CRICKET.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1651, 21 October 1903, Page 47

CRICKET.

(By “The Hittito.”) The opening games of the senior chanir pionsliip contest on Saturday attracted a large crowd tio the Basin Reserve. The play was fair for' a first performance, though later in the season such play would be thought to be poor. Redgrave bowled very well against Old Boys, and gained the fine average of four wickets for eight runs. Hi® bowling as shown on Saturday is likely to give the P'htoenix team a big compensation for its weak batting powers. Tucker, too, bowled well, and he showed promise of again handling the willow with liis old-time effectiveness. McGowan bowled for Old Boys with good effect, and but for the characteristic butter-fingeredness of the fieldsmen he Would have done much better.

The Midland team began very poorly in their match against Wellington, and six wickets were down for an average of ten runs apiece. At this critical stage Weybourne and Moss hit out merrily, and ran the total to treble figures in quick time. Weybourne was especially good, and in a large measure proved the soundness of this writer’s old contention that

Weybourne was a giood man whose merit had not been sufficiently recognised bv his club. Now that Weybourne has given good earnest of his senior ability it is to be hoped that ho will be persevered with, instead of being dropped a-s he has previously been for his first failures in senior gaines. Mowatt, a promoted third class player, who on Saturday made his first appearance in senior cricket with the Phoenix eleven, covered himself with distinction and saved Phoenix from disaster. He made 31 out of the team’s meagre total of 68, liis hitting being free and confident! As a result of last Saturday's play the games are in an interesting stage for the resumption of play. Midland have scored 162 to which Wellington have responded ■with ten runs for no wickets, and Phce.uix 66 have been answered by Old Boys with 81. Phoenix have made 5 for no wickets in the second essay. The out field at the Basin Reserve’ is a long way from being perfect just at present. The pitches on Saturday had a, degree of bumpiness that would bave gladdened the heart of Holdsworth bad' ho been still wearing flannels. He, however, has forsaken cricket for a season, and is reported to be organising a hop-scotch club to undertake week-end matches at the bay. The matter of getting a cricket “coach” for Wellington lias fallen away from, public notice of late, but in Dunedin there is prospect of such a position being speedily filled. The “Evening Star” of a recent date mentions' that- Mr Frank Shaddock, not long ago a, prominent professional in first class county cricket in England, is at present in Dunedin, having come to this colony on the lookout for an engagement. Shaddock took this step on the advice of S. Hargreave, who was ever hero last season with Warneir’s team, and coming out by the Papanui, he readied! Dunedin last Saturday. Since then he had a- game or two at the Cavisb rook nets, and very favourably impressed tho critics there with liis bowling, although he had net had time to properly get bis “land legs” after liis voyage, let alone get. into 'his best cricket form. Shack lock began first class cricket in 1834, playing for Derbyshire in that and the succeeding-, year. For the next, eight year he wa/s a prominent member of the Notts County Eleven, and was invaluable to them as a fast bowler, besides getting runs with the bat. The fact that hei lias'played for the Players versus the Gentlemen and for the M G

and .Ground versus the Australians speaks for itself. Altogether in first class cricket he took between 700 and wickets. Besides being a ground bowler at Oxford University, Lords (six years), and the Oval (four years). Shaddock has coached several colleges, including- Solihull Gramma, r School, in Birmingham, and Closg'Cs Wood, ai Catholic College in Ireland, a.ud has been engaged as a professional in. Lancashire and in Scotland. Personally, Shaddock has already become veiy popular with those who have met him. and he seems' to be one of the best type of English professionals. We understand that there is every prospect of his entering into an engagement with the. local Cricket Association, and with Shacklock and Graham (who is to coach the High School bows) with us this season, cricket prospects should decidedly improve.