CRICKET.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7057, 19 February 1910, Page 13

CRICKET.

THE SPORTSMAN’S PAGE

NOTES AND COMMENTS. [By . " Leq-Bkeax."] With, the Basin Reserve again in. use to-day, local cricket is one© more flung up and as a result there is nothing doing- It seems a great pity that with euch. boautiful.wcateher and the -wickets in capital order -cricketers have to "keep oil the grass," for interest in any game played under such conditions is bound to flag. Tie Australians are now playing Auckland, and the Northerners are expected to put up a good fight. It is a great pity that "Chdmmy" Hemus is unable to play, however, tor the Auckland team without turn is rath.tr suggestive of Hamlet without the ghost. The Ponsonby player is perhaps tho best amateur batsman in the Dominion today, and his absence is certain to be Siverely felt. ©TAGCS MANAGER ON THE RECENT MATCH. Mr J. Hope, manager of the Otago aeam, when asked by a "Herald" representative if ho wished to say .. any. fhing about the result of the matcK, said ' that he would like to compliment Mr R. Yates on tho excellent wicket he had prepared. It had given every satisfaction, and, on tho -whole, had played really well to tho end. They had no exouso to make for their defeat, and j fully realised that the best team won, and if they played tho match over again I on tho same -wicket tho same team would Win. They wished to express their appreciation of tho very kindly treatment accorded them. _ Their visit had been very enjoyable, despite tho heat. He hoped to see tho Auckland team at I/unedm next year. The visit -would do the game .a great amount of good in their district. Tho standard of cricJtet was improvinff throughout New Zealand, and nowhere was it making such great pro- i gross as in Auokiand, -where the play now compared favourably with that of the Australians. Mr, Hope concluded by referring in eulogistic terms *o tho manner in which Mr J. H. Watts, the: • lecretary of the local association, had ititended to tho wanta of the visiting ' ieam." ' The boundaries scored by the centuryfetters for • Auckland against Otago were: —Relf 19 and one sixer, Hemus 15, and Sale 9. It is worthy of note that I in Sale's score thero were no less than I 15 hits for three, all of which just failed by inches to reach, the boundary. THE CENTURY MAKERS. Referring ' to the century-makers in Jhe recent Auckland v. Otago match, ••he Auokiand "Star" says that Hemus gave a dashing display, and though his score had two chanoes debited against it, that is all in the game. Ho opened tho innings with Horspool, and had to beat down the bowling to obtain his runs, which he did in finished style and with a large variety of strokes. Rolf's innings was a beautiful lesson to younger players, for he was at the wicfeets fifteen minutes before he took any liberties, but once lie got under way he treated the trundling of tho Southern cracks as if it was the veriest "piffle," his driving especially being very effective. He cortaiuly gave a chance at 72, and it is claimed should have been out 'bw earlior, but that is only a matter of opinion. Sale's innings was an absolutely faultless one, and was a master-piece. Sale is usually a very slow beginner, and in thi» innings he did not begin as quickly as the others, but wlien h© did get going he* treated all tho bowlers alike, and gave as fine an exhibition of all-round cricket as has ever been witnewsed in Auckland. At no time did ho look uncomfortable or like getting out, and that he eventually lost his wicket in the way ho did was a strong tribute to his sportsmanlike instincts. Had he stayed at tha wicket, Mason would have had to retire, but he had attained his cen-

j tury, and he threw away his wicket to i give Mason tho chance of doing likewise. i _\'o fault, however, is attachable to Mason for tho incident, for had Sale started when called the run was there. OP INTEREST TO BIG HITTERS. Those batsmen who are always trying to hit a. ball out of tho Basin Keserve will rtad tne following with intent: His .Honor Judge Parry gave judgment on December lata in an action tiruug.it by J ame.j Topping against tho committee of tho Burnago Cricket Club and C. A. Butt, a player of that club. Tn the course of a match, Mr Uutt hit tlie bail out of the ground, beyond the boundary of the club's property. It struck plaintill on the head and injured him. Plaintiff at the time was lawfully standing whore ho waft attending to his own atfairs, and was no trespasser. Still loss was ho a spectator of the game then in progress. It was contended on ins iiahalf that the entry of the ball into tho giound where plaintiff was (which iva,-, his own) was of itself a trespass, and as such carried with it all conse<iuo."mcg» that might accrue from such trespass. On this basis it was urged that both tho batsman and tho officials of tho club who had promoted the game and bo had induced the batsman to strike tho ball on this occasion became jointly and severally liable for any damage which might result. The defence contended that, in order to entitle a plaintiff to sucoeed in such a situation, there should bo evidence of negligence on tho part of ono or all of the defendants. It was not denied by tho defence that to their knowledge bats j men on other occasions had hit a ball | out of this ground. His Honor, in giving judgment for plaintiff, roviewed to some extent the ancient history of cricket—how it had devoloned from a sport on an open common or hold, which spectators couid attend or avoid at option, to a pastime within enclosed areas; those areas in divors cases being insufficient for the travelling propensities of the propelled ball; and such areas, moreover, being in certain cases fenced in for the purpose of gate money and of income tmiti tho same. Hut the pith of his judgment lay in his analogy to Lord E lenborough's judgment as to non-coutTOi of a dangerous animal, and ho said, "if in tho playing of a game players let loose a moving ball liable to injure, and left it to tho hazard of tho skill or tho power of tho other players to Keep the hall within the bounds and limits of tho game that they had choson ror themselves, whotebjr it escaped from thoir control and injured a person wno wad not a player or a spectator of tho game, but an ordinary citizen lawfully going about his usual pursuits, he could not seo why an action for trespass should not lie," ancl again he remarked, later, "hero were a, body of persons brought together for the purposo of amusement, and using a dangerous missile, which they failed to keep under control; thereby injuring tho plaintiff." Upon this basis ho awarded Jfils damages and costs. Notico of appeal was given.