General Gossip.

NZ Truth, Issue 124, 2 November 1907, Page 3

General Gossip.

What's wrong with the scoringboard for No. 3 wicket. This should be kept as well as Nos. 1 and 2. The public like to know how things are going, and it is, likewise a help to Dlayers to know how things actually stand. It doesn't show much interest on the part of clubs playin- on : that wicket m not having the scores exhibited. The boo-hoo hoodlum element was m evidence on Saturday afternoon, when the Wellington declared and put Old Boys m. They may not bo followers of the Old Boys, but if they are they are not fit to follow the remains of a deceased crayfish to the dirt bin. No team could be proud of this sort, of rabble. Theyrwouldn't pay to see a match, and possibly "do" their Chow laundrymah for the one shirt a week he washes for. them —that's if they wear'that garment. A bent, pin, pieqe of cotton, and a seat on the end of the wharf is a good place- Saturday afternoons for this boo-ho.binjr ■blitherin- bounder nush. . Cricket and cricketers prefer the space they take up to tlheir presence. • : . • .■■■.. It is almost as easy for our roung cricketers to field well as to field badly :it is far more enjoyable to sparkle up, anticipate the stroke, and intercept'the-ball-with a v.uick Jessopean movement than to seemingly awaken from a day dream, and trot after the ball to the boundary with such^tortoise-like pace as to surest that one's' body was too heavy for one's legs. : Opinions : are; very divided m Auckland as to whether Relf should be played m. the match for the FLunket Shield m. December. The Cricket Council considers that -1 ■ en"n ~Rri on such terms should he permitted to play, and ttfat settles the matter. • • „ ■ Sammy Jones, the ex-Australian representative and Auckland Association coach, will again play for Grafton this season. : x .' Kallender ,whd,.a few years ago, was one of Auckland's best cricketers, has been .dropped by North Shore out- of its first eleven. In a rural North-, of England match not long ago one of the umpires had been Dicked up. at ,thje last moment. He knew very • littljb. about the -rules of the came, but he knew, that, on this occasion at least, he was a man of some' importance. One of the placers made a terrific drive. The baH crossed ..the .boundary line, struck the roof" of the pavilion, rebounded, and was secured by the "long-field." "Out;" said the umnire, withdut even waiting for an appeal. "Nonsense," said the batsman. "Why, man, it was a boundanr hit l!" "Aw's not «oing to areif- wi' thee." remarked the umpire, loftily. "Aw's here to 'decision,' and aw've decisioned ! Oot thoo o-oas !" # While not putting my, marble on an' particular local senior team for championship honors at the present juncture I must confess to have a liking for the " Wellington team's chances, though Old Boys, Petone, and Midland, not to say the Gasworkers will probably he found to be racing hard for first place at the end of the season. Wellington has some stunning material, and Skipper Richardson's handling ought to bring it to full blooni.: . ■ . In the match, Gentlemen of the South v. Players,of the South, clayed on the Hastings Ground this season ■ Jfisson made 191 out of 234. His rate of scoring was as, follows : 50 m 24 minutes, 100 m. 42, 150 m 63. He hit five sixes and 30 fours. One over from R.elf, the Sussex professional now m Auckland, was punished to the tune of 26 (five fours one six). He gave one chance at 159. A ver-v rare incident was witnessed m a match played recently m Sydne^ when, the: Rev. Waddy and Smith, while batting, each had a substitute to run for him owing to injuries. A man named F. J. Hatfield, whilst batting m a match on Putney Common, was struck on the arm wish a ball, and very shortly afterwards fell back on the wicket dead, the blow causing concussion.. To celebrate the triumoh of Notts m the County Championship, Sir F. Ley has given £20 for the purchase of a silver cigarette case for each member of the team.C. T. B. Turner captured six for 21 for the Ramblers against Stanmore Clifton. It is just twenty years this season since he and the late J. J. Ferris paralysed the two English teams that toured Australia—one under the control of Shaw and Shrewsbury ; the other captained by Lord Hawke. Ranjitsinhji is to be married to a iady of 'Ms own caste before next year. H. Coxon, the official scorer for Notts, has occupied the position, for 38 fears, • . This kind of cricket has its negative value even from the spectator's viewpoint, la a match at Ley ton, Essex, last year, the cricket was very^ slow, and a gentleman who was looking on from the pavilion yawned so hard that he put out his jaw ! Fortunately, a doctor chanced to be on the ground^ and he restored the jaw to its proper position, and so enabled the unfortunate eentleman, to partake of lunch. Wellington cricket is of-tien dreary enough to bring about a' heapful of dislocated laws, ;• At Leeds recently the total receints m. the*. Yorkshire-Lancashire match for the "benefit of David Denton wore £17.76 17s lid. the ntten dance being 49,450. Professional cricketers m England, especially those associated with the leading counties, like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Surrey. have something to look fonward to m their benefit matches, w/hieh. are sufficientl" remuner.Mive I 'enough to koep the'beneficiaries ou£ of the noor house when i old age comes upon them.-

Warner's team has the record for pate takings at a test match—viz., £4274 at the Sydney ground m the first test match of 1903. Going on the antics of a knight of the willow at the Basin on Saturday, one would he quite within the mark m saying that something, stronger than ginger ale was his "thirst-quencher" before the team stripped for the fray. City Club, Auckland, has secured another South African player m Morrison. He is said to have shaped well with the bat m practise. Harry Mooihouse, the one-time Phoenix and Wellington rep. cricketer, came to the rescue of Sydenbam affainst Riccarton last Saturday by playing a forceful innings of 45, and with Neild: raising his side's tally consider ably. Neild made 107 by solid, patient play, with only one chance—at 961. Alick Downes keeps up his form wonderfully. The veteran Otago cricketer went great guns with the ball m the opening grade match of the season on Saturday, bagging six Op'oho wickets at a cost of 25 runs. While so many rumors are flying about as to the remuneration of the professionals on the Australian tour, and it is openly hinted that the amateurs are also paid, it may be as well to state (says the ''Athletic News") that the amateurs are allowed £70 each beyond their bare travelling and,, 'hotel expenses, their pocket money, if such it may be termed, being practically the same m lump as the 30s a week on board shin and 50s a week on shore which the professionals are paid. An amusing decision was given on the Maidstone Cricket Ground a good many years ago. John Jackson the old "demon" bowler of the Notts and All England teams, who visited Australia with George Parr's team m 18 G4. m playing back to a ball over-balanced arid simply sat on the wickets. Hillyer was the uml>:fe. and on being appealed to he absolutely declined to give Jackson out. "Nay." he remarked, "I don't think he did it intentional !" Old Boys ought to profit by their experience against Wellington. When •three of their hardest hitters—J. P. Blacklock. Beechev. and Wills—were bagged at an early stage of the innings, it- was Sirjoe Ward's big-toe to "Gaily's" brain-box that the others hadn't the spunk m them to make the runs m the time at their disposal. It was then their game to adopt stonewall tactics and so save the two points. • 4,