CRICKET.

NZ Truth, Issue 172, 3 October 1908, Page 3

CRICKET.

(By "Scout.")

King Willow is about to oust his i royal brother Football, and though yet .but m swaddling clothes "Will, m another three or four weeks be lusty and strong, and drive the leather sphere m all directions. : : Will the .rising juniois. get their chance, or will the old stagers once more manoeuvre themselves into the senior teams? Time will tell. ;' Definition Of a few of our leading cricketers : A ball-basher who desires ' the glory of an amateur, but" the pelf of apro. ' In olden days cricketers used to be most concerned about the pilch. Now* adays they seem to worry about nothing but "the gatei" . Dr. E. M. Grace has scored the prodigiqus number of 76,705 \inms and taken "■ 1059 wickets, during his.' cricket career. Hft was horn m 184a. Playing for Woreestersiiire v. Surrey, Cuffe, the ex-R.SiW: cricketer, remained at the wickets "whilfe the score was.raised from 60 to 229 -for eight wickets. He was batting for three and a-quarter hours. . „"■■' Alan Marshall, the ex-Queenslander, when playing for -Surrey-v."Northamp-tonshire, had to discontinue batting owing to a ball striking . him on the ear and splitting it o;pen. .He resumed later on, and finished up .With 143 out of- 238, compiled m. two hours ten minutes. Legar-wr anglers can \i "hold a candle' to a few of our local cricketers. Trouble! is brewing m more than oris.' club. Rumors to the contrary notwithstanding, Cobcroft will stick to Eetone. I "Cobby" is coaching seVeral of the V.M.C.A. members- -for reasons which must appeal to any. fair-minded man. The suburbanites; without Uobcroft, would be a somewhat Weak crety: . Petone and Old Boys will put practically the same senior teams m the field a9 last season: V.M.C.A. was after Birch and Victoria College counted on Monaghan's services had it gone for higher game. Both men .will again be found m the Old boys' 'ranks. Oriental Club promises to. have a boom season. Jack Cusack is m charge of the secretarial reins and Harry Coburn will render him valuable assistance as assist-, ant-secretary and treasurer. Two pushful gents of their type ought to make things hum for the club.

Judging by the reports m circulation -as to the throwing over, of one club for another by .certain players who have been fortunate enough , to get into the limelight m Past seasons, it is apparent that pdi, not. patriotism, gold, not glory, cash, 'not cricket, is the god that guides their ambition. Certainly their clamor for cash is not excelled by their brilliancy with bat or ball ; further, their energy on the cricket field: is not greater than their energy m farming financial favors for their own personal pleasure and profit. The money-grubbing game is played for all it's worth m every branch of sport nowadays, and the summer pastime is seemingly about to produce a small army^of. pelt-pursuing players who are more concerned with sordid considerations of the game than with its sporting or physical results. Commercialism is claiming too close a ..connection with Wellington cricket, and these cash-chasing gentlemen wlfb are so ready to sell their services to the highest bidder should be promptly told that they can be dispensed with. If these make-believe amateurs will pe^orm purely as professionals Ihen their worth can be .assessed at its true market value.

'Tis more than possible that Ken Tucker may take a pub.' somewhere m .the Hawke's Bay district before the New Year makes its appearance. Anyhow that is the yarn going about at the present time. V.M.C.A. is running a team for the Seniox Championship. It has secured several senior players from other clubs, including Freddy* Midlano, who didn't soar to the highest flights m Sydney cricket what time he resided across the Tasman, Atkinson, of Midland, and Tilyardj the promising left-bander of New-

town. There are possibilities for the youngster, providing he is taught how to use 'his feet m getting to the ball. Rumor hath it that Ernie Upham will, not be seen out this season doing battlefor his oljd club, Midland, unless some, alteration is made m the present system of senior championship competitions. '.Tis a poor look out for our reps, if the Midlander dosn't toe the bowling crease. ,as he is far and away the best trundler .we have here. There- is no one at present on the cricket horizon who" can fill his shoes.

Norman- Goode, who served up a: .dish of wisdom for the. cricket officials to swallow as to the best way to. improve the Basin, and, at the same time, pulled the leg of the '"Post" reporter to a big extent concerning his own prowess iwrWi. bat and ball m Australia, has, it is reported, gone back on his intention to play for Wellington, and will assist the Phoenicians.

Bruce, of Slidland, was reported to-have. made up his mind to assist Petone this., season, but* I am assured that there is. nothing m the story. His club mate Murphy is a deserter, however, and .either Wellington or V.M.C.A. will have his services. It is to be hoped that Murphy won't need a larger" hat. That tendencytreats, a cricketer, more often than the ball does.

Ranji Wilson, of Rugby football fame, < should have a, splendid opportunity this Reason with Phoenix hffvr that whistle-;-tooter Laws has left ..the team. Be as /keen <as' mustard m the field, VRanji, arid .you may have a rep. cap,.ior youif pains. Stan. Brice, the -Petone crictfeterj. reach-^ ;-ed the semi-final m thfe recently-conclud-ed amatftUr billiard cuampibnsMp. A. good, air rounder' is the- "Long ? un." Midland has reduced 'its fees to £1 for the "third and fourth class teams. Other fclubs should; follow this lead, as the fees charged are too solid m some instances for juniors.

Ot&go has the .first challenge m. for the. Plunket Shield. :if Wonder where" Welling--ton Witt come 'm; with its. "iTounl jDollins, \?ho represented Welling?, •ton wlveir 'the last TBnglish team was here, secuted a place m the Oa'nffiridge University Hj#yen last season m England, hf.it he dfja toot come off. - One thing the Cricket Association should ifij^sfr on <§his season -1^ punctuality m starting Satui&ay 'games. In the interests of clubs, ■•• , players and 'the public, the Association, should see that the ruleis rigidly adhered to. 'The casual policy of last season "must iot.be repeated this year.

Tije highest score m a test match In England was made by W. L. Murdoch '(211), the largest m Australia fey R. is. Foster {2W). Charlie Bannerman, who was .coach at , ■Christ College, Christchurch, a few years' ago, was the first Australian toscoxe a iientury against English bowlers inTTSng-: land and m Australia. ■ '■■ Alec Bannerman has one of the slow*-, est records. It took him on one occasion 20 . minutes to score his. second run. . This feat knocks our 'local champs, 'kite' .high. P. R. Johnson, who was round these parts with the last two English teams,: has the honor to, head the list m English ■ first-class batting averages for 1308. He : scored a century m each innings a little 'while ago for Somersetshire v. MMdfesex. Johnson first saw the light m Wellington. The pavilion on the Basin Reserve nas just received a coat of paint, whicbj as everybody lenows, was very badly needed* The press box needs a litfte attention, too. ■ • The Basin Reserve looks well .after its-' first, season's 'fdotbally and m my opinion ; it has benefited considerably. NeXt winter arrangements should be made to have .the ground, rolled' with the heavy toller , on the Monday following the winter games. ' Three of the members of the M.C.O. • which toured. Mew Zealand -a couple. 'of seasons ago recently compiled a century •on the same day. They" were P.' R. John- ' •son, W* B. Burns ;and J. W. H. T. Doug'' las.- The latter is "better known to his comrades as "To-WSer." In Somerset there is a family of cricketers rejoicirig m the popular name of Robinson. They have played something Jike 100 games with opposing combinations. ' . Auckland and Canterbury have .procured coaches for the coming season. Welling-: '.ton is once more behind the times. How's -that ? . When the next Australian team is selected, the great problem which these- . lectors will have to solve is the gathering together of bowling talent. Sometimes a fairly good bowler m Australia ;yill be almost a ,top-notcher m England. "Take the case of Layer m IHOS. In Australia he "was seldom used, yet m England he performed with great success until ' bowled to a -standstill. ■ ; Geoffrey Stephens (whp is not yet 18) the- captain of the Norwich Grammar Sphool (Eng.), had, up to- August 17, scored over .2000 runs, and obtained the' following centuries :— lll, 152, 150", 256,. 101, 100*, 132, 121, 118*, 170*. (* not' out). . ■ . . \ . A policeman at .Redhill, England, sawP -two men carrying a large bag. He stopped them, and found ill contained cricket-' .ing flannels, shoes, etc., belonging to iM. . P. Druce and other well-known cricketers. .' Both m England and Australia the dearth of first-class bowlers is deplored. In the latter the fact is patent to the most unobservant eye. The causes of this, are various : First, ' the ' super-excellence ~of the wicket— too much time is bestowed on their preparation' now?days ; second the wonderful constituents' m the Bulli soil, which is now used on so many grounds and.' which helps to : break the bowler's heart and give the batsman "bighead." A. E. Relf, the Sussex international, is aboard the Cbrinthic, due here on No.vember 3rd. Humphreys, who has been; engaged by the Canterbury Cricket Association, is" coming by the same vessel. If Lord Hawke has made as good a choice, from the tuition point of view, m the selection of Humphreys as he did m fixing on Relf, the Southern association will be m, luck's way. . Burton pere , and fils will probably, be missing from the Phoenix ranks this season. Some notes on the annual meeting of the Cricket Association on Tuesday night are unavoidably held over. I am glad to see that Charley Stevens has been pressed into active service once more. Men of his stamp are invaluable to any athletic 'institutior. One result of the election of officer's was the bumping-out of FredLaws and Bert Salmon.