from the post of umpire in English cricket. Harry Troth’s name is again figuring in good class cricket. He was chosen one of the Victorian team to meet Tasmania at Launceston. The Victorian. Association's in rather a bad way with regard to funds. It has been estimated that after paying the expenses of the teams to Sydney and Launceston there will be a deficit of about £350.

As the result of an agitation amongst cricketers in Edinburgh the establishment of a Scottish. Cricket Union is likely to take place. The union ?f formed will, so it is proposed, arrange for intercity matches and for Scottish weeks, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, and Dundee being the scenes, thereof. Let a cricket ball be bisected, as Euclid might say, or divided into two equal or unequal parts. .It is required to find whether it is in the power of either or both of these fragments to- get a batsman out. The question has served for many years on fine days in front ox the pavilion at Lord’s (says the “Field”) as a whetstone for the acumen of members of the M.C.C., but it has at last some from the region of hypothesis into the sphere of practical politics, and is waiting for an answer. In a match recently played at Harrissmith —a place where cricket balls are at present less plentiful than other projectiles—a dilapidated ball, bov/led by Surgeon-captain Sharp, 2nd Manchester Regiment, to an opponent of the Yeomanry, was hit out of its leather casing, and caught by coverpoint. The umpire, verso pollice, made the fatal sign, and the batsman had to’ go. Of course, it might be argued in support of the verdict, that the substantial part of the ball was held, and that if it had not been severed from its cuticle it would probably have given a catch hone the less. When a portion of a. player’s? clothing or a splinter of his bat strikes the wicket down, the unfortunate accident is invariably allowed to count to the batsman’s detriment. On the other hand, counsel for the defence would plead that the ball cannot oe said to be held before it touches the ground if the cover is allowed to fall, or, further, that the bail, a.s a ball, is not caught even if its constituent parts are all taken in their flight. There is a law by which the size and weight of the missile are regulated, and it might well be contended that, when so wide a departure from the standard is suddenly made, without opportunity given for protest., the sufferer cannot be held responsible. Or, again, that from the moment of the dissolution of the ball, the proceeding's are null and void. At any rate, the defendant, by all the principles of criminal jurisprudence, is entitled to avail himself of a flaw in the indictment, and by the maxim -of cricket the batsman gets the benefit of the doubt. When the case is adjudicated it will also settle the corollary. May the batsman run for a. hit which destroys the ball until the constituent; particles are jointly or severally thrown in by the field P

The following particulars about three of the English, bowlers disqualified for “unfair deliveries’' are published by “M.A.P-.” :—Captain Bradford is one of the most agile and active men in England—a perfect demon for work or play. Unlike the other bowlers, he has been repeatedly no-balled by umpires. He is very fond of riding, and when on a, polo pony looks as much part and parcel of his steed as an Indian Sikh does. There used to be a catch-phrase in “A 'Pair of Spectacles” : “I know that man, he oomes from Sheffield/’ It is a regimental anecdote that a private, who had twice been disabled that season, on receiving a ball from Captain Bradford on his knee, murmured : “1 know that ball, it comes from Bradford.” Like Captain liedley, Captain Bradford is a. firstrate bat, who scored a century against Leicestershire last year. The Australians thought him “the worst chucker in England.” Mr F. C. Bull is rather a cricket enigma, for things did not go smoothly with him this year. Tie dropped out of the Essex team in the middie of the season and has lately resigned his position. as assistant secretary to the County Club. As a bowler he has a great reputation. Personally lie is reserved and not easy to approach, never being of a very sociable turn._ He is generally extremely emphatic in giving his opinion. Even now, he is only four-and-tweiity, and all ms life has been spent locally in Essex. “Almighty” was

the nick-name of Mr C. B. Fry at Oxford. When he came up from Repton, he promptly obtained four “blues,for long-jump, football, and cricket, whilst he took a splendid degree. He is over six feet high, very handsome, with a face like a Greek god. He is the bosom friend of Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, and has played for England in both cricket and football. His splendidly free batting ha.s endeared him to the cricket public, but from the outset his bowling has been generally censured. .For some reason or other Surrey refused to play him, and he eventually appeared for Sussex. For that team alone he has scored 5,000 runs. Eventually he gave up being a master at Charterhouse in order to play more regularly. Ho has not only written a great deal about the game, but is believed to have written more than he has signed.