BAT AND BALL.

NZ Truth, Issue 328, 7 October 1911, Page 3

BAT AND BALL.

(By "Short Stop.")

Good morning, you cricketers. Just wish to mention to you for a start that Canterbury and Auckland cricketers are m full practice. Sydney played the competition match In all grades ' on September 30, and "Wellington" has had a meeting of the AssociationGood biz !. Always lay out a good campaign before you let your soldiers loose, to drill. Wellington has to shake herself up to some extent this coming season, but so far nobody seems to have mentioned the game at all, excepting [m annual ineetirigs. Lord! Can we expect a littlg niore life and general interest m- the proceedings than there I were last year ? j We will, hope for the best. ! Australia is presumably m for a cricket treat, if all we are led to believe about the visiting English team be true. The visitors are evidently a hot crowd. I mean from a cricketing point of view, of course. P. F. Warner will captain the English team. He was here once as captain of an M.C.C. team through New Zealand. He would be received with open arms h e re by some people if he cared to pay a return visit. 0. B. Fry has an average of 72 runs per innings m first class cricket m England this year. He totalled 1728 runs, and on that form would be entitled to ia place m "Truth's" eleven (at a pinch). Tommy Warne annexed £-233 15s 9d from his benefit match m Melbourne. Good ! But he could have done with twice as much just as easy. The idea of bringing a Tasmanian Eleven over to New Zealand to play will probably be dropped. The powers that be reckon that the Tassies can't show us anything at all about I this old game, so an invitation goes .to Queensland to come over and te 'severely dealt with m their stead. The game prospers and has improved out of all knowledge m Bananaland since the home and home matches with New South Wales were started. j Major Wardill, who has served the j Melbourne Club as secretary and m j other ways for thirty-one years, rei tires owmg to ill-health. The good | sport takes a pension from the club ;of £100 a year, and he has earned lit. Warner's team will open at Adelaide on November 10 v. South Australia. Victoria is down for November 17, New South for November 24, and the lirst test on Ueeember 15, m Sydney. G. A. Faulkner, late of the South African team m Australia, scored on August 9, 108 runs for Scaife Hall against Harrogate. He also captured six wickets, and has NOT forgotten how to play. The return match Warner's Eleven v. Victoria, on February 2, has been arranged as a benefit match for J. McCarthy Blackham, the greatest stumper the world has ever seen. May the ground prove too small to hold 'em all, The rumors that W, G. Whitty intended remaining m Sydney this season is not correct. Ho returns to South Australia , at once, but whether he will bowl as well as before he was operated on is very doubtful, v C, B. Fry has five times during his career scored two centuries. C. P. Mead (with the English team to Australia) made 207 not out against Warwickshire m two hours. This he followed up by scoring 194 m three hours and t«n minutes against Sussex, A collection was made, with the result that Mead was handed £18. Handy little things tliese collections. The Melbourne Cricket Club's list of members is chock full, and on top of that there are some 695 town and 33 country players waiting .election. AJ A. Lilley, the famous wicketkeep, retires from active service on the ground that he can no longer do. himself justice. Lilley has played for England v. Australia on no fewer than 32 occasions, catching 65 men, stumping 18, and totting up I 702 runs. He has made 20 centuries j for his county. Warwickshire.