CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14684, 18 November 1909, Page 10

CRICKET.

Bi LoxGsur. IXTEKPIiOVISCIAI) FIXTURES. Olago v. Canterbury.—At Christcluircii, Christmas week. ■Wellington v. Auckland.—At Auckland, at Christmas. Canterbury v. Auckland.—At Auckland, in J aauarv.

Among (lie passengers who arrived in New Zealand Irani London by the lonio tho other tiny were A. E. Keif, tho English professional, who has been re-engaged to coach by the Auckland Cricket Associa. lion, and J. 11. Broad, of Gloucester, engaged. by the Ilatvke's Day Association. This is Broad's first visit to New Zealand. The Gloucester professional will return to England in March. Broad was a member of Stoddart's team in Australia a few years ago, and last year scored over a thousand runs in first-class cricket.

It is almost certain (remarks that oldtimer Harry Trotil that C! G. Macartney, the Australian Eleven player, will take up his residetica u Dvnedin. He is going over in Deesmber to havo a look round, and if satisfactory arrangements can be made he intends starting in business for himself. Of course it does not follow, continues Harry Trott, that Macartney will l>e a success as a coach, as it takes u man with far more experience to bo successful at tho business. But ho will certainly ba the means of improving cricket in the Dominion, us he is a fine typo of cricketer for the young idea to copy.

Apropos 'of Macartney, I notice Invereareill enthusiasts moving in tho matter of securing a visit from an Otago team about February, in tho hope that the Australian international w'll bo included in the side. There is no doubt that an Otago team which induded Macartney and Wordsworth would create more than ordinary interest in tho game 111 the south. Southland authorities may depend on it that unless a better wicket is provided than that which did duty on the occasion of the last OtagoSouthland match at Invercargill no Otago team will visit Southland.

One quite expected to hear this sooner or later in resect to tho decision of Macartney to settle in Dnnedin"lt is a great pity that as soon as Australia discovers a left-handed bowler who shows promise of developing into a topnotcher, and would bo of great service in the forthComing triangular test games, ho is allowed to leave without a special effort being made (o retain liim. Another instance, this, perhaps, of tho Australian Board of Control's lack of interest in its cricketers. And it is just what tho Australian cricket public can ex]>ect so long as that body is not represented by n few practical cricketers of tho old school."—Harry Trott.

I had (ha pleasure of meeting Charlie Trilb,.the old Phcenix and Grange bowler, at St. Clair last week. The veteran was in hopes tliat ho would be ablo to get down to the North Ground last Saturday to see (lie finish of the Carisbrook-Grango match. Ho wus not looking in the best of heajth, but Bhowod jjreat improvement on when I last, saw him. One's memory gees back to the days when

■'Charlie" was at the top of his form with the ball. It is questionable whether Duncdin, or even New Zealand, over produced such a splendid bowler as "Charlie." For accuracy and judgment lie elood alone, and there is certainly no bowler hero at the present time, nor has there- been sinco Lawton's departure, who could compare with "Charlie" in fh:so respects. Tho bowicr of to-day sacrifices length for break or pace, and tire stuff that- manages to secure wickets nowadays wculci have been unmercifully banged had it bac*n pitched up to th? batsmen of 12 or 15 years ago. A fair crowd attended the North Ground hst Saturday lo witness tho finishes of the

Albion-Duncdin and Grange-Carisbrook A malches. They wcro rewarded by witnessing :t most interesting and exciting finish ir. tho first-mentioned natch. 1

On the fiist Saturday Albion had suefMilwl ill obtaining a goer; deal in the first innings, and had disposed of threeDunedin wicket? for a triile. It appeared as if the match was all over bar shout ing, but. good batting by Wilson and Wilkie

!>1 ljuue'.lin'c second innings produced a ; fair wore, and it roaniod not beyond a ; possibility that Albion might fail to get : tilo necessary run?.—and [nil they very i Koarly did. Aggressive batting by Wii- | Maefarlane, and Wordsworth in the initial stage of the innings placed Albion I in a winning position, but _,with the di- : parfcure of these three a "r<>t" set in. and ; was only owing to tho determined bat- ! ting by Brinsley, Cumniings, and C'orlvjtt ; --tile tail end of t.h.: tonm—that won Albion ] tho match five minutes before time.

To llrinsley much of tho credit cf the win must be given. Coming in when wickc-ts were falling like autumn leaves it was no small feat for this colt to "huok up" to the bowling the way ha aid. He contented himself with playing tlio halls on tlio wicket, but slammed anything that was loose. Cummiugs also batted steadily, and it was a good performance on his aiui Brinslcy'e part to mako tho runs necessary to win. . Towards tho finish ;v unanimous appeal Tor a catch behind ihe wicket was made by tin Dunedin players, and so confident did they appear to be that the umpire's (torsion would l>? in their fi'.vour that r-omo cf them were nulling off tho grouud themselves on a hard-earned victory, when they wero eallcd by an emphatic "not out" from th-s umpire. However, t.:e umpire was in the best position to i'-cc, and d'lt'iiougli there iras a distinct click, it does not follow that the batsman tsuched the ball.

In tho (iratigcCarisbvook match the former secured a four-wicket victory. . The all-round cricket displayed was of a very poor eta, Grange's iwluilig being—for them—very ordinary indeed, ivo fewer than livo comparatively easy catches being mis-wd.

Down?s again distinguished himself with tho ball on a wicket from whic-h ho obtained very little, if any. help. It would have gone harr with Grange had it not been for Downcs, as the Carisbrook men apiieavcd to bavo the other bowlers completely lied up.

Bannernmn and Rutherford played geed cricket for their runs, although' tho former gave a couple of chances. Hopkins, who was far from well, chopped tlio first bali he rccoived from Downcs oil lo his wicket, ancl Banncvmau succumbed in a similar manner.

Johnston in the sceond innings of Gran»o showed good cricket, and was unfortunate in being run out when well set, though he should havo waited for his partner's call b?fore attempting a run. C. and W. Bcal and C. Chtdwick marl© their j-uns ipu'ekly, and so enabled Grange to secure a complete win. A pleasing little incident happened in Johnston's innings. Tho Grange man snicked a ball into tho slips, which -was caught low down by B»nnernm, and as there appeared to 1m a doubt as to whether tlio catch was a fair one, or taken ofl? tho ground, tho umpire was appealed to, who unhesitatingly gave tho batsman out. Fortunately for tho batsman; Bannerman, without being asked, informed tho umpire that tho ball had touched tho ground jufit S3 it was caught. Tho utnpiro reversed his decision, and Johnston continued liis innings. It was a graceful -act on Bsumorman's part, ■ and his action showed tho true sportsman's spirit. With tlio cxcoption of Downcs ,tho bowling oil both sides was not . much above junior form'. Where our future intcrprovincial bowlers will come from when Downcs and Fisher retire from the game is a hard thing to conjecture.

Ituthorford bowled fairly well, but ho should use more judgment in the matter of pace.

Neither side can be complimented on its ground fielding. Some practice nightly would ccrtainly improve both teams in this department of the gams.

Thoro was nothing ot the 6en«ational order in the crickot at Opoho. Ussher and Columb, the ;iot-onts of the first day's play, added 45 before they wero separated. They are both batsmen of the promising order, and with strict and constant attention to practice they ore likely to be further heard of before the season is ended. Both seem to be possessed of ono of the essentials to tho makings of a successful cricketer—confidence. Add to this an intelligent interest in the g&mo, a keen eyo and steady practice, and there is nothing to hinder the ; r advancement.

S'cdeherg, as Is usjal with this player, 6tarted flukily. The first ball he received should have cent him back to the pavilion, as Eckholf missed him badly in the slips. Thero was no excuse for this blunder, as ths ball earae sharp and straight into his hands. This let off proved rather expensive to tho hillitcs, as Siedeberg piled on 60 runs for thorn to wipe off the slate. There is no knowing how th.-se rails affected the result of ihe match, but it does not require a big draw on one's imagination to conceive that if they had not been there the result of the match might have been different. However, we have to take reeults—Carisbrook won by 4 points.

In passing, it is not inopportune to again remind cricketers that fielding is a part of the gavno. This seems to bo entirely overlooked by players when practising, and many a match has been lost by this neglect —not only club matches, but interprovinciid ones. It is to bo trusted that the .Selection Committee will note this.

But to got back to the particular match under criticise. It is a pity Siedeberg does not- possess the natural confidence displayed by many a younger cricketer. Ue never gives one tho impression that ho has a thorough mastery of his feelings and actions, and appears to be repeatedly caught between two opinions. Ho is undoubtedly a good batsman, but until he feels and adopts a more devil-may-care altitude one is afraid that he will not do himself justice. Kicdeberg made several sweet strokes, and notwithstanding the faults which are mentioned, he is a valuable help to his side* which was once again proved by his compilation of 60 on Saturday. Barron is a batsman of tho serviceable order, as his 39 goes to demonstrate, and as ho can take n turn with the ball and is an active field he is of considerable value to the "B's."

Tho fielding of Opoho—in fact of both teams—was anything but brilliant, even after making due allowance for the rough nature of the outfield.

Tho Opoho team appeal's to be woefully delicieut ir change bowlers, and one or two players of this calibre should find a safe resting' place in (his senior eleven. George M'Gavin was absent, and bis absence was undoubtedly a drawback to his side in the trundling department, Carisbrook took good care not to close Ihoir innings until they had set an almost impossible task for thoir opponents te accomplish in tho limited time. With defeat thus facing thorn—they were 7 runs behind in the first innings—the Opoho men commenced lo attempt to wipe oIF some 215 in less than two and a-half hours. Considering this uphill fight, they did very woll in getting 159 in about two hours— at the rale of 80 runs per hour. Not bad scoring, this. Higg : ns's contribution wa6 30, Graham's 36, and M'Kay's 21; but beyond this there was nothing worth recording. This team contains one or two good old stagers w'io havo done good service to their club and cricket in time past, but these days are gone, and they must soon submit to the inevitable and make room for younger and more vigorous players. It is with a tinge of regret this sentence is pennel; but duty demands it, and it is not only applicable to thissenior eleven, but to others also. Young players must be givon to feel that, if their capabilities merit it, they, shall be piomoted, and that no sentimental or personal friendship reasons shall stand in tho way of this promotion. Only by this means will tho game progress and young men be encouraged to take it up and strivo to qualify for this advancement. After all, it is no disgrace to admit—however unpalatable it may bo— that ono has to make room for a hotter man. There is no necessity or wish to drive anyone out of in (lie grand old game of cricket. It is only a question of taking n, lower grade. C. R. Smith bote the brunt of the Carisbrook bowling, and came out with a fair average—five wieketa for 75. lie had hard luck at the start, as at least tlireo distinct catches were missoa off him before he got a wieknt. One of these was a miss by himself. This bowler should remember that at the angle ho bowls it is almost an impossibility to get a l.b.w decision in his favour. He bowls round the wicket, and takes tho full crease limit allowed. Umpires are not looking for giving decisions to make themselves notorious, and therefore carefully avoid (lie very critical one of deciding in tho bowler's favour in a case like this.

A correspomltnt writes:—"Can you explain to me why some batsmen—and batsmen in First Grade cricket, too—persist in asking the umpire to givo them centre with tho bat broadside on? In this case, the umpire has to ,ict as a sort of gucsscr, and guess the distance from cach edge of the bat to tho outer wicksts, or in some way, lo a certain oxtent, guess the centre, more especially when the batsman's hands cover the handle of_ the bat, as is frequently the casn. Now, umpires of all liiou in tripkot, Ehould not to guess—else they might guess that one"of these broad«ders was out when lie was in, lllld tllis would im disastrous. Theirs should be as near an exact science as it is ixissiMo to make it, and it, is a mystery to rnc lu.w umpire. l ! can be expected to give the exact centre unless the bat is turned- aide on so as to see whether Hio centre stump is covered or not. But perhaps there is a reason for these broiulsidcrs' action, and, if so, you may enlighten me ami others cn tho point. ]f there is no valid reason to be advanced, I hope this bioa.dsiner will bo the means of putting a stop io what k to nw an absurd practice indulged in by some of our men." PAVILION GOSSIP. Cotter delivered 107 no-balls during ti: c tour of the Australian team in England. Hemus, the well-known Auckland cricketer 1)113 given up the game, and intends to .ro in lor rowing. " The sum of £600 lias already been guaranteed by the provincial associations for matches if tho Australian cricket team will visit Xcw Zealand.

tils Gloustershiro wickot-kecpev, who comes out as coach to ihc Kr.v.-ke's iky Cricket Association, had a fairly successful time with (lie bat, scoring 10S3 runs'and averaging fli.it) per innings, his highest score being 150 against Essex. Warren P>arcUn:y's 1-13 not out at Brny gave him tho highest aggregate of the season, and the greatest number of centuries, whilst it preserved his position as pesfessor of the best average, exclusive of J. B, Mason, who has only batted 14 times. '

The English team hove departed for South A'riea. The test matches are:—January 1. to -1, at Johannesburg; January 21 to 23, at Durban; February 20 to Jlarch 2, at Johannesburg; March 7 to 10, at Capetown; lla-roli 11 to 10, at Caoctown. Tho perfenmmo; of Albert Rolf, the Auckland conch, with tho ball for the .Players during tho firEt innings of the Gentlemen wan somewhat remarkable. Ho was unchanged throughout, and bowled 1-t overs (or 9 inns and I bite wiekete, the total being 60. flaying in Jtellioun-a recently, a lelt-liami howler named Hiddlcsioco had three runs scored off his first r.itve balls, and afterwards seraircd seven wickets for 2 runs. He just itiis:od tile hut trick ' oil two occasion o , while he got three wickets in his fourth over.

An exchange states that Thos. Trumhle a younger brother of llugMe Trtmiblo, tlio world's great bowler, will be playing for beforo long, He is a fine nilround cricketer, with tho uoblo physical proportions of the family. Ho bowls a. faster ball than hia celebrated brother, Hugh, and is somewhat reminiscent of his other international brother, "J.W " lv h o kneps Nhill cricketers busy. By tlio way Tom Trumblc is from tho East Moltounie seconds.

A curious incident occurred in a criciet match in Adelaide the other day. One'of the batsmen played a ball hard into the top of his pad 6, 110 nt once made an effort to dislodge It, without being' guilty of infringmg the kw of handling the ball," but the ball had lodged firmly. Tho opposing wicketkeeper ran forward to secure it, but tho batsman was wary, and tlartecl rimnin"' round the wicket, and after throe or foiu circles liianged to get rid of the hall, but narrowly escaped being thrown out, whilst out of Ins crease, by tho inirauing wicketkeeper It is doubtful if the latter club would have made use of their right to apnea! if ifaey bad been succcssful.