CRICKET.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6962, 30 October 1909, Page 12

CRICKET.

NOTES AND COMMENTS (liy "Leg-Break.".) It i-i tn lie linnet! that woro favourrUilo condilioiii will pr.-vail to-day fur ••i-ir-kol. thim lue< been the caj-o (lie pnfioMii Uv, A new of games will \w. orHnmcneed, llutt mt-cl-ii;,v \Vollim;.Um (.'.'lit nil, Vii-t i.rjsi College t - ions wiHi \Vrllin;:l<;a Hiist li", VVolliiiglou Squill and Wolling'.'.ii Eusl \ <<,mmeui.o 11 game, while I'elono v.ill take the fI-t-I-I against Wellington .Voi-lii. On the mm Us of the first series of games the team-, as drawn do ii'.4 ji.f.pcn- to bo very even I v imiteh«l. ll' past "form" i- il reliable guide (Antral ,di«,uld beat Hull. 10-st A should provi. bet.ler than Wellington Soufh, while the North ought to vninu.'idi IVtono. Anything might liiiimoii between Victoria College and Wellington. I'last H. The iunki'' matches commenced la.st oaturday will bo resumed.

.Secrotairies of junior clubs who desire roiK.rls nf thoir matches published are requested t-» furnish the d'etnils to this office either mi Saturday evening or during Sunday.

Bowlem had another triiunpli on Saturday lust in the senior competition Kamos. IJafivrncn have evidently not yet found their batfl." Moreover, they have been handic-aiiprd by tho state of the wickots, which, while not exceptionally bad. have been bad enough to phwo jui additional adv-.-mtage upon men not yet in form. Willi a few noteworthy exceptions, tho batting displays last, week woro nothing lo go into raptures about. The old players were onco niore tho ones- who ra.rried the load on their shoulder;;. Their confreres no donbt did their best —but that wasn't much.

There was cortainly a little move attraotivcnosH in tho play I linn on the opening day, but it took a lot—more than was given.—to 00.111 pon.su to for tho wintry weather which prevailed. Few folt wairrn. It was impossible lo keep tho blood in circulation and players—particularly tho fieldsmen—did on unflinching perish. One bowler i»ho was an for a considerable time informed me that ho was quite cold wlion ho had finished, so lio didn't know how tho rest of hi« side fared. They imist have qualified for tho nest dash, to tho Polevoi titer of thorn.

Tho most eonsationnl feature of tho aftorii'Don was the second innings dismissal of Potone by Wellington South for 20 runs. If any person had suggested the possibility of such an occurrence his sanity would have been, gravely doubted. Yot such actually occurred. Cobcroft, formorly the backbone of Petono team, wan 0110 of tho principal causes of thoir downfall,' and received substantial backing from Patrick. Probably tho Petono team and tho two trundlers mentioned established records which will not bo beaten this season. Coboroffs five wickets cost a fraction, over ono run each, and tho fivo credited to Patrick two runs each.

Reynolds had tho distinction in tho Petono team of presenting it with the first pair of spectacles, being tho only ono who failed to score in either innings. But some of his associates hadn't much to boast about. Tho display was- "undoubtedly an inglorious on,o and should giro added weight to tho agitation in favour of amalgamation with tho Hutfc district.

Easily tho test scoring match wn» that between East B and Central, in which the Utter had a very comfortable ten-wrckot. win. Half of tho men scored double, figures which, judging by tho performances of other teams, wtis distinctly meritorious. Wills was tho hero on tho side of tho losers. His 31 Was the product of a dashing, fearless Innings—one which gets tho bowlers rattled and pleases tho spectators. His pest hit was tho ono which sent tho leather amongst tho spectators in tho fcavilion —but this was not the only good one. With a few pounds moro weight into his last stroke—which would have taken it out of harm'a way—be might oasily have been, ton scoror on the day, ns ho was going strongly when, caught by Hawthorne on tho boundary.

Another batsman who performed Troll for _ the side was Collett. whose oontribution was 27. He also had a "go" at tho bowling, arutl knocked it about in all directions. Hawthorne also accounted for bis downfall by a good catch.

Inability on {ho part of tho Eastern, batsmen to keep tho ball on tho green award proved disastrous to them. Seven ■were accounted for by catches—the last six being dismissed in this way. Central were, evidently experimenting with their bowling, as six men. woro tried ■with, more or less effoct.

Tho most productive partnership of the afternoon was that between Hawthorne and Boochey. It was responsible for 97 rune, and then neither batsman was beaten. It is unnecessary to fta into details over the respective performances. Each batsman hit hard and often, and the six bowlers which opposed thorn did not cause much inconvenienco. Hawthorne has now two not oats, to his credit and has scored 58 rone in his two innings. The bowling on both sides appears to bo weak.

With tho dismissal of J. P. Blaekiook and S. Itiekson the North v. East A game adopted a funeral aspect. Tho two players mentioned did piny something liko cricket, more especially Blacklook, whoso 45 was compiled in his best stylo. But tho others played with almost feverish -ovation, and seomed oblivious to the fact that they wore at tho wickets to set rime. There wits tittle ckvnco of finishing the same so players might just as well have discarded a litt.ki of their irritntingly unneces«»ry carefulness. Instead of this they pottered wearily on until a quarter to six, when they were glad to tako refuge from the cokl by pulling stumps. If players are going to make tho public take -a keen interest in district cricket it. will not be done by making tho play about o« exhilarating as a wet niternoon.

The two new senior teams—Victoria College and Hutt—wore responsible for n somewhat novel performance in their first innings—each side scored 58. it is not often that such even competition occurs. The College men did slightly better in their second vonture, while their opponents, being one run worse than in their initial innings, had a three-point win registered against thom. Monaghan (23), Ward (18), and Darroch (10) were tho only ones on the sido of the winners to cause any trouble . Tho 'othors didn't matter much.

Hutt will havo to improve considerably -upon their showing if they aro going to justify their promotion to senior grade. Only one of the side— Pilchex—scored double figures (13). This is not good enough to win the championship.

Woolloy, of Kent, is regarded by Victor 1 Trumper as tho best left-handed

marketer now in Kngland. 110 bate, bowls, and fields well, aiul is the making ill a 'champion.

"Concerning Carter." says Trumper, i.-fe'-riu" to the Australian touring to.in "nothing hotter could have been d'aired Ilia" hi"' wicket-keeping. He was never ordinary, but always good, a.ml fHcjiKiitly brifliant. I very much question whether at the present innincut there U his superior behind the u:rkct=- in tho world. Macartney's first vi..i.t to the Old Country was an unqu'aliii"<l sueeess. His all-round play more than fulfilled expectations, but his wo.rth lav cMra-iiillv in his bowling and fielding. He was always brimful of confided" o, and never seemed to bo in tho hast terror in tight corners."

Olago cricketers aro to be "congratulated on their good fortune in having added to thoir ranks such a brilliant exponent of tho gajno as tho young Auetr.iliiin, Macartney, who is to tako up hi,; residence (in Uunedin in a week or two. Macartney was one of the very bust all-round "men in the Australian team which has just visited Great Britain. Tlmj announcement of his intention to go to I>unedin fulfils a veiled prophecy mentioned in these columns » week ago that (J'tiigo was to spring a great surpriso on us in the way of a now player.

Tho price foT afternoon tea, cut tho Hiusin Reserve will be increased from this afternoon to sixpence, instead of the modest threepence previously charged.

The smiling countenance of Mr E. B. Vance, secretary of tho Cricket Association, will not bo seen at the Basin Kcservo this afternoon. Ho loaves for AiK-kland, via the .Main Trunk line, this morning on a brief business visit'.

"Frank La.vcr in Australia and Prank Laver in England are two bowlers of quliile different calibre," says a returned member «f tho Australian, team in an interview. "In Australia ho is nover selected for tost matches; in England lie is ono of the first, if not actually the first, to bo tried with the ball. The difference can only bo understood and duly a.rnj'jeeia.tod by those who have played "with him, or seen him play in both countries."

To outside cricketers it is incomprehensible that tho opening of tho cricket reason in any Australian State should bo put off till October ath, out of deferonco 'to football and its financial solatium. Pitt it seems a more matter of course in Melbourne and Adelaide. Aro tho crickotors of those fair cities so vastly interested in football that cricket is, even to thorn, relatively insignificant?

Tho expenses in connection with tho proposed tour of a Now South -Wales team through New Zealand next year have been estimated at .£71)1 10s for It matches. These are to be born© by the "Now Zealand Association. It is snggosted that two matches be played at Auckland, Wellington, and Puniedin, and one at each of the following towns: Christchurch, Timaru, Inveroarglill, New Plymouth, AVanganui, and possibly Napier and Maaterton.

Tho Grafton Club (Auckland) has a notable addition to its ranks in n young Austratiain player named N. Cook. Ho learnt hie cricket in Melbourne, and was vary brilliant at school. Ho afterwards played for Port Melbourne, and then moving to Tasmania was in the Island representative 'team against 'A. 0. Jones' English team. His display at tho nets has pleased the critics, but .his t-tircmg point is said to be wicketkoeping.

Victor Trumper on Wis return to Australia a :made the following appreciative reference to Noble's captainship of the Australian team in England:— "Our success in the test matches was greatly doio to A'oblo's fine captainship. He used his bowlers with coneuammate judgment, selecting them according to the nature and condition of the wickets, and English players, who, from practical experience, know most about tbe game credited him with positive perfection in placing his field. Of course, he iras immensely luoky to win the toss in. all five test matches, which, as you know, its, on Era.q-lish wickets, a great consideration. Ho batted as well as ever, on several important occasions, and despite the opposite views of somo critics, who have never played the game, ho was not in the least worried or handicapiped in his individual play by the responsibilities of captainship."

Bardaley and Ransford, the two lefthainders in the Australian team, according to Trumper, proved rare thorns in tho sides of tho English, bowlers, who are accustomed to bowling outside the off stump of right-hand batsmen, and coming back. They couldn't, bowl at 'them at all. At tho present time, there aro hardly any really good left-hand English batsmen, and consequently when opposed to Bardsley and Hansford, EngHsh bowlers were at a distinct disadvantage from, want of praeffioo.

Says L. 0. S. Poidevin: —"Some captains or bowlers habitually overdo the laying of traps precisely in. this way. They make tho trap too obvious, and the I wary bird refuses to bo caught. I once [ remember an occasion when I was doing some cutting at the expense of the Sussex bowling.. Things went along merrily for a time, then I suddenly shut down upon the cut stroke. Itelf persisted in feeding mo for tho out by bowling a suitable distance on tho off side, but I would have '.none of them. Presently 'Ranji' remarked to mo in orossing over. 'Why don't you have a go at them now?' 'Make it worth my while,' I said, 'and I will with pleasure'—Ke had three slips set to grab my mistakes, a> third man close iin to save the single, and a deep third man to save the four. The best I could hope for was an odd single if I got tho ball clean through, and overy attempt to do so meant tho risk of my wicket. And this littlo personal reminiscence has its moral, too littlo appreciated in scientific cr&oket -nowadays." i

Speaking of MacLaren Victor Trumper expressed himself thus:—"l must say a word about that muoh-abused, but, as ho proved, irrefutably best of sportsmen. Archie MacLaren. Although he had execrably bad luck in losing the toss in all five test matches he was always tho 9amo good chap and model loser, lu more ways than one he is distinctly tho host captain in England, and we estimated that his judgment saved England 50 runs per innings. Furthermore, wo are ail of the opinion that if MacLaren had been appointed solo selector of the English teams, or had had a couple of others whoso inclusion in tho team was certain to confer with ham. our tank of winning tho rubber would have beeu much moro difficult. MacLaren is a great judge of tho game amd of players, which ho practically demonstrated in connection with tho final test match, when he was allowed to decide betwoen the claims of Buckonham and bharp for the eleventh place. Without hesitation lie selected Sharp, and th» result must have caused English authorities .to bitterly m>gret their folly in not giving him moro extended powers previously.

Somo mutte.rings aro heard amongst Lower Hutt cricketers at Climie's exclusion from tho first eleven. Men have been included, it is alleffed, whoso batting averages suffer by comparison with

his, whilst others havo been, accepted on reputation, only.

Tho St. Patrick's-llutt third-class match will bo finished to-day. As these teams started a day in advanco of tho others engaged :r. this competition they will stand down next Saturday while the other games aro being concluded, so as to bring all the teams into line. TEAMS FOR TO-DAY. Senior. Central v. llutt.—Central—Laws, Hickson, Becchev, Hawthorne, Bruce, Birch, ICinvig, Murphy, Naughton, Condliffe, Miller. Victoria College v. East B.—Victoria College—Monaghnn. Dcmppey, Foster, Niven. Ward, Miller. Griffiths, Berensrn, Darroch, Do Le. Mare, Broad. Emergency—Mackay. North v. Petono.—North TJpharn, Blacklock, Mnnson, Moore, Luekie, S. Ifiekr.on. Phillips, Richardson, Waters, Wrnyard. PMrone—Brtce, Bennett, Catea, Senior, Dalgleish, Munn, Joyce, Powell, Green, Reynolds, Bold. South v. East A— South-Taylor. MeK.iv Patrick Pchmoll, Walters, Vnre, Burton, Dind, Pljmer, Tilyard, Cobcroft.