CRICKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13996, 31 August 1907, Page 10

CRICKET

THE ENGLISH TEAM FOR AUS- ' TRALIA. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, August 29. ■ Mr F. E. Lacey, secretary of the Marylebone Club, states that- the cricket team to visit Australia is now complete. It comprises 14 members. It is reported that Gunn will spend the winter in Australia. Hirst denies that lie stated, in reply to the invitation, that he would accept if paid another £100, but he acknowledges expressing the opinion thai the trip deserved that amount.of remuneration. TARRANT'S BOWIJXG AVERAGE. LONDON, August 29. Tarrant ,lhe ex-Australian, heads the Middlesex bowling average. He took 115 wickets, averaging 15, and scored 103-1 runs, averaging 33. Thai 14 players havo now accepted the M.C.O.'s invitation to tour Australia next season is an indication (says tiie Sydney Daily Telegraph) that after 'Hay-ward, Tyldesley, Hirst, and Lilley refused the terms first offered them, the dub did not make any further overtures to secure v tJieir services. There will be many rewrote because of Hayward's refusal to make the trip, although there are many who will not miss the Surrey s*ar, UecaiKc ho docs not plav the sensational game that is so keenly relished. The failure of Jackson, Fry, Maelaron, Tyldosloy, Hayward, and Hirst, from the test point of view, will be keenly regretted. Without them an English eleven is incomplete. Etit it mtist he rc-memborod that in the past non-representative English olovons have more than held their own against Australia's best. ' ' Tho 14 who have accepted aro:—A. 0. Jones (Notts), ccptain; J. Humphries (Derbyshire), L. C. Braund (Somersetshire), A. Fielder (Kent), YY. Rhodes (Yorkshire), C. Bivtpe (Kent), K. L. Hurdlings (Kent). & F. Barnes (Staffordshire), J. Hardstaff (Note), 11. A. Younj (Oambridgo University ami Sussex), J. N, Crawford (Surrey), E. G. Hayes (Surrey), F. L. Fane (Essex), and J. B. Holibs (Surrey). Jones has visited Australia before, and did not make a score of 50 all the time ho was there. Despite Ids failure when last there, he is a dashing batsman. Playing for Notts last season, lie shaped consistently throughout. Hie failures were few, and though lie ■ only once made more than a hundred his average, came oirt at 43. . Afl a fieldsman he has, of course, few superiors. Braund did nothing out of the common last season, playing for Somerset, which was jiearor last than first in the county championship. Ho was third in the batting averages with 31.53, and four players were ahead of him in tho bowling averages, his record beinc 79 wickets at an average cost of 26.51. His .highest score was 70 not out. . J. Humphries is tho wicketkeeper of tho team. Last season he kept wickets for the Rest of England against Kent (the champion county); and, commenting on the fact, Mr S. If. Pardon, editor.' of Wisden's Almanack, said that it was no empty compliment, as he had kept wickets superbly throughout the season. He is not so bad a batsman as he might be, 20 innings in the county matches last season avorasrimr 19.48.

Fielder, the fast bowler ot the team, won last season's county championship for Kent, miking an unmeasurablc advance upon all Ins previous doings, hoth as to .length, pace, and general eommdnd over the ball. He took in the county matches 158 wickets for leas than 20 runs apiece. He is ' not. a Richardson, a Jones, or n, Cotter, but he has plenty of paco. and for the most part ho relies on his ability to make the ball swing away with his arm, but at the name timo ho breaks back suffieontly often to keep the batsmen in a Jivclv state of drmbt as to what is going to happen. He did not do much with the last. English cloven in Australia, but lie is a changed player since then. Rhodes, Blylhe, and Barnes have also been in Australia, the fmst-nained's "one. two. three" being familiar to the crioket public. K. L. Ilutehings is a new man. He is one of four brothers, all good cricketers. Up was the sensation of last year. He is consistent as well as. brilliant. His batting, according to an English critic, is astonishing, and nothing so- remarkable and individual has been seen since Ranjitsinliji and Trumpc-r delighted the oricket world. Hie strength lies in his tremendous driving power. He is a splendid outfield, and on occasions bowls with' fair success. Hardstaff played for Notts last season, and was fifth in the batting list with 25.42. Young did not' play much cricket last season, and could spare no timo to assist his county, Sussex, at all. He was. however, the best and soundest bat in the Cambridge eleven, although for some timo lie was quite off his game. Against Surrey he opened the University match with a display of batting that, for sheer brilliancy has rarely been equalled. In all he made 150. On last season's form Crawford is the slar all-round player of the team. Up to then he had in all matches scored 10.552 runs ami taken 1284 wickets, and played 24 -three-figure innings. He is'more forward in style than mo6t. modern batsmen', and plays perfectly straight. As a mediumpaco bowler he has an oasy delivery, a fine command over his pitch, and when the wicket gives him the least assistance lie makes the ball come off the pilch with any amount of spin. Hayes, of Surrey, will he popular in Australia, for the reason that when he is at the wickets he keeps the scorer busy. He has a. great variety of strokes. lio drives powerfully, and" when "he has his eye in will break a bowler's heart .by pulling: straight balls of good length. He will probably field in the slips, and on his day bowls a deceptive leg break Fane. Essex's captain, averaged 30.12 in last season's -county- matches, his scores including two centuries. .■•'■■ J. B. Ilobbs i 6 one of .Surrey's best professional batsmeiv his average, last year being 10. He is /particularly strong" on the on-side, and is said to follow somewhat in the style of Hayward.