CARICATURE CRICKET.

NZ Truth, Issue 243, 19 February 1910, Page 4

CARICATURE CRICKET.

AUSTRALIAN

AND A DISAPPOINTED PUBLIC.

Press "Critics" Gulled.

Battling at the Basin for Boodle.

"Troth" Tells the Real Reason Why the Australia v. Wellington "Match"

Lasted Three Days.

"Truth has received a number of letters from more or. less : angry citizens regarding the recent cricket "match" between Australia and -Wellington at the Basin Reserve. From these epistles "Trutii" picks out and publishes two. The first is from Mr P. R. Waddy, 8.A.. a member of the well-known cricketing; family of New South Wales, and is a coherent and comprehensive expression of the public opinion of the match concluded on Monday :—

(To the' Editor of' "Truth.") . Sir, — As a cricketing enthusiast ,for. a. quarter of a century, I shall be glad' if you will grant me space to enter a mild protest against the travesty of the manly game by v -the Attstralian'team ■m their .firat match m New Zealand? ! It was ; obvious ttt- ; every spectator "'before the : close of the first day that the visitors were not taking the game seriously, and I submit that when the public pay to, see a first-class team engage m a mateh 1 they are treated with scant "courtesy when they are gjven an exhibition' of buffoonery. No one can honestly contend that the Australians were playing their best, as was evidenced by their batsman- , ship at the close of the match ; had they been, the game would have iiccn concluded on Saturday, instead of being spun out for the sake of the "gate. "—I am, ! &c., . .' vPERCIVAL R. 1 WADDY. Wellington, February 15, 1910. ' The second, which is characteristically . Australian m tone, is written by a Victorian enthusiast at present" resident m. Wellington, ' who states the position from his point of 1 view very bluntly :— (To the Editor of "Truth;") .... . Sic,— Kindly permit me to express my opinion your valuable columns regarding the recent cricket match, Australia -v. Wellington; I have been a constant follower of the game m Australia, . and i say- that the tactics of the Australian eleven m the match against ; Wellington were unworthy of 'them and. distinctly unfair 'to, the spectators. The.standara oi the match rarely rose'" .abov-e that of sec-, ond-rate junior encket'W Australia. The limit was reached on Saturday afternoon, ' when ,".tl»e .Australian skipper— un : doubtedly " one of tß© greatest bowkrs ia the world at'ihfc- present time, the man. who ■* iaveuted and, brought "leg V^heory-M bowling to- a; stafence^arefully placed an elaborate 1 field on ! the off. and obii^Hpislv tosse^ up slow, fiill-pitGhers "■:' and ions volleys on the; leg. The umpires, to> make the pautbinime complete, lighted. up their pines and smoked while the game was m progress \ . If they had gotie a HttJe further" and * had a: strike between the fail of ' each ' wicket, the Australian, spectators present . woald. have imaeined . themselves m a bush township .watchirg ah "Easter Monday match beWeenrtDjjngo Plat and a team picked by Mr Musrphv.. shanty-keeper, of Cow's, Gully . ! Surely the Australians might have played up a bit for the' sake of the spectators who had" gone to see some cricket— net pantalooniag. And "why did the Wellington press delude the public that' a close and earnest match was m progress wh'en it was only a <l kid ?"— Yours, etc., '„.... : E. McDONAIiD. In view of these numerous protests: "Truth" deems it advisable to lighten the anguished hearts ot a number of : pricket . spectators by publishing the true facts of the match m question. At the outset, "Truth" desires to \state, m fairness to. the Australians, that they do not derive a single penny piece benefit from .the proceeds of the, "gate." Their;... expenses are paid, and no other payment, of any kind is given to them from; the takings of the New. Zealand. . ( .tour. Whatever: profits ? may\ result wiU accrue v to, the. local associations. .The public has :considerable ground, for cqmplaLat. against the visiting. t ; team m., not <being -shown ; . that- exposition^.ojt the; game the. v visitoE.s . were capable of "giving, and: which -they: ; (the public) had. paid to, sec. But, the Australians, m tempering the wind to the Weliin|toin;cricfceC, lamb, were actuated -by the ' generous . . "-bt placing x . the :Wellingtoh Cricket Association: , on , a - sound financial footing over \ the "match. ,It was rightly or 'wrongly, assumed:- that if the : game .had b^u a^fore-» gone conclusion 1 on Friday night, -there would be -nobig "gate" on Saturday.. "Tnrth" thinks this -was a; wrong conclu-* sipn to draw. The Wellington people would have rolled up m even larger numbers to see the Australians bat, and . would have keenly appreciated a good display m place of the happy-go-lucky f . does-n']t-matter-whether-I-get-ou t-or-ndt * batting thqy saw on- Friday afternoon. The pub— He, however,' appears, as is often ■-. the case, to have received scant consideration m the matter. Their point of view : , was apparently not thought of at all. They cheerfully paid the- price of admission asked m the expectation of being shown some first-class cricket, and they did not receive value for their money. The Australians were languid m the field, careless ■ m their batting, gentle m their bowling, and appeared to look on the proceedings as a huge joke — which it Was, to them; They, good-naturedly let their opponents down lightly so as not to overwhelm , them, and in* order to give the Wellington Association ah opportunity to. come . but of the venture with a financial profit.. If they .had played the game "up to the handle" the match would probably have been over m a day and a half, and the third day's ,gate would have been lost.

The position : may thus be . stated. : -The local Associations; which are naturally' anxious to make the visit of the Australians a financial success, are . fearful that if the provincial teams were palpably outplayed t&ey will be saddled with, a heavy monetary loss through ''poor gates." This point of view has appealed to the Australians, arid, consequently, the public is getting third-rate cricket instead of the first-class cricket it has paid for. But these tactics will defeat their own ends, and, if persisted m, will result m the financial loss that is so much feared. There is a very obvious remedy that would keep up ,the interest m the game, and ensure . bumper attendances. If tine local teams pitted against the Australians .were to consist of fifteen :' men instead, of eleven the interest would be sustained, and the Australians could show some really good cricket, which.. would please the spectators. At the present time tbeir palpable efforts to lengthen a match are painful to watch, and destroy completely the educative, elicct which was to result from their visit! If the provincial teams to meet, the Australians .. were to be enlarged to fifteen aside, the "test" matches of eleven aside would . draw an enormously enhanced, "gate," and would also remove the growing suspicion among. New ?(ea?and cricket lovers that they are being fooled with m order that the cricket associations may benefit. .- Mr McDonald's .complaint that the Wellington press '.'.deluded" the. public over the Wellington match "Truth", believes' to he without foundation. "Truth" thinks that the majority . of cricket critics , attached to %he Wellington . press know nothing about the game, and consequently are unable to competently criticise it. "Truth" has, received a long letter from another spectator of the match, caustically condemning ■ the daily press's reports as. ridiculous. Tbe • writer specifically deals with the reports, but no good purpose would be gamed by pub* lishing' his letter. ". The fact !X ,that the spribes took the game seriously after seem? it is sufficient c©»demßation of tkeir Reports.