CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12418, 30 July 1902, Page 3

CRICKET.

Br "Long Sup."

Young Australian cricketer Hales, who Was twelfth man in the club which claims Clom Hill in South Australia, has taken ■up his residence in Dunedin, and in employed in a casual kind of way ill one of tho big firms in the city. Several clubs have already approached Hales with a new of securing his services for the coining season. Rx-Hawke's Bay coach, Albert Trott, is ipoken of by an English authority as ono of the most formidable all-round cricketers in the world. _ Tail end of English and Australian batting in recent fourth teet match did not wag to any great extent. Australians' first innings, last five bats amassed 12; second innings same number of bats knocked up 11. England—First innings, last four bats 24; second innings, last five bats 15. Publication of first-class cricket averagos in England in the second week in July 6howec that Australian batsman Vic. Trumper topped tho poll (45.24), with "Eanji" (44.25) runner-up. In first-class bowling an Australian also heads the list in Hugh Trumble, with an average cost of 8.25 runs per wicket. S. Haigh, the Yorkshire bowler, eomos next with 9.75 ' runs per wicket. Advocates of playing the test matches to a finish have a strong argument in favour by virtue of the second test at Lords having Buffered tho fate of tho. .first test at Birmingham by boing drawn through bad weather. Writing after the second test, an English authority sugested , that . tho fifth test at Keiinington Oval, on August 11, bo played to'tho bitter end. Any county contest, on which tho championship may bo thought to depond, to be shifted to .other dates if tho enforced weakening of a team through county players being included, in tho'test is considered i likely to unfairly affcct any particular couljty. The Australians have advocated the playing-out of the games—Darling's remarks at tho Surrey County dinner,—about tho strongest arguments against the innovation being the premium sot upon dull cricket, tho tendency to dovolqp into a feat of endurance. How over, now that Australia has won the rubber it matters little whether tho fifth test ii played over the threo days or not. Rumoured recently in Australia that Hopkins, who is a member of tho team no* touring England, intends to turn professional, qnd play for Warwickshire. Lilley, the English wieketkeeper, is said to have been instrumental in securing th<» decision for Warwickshire. Mrs Hopkins (mother of the player), however, informs a Sydney newspaper man that she had heard nothing of. the matter, and that it is now believed that tho rumour is groundless. There wore two novel features in the Marylebone Cricket Club match against Notts, one being that the stumps were painted white, an experiment which did not meet with much approval. Tho other novelty was that M.C.C. played a Jamaica native cricketer named Bryan. A Cricketing policeman named Eastham, playing for Accrington and Church police against a strong side of gentlemen of Accrington, recently, performed tho extraordinary feat of capturing six wickets with six successive balls; in all ho took nine wickets for 7 runs. Eastham often plays in Lancashire League matches, representing the Church town club.

There seoms to bo little doubt but that Lord Hawke will' take a team of amateur cricketers out to New Zealand at, tho close of our present season. To an interviewer his _ Lordship has stated that negotiations have been in progress between the Now Zealand Cricket Council and himself, but that nothing has been definitely settled. If a team •wont out, it would be on similar lines to those which he took to the West Indies, tho travelling expenses and hotel bills being guaranteed, but nothing more. It was proposed to play nine matches, of which two would be against the combined strength of tho North and South Islands. A good deal of sight-seeing would be indulged (in so far as New Zealand is concerned, but' Australia would not be visited.

Mr C. B. Pry, the famous English cricketor, writing in tho Daily Express, after the abandonment of the first test match:— "It sounds artificial, but, b,v Hercules, the idea of covering up the wicket with a big tarpaulin is hot so very unreasonable. Hereare 14 men who have come thousands of miles to play us at crioket. It rains, and they might just as well have stayed at home. The tarpaulin would mean that play could go on nearly all the time rain is not actually falling. < The outfielding would be wot and slippery, but that would not matter so very much.. The ball would be greasy, but a square foot of flannel could be used to dry it; and with resin and sawdust we might, manage. Of course, all' this sounds odd; but a cycle of summers of tho kind in vogue at present will accustom us. to greater oddities."

Nothing has been settled as yet with reference to tho suggested visit to America of the Australians (saya "Wanderer," in London Sportsman), which is always, by the way, a pretty expensive item. The Association of Philadelphian Clubs duly replied to the inquiries by tho Major, but the letter was inexplicably delayed in reaching him. The American authorities are desirous of the tour being opened at Philadelphia on Saturday, September 20, but as the colonials do not finish at Hastings till Wednesday, September 10, I don't quite 6ee how this can be managed. The tour would not 1)0 a long one, under the month, and the party might return via New Zealand. On the other hand, they have a pressing invitation from Western Australia for a brief visit, playing Fremantle and two or three other townships, and there is a feeling that this should be accepted, if possible. A glance at tho list of captains who have led English teams against the Australians in England reveals the astonishing fact that iu. test matches alone W. G. Grace lias filled the position 18 time 3 from 1880 to the first test match in 1899. He has led the Gontlemen of England in all the seven matches, M.C.C. and Ground 11 times, Lord Sheffield's eleven- five times, Orleans Club once, South of England 10 times, Gloucestershire 16 times, one English eleven at Scarborough, and nine scratch elevens. What a marvellous record! Evidently the Indian Prince is not as popular as he used to be. In tho firet test match Maclaren was run out, and it is said it was Ranji's fault. The latter gave a long, rambling account, which, summed up in a fow words, is that he backed up too far, and Maclaren did likewise. Hill returned to the latter's end and a wicket fell. All English authority, writing about his run out incident, says that Eanji was altogether too anxious—perhaps a ride from his ''hotel in a motor car had. disturbed his equanimity—and his first score was an overthrow when ho should havo been run out. Then 'came tho Maclaren mess. It was certainly not the captain's ©all, and if tho Sussex skipper did not call, he questionably started to run, which is very much the same tiling. Also, lie told his partner to go back, though possibly Maclaron, who hesitated, or he would have regained his creasc, did

tho same thing. Of courso A.C.M. was bound to feci annoyed at thus losing his wickct, and ho looked it; but thero is no foundation for the insinuation that he spoko his mind as ho passed his partner. He begged him, however, to bo more careful, though once or twice aftor this l'\ S. .Tackson had to hold up his hand as a steadying influcnco over tho too impetuous Indian Prince.