CRICKET.

NZ Truth, Issue 118, 21 September 1907, Page 3

CRICKET.

(By .Scout) .

Lor, how the seasons skip past. The -oirag bucks, with bat, ball and stumps, are beginning already to replace the jerseyed footballer. So far, however, we can't say that there is a new warmth m the kiss of the sun heralding the advent of the welcome spring.

ISewu'flsn is said to have received a player *w__.i_* Vl «l as takeD ; P art iix Sydney, firsi.-g_.ade c^ket for some seasons past. Somehow *nere seems to he an almighty lot ot tor-s&otchers from across .the Tasman m midst just now. but the question is, will they materialise ? or is it the bloom m the spring-time ?

A fast left-handed . bowler from the Old Country is ; said to have found his way, to the Phoenixian ranks.

P. W. Sherwell. the South African cricketer, was offered a -sovereign by his father for every run he made during the first test match. He scored 6 and 115. so that he should be well satisfied with his good fortune. During the latter innings; he damaged his already injured thumb so severely that, while the rest of the |icie journeyed to Brighton, he remained m London to have the nail removed.

W. G. Grace was sixty years of age on July 18th. Just before this he made 140 for London County v. Forest Hill, and took six wickets for thirty runs. His hundreds now amount to 214.

Nourse, the South African cricketer, m thc match against Sussex, played a ball from A. E. Relf on to the. ground. Thinking it would roll on to the wicket he stopped and struck it back with his hand. On appeal, he was given out for handling the ball.

The cause of > the death of Mr J. A. Murdoch, who was out- m Australia with Warner's team, was cancer m the throat.

Richard Gifien. the father of Geo. and Walter Giffen died on August 19th. a-ged 86 years.

• During the course of an interview with a reporter of an English paper, Albert Trott stated that he was entire!*- .self-taught, never having had a lesson m cricket. "Whatever I do, 1 do by perseverance. Plod on. watch and work. That is the whole of mv advice „and the teaching of my experience m cricket. There is no royal road to success—saye work. I believe m a heavy bat and I always believe m hitting. Go for 'em. I like a bat of about 211) Boz or 21b 9oz. I can use a 31b bat, and have, one."

The Canterbury Cricket Association's balance sheet shows a. loss of £258 on last season's operations.

R. H. Fox, thc player with the Grecian profile, round these parts with tlie M.C.C. Club team last season, was married m Sydney recently to Miss Grace Rees, sister to R. B. and J. S. Rees.jwell-Imown Adelaide cricketers. Tlie bridegroom is a Maorilander by birth, having been born m Milton (Otago), but has been m England for several years. Mr Fox met his bride when she was touring New Zealand ; with Williamson's Opera Company. v

Latest reports relative to J. R. M. Mackay 's eyesight are very satisfactory. Dr. Roland Pope, the eminent oculist (and incidentally the well-known cricketer), is very hopeful that m a short time J. R. M. will be able to use them as keenly as of old, even though a Terra-Cot-ta be the bowler.

S. J. Redgrave, who has been engaged by the Queensland ' Cricket Association as coach, should make a big success of it. Besides he will hel.p to 'strengthen the Queensland eleven.

The Otago Cricket Association is m a -bad way financially j principally owing to the ptoor public support at representative .matches, and particularly the matches against the M.C.C. team. To quote from the annual report : "Your committee commenced the season with a credit balance of £79 18s sd, and thc balance-sheet now submitted shov/s a debit balance."

Another good old cricket tale is shattered' into fragments by A. E. Trott. who says : "It is stated that I used to stick up an old box and say, 'Now, you're George GiHen,' and try and bowl round the box— as if it was a batsman's legs— on to a wicket fixed behind. I think George says that in 'his 'boob 'With Bat and Ball.' It is a very pretty story, that is if it only happened! to be true, but it ain't true. I never stuck up any graven image or wooden box. I am not that sort of man. I want somethins: alive to bowl at."

The match between Gloucestershire and Somerset on July 4 ; , 5, and G was somewhat- curious, inasmuch as Gloucestershire closed their innings twice m the one day. Gloucestershire —•on a wet wicket— made 139 for 5 wickets and then closed the innings. Somerset replied with 72. Gloucestershire; went m a second time and made 47 for 4 wickets m half an hour, closing the innings again. Six of Somersetshire's wickets fell for 54|, but m the end they managed to draw-, making 102 (13 short of victory) for 8 wickets.

Th - 3 birthdays and the counties to which the coming English cricketers to Australia belong are as follows : C. Blytho. born May 30, 1879 ; County, Kent. L. C- Braund-, bom Oct. 18, 1876 ; -County, Surrey and Somerset. S.. F. Barnes, , 1876 ; County, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Lancashire- . . . J. N. Crawford, born Dec. 1, 1886 ; County, Surrey. F. L. Fane, born April 27, 1875 ; County, Essex. A. Fielder, born July 19, 1878 ; County, Kent. E. G. Hayes, born Nov. 6, 1876 ; County, Surrey. J. B. Hobbs, born Dec. IG, 1882 ; County, Surrey and Cambridgeshire. J. Hardstafi, bom Nov. 9, 1882 ; County, Notts. J. Humphries, born ■ May 18, 1876 ; County (I Derbyshire. K. L. Hutchings, bor n Dec. 7, 1882; County, Kent. W. R. Rhodes, born Oct. 29, 1877 ; County, Yorkshire. A. 0. Jones (captain), born Aug--10, 1873 ; County, Bedford and Notts. R. A. Young, born Sept. 10, 1885; County, Sussex (Cambridge U-) The coming English team will be tlie seventeenth which bas visited Australia. The previous teams were as follows :— 1862.— H. Stephenson's. 1864.— G. Parr's, 1873.— W. 'G. Grace's. 1876— J. Lillywhite's* 1878.— Lord Harris's. 1881 .—Shaw and Shrewsbury's. 1882.— 1v0 Bligh's. 1884.— Shaw and Shrewsbury's. 1886.— Shaw and Shrewsbury's. 1887. — Lord Hawke's or Vernon's. 1887.— Shrewsbury's or Smith's. 1 189 L —Lord Sheffield's^

18.94.— Stoddart's. 11897.— Stoddart's. 1901.— MacLaren's. ' ~ 1903,.- Warner's, •The members of the first team "were .Hi and E., Stephens, C. Lawrence, W. €affyn, G, Griffiths, W. Mortlock, W. Mudie. T. Sewell, G. Bennett, T. Heame, G. Wells, R. Iddison. Of these only C. Lawrence (79 years old) and W. Caffyn (79) survive. Strange to say, both of them spent a number of years m Australia. The second team consisted of G. Parr, A. Clarke, J. Jackson, G. Tarrant, E. M. Grace, G. Anderson, R. C. Tinley, W. Caffyn, J. Caesar, R. Carpenter, T. Lockyer, and T. Hayward. Of these only E. M. Grace (66) and Caffyn remain to tell the tale.

The team of 1881 consisted of Shaw, Shrewsbury, Selby, Scotton, Bates, Peate,. Emmett, Ulyett, Bailow, Pilling, Midwinter, J. Lillywhite, has- fared even worse, for Bar-i low is the sole survivor.