CRICKET.

NZ Truth, Issue 90, 9 March 1907, Page 2

CRICKET.

(By Scout) a

Cunningham did a good performance on Saturday. He appropriated the quarter-mile event at the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club's sports and subsequently made tracks for the Athletic Park, where his team (Midland juniors) was trying conclusions with Wellington juniors. Thanks to a good innings by Cunningham, Midland was enabled to notch a win. Cunningham is a very proihising player and should be heard of m the senior ranks next season.

When Syd. Gregory ■ tnade 201 against Stoddarst's team m 1894 he was presented with £103 10s. In 1896, at the test match played at Manchester, Syd. was presented with a diamond pin, valued at 25 guineas, by Mr Mark Foy, of Sydney.

A. E. Relf, the English professional, -who has been m Auckland for some months past, pronounces club cricket m the northern city to be only moderate and not as good as it ought to be. To improve the game up there, he suggests the acqissfton, of better practice wickets, fcefcter nets, better material, and above all careful practice. It is no use going to the net to fool about, sa^s Relf.

A. Wright, the new bowler of South Australia, might have been heard of yesiirs ago, accdrding to ad- , vices from Adelaide, were- it not that George Giffen's light kept him m the background. That Wright is a good is apparent, and it is far from being unlikely that he will figuiiSe.: m some of the next matches foco the Ashes. . ' : ' : \ .i^r^mi

The wretched collapse of N.feiW. against the Rest of Australia meant pounds out of Gregory's pocket.

In 1899 a benefit . organised for Ohaflie Bannerman realised £260. 3,, J. Kelly's benefit brought £1400 for the -.stumper. ; but how does this Compare , with the £3000 and over obtained within recent years , : for prominent English pros. , . . ; •Shaw, the ; famous English bowler, promoter of teams, and • umpire, was a : man of strong opinions, and one of his pet ideas. was that an alteration should .be made m the' method of awarding benefits to I ', .professional PSicketerg. . To him it seemed, .illogical; and unjust that a., spell 'of bad weather , should- rob a player of .the just reward for years: of < good; service^ and i his : yiews^ were . jthje-.y outcome v.ot? bitter experience. At various times, three matches were, set. aside; : for • his benefiti and ...the net; rer turn> fuoiji the; three amounted to less than, £400-- surely p, ipoor reward for his'splendid.services- ' '

Asked to name- 'a 3ew Auckland players ; whose : style appealed toftim most fproibly, Relf.; the? coach; ■imported by the Eden O.C. 'from'Homei mentioned riHemus, 'who,:- in;his opinion, was the best and. most finished batsman m the northern.: town ; Haddon, who 7 came next, <would most likely be the best; if he did not; sd often sacrifice; defehce.'for- scoring*; E. V; Sale;. w,ho was ■: a very spuiid batsman and< a- very.: excellent man for his side -. and should always ■•■ ■: An early to: break the .iback' of the ibowling ; Mason and Brooke-Smith: Of< the bowlers he has the. most regard lor Howden, who he thinks should have been included ; in the New, Zealand team, and Oliff. ' The midgety he "says, sacrifices a little ;of the. spin for length and m this connection Relf asserts that there are - altogether too many bowiers who devote tqo much attention to the break, w»ith the consequence that they do not get a good length. . A; good length is essential, while a small break is sufficient. . Pace and flight might . al-' so be varied more than it is at present by most of the bowlers."

Charlie Gregory may be said to have been ■ "Cottered' r m the late benefit- match: He did not shape with any degree of confidence against the- fast bowler m innings-.

'A couple of sensational iriiiS hard-hitting" are- reported from , Syd-. hey.. The first is that of H-. Ferris, wTio playing ■ for Burwobd United v.. Sti Jciseph's, hit up 30' • runs m four minutes. The other was E. Cfistlelow, -who hit 36 (six 6's) off ojie'oyer. This puts Clem Hill's feat atHvtbe expense of Ollivier on the Basin Reserve, quite m the shade. >

•Thd late t Alfred Shaw himself confessed that he became. & professional cricketer quite by accident; A local publican nkined HOgg,. who had been one .of 'Parr's All-England /eleven 1 , succeeded, m obtaining; lot Alfred's elfter brother Arthur an . engagement as professional at Grantham. In the secdnd year of' his engagement he was laid ;: low by a . severe attack of rheumatism. Alfted iourneybd to Granr thain .to s6e Arthur, ,and while ther6 was 'asked to' takV a tutn-r at bdwlf ing at the membefs m the nets'. After half an hour's bowling the secj retary ■ voiced the opinion that Alfrea was a T>e^r bowler than his brother, and engaged; him tor the rest oi the; season, Arthur being 4uite unfit for 'duty

As; became an enthusiastic follower of; the- 'summer/ pastime, "Andy Wiren took advantage, of Ms holiday m. Ohristchurch to attend the first test match^' between . New " Zealand and the M&rylebone ,C.C. representa-* tiye^.. .: Andy was 'vetv much "dis^jppdinted with the batting .displays of several of the colonial team.

It is easy to crow after the fair, but looking back on the absolutely miserable showing of most of the Victorians m the recent interstate contest with N.S.W., one wonders why Ransford was brought over and left out. , From what can be gleaned, it was purely a case of a batsman in< good form. not beine able, to get going. Anyhow, the late benefit match was a veritable triumph, the young left-hander, whose deeds on this occasion bore out the

prognostication of ..the cognoscenti some years ago, when he was tipped as a likely candidate for Australian Eleven honors, but since has not come up :to early expectations.

The Phoenix pair, Fred Laws and Cobcroft, have every reason to be satisfied with their fine performances with bat and ball m the senior contests played this season.

Arnold Williams, whose average m senior matches proclaim him to be our champion batsman, albeit he just beat 1 Ken Tucker for pride of place, has* been m rattling fine form with the willow this season, and his century against ithe Englishmen was a pleasant reminder of the Midlander's prowess m past years.

Charley Garrard, the ex-Canter-buryite, who is riow located m the Auckland district, has a very high opinion of Sale as a batsman. The Auckland er gave the spectators a taste of his quality m his second knock against the , Englishmen m the test match at Christchurch.

Clem Hill was reported to be dead out of form on his own statement. Yet he scored 92 m the late benefit match by cricket as sound as any he has shown m Sydney for some few years. Clem is still as merry on the field as a big high-spirifted boy. The crowd is always sure of a smile when he remains at the wickets any time:

In his benefit match Sid. Gregory was so bad from the cold, which had got into his chest and throat, and had effected his eyes, that he would not have played m the match if Trumble and one or two others had been able to do so.

The South Africans are to open m England on May 20 against Leicestershire. The team selected has given considerable dissatisfaction throughout South Africa ; that is, judging by the tone of the Press comments.

After the slaughter . dealt out to the ! New Zealand team by the Englishmen it was. about up to the selectors to make a radical. altera Ition.in the next colonial combination., The team now on its mettle against the visitors has been improved, for the bill , thou-gh Fred Laws , on present form, : could with advantage, have replaced either Fisher or Haddon. There were some horrible failures m the • first test against De Trafi ford's " Johnntes," notable > Rees, Siedeberg.^Haddon and Tucker. Let up . hope that , Haddori and Tucker will. come to light at the Basin' Reserve during the final match.

The ■ Wellington Cricket Association Will have" to' lopk' found for "another secretary next season, Bert Salmon, Who 'tqolc up' the mantle worn by / ; 'Joss''Man9on, having signified his dnabiiity to- accept another term , of office^ Bert has been promoted to a responsible position on the staff of his employers, and his new duties would ; prevent him giving that 'attention to the affairs of the Association that he would like to do. Bert lias been a great success m the secretarial role, and the members of the fourth . estate owe him a debt .of graffitude ;for so obligingly, conserv\ing ".their interests. Bert's fr iends— ••and they are lemon — will rejoice to :hear -of his - business promotion, and ;at the; sarae time they will be< ; sorry to. know ; '.that vthe Association- has lost the-: services of a very capable and popular executive officer. It is to be hoped that the Association will have the benefit of his counsels on the management committee.