CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12602, 4 March 1903, Page 6

CRICKET.

Br "Long Slip." The-double scoring board used in connection with the rccont test match in Christchurch, on which was recorded the names of tho individual batsmen with their totals, the bowlers, and tho state of the game at the fall of each wicket, was an innovation greatly appreciated by spectators on Lancaster Park. The selector of the Now Zealand team states that ho made a mistake in selecting 12 men, and then having to drop one player out on the morning of the match. In doing so lie followed the advice of the Englishmen, who said that it was the practice in the Old Country, and invariably worked well. Writer is of opinion that the advice of the Englishmen in several instances has been too frooly accepted, and with indifferont results. Present instance advice was all right, but it worked out all wrong. "Long Slip" takes this opportunity of thanking Mr P. C. Raphael, lion, secretary uf tho New Zealand Cricket Council, for many courtesies extended during a visit to Christehurch in connection with tho Neiv Zealand-England tost match. Stated in several reports of recent test match All-Mew Zealand v. Lord Hawko's Eleven that, considering the state of tho wicket on the first day, "winning tho toss was a doubtful advantage." As a mattor of fact, winning the toss in this match, as in any other competition, was a decided advantage—it was tho decision to bat on a wicket softened by rain and an outfield dead from the same cause that was doubtful. And truth to tell, when it was seen that the English bowlers wcro "working" tho wickct for all it was worth, and tho ball driven by hard, clean strokes off New Zealand bats dragged its slow length along through the dead outfield, thero was much cause for anxiety as to tho wisdom of taking first strike. As the game progressed the wicket improved, and towards tho close of the home team's innings was playing beautifully, albeit a trifle slow. It was then too late to lift of much servico to New Zealand, for tho English truudlers bad already got in their deadly work and dismissed tho whole colonial batting side for 161 runs. Tho Englishmen, who lost tho toss, went in on the second day on a perfect batting wicket, and an outfield which yielded full run-value for every stroke. Fully half an hour's good cricket was wasted at noon on the first day of the recent test match by the non-resumption of play immediately the rain ceased, which makes one pause to inquire the reason. Was the wicket unfit for play, or were the Englishmen afraid to work their bowlers with a greasy ball? And what wero the umpires doing, anvivay? lloeso's first innings against tho Englishmen on Friday, though a nice, attraetivo display, was somewhat lucky. The opening ball of the match sent down by Ilargrcavo was played by the Canterbury representative through the slips just out of reach of the field, and on resuming after lunch tho batslhan spooned a hanging ball off Hargrove back to that bowler, but the English professional apparently did not realise the position, for instead of darting forward, ho stood his ground, and lost the chance. P. F. Warner, tho English captain, slates that afternoon lea adjournments at cricket matches has a tendency to produce drawn games, and emphatically declares that they should bo abolished. Writer has frequently raised bis pen in protest of the adjournment to the lea tent by 22 ablebodied men, who, it is ridiculous to assume, cannot go through an afternoon s cricket without a refresher, lu minor matches and matchcs got up for the amusement, of the spectators and players, the tea and sandwiches intermission may he somewhere near its place, hut in big matches, where tln> general public pay their money to see crickct, tile afternoon tea adjournment is out of place, and should be dropped. Warner was more or less in trouble in ilio slips during the New '/calenders' term at the batting crease, and on olio occasion, ill attempting to field n fast one oil' Reese, was struck on tho kuco with the flying hall, anil incapacitated for several minutes, the game being postponed until his recovery. Tuckor gave a fine display in New Zealand's first innings. He opnnrd confidently, and improved with every stroke, hitting fearlessly all round the wicket., and was qiiito at homo to the bowling, The batsman «•;« at tho creiise an hour an<l 50 minutes for his 50 runs. He saw the Now Zealand total taken from, 81 to 151 before being caught beliind the wickets. i Mahoney played a nice free innings for j .16, whioh took him 35 minutes to accumu-

late. This batsman lias Si great' habit of oovering his wickot, and on Friday it was only a question of how long befopo going leg before. The Wellington representative was n Trojan in tho field, oad shared with Reese tho honours in that department. In the first hour of New Zealand'sinnings on Friday, runs came at tho rate of one a minute, and tho ciniury was readied after an hour and three-quarter's batting, tho full total taking three hours and 10 minutc9 to compile. In both innings Richardson, tho New Zea,land captain, played carefully, but at tha finish threw his wicket away. In the firct ho spooned a bill back into Doweon'a hands, ' and in his second effort, going out with his favourite, forward st-roko to play ono of: Bosanquofc's missed the ball, and flumped before ho could get back to his crease. I Boxshall, aft-cr giving a ohance to Warner, ill the slips early in his inninjs, opened his' shoulder to Do.wson, hitting that bowlor to tho boundary on three successive occasions. lle was at tho wickets 17 minutes for 21, during which timo be showed lively cricket. ; In attempting another big hit, Dowson J clean-bowled him. Tho first English wicket (Warner's) fell to ; Downes, .the English captain mishitting an off-break from tlio Otago trundlcr and playing it on to his wicket. Downes also had tho honour ot taking tho only two wickots | .clean bowled. M'Carthy, the Taranaki representative, opeued promisingly, keeping a fine length, i and sending down many good balls, but' when ask<xl to bowl against the wind was . less offeetivo, and tired quickly, many runs! being accumulated. Burnup showed nioe orickct during Ms term oJt the wickets for 30. Ho is am attractive bat to watch, and, with Taylor, is tho most popular amateur mombcr of tho team. It might reasonably have been anticipated that the contest between tho Carisbrook A team and tho Albion would have attracted a faSr orowd of spectators; but it did not, there being a mere handful present at Caiishrook last Saturday. With Fisher absent, the north end men were not without hope that the play would go in their favour; but in this they were sadly disapointcd. Their display wit.ii tho I:at was excoodinglv weak, awl Uttloy's effort was tho'only redeeming feature of tho innings. He played excellent orickct up to the timo of his last stroke, when lie weakly put one from Siedebcrg into Mills's hands at square-leg. The manner of G. Cummings's dismissal fays little for his capacity to judge a run. He played a ball hard to the fieldsman at mid-off, and essayed an impossible run, with the result t-Jiafc ho paid the penalty. As a rule, the total of any innings of the Albion depends much on what Cummings does with the bat, and for that reason alone ho should bo more careful. U. Cummings, who carried his bat for 1?., was playing confidently and nicely at tho close of the innings, and some hopes are entertained that he may cmulato his brother's example with the bat. The Carisbrook-Holding was good. Siedeiberg, of course, was tho bright particular • |star; while E. J. Austin put in some good work behind tho sticks. Fisher's absence from the bowling- crease was not felt, for Siedeberg and Austin had sufficient command of the ball to dispose of the opposing batsmen for jnst under the - half-century, the first-named bowler coming out with tho nieo average of 5 for 18. Tho Carisbrook total of 181 for two wicketa was the outconio of nioe cricket by all concerned (with the bat). But the total should have boon materially reduced, ,for tho three batsmen who contributed most of tho runs had a life cash. Austin's display was, fnr ilio greater part of 'his innings, quite ho put no dash into his play. Siedel ( 6i«ft cricket was moro attractive, and off IJttley's first over ho scored 15 runs. Tho ground fielding of the Albion team was good, but tho catching quits indifferent. Pcako and Hales wero particularly clean at picking up, and smart with their returns. With Saturday's play included, Siedeberg has the fine average for his club this season of 51 for eight completed innings; whilo Au=tin's figures are. 4' t .7. The features of Carisbrook Bees' innings against Duncdin No. 1 were Butler s contribution of 25 and Kohlenberg's debut in senior cricket, Tho latter, a High School lad, contributed 13 towards the total iu an attractive styie. F, Morioa made bis reappearance for the Bees, and in compiling his modest 12 exhibited some pretty cuttiug. The Bees had "quite a lively timo in the ■ held during the partnership of Cramond and Aekroyd, and were particularly conspicuous for their persistency in dropping catches, especially off the lxnvling of C R. Smith. TVisden on Victor .Trumpcr: "By general consent the best batsmen in the world " A Sydney scribe nska: "Is it now timo that wo desisted calling the English team now in Aew Zealand Lord Hawke's team, and regarded it as Mr P. F. Warner's'" According to tho Sydney Mail the Australians took away witli fliem from England a- sum of £4258 5s 6d. half the gross receipts in gate money, which reached, therefore, £3516 lis. as tho result of the test matches. To ihe other £4258 5s 6d were added the sland receipts at the five enclosures, and then the sum to be "pooled" must have been raised to about £6300. Four-tenths of this amount yields over £2500, and the M.C.C.. Surrey, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Warwickshire each benefit to tho extent of £503 10s 4d, plus llieir share of the 59 per cent, (also "pooled"), which adds £195 Is—making each of the five benefit to just short. _of £700. The 11 other first-class counties reccivc tho £195 la a-pieee just mentioned, and each county competing in \the. second division in 1902 a welcome and unearned sum of £48 0s 3d. At Moore Park. Sydnoy, recently, a lad of 17 years hit. a ball to such purpose that 13 runs wove scored, all run while the ball was? being chased )>v the fieldsmen and extricated from passing trams and vehicles. The actual hit was 114 yards, and rolling brought tho distance up to 135 vards. . Speaking of present English cricketer 0. J. Burnup, latest "Widen" says: "Bur- ■ nup was born on November 21, 1875, ' and in 190?. was en fine a batsman thai he 1 might, without any detriment to the side, have played for All England." Following fo closely on Trumper's mammoth score of 335 for Paddiugton against. ; Redfern tho other (lay, it wa3 surprising and ' disappointing to the 4-000 odd spectators ' to see the "finest. ■ batsman in tho world" succumb lo a full toss by the aboriginal bowler Marsh for 9 agaiush Sydney. During the match in Brisbane between ■ Victoria, and Queensland, Graham drove a ball at a tremendous pace into the grandstand, where several ladies were seated. The ball was travelling straight for one of them, when S. M'Michael spotted the dan- ; ger. and springing right in front; took tho hall like an artist within a few inches of 1 the lady's faec. The manager of the Victorian team was warmly thanked for the timely aid ho rendered. It is stated that the celebrated fast 1 bowler, E. Jones, of Sonfh Australia, is 1 about to leave Adelaide for Western Aus- ; trnlia, where he intends to settle down. He has doiu* magnificent service with tlio ball for South Australia, and I hope lovers of cricket in Adelaide will not allow him to liover his connection with their State without presenting him with a testimonial in recognition of the grand work he has done in the cricket field for several years past. Cabled the other day that a record score i had been put up for two wick»ts in the pennant match Fitzroy v. East Melbourne. Here it is:— EAST MELBOURNE. First Innings, '■ P. M'Alistcr, c Mitchell, b Ellis .. 173 F. Laver, st- Quilty, b llitchelt .. 341 11. Stnckey, not out i 151) J. Koran, not out 45 Sundries 35 Two wickets for 744 Fitzroy made 148, and lost by 8 wickets and 596 runs. Victor Truniper has resumed bis position in (ho civil service. Apropos of tho hitch ill Mr A. C. Mac-lai-en's organising of an English cricket team to visit Australia next season, llio Sunday Times remarks that an invitation to Mr W. (!. Grace to accept- the undertaking would meet with popular favour. It is 11 years since the most famous of nil crickcters last plaved in Australia, and there are thousands aineo grown to manhood who never saw him, and to whom his coining out. next season would afford an opportunity that can never present itself again, for it must be roeolkolcd that The Leviathan will be 55 years of ago in July. As a player \V.(!. is still quite good onimgh to figure ill Matches against the Stato teams, even though ' no longer sufticiontly active for Test ' matches. [Tho rcmaindor of our usual Wednesday's sporting is held over.]