CRICKET NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6450, 22 February 1908, Page 4

CRICKET NOTES.

(By “Leg-Break.”)

Tbo two wickets on which the senior fumes woro played at the Basin Reserve on Saturday last were the only emerald patches on the ground and formed a welcome relief to eyes tired of the monotonous browniwwa everywhere visible for months past. Tlie watering necessary to obtain the freshness in the grass had some effect upon the wickets, which were soft in places, the ball getting up dangerously at times. Tho time required for completion of the semi-final games was not long, the stumps being out of the ground shortly after four o’clock, while the members of Old Boys and Midlands learns had left tho ground soon after, pitted to meet in (ho final fight for the championship to-day. The results of the respective games did not occasion any surprise, both victories being confidently anticipated, but a considerable amount of diversity of opinion was shown in various groups regarding tho issue of the limit game. Both Aides found their champions, who advanced reasons why Lheir selection should just about get there, but, looking at the matter from ixn unbiassed point of view, it seems to me that there is not a great deal of difference in the strength of the two teams, and provided they both play up to form tho last contest should be a very keen one. A charge of (Jcl admission, will bo made for this game.

Tho finish of Wellington-Midland match was not a very inspiring one. Tho Wollingtonians -v seemed to realise the hopelessness of their task, while, on the other hand, their opponents appeared quite conscious of the security of their position and shaped accordingly, Williams again entrusted the keeping of tho stumps to young Murphy, who, although he let a coujilo of “possible” past him, made up for it by catching Naughton and Willis, while the extras recorded against him were only It. Richardson, tho Wellington skipper, did not have as long a slay at tho wickets us usual, being beaten all the way by Mitchell, 1 after ho had. made 4. Naughtun, who made 137, was lucky, {is when ho had eleven to his credit ho returned a ball hotly back to Mnnson. It was a lefthand catch, but. though the bowler made a good attempt to take it, tho elusive ball found a resting place on the ground. Naughtou showed some good strokes in obtaining his ruins, bub tho bowling at this stage was not very hard to negotiate. Mitchell was the worst offender in thin respect, sending down a lot of loose stuff, including a number of accidental full tossors. Hickson was the first change tried, relieving Mansou, and with his initial ball brought about tho dismissal of Naughton. who just tipped the leather in its flight, and it was snapped up behind the sticks. S. Hickeon had mndo the unlucky number (13), when ho played all over to a ball from Mitchell and took his departure for tho .shade of tho pavilion. Mahoney gave further evidence of' his ability os a batsman. There are few, if any, of the local players who settle down to their work as rapidly and as confidently as the “Little Tick" of the Wellington team, and ho was soon banging tho ball about in all directions. He had just rot into double figures when, ho gave a hard but palpable chance behind the wickets. The ball, however, escaped, detention, and ho continued merrily on his course until 30 was opposite his name, when Mitchell dislodged his middle stump, Tho batsman was obviously umoyod, nfi evidenced by the vehement swirl he gave with his bat when the rattling of the sticks notified him it was time to take a fond farewell. Another member of the side who performel meritoriously was Vare. He has a reputation for hitting, which he does not belie, and can open his shoulders to advantage if tho bowling is to his liking. Not only is hitting hi© forte, but he has a late cut which Is as good, if not bettor, than that of any other local player. He used this stroke to advantage on Saturday, getting ball after ball away when some of tho spectators thought that he was Jx)o late for them. He also received "consideration, as, when two was the sum total to his credit, Patrick lot him off. Vare proved one of a quintette numbered amongst Mitchell's victims. Quinn, who has not done so well as was expected of him tliis season, was the only other to make any sort of a showing, playing a not out innings for 2J-. There is a little incident connected with the innings, of Hales which is worth telling. Prior to going in a couple of spectators told him to have a lash as the chances of victory wore so remote as not to be worth considering. Tho genial “Snowy" promised to act according to their advice, and certainly acted up to his word. He made an unrivalled agricultural swipe at his first ball, which, to his chagrin, instead of losing its leather covering, continued on its mission of destruction and accomplished its fell purpose. Though tho scoring was small it must not be inferred that tho bowling was altogether responsible* for this. Mitchell and .Hickson secured five wickets for 62 anti U runs respectively, but tho former would have suffered considerably had he been opposed by a vigorous batting team like Old Boys. Hickson bowled much better and seemed to bo coming in a good deal from tho off.

Tho winding-up process in connection with tho Petouo-OUI Boys game was even duller than that in the other game, but for a bright interlude when Taylor was at the wickets. He went in late in tho innings but livened things up in good stylo. Ho had a go at tho bowling, and Ms aggressive tactics camo off. os he wound up with 5# to his credit, the result of some vigorous hitting. He gave two or three chances in the outfield, but they were not held, until he tried it once too often, and was sent right-about-turn by J. P. Blacklock. Those in the crowd who knew’ Taylor were very pleased with his performance, and there were those who declared that, if he was a Utile freer in his batting than he usually is, more runs would be credited to him. "Ho is a natural hitter/ 1 remarked one spectator, "yet he will persist in poking about a gam© h© knows nothing of/' There might be some truth in this statement, but it is only reasonable to suppose that a batsman ought to be tho best judge of the style which suits Ifim best. Cobcroft, Brice, and A. House went like chaff before th© wind. The first named, who made 10, must have been annoyed at his downfall. His discrimination was decidedly bad in this instance. Tucker sent him down a bull s-orno feet short. It bounced high, and would have gone nowheio near the wicket, but “Cobble'’ 1 must have a go at it, and he- deflected ito course, sending the ball into the safe repository of .Monaghan’s waiting hands iu the slips. Tho same fieldsman caught and bowled Isherwood, while a tremendous ©wipe by Brice brought about that batsman’s downfall at tho hands of Tucker. Smyrk made 19 «« the result of carefully watching tho ball, which was responsible for a number of “’cat-on-hot-bricks” movements. Ho had just settled down when he was bowled off his pads. Senior was shaping well when he fell a victim to th© wiles of Tucker, who enticed him 'out of his crease,* and gave Blacklock a chance of stumping, which ho speedily accepted. Green (12) was tho only other double-figure scorer.

The final for the championship will bo commenced to-day, and, if necessary, will run into four Saturdays. In addition to this game ether matches will bo played for places amongst teams which were in the contest at an earlier stage. Sonic comment was caused hast Saturday at the failure of the Phoenix and New-’ town teams to piny the match which was set down for them. Patrons of the game consider that it Is much too early to bring the season to a close yet, and hold that oven if there is no championshijp reward to lx; won by tho defeated teams, they should at least continue to play both for tho love of the game and the sport they get out of it. It would appear, by tho action of tho teams referred to, that all their interest in tho game depends upon the stimulus given by the premiership contest, and that, as soon as their chance in the contest has vanished, their “enthusiasm" rapidly ovapora/tes. Such an attitude is certainly not a commendable one and should be avoided in tho future.

The following from the Anderson-Sherl-dau pantomime of “Cinderella" might amuse somebody“Do you remember," asks tho Baron, “when Knights were bold?"' “No," replies his spouse, “but I remember when Trurapor was bowled and we ail felt very Hill ’ until the Englishmen Cotter cold."

Judging by present appearances (says the “Bulletin") the current international cricket campaign is going to result in benefit to the Marylebono Cricket Club, and to no ono else. Up to date Major Trevor has received JI6OUO, and the other JMOOO remains to be made up. This means that unless an enormous attendance happens along to the remaining fixture© the Australian Associations are going to get practically nothing out of the visit, and will probably have to put their hands in their pockets for part of the expenses.

W. W. Armstrong mad© his first hundred in first-class cricket in 1899 against South Australia, and to-day he has twenty hundreds to his credit, seven against English bowling, three against South Australia, five against New South Wales, two against Queensland, on© against South Africa, and on© against New Zealand.

G. Campbell put up a record for District Grade competitions the other day by securing ten wickets in on© innings for 16 runs, five men being bowled, three caught, one stumped, and ono given out I.b.w.

Comparatively few instances of a batsman being run out by tho bowler through leaving the crease in backing ujp before the ball is delivered occur in first-class cricket of the present day. But in the years it was not so : uncommon. In minor cricket it occasionally occurs (says "Not Out"), on© of the latest victims being Mr G. King (a former hon. sec. of the Paddington C.C.) in a Departmental match (Public Instruction Department). In this case I am told the bowler put the wicket down, but said 'T won't appeal." But the skipper, seeing how things stood, promptly said, “How's that.' and “up she went." A somewhat similar occurrence took place in one of the local Wednesday competitions recently. Tho bowler—who occupies a Mayoral chair—saw that a

promininet Saturday player was backingii,p a little “too previous,*' and, waiting his opportunity, “ran him out” before the batsman know what had happened. The tnmdler regarded hie feat as a huge joke. Cotter made his reappearance in a match at Sydney the other day, but evidently ho had net recovered from his recent injury, an. off 84 balls sent down by him 10.") runs were scored. Ten noballs were recorded against Cotter, who took only one wicket. W. ICerira, of Redfern,'who has not previously shown any partiality for Cotter, made amends by scoring 33 off him in 18 minutes, hitting 30 (ItJ and 14) off one over. Australia’s slow scoring in the last tost match, when 223 runs were registered in a day, has several parallels in similarly important matches at Melbourne. In 1883, on January 20th, the Hon. Ivo Bligh’s team scored 16 for three wickets. Australia made 114 and, following on, 28 for one wicket, tho day having produced 188 runs. In 1879, also at Melbourne, Lord Harris’s team made 113 and Australia 97 for throe wickets, or 210 for tho day. In latter day cricket Warners team, in the second test match at Melbourne in 190-1, batted all day, making 321 for two wickets. F. A. Tarrant this season has sot the seal on his English reputation as a batsman by his fine form for Victoria. His scores are 64. 81, and 159 against England, 103 against South Australia, 13, 46, 79, and 203 against Mew South Wales; 756 rims for eight innings ,averaging 94.5. The V.C.A. has presented him with a gold watch in recognition of this phenomenal performance. F.A.T. presented tho bat with which ho scored over 2000 runs in England hist season —1600 in first-class matches and 500 for M.C.C. in club matches—to his old club, Fitzroy. Tho bat he has wielded so well in Victoria ho is {presenting to the Association, On the back of the blade are tho autographs of tho Victorian and N.S. Welsh Elevens that toek part in the recent match in which he broke the Victorian record with his double century. It is uiuieccvseary to state that this bat will bo hung in tho rooms of the V.C.A., and highly prized.

W. W. Armstrong is having a groat season with the bat (says ‘'Not Out”), and it is moot that ho should add to his laurels by making his first century in a Test match. It has com© to him in his % 21st tost match, so that it haa been lon-, delayed, considering his power and the frequency of his centuries in other finst-oliass cricket. In compiling 32 and 133 not out (tho latter in four and three-quarter hours), the critics appear to bb united in grumbling about the slowness of his cricket. That is one of tho penalties of being a star player. In all first-class cricket this season the Melbourne giant has made 231. 6,7, 4-i, 31. 77. 17, 34. 117. 110, 13. 3*3, and 133, or 852 runs at an average of 71 no* innings.

Victor Trumper has reached tho bedrock of his ’uck and form at the wicketa with 4,0, 0. 0, in succession against Ei-gland. Considering his inactivity as wielder of the willow in tho third and fourth Test matches, Australia has dono famous work in carrying off the honours. This season (he middle men of the side and tho eighth, ninth, and tenth men on. tho list of batsmen have been ns expert ns the front-rankers. The list of those who have sampled two eggs in a Test match is extendirg.

“L.8.W.,” a Melbourne scribe, sqyr, that Major Trevor i« enthusiastic over the proposed Triangular Imperial Cricket carnival. He is of opinion that th© idea would boom as well m a fashionable craze in England, and pay handsomely. It would not necessarily interfere with the existing system of International visits, allho'ugh both tho Australians and South Africans would be present in England at tho same time. But the general opinion in Melbourne is that the Springboks should send a team to Australia before Jinyfhing is definitely decided. One point of interest the genial major touched upon is that Australian Elevens, instead of proceeding home on. their own risk, would not have the slightest difficulty in getting an ample guarantee from th© various clubs and counties in England in connection with future visits. If that be so, it dispenses effectively of tho difficulty of financing Australian trips, an argument that was so often raised in the recent cricket crisis.

The following comparison of present and past bowlers is made by "Not Cut": Good as the English bowling has been this summer on fast and perfect wickets. few who caw Lehmann, Attowoll, Peel, Barnes, Ulyctt and others on tho hard wickets of Australia in the 80’s, and one or two of them vtill later, would place tho bowling of the present Ei glish team on a par with that of seme of the professional teams of the period referred to. Besides having all the deadlines? of the most renowned left-handers on a had wicket. Peel was a great bowler on tho best of wickets. Briggs, of course, was quite different; he needed a patch of moisture. Rhodes is not a Peel, that ‘ is, on. Australian wickets. A. Fielder, S. F. Barnes, and J. N. Crawford are groat bowlers, oven on our wickets, but the others in this team seem to be much less dangerous. George Lohmann was a wonder at mixing the pace, J. N. Crawford, who is also of Surrey, is the most proficient in this respect among the bowlers now with us He whips in the fast ball very cleverly, very fast, and not too frequently. And it is often, a yorkor. T. W. Garrett used to bowl that ball with something like the pace and the case of Crawford, and, as I remember it, generally on or near the off stump. When TW-G. was young Australia had champions who could mix the pace, bowl an extra fast one, a deadly yorkor, and yet had soine natural gift in ad> ditkm to the cultivated wiles. G, 33, Palmer.for instance, could bowl a. fast leg break on a good wicket! Nearly all the old-time bowlers wore able to whip in a beautiful fast yorkor. Turner, Spofforth, and Palmer wore probably never surpassed with this particular ball. When Oofcter first attracted attention, ho used to send along a wonderful windjamming yorker, with a low round-arm delivery. But ho seems to have practically lost that low-swinging cannon-shot.