General Gossip.

NZ Truth, Issue 131, 21 December 1907, Page 3

General Gossip.

'.'ls the umpire who gave Claude Hickson out l.b.w. last Saturday to Moore of Phoenix the bit of stuff to.' give the public the benefit of his knowledge of how it was done. A left-handed bowler bowling round the wicket and taking full advantage of the length of bowling crease, bowls a ball short of a' good length, hits the batsman at least four inches higher up the leg than the height of. the wicket, and gets a l.b.w. d»cisr ion, is a marvel- Is there a bowler m the Dominion who can come back sufficiently to legitimately set a decision ? Any offers ? The bowler, and such a -bowler aa Moore, has got a dem cheek to ask for a decision, and the umpire who assists him should take on junior matches for practice. Noticed a match en c«llege ground, College v. Victoria College, Saturday last, and for downright rotten to worse fielding, commend me to the Wellington College team, with the exception of young Burbidge, who, by the bye, has been winningmore scholarships, the Rhodes having been grabbed by him, and also he is. dux of the school. The fielding was muck, and on. such a -fine ground, where there is no uncertainty -how the ball is coming to you. It's a wonder Nominee Firth doesn't show some of them how to go at a ball, instead of letting the ball go at them and saving the extra run. . Clem Hill was appointed to replace J. Darling as one of the selectors of I the test teams, owing to the latter ! being unable to follow up the matches through business engagements. The change was very satisfactory to both players and the public. The fact of A. O. Jones suffering from bronchial catarrh and unable to take part m the first, test match recalls Ranjitsinhji's throat affection just prior to the first test match of the tour, m which he scored 175 for England. John Tunnicliffe has severed his connection with Yorkshire. He has accepted the post of*coach at Clifton College, and will commence his duties at Briston on. January 1. There; af e six hundred pupils at Clifton Collage, and Tunnicliffe will combine an athletic outfitter business with the duties of coach. The Sydney "Daily Telegraph," for once m its life, got a good joke off its chest when it headed the account of the collapse of the Cornstalk willow-wielders m their tussle with Hutchings, Braund, Barnes, and Co., as "The Moore Park Tragedy, " aud the notes on the game as "Tire Inquest." There is hope for the • ©ailygraph" after that. >Hardstaff, Qf Jones's" combination, m his style resembles Johnny Tyldesley very much. Australian critics think the 'brilliant little' Notts hatsman will develop into one of England'*s greatest with a little more experience. When one reads so often about this batsman and t'other collaring ' the bowling, one is compelled to come to the decision that it is high time the police were put on the track of these ball-bangers. Apropos of the big totals amassed m the regent N.S.W. v. South Australian State match, the Cornstalkers have made 406, 428, 420, 807, 438, 472, 545, GBl, 624, 465, 556, 573 and on different occasions against the Crow-eaters, who have retaliated With 918, 483, 400, 442, 4C9, 575, 412. A. D. Nourse, the South African cricketer, says that if all is well he will be back m England m eighteen months to play for Sur fey. Highest innings by ; N.S,W. m Representatives games pan out this way :— 9lB v. South Australia, 805 v. Victoria, 839 v. Tasmania, G92 v. Queensland, 588 v. New .Zealand, and 574 v. England. Haddon was elected skipper of the Auckland team during its journey south. The womenfolk are always m evidence at Sydney test matches. With the proverbial patience of woman when she feels she is doing the right and fashionable thing, our Sydney skirt-carrier sits '-.out the game to the bitter end. Since Barnes and Fielder wiped out the kangaroo, lovely women m the Ma State have been feeling very sick, and their feathers are drooping m very dejected fashion. Having morally beaten the Englishmen and towered over the South Australians, the. Victorians are looking forward to the usual 'Xmas tussle with New South Wales on the Melbourne ground- with some degree of confidence, particularly after the croppers sustained by the Ma State's representatives against -the Englishmen and Crow-eaters. A deadlock arose over the selection of the N.S.W. team to meet South Australia owing to the only two members of the Committee present— G. $?, Barbour and E. Hume— failing to agree. W. Pye was asked to take Iredale's place, but, being unable to come to town m time, he declined the invitation, and A. C. X: Mackenzie stepped into the breach. Since Andy Newell's mysterious disappearance with his two collie, dogs, every male biped with two does is regarded with suspicion by,; the Sydney brand of Sherlock Holmes. 4 Thorndon team is not nearly so strong this season as last, and nobody m its ranks gives promise just now of developing into a top-notcher. Wellington juniors make up a good team m the lower division, but they have a thundering bis batting tail. Vane is their best bat, and scores freely all round. Jamieson appears to be a useful

all-rounder ; City Solicitor O'Shea, with his slow leg-b.reaks, led to the do-jcnfall of many Thorndonftes, who rskould have jumped out and knocked the hall tQ hlaaes.

.One of the umpires doing duty m, the Old Boys-Gasworks match was a , queer dog- ' His decision which led to Hodge's dismissal was the funniest thing seen on the Basin for some time. Several of the Old Boys themselves ■were astounded when they saw Hodge going out.' When Waters w^s given out, this self same umpire certaihly may have thought his decision correct, but why he should have burst out laughing almost before the ball reached the fieldsman's hands, one does not know. One can draw the inference that he was highly delighted at his favorite side getting an opponent out. Anyhow, it is about time the Umpires' Association chose men who are thoroughly able to umpire and arecapaMo of comprehending that if there, is a doubt the batsman have tbe tjenefit, and not select men who show the slightest inclination to favor one side more than another. Won't Auckland sports skitc now that their reps, have collared the Plunket Shield '! Auckland is the boss rooster m mostly all athletic pastimes at the present time seeing it has m its possession : The Plunket Shield (Crickat), Ranfurly .Shield' (Rugby Nfo«tt.all), Bior-jen Shield (Association football), and Provincial Shield (Lawn Tennis).