CRICKET.

NZ Truth, Issue 95, 13 April 1907, Page 3

CRICKET.

(By Scout) j

I A'. C. McKenzie, who, so . far as j inter-State ' cricket is concerned, has I bad longer experience • that most of the xracks of Australia, x expressed the opinion to an interviewer that •the . principal reason for Truinper showing such poor form this season arose out of the friction with XS.W-: Cricket Association. Trumper was "very rarely seen at the net. ; Vie Trumper and M. A. Noble both . appear to be m better form with the bat now than at any- other period of the season. Up to March 30th Trumper had made more runs m the first grade combination than any one els'e^ Ms total .being 656. In A. C. McK.enzie's opinion it would be difficult to" • place Hopkins second to any cricketer m the Commonwealth as an -all-round man. Another brilliant man, m the estimation of the big fellow, is G. Macartney, w^iose future is all before him, and is regarded by >t<he best judges as a. Certainty for the next Australian ; eleven. . • , A. J. Hopkins "was interviewe,d' at Perth on the subject of the next Australian eleven. He is 'of opinion that "the majority of the players would comprise New South Wales men. In Victoria, Armstrong, and possibly Hazlitt would have claims jfor inclusion if' the teams were pic.%d today. Of the South Aiiis^i-alians; Hill, of course, would be the first picked, but there seemed to be an/ impression m the east that Clem would not undertake another tout. He, said Hopkins, is a . champion, arid batted splendidly m the benefit match. Of the bowlers, O'Connor, the ex-Sydney man; would be a certainty. Tie regarded this player as the best bowler 'in Australia 1 at 'the present time. ; ; I Advices to hand make it appear that the New South Wales Cricket Association", officials- did .not put th'einselves but a little bit to extend the usual courtesies to the Marylebone Cricket Club / representatives when the latter landed m Sydney on their way to the Old Country.' ■ One would'; have thought that ti'3: officials in\ question would have extended the hand. ; pf p goodfelilowship tor* any visiting cricketers from England or elsewhere, who may at : any time stop m • the - New South metropolis for* a dew days. Appairently some of them are wrapped up m small matters of club interest . that the, broader' aspects of the summer, pastime never.; appeals ;to them..,;' , :-. .■■ '-,''. . Some of the English cricketers who were lately round' these parts, ex^ pressed the '. opinion m. Melbourne that the Sydney-; Cricket 'ground, is the finest *m the . world.- . ; " :, During the matoh- Victoria v. l' South. Australia , played m 189 5 , E. Jones, the fast bowler, was gived'out for handling' the ball, which had, lodged ; m his shirk Under the present rules the, ball is dead. ; Johnny ; Taylor, an aboriginal, made, thirty-five Aruns m four- hats, ■m a migtoh-ajt .Queanbeyan m 1869. All were run, out, .., v . Fox,' the stumper with the English team, did not proceed Home with ,the other menibters of the com- ; b'ination. He was m punedin- a 'few days, ago;. ' :. " ■""'" /;' ' '■'.'■.. : In 1 the second intercolonial match be-tween-JSFe'w^South. Wftl^atiC - v3«H ( toria*,. played, at Sydney m 1375, Tom Lewis, of the former team, liad his, stump completely .turned \ round by a ball from Elliott, t , and yet the bail remained m its place. : -;** : . One, could hardly exppct such batsmen as, McDonefi, Giffen; and Scott to be bowle/d, with lobs, . and yet when they played against Sus- : j«x, Humphries bowled the three *m I three successive balls (hat trick).. He likewise took the wickets, of Bonnor, Blackham,, and Groube, again doing the hat trick. . • E. W. Peters, of Ballarat, Victoria,^played cricket, and made ,scores, although both his arms were amputated just below the elbow. He straps the. bat handle to the stumps. The : late • George 'Ulyett, the Yorkshire cricketer, was once asked what was , his highest hit. He replied, ''From Malton to Scarborough, a distance of twenty miles. I. was playing against eighteen of Malton and /District, . and knocked --the ball into a passing train, which carried it to Scarborousah: The baU was 'sent back to Malton." / To make two centuries m a firstclass match is not a very common occurrence ; but for two . brothers to do it m the same match is unique. The heroes ;of this performance were W. L. 'and R. E. Foster, of Worcestershire. 7 They each made a ceratiury, and were both not out m the second innings.