CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13886, 25 April 1907, Page 5

CRICKET.

BY Loxr SI.IP.

The ex-Albion cricketer George Cummings tops the batting averago of I'onsonby (Auckland) for tho season with 352 runs, and an average of 19.52. Cummings's highest innings was 85 not out. Our old friend, J, Hussey, 'lato of the tops the batting averago lor tho North Shore (Auckland) senior eleven with' 13 jnnings, four times not out, 575 runs, 134- highest innings, and an average of 63.8. Another player well known in Duncdin heads tho bowling averago for t!-.a same club. This is A. Howden, who lias an average for tho season of 10.5. Howden captured 67 wickets at a cost of 707 runs.

Tho New Zealand Cricket Council should havo_ had a lesson taught it by tho big deficiency resulting over tho tour of tho Englishmen. It is all very well to invito teams from England when there aro plenty of funds, but to drain tbe various associa-

tions of what littlo balanco they possess for tho purpose of having an English team out when teams from Australia with better 'talent, and costing one-tenth tho expense aro ignored, is ridiculous. I know of one instance (says a writer) -where tJioy rejected an offer from Mr Carter, of Trmnper and Carter, Sydney, to bring a first-class team of New South Wales cricketers round New Zealand for bare expenses, and play as many matches as tho council cared to arrange. Tho council, however, neglected this chance of putting the associations in tho way of swelling their balances. Apropos of tho visit of an English team to Australia next year,. tho names of & team suggested by an English cricketer in a. letter to an Australian friend are:

Jackson, Fry, Maclaren, Hutchings, Hirst, Spooncr, Hayward, Rhodes, Tyldcsley, Lillcy, and Martin. To these, of course, would ,bo added some bowlers. It is not, however, anticipated that all tho above players will ho in tho next team to visit Australia.

ill' C. B. Fry, who lias recovered from 1 tho accident which kept him out of tho. cricket iicld for tho greater part of last summer, will agaia s captain Sussex during tho coming season. Tho county did not havo a very satisfactory position financi-ally-last year, tho subscriptions l falling off nearly £150. Sussex will meet alt tho first class counties, except' Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, this' season.

Warwick Armstrong licads tho M.C.O. batting averages in Erst class matchcs, with a total of 325 runs for 11 innings/average 75. His highest score was 251. Tho next in order arc F. Yaiighan, 55.65; V. Rails-

ford, 51.5; B. J. Tuckwcll, 50.11; H. H.

Bow-dcn, 50; R. G.' Johnstone, 43.5; and 13. A. Onyons, 40.33. In bowling, H.

Trumblo heads the list with 35 wickets, taken at an avcrago cost of 6.94 runs cach; W. W. Armstrong has 31 wickets, average 12.87; G. W. Hazlitt, 14 wickets, avcrago 19.14; V. llansford, 3 wickets, ave.ra.ge 20.65; and A. H. Johnston, 5 wickets,

avcrago 2S.G.

• Tho South African Cricket Association has dccidcd to allow tho members of tho South African team Es daily for ou'.-of-

pocket expenses during their tour of lingland. Tho rules governing tho conduct of tho team havo been amended, so that allowances counts from tho day the mem-

bers of tho team Icavo their homes to catch tho boat from Capetown on April 3,

until they return to Sduth Africa or ccasc to bo members of tho "team. 'A sum of nearly £1200 has been collected in Johannesburg for tho purpose of that allowance. Tho. association resolved that after pay-

ment of tho guarantees to tho different# centrcs, should there bo a profit, that profit should he applied, in tho .first place, to returning tho amount of £1200, or part thereof, to the subscribers. Victor Trumper will probably close tho season with tho highest number of runs to tho credit of any liatsmau in tho First Grado club matches. He is in better form -• just now than ho was earlier in the season, and is looking stronger and better in . health than at any other timo in his career' as far as I ("Xot Out"| can recall.

At Adelaide, on sticky wickets, on a recent Saturday, tbo ex-Sydney bowlers, A. M'Bcth and J. A. O'Connor, bowled with great success, the left-hander talcing eight for 16 against Sturt (though was beaten), and O'Connor eight for 35 against Adelaide. Stated that the Wellington Cricket Association will express strong opinions at its next annual meeting concerning method followed out by the New Zealand Council as regards t'no Selection. Committee appointed to pick the New Zealand combinations against the rcccnt English team. ■ . Reported in Wellington that a Victorian and a, Sydney cricketer, both of first-class abilities, will be transferred. to New Zealand ere next season conies round. Wellington and Christchurch are mentioned aa the respective spheres of the newcomers. A Sydney friend who witnessed some of tlie matches of the English team in New Zealand, tells "Not Out" that the New Zealand cricket is improving, the present standard of play being bettor than it was a. couple of years back. On the form in the matches he saw G. 'I'. Branston was the best of ""the English batsmen. Commenting oil the match against Nelson, which was left drawn, the special correspondent of London Sportsman with the M.C'.C. team in New Zealand says:—"Had it not been for tho rain on the first after-

noon stopping play for threo hours, wo must have won. But it was very doubtful whether wo ought not to have won as :ifc '' was. Our bowling again was not what it ought to be. Branston certainly has not' lived up to Ill's reputation as a good'bowler on a. sticky wicket. In fact, no one on the side seems to be capable of seizing an opportunity such as a- crumbled or a.sticky wicket. On tlie other hand, it must bo understood that, from all accounts, tho cricket in New Zealand has in tho last four years gone ahead tremendously, and Nelson appears to have improved'as much' as any other district.',' The following are the averages of tho Star C.C;. winners of the Third Grado championship with 16 matches played, 15 won, and one Jost:— —Batting.— ' Innings. Not out, Runs. AveraßO. • P. Ussher ..10 0 418 44.8 '\V. Johnstone 15 1 410 29.2 H. Aspinall ..15 -1 340 24.9 A. Ctork .. 14 4 221 22.1 J. Jl'N'cil .. 18 3 302 20.1 V. Higgins .. 10 4 224 18.G L. Ahlfeld .. 4 2 37 18.5 J. Black .. 15 1. 250 17.8 •T. Strang ..5 2 50 IG.ff Pi. Morrison ..4 1 39 13 J. M'Jfisli .. 7 2 83 ]2.7 J. Swanson ..11 3 71 8.8 C. Aitcliisoc ..7 0 01 8.7 W. Dow .. 13 1 , 93 7.7 —Bowling.— - Wickets. Runs.' Average. F. Ussher .. ~ 30 130 3.C ,T. 13!ack .. .. 48 2GS '5.8! .T. M'Nish .... 35- 97 0.4 V. Johnstone .. 10 178 11.1 Centuries—F. Ussher, 101 and 112; J, M'Neil, 100 (retired). (Continued on page 10.)