CRICKET IN ENGLAND

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1756, 1 November 1905, Page 2

CRICKET IN ENGLAND

A 1 U DA 1 (.LING INTEJI Vi EWE D. Ti lr’ AIiSTRALI AN CAPTAIN’S Vi KAYS ON TO?': Ton?. 00 N DON, SapO/mbor I A. (V. |,!i m Ihtriiri'' is vary />:«:•( ini to I ji'<!i■ t•!». >)r«.! vI i iw 1 h''V ;i ra co.l l f <> n'l to ' i‘i Oii’ roi.' d! ;in a ppraaia--1 I'f’ !isi (MH-r. At O'HC.S. iICU'OV'T, !>:!!•- ! • •>'/ !■■!!: fi! IK, :t >Ki i'll' j J i i; J i | wild : ‘ T i'ifij tm Oili;irr )(■(:; ;sio ms <u> eottfits: i!'iii s*■!i ItM'ky. •• T part si turn ”

scribe caught tiro Australian skipper ui apparently quite a tonimuiiioativc nund u! .Hastings the other day, and succeeded in making a generous column and a. Quarter of copy ” out of the cricket-rug '• Silent One.” The interviewers first question naturally hinged on Darling’s opinion of the res'll Its or the tour. Disappointment at the on com o of the test matches was, of course, frankly confessed, for Darlinghad made no secret of the fact that these were tire matches on winning which, above all others, they had set their hearts. They had been fairly beaten, and yet lie really thought, with a better distribution of luck, they might have placed a very different complexion on matters. Trumper’s mishaps at Nottingham was, for instance, an extremely unfortunate occurrence, and seemed to exercise a. disheartening influence on several members of the team. Later on came the injuries to Hopkins, at Derby and Gregory in Scotland. On the tour as a. whole, Darling was however. able to speak with greater satisfaction. The colonial skipper pointed with natural pleasure to the results attained outside the test matches. They had drawn more games than in 1902, but had. as then, only lost one fixture, that against Essex at Leyton. But, without wishing to make excuse, lie emohasised the fact that the players were fatigued after their journey from Dublin, whilst Trumper, Armstrong, and Kelly were staying behind in Ireland. Still, Essex had" generally given them a tough game. Darling preserved, so far as remarks for publication were concerned, a golden silence ” regarding the personal triumphs and failures of the tour. The team’s bowling, he admitted, had not been so powerful as it might have been, though Cotter had, he thought, in the last few weeks, done enough to enhance his fame. A smile shot over his face at tlie reference to- the manner m which Armstrong had proved master of the situation in the majority of eases. Gehrs had not been as successful as expected at the outset of the tour, though on the faster pitches he had shaped very well at times, and more recently had shown that he could keep wickets —in fact, he had done really well with the gloves. Gregory had really badly injured himself at Edinburgh, an accident caused by twisting his leg in a “ grave ” made by a Scottish bowler. Concerning Laver’s value to the team, Darling said:—“The experiences of 1902 were such as to convince me of the necessity for the manager to he a cricketer, for, through the iilness due to the bad weather, we were in sore straits at the beginning of June. . . . It certainly taught us a lesson, and on the way home I strongly advocated a change. . . . Why, even this time we have, with fifteen men, been hard pushed, and with Armstrong and Gregory hors do combat and Duff and Newland ' seedy,’ we only completed our side at Cheltenham by-including Kelly, whose hand was really not fit for him to have played. A tour of nearly forty matches is no light undertaking, even for a party of fifteen, and there is little margin for mishap. This time. t)o the programme has not fitted in so well as usual, and there has been a great deal more rushing from one part of the country to another. . . . As a, manager. ‘Frank’ has been admirable . . . he is one of the best.” On the financial results or the tour Darling was discreetly reticent. All he would .say was, *• Yve have no reasons to fuel dissatisfied, though in a. few instances the receipts were small.” Asked whether still hold to his opinion as to the Test games being played out, he remarked: “Yes; and I feel more strongly than ever on the point. It is not a fair Test if it is not started with the knowledge that it is to ho played through, the same as the games are whan your players visit us. I am sure matters could be very easily arranged.”

Would you play three or five ? asked the interviewer. '.[ do not see why there (should not ho the five, and I should think four days should bo sufficient. County games need not begin until the Friday —tho three days might be enough—-or other arrangements could be made whore their players are engaged. A host match shun Id be a real cos l ., as it is in our country. I ■ don’t think the si.yio of play would lie adversely a If ected. As it is, what is the prospect bolero a side m a three-day match that •has lost the and lms had a big sco-re made against it? Defeat or a cunw; ior the chance of victory in the time at disposal is then almost nil. Naturally, we go for the draw, .hoping, ns v-e did at Leeds, ior hotter luck in the toss next time; and them wo get blamed by (some, though i. c umol see that it i< deserved.” And w hat about i ho toss? “R ell. 1 could do nothing right against Jackson. The question el tossing; lor choice of innings in J he jj ratami. last matches only, and having the option alternately', was never officially brought before us. Rossibiy the rejection ol the alteration by the Ji. may have .been the cause, (if <• -urue, it would be introducing a gram change, hut i should he disposed lo give the idea- careful considered imi.” Asked what lie thought about file next English (earn for A u- i r;;lia. Darling ''©pbed: -‘'Well, that . is rather a difficult m. liter to talk a bout, for next

season—assuming the side visits us in your winter of 1906-7—might bring many changes in form. We should all like to see J.-wkson as skipper. He is a grand cricketer, a good sportsman, and would, I feel sure, make a lot of runs out there —though, this might not be to oar advantage. Spooner has greatly iinpiess-d is. and ho seems to bo able to score wesi on all kinds ot pitcnes ; no is not one or those who can only get runs under certain conditions. Several of your old hands ahi doubtless still be worth inclusion, whilst as left-handers we have A great opinion of Blythe and Hargreave—the former being perhaps the best in the country. Wo could have done with a left-hander ourselves. Somehow our players never seem to shape too well against them.” Finally. Darling, who returns to Australia with Howell, Kelly, and Sid Gregory by the China, was tackled an a very personal matter. Was. he likely to bo seen in England agai n at the head of another combination ? Darling smiled broadly at this query, for it raised memories of his negative assertions when bidding us farewell three years ago. “I will, not say,” he replied, “and if I did, you possibly wouldn’t believe "me. Yet I can assure you that only last December I had no idea of forming one of the present team.” He added: “But I do not see why, provided a man takes care of himself, he should not have plenty of cricket left in him after his thirty-fifth year.” So far as we have been able to judge, the time for writing J. J. Darling down among the Australian cricketing “hasbeens” lias certainly not yet arrived, and w© shall not be in the least surprised to find him leading yet another Australian team of ash-hunters.