WHAT IS WANTED ?

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11655, 20 October 1923, Page 10

WHAT IS WANTED ?

GOOD BOWLERS LACKING. GENERAL JOTTINGS. It i.< to bo hojx-d that they have a few medium paced length bowlers amount tbeir number. Good bowlers arc lackiug in New Zealand at present, and until this department of the same •improves the Dominion will never make any headway with the game of cricket. Th? importance ol length bowling cannot be impressed too strongly upon the 3’oung player, who should always bear in mind that only when length has been mastered should he endeavour to tpin the ball. MORE FIELDING PRACTICE WANTED. Another department of the game that is neglected very much in Wellington is fielding. There is at the present time too much practice at the nets only, and with the result players get their fielding practice only when actually engaged in a match. Perhaps the only club in Wellington at present that takes helding practice seriously is Wellington College, where Mr Brodie quite rightly keeps the lads well up to scratch in thi* department of the game. Young players must . practice frequenlly if ihoy are going to get on, and when they have become proficient at batting or bowling they should not be satisfied until they have also made iham*elvc» also expert fieldsmen, whicu requires a tremendous lot of practice. Fielding can be divided iuto several sections. such as low. quick catching, aa required for slip fielding; high catching, where sound judgment is required in the accurate timing of the catch over tlie shoulder, so a second chance of collecting the ball is possible in the event of'it jumping out at the first attempt ; dashing to collect and return the ball ae quickly aa possible to the wicket-keeper; and throwing the ball accurately from any part ot the-field. It is to be hoped that every young reader of these notes will vow* to himself that however many runs or wickets he obtains he shall not experience that mortification of nullifying a fine performance bv dropped catches or by slovenly fielding. Every boy can make himself a reasonably good field, and it is a great satisfaction to return to the pavilion after having gert your opponents out with the knowledge you have fielded well, and that when it comes to your turn to take guard at the wicket* you owe your side nothing in runs. A* SUGGESTION. It is to be hoped that the Wellington Cricket Association will not neglect the fielding of those colts and ochoolbqys they intend to jingle out for special practice Umpires should remember that the batsmen may be given out to a ball pitched in a line with the even though it breaks, if in the opinion of the umpire it would have hit the wicket but for the obstruction. There are many umpires and players who have fanciful ideas' and' mathematical iliu6ions about right arm bowlers inywling left hand batsmen round the wicket, but the above statement only should be.the sole guide. VICTOR, THUMPER’S GREAT FEATS. Memories of one of the late Victor Ti umper’s most icmarkable feats aie recalled by the announcement of the retirement from grade cricket in Sydney.of D. A. Gee. It was on January 31st. I<JO3, that the pair named made history by ©coring together 423 in the short space of 135 minutes for the first wicket of Paddington against Redfern or. the latter’s ground, which measures 120 yaids by 100. Of that number Gee "made 1*72 and Trumper was not dismissed until he had scored 335. Pad- , dingten altogether obtained 018 for June wickets (innings declared closed) in 235 minutes. Trumper took exactly 180 minutes to compile his 335, and at one 3tage scored 5Q runs while his partner scored five. SENSATIONAL INNINGS. Perhaps most sensational linings, however, was hi* 50 in four nnd a half minutes. It was in UkJ7 for Paddington against Waveiley. lie hit 32 of one over sent down by JL. (Rosa, scoring 4,4, 6,6, 6, 6. From the same bowler in the "ext over lie player first ball and hit the next three out of the ground, each for six. He scored 51 runs off the two overs. LEATHER HUNTING IN SOUTH CANTERBURY. Another sensational innings wa* that of J. N. Crawford at South Canterbury in March 1014. He was then a member of the Australian eleven that toured New Zealand that year. South Canterbury batted first ami compiled IfeO, and at the end of the day the Australians had three down for 117. On the second day the visitors finished at 022 for nine wickets. Crawford led the way with the Now Zealand record score of 354. while other batsmen were liumnor 135. Cody 100, Noble 77, not out, McGregor 74, Hansford 57, Colnun 2D, MTSKcnzic 21, Dolling 11, and Laver 4. Crawford hit 14 balls out of the ground. At one at ago he mode 50 in 13 minutes and at another 5u in 10 minutes and fso on. Trumper pleased the onlookers immensely by crisp, tafe, batting and made 50 in 32 minutes and 100 in 51 minutes. Over 200 runs were scored in the last hour. In fact the famous Australian ecorer, L Ferguson, win. has toured New Zealand and England with several Australian elevens, and v;ho came to the Dominion with the M.C.O. team last year* told the writer that it was tho only occasion on which he was bustled.