With Bat and Ball

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7991, 23 December 1911, Page 20 (Supplement)

With Bat and Ball

(By "THE VETERAN.")

The Representative Team. THE team to i»lay against Hawke's Bay this (Saturday) afternoon and Monday made its appearance last Saturday night. It is constituted as follows: E. 11. Beechey (captain), E. O. Ulamires, \V. S. Briee, A. Bereudseu, J. W. I'iudlay, A. Eenton, \V. Uibbes, J. J. Mahony, V Saunders. The remarkable thing wbout tliis selection is the omission of ,C. E. Hickey, the East bowler, whoso performances this season entitle him to inclusion in front of several of the above whoso bowling alone gains them their position. The problematical fact that one man comes off in representative matches and another one does not, jhould not weigh with selectors—it is present form that ought to be considered, first and foromost, every time. The Inclusion ;is Not Warranted

of Findlay and Saunders more particularly, as neither of them have bowled well enough in championship matches to give them consideration -in a decent senior eleven, let alone in a representative team. To justify their inclusion they will have to suddenly develop bowling powers they do not appear to possess at present, for both of them are. passengers with the bat. Fenton is a good all-rounder, but ho also could nave been kept in reserve in favour of one of the younger players. Those Not Available

included F. A. Midlane, who is. out of. .town at present, but who' so far this jeason has not risen to his last year's form; K. H. Tucker, whose duties round about the holiday season prevent hint indulging in cricket i M. J. Crombie, who is tripping across to Melbourne to see the second test match; W. R. S. Hickson, *,ho cannot stand the strain of a three days' game; and J. P. Blacklock, whose recovery from an attack of rheumatism Is not sufficiently far advanced to permit Sim taking on fielding duties at all. Practically the whole: of this ' quintet— 5 the backbone of our batting—would have been in the eleven if available, and with ■this in front of them I think the selectors should have looked around for batsmen to take their places.

A Couple Who Ought to Have Been In. Undoubtedly the younger players should have been encouraged by the selectors, ind for the life of, .ma 1 ,cannot.,Bee ;l how li ■the claims of Edgar Phillips were passed by. This lad has beeu showing excellent batting form with the North team, probably the best in the competition among the younger players, and a game against Hawke's Bay' would have given him the opportunity of getting rid of that nervous •feeling a colt always suffers from in his Brat big game. Another who should have, got a place was Douglas Little, ,Vlo has so consistently kept 'his end up, ajrnd; incidentally made many runs, for the Central team. .. A representative cap/ would encourage a player of Little's capabilities to rise to the full measure of his form. Grimmett, also, is well worth a trial in our bigger cricket, mainly because he is, without a doubt, the best slow bowler in "Wellington. He does not get a decent enow in his own club r team, only, being given a turn, with, the ball- when, the batsmen have taken charge of the bowling of Hickey and Gibbes. Were Crrimmett in any other team than East I have no hesitation in venturing the statement that a place in the representative team would be easily within his grasp. ,The Only Colt in the Selection

tfs the wicket-keeper Berendsen, from Victoria College—who thoroughly deserves his place. Chatting with J. J. Kelly, the Australian, eleven wicket-keeper, on »ne occasion, I remarked on the fact that he stood, a long way - back to the fast bowlers. He pointed out to me that there was no possible chance of stumping a batsman off the fast bowlers, whereas about ten yards back the snicks 'were more easily taken. That was his experience, and I pass it on to Berend»en with the suggestion that he does likewise. Kelly was a good wicket-keeper and business, and it will help Berendsen. to rise to greater heights if he accepts the advice herein given him.

fhe Canterbury Match. This game is always eagerly looked forward to by local enthusiasts, and this year it is the New Year attraction in Wellington. Reading the names >of the -eleven as put on paper by veteran Johnny Fowke, the Canterbury team carries a lot of conviction, and at present I am not very hopeful of our boys being able lo'thoroughly extend the men that will be led by- old friend Dan Beese. ' But you never know at this game of cricket.

Tripping to Australia. By this week's Sydney boat Martin CucJde ami Mel. Crombie, two who take more than, a passing, interest in the government and playing of the game of jrickefc in Wellington, tripped across the Tasman.Sea.. The main object of spending the legal vacation in iielbourhe is to jyithess the second test match between T3ngland and Australia. Their object is a laudable one, and should give them plenty of pleasure. At least, I hope it does, at any rate.

Stands foe the' Sixth Wickfjt. ' Apropos of the stand of 110 made by J. I'. Blacklock and E. Phillfps for North against' Ea=it on Saturday week, a correspondent wants to know how this compares with previous stands for the sixth wicket. The full list in connection with aenior championship matches in Welling- * lon is as follows: 13S—C. Gore and W. K. S. Hickson. 132 —11. C. Hickson and F. Robertson. i ITU—J. Hutchings and A. Barron. 118—K. 31. Tucker and 11. C. Hickson. 110—J. P. Blacklock and K. Phillips. ' 103—M. J. Crombie and C. A. llichardson. 101—C. 11. Manson and W. It. S. Hickson. jf Local Interest from Westport. A. C. Tucker, a brother of Ken's, writes interestingly from "Westport to a mutual friend: " llnw are thing* cricketwise in AVcllington 1- .Jack Woybourne is playing for the Rivals here (of which I am eap-

The Doings of Cricketers and Cricket Matters Generally

A ferocious bull, intended for the bullring broke loose one- day a' few weeks ago at Metanoduelos, near Valladolid, charged the Otalician express and derailed it. It is understood, however, that the Home Secretary is to be invited by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to discourage any attempt to match it with. Jack Johnson.

The famous English prize-fighter Bendigo "found religion" and turned missionary. His methods, however, sometimes smacked of his past. Once a group of men was nointeil to.him with the remark that thov were atheists. "Atheists—what's atheists?" queried Bendipro. He was told. "Eh ! Don't believe in tio God, don't they?" ho exclaimed "'Ere, hold my coat!"-

tain), Loo De Vere is also a member. So far, Jack has made 58 (not out), 33 and 17. De Vere put on G 9 for us on Saturday week. We only play once a fortnight (pay Saturdays). The miners are working ovory other Saturday, and there are five of those teams out of the eight in the competition. So far we are leading with three.wins in three matches. \\e have a good chance of winning the cup. The Brothers Minnett

have, a very fine record in New South Wales Association cricket this season,' [Rupert averaging 75.25, Leslie 70.GG, and Roy 69. The last-named alone has so far played in the first-class matches, in which he has scored 57, 52*. 9, 87", and 69. For the 'Varsity he has made 53, 65, 55, 23*, and 13. Appended are particulars of the batting of the three to date: Not Highest Total Inn. Outs. Score. Euns. Av. K. V. Minnett 5 1 109 -301 75.25 L. A. Minnett 5 2 87 212 '0.66 B. B. Minnett 10 3 87 483 69.00 The above is from the last Sydney "Referee" to hand, and does not include the fine score of 90 made by Roy Minnett in the first innings of the test match. A Newtown Park Incident. They have a deal of fun in their own way in what are known as outside matches, and the Newtown Park witnessed an incident of interest the other week. On one occasion the batsman got well on to a ball going down leg. and the fieldsman in that position, imagining the ball to be going well beyond him, turned 'round to chase it. He had just got fairly into his stride when the ball struck him in the middle of the back, bringing him up standing. The batsmen, meanwhile, had got a full head of steam on, fully believing .there were four runs in the stroke. The surprise of the striker can well be imagined when half-way through 'the second run he discovered the wieketkeeper with the ball in-.his. hands. .The fieldsman had not considered the smack on the back as a misfortune, for he wheeled round quickly and shot the ball back. It was an easy way to secure a wicket from his standpoint.

The Hawke's Bay Representative Team. There are several familiar, names in 'the Hawke's Bay team.',.- ;H„L.,; B.lamires —a brother "cricketer in all ways of bur own E. O. Blamires—is the same Methodist parson who played cricket for the Thorndon club what time he attended to the spiritual needs of the worshippers at the Molesworth street , Methodist Church; and Smyrk is the same "Teddy" that played both cricket and football for the local club while he was a resident 'of Petone. Ashcrof t; the . wicket-keeper, we have seen before; and the same remark applies to Fulton; Board is the English professional who has done much good work for the game of cricket in Hawke's Bay, and is making his first appearance in Wellington. Grant is a school, teacher in , Napier, and the younger son of the proprietor of the Woodville "Examiner" and . nephew of 'Mr A. A. Marryatt, the president of the Now Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. Tho others are now to local cricketers, although their names are all familiar to one who has the opportunity of studying cricket as it is played in Napier. Missing Names. The first and foremost in this connecr tion is Hugh Lusk, the old-time New Zealand representative. I noticed that he had been playing again, therefore hoped that he would be showing us some more of his quality as a batsman on the Basin Reserve. The last time a Hawke's Bay team was in Wellington the visitors pointed with pride to a colt by name Bert Bailey,' ..whom they declared would yet make a name for himself in New Zealand cricket. That time has not come yot, for Bailey has been unable to gain a place in the present team. Nelson was a swerve bowler of great promise, but evidently he has been lost to the Hawke's Bay representative team. The Canterbury Team. What a grand *team on paper J. H. Fowke has got together to defend the Plunket Shield for Canterbury. Ju?t listen to the names, and then wonder what hope that shield has of leaving the cathedral city: J. H. Bennett, bowlihg as well as ever; C. Boxshall, New Zealand representative wicket-keeper, said to be batting this season better than ever he has done before; E. R. Caygill, a fine opening batsman; ~W. Carlton, a.professional of whom Canterbury is proud; H. B. Lusk, whose century and a half against Auckland for the Plunket Shield last year _put the hall-mark on his ability; Alfred Norman, a hard man to get rid of at the best of v times; K. M. Ollivier, back from the West' Coast, and showing fine all-round form; W. R. Patrick, Sydenham's captain and a slashing bat; and D. Sandmann, Canterbury's googly bowler, who is not this year showing the form with the ball that was anticipated from him. Besides these there is the one and; only Dan Reese, and the other great batsman—Arthur Sims. This pair would do me in any team, and when they are in combination with the others in. the Canterbury eleven the readers of these notes will accept my statement that I place the side put in the" field by J. W. Fowke on a very high pedestal indeed. A Canterbury writer, however, has it that the team is weak in bowling, and considers the inclusion of Carlton would liavo made it a stronger combination.