CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21300, 2 April 1931, Page 4

CRICKET.

By Sup. TRAPPING BRADMAN How to get Bradman out is developing into a pastime for rainy days. English captains were confronted with this problem not so long ago, and now it is the turn of grade skippers in Sydney (wrote Arthur Mailey recently in the Sydney Sun). Percy Fender began the craze in England, when, after having suggested that Bradman was likely to fail on English wickets, he set about to get the Bowral lad’s wicket in the match against Surrey. Something must have gone wrong with Fender’s scheme, because Don collected 252 runs, and seemed set for quite a big score when the rain came on. Another cricket student, who was closely connected with English cricket, followed the Australians around, and collected charts of Bradman’s- innings. After studying them on the eve of the Leeds test he confided the scheme to one of the bowlers. “There,” he said dramatically pointing his finger to a spot on the chart, is Bradman’s weakness. Feed him there to-morrow,” he said. Bradman batted, and scored 334. . The bowler met the student after the day’s play. “What about that scheme of yours?” he said. “Oh, there was nothing wrflng with the scheme,” said the student. “ You fellows should learn to bowl properly.” Having watched Bradman in England. I came to the conclusion that he had a weak shot down the gully, which he invariably played off the first suitable ball. I proceeded to put my ideas into action during the Ryder testimonial match. When Bradman came in I sneaked away from slips into the gully, while the bowler was running up to bowl. Feeling that I had deceived Bradman, there was nothing else to do but to wait quietly and take the catch. The stroke was perfectly timed, and the ball whizzed safely past like a shot from a cannon. He looked at me, smiled, and winked. I crept back to the slips feeling very guilty and crestfallen. Bradman probably sits up in the middle of the night and roars with laughter at such feeble attempts to get him out. Some weeks ago North Districts played St. George, and Frank Buckle, of the northern team, dropped in a day before the match, and.-fpld me that he was going to get Bradman 'caught at 'fine leg. Bradman was nearly caught early..in the’' innings at fine leg, and succumbed later »n the same position,fop 49 runs. Alan Thatcher, -Mamckville's captain, has, I believe, been trying all the week to hatch a plot, not to get Bradman out, but to keep him in to-morrow. That_ shouldn’t be very difficult.'. He intends to keep the strike from Bradman and concentrate the attack on three comparatively weak St. George batsmen. This is an excellent scheme, but I have an idea that Bradman has also been doing some quiet thinking. NEW CLUB'S SUCCESS A correspondent writes as follows: The conclusion of the Third Grade compeition last Saturday showed that the newly-formed Leith Club, which was a cbse competitor to Albion, the shield winners, deserved its affiliation to the Otago Cricket Association. Although the highest score was that' made by Riach (41) against Kaikorai, the club derived its success by its excellent bowling. Howie, who is undoubtedly the best, fast bowler in the Third Grade division, took 73 wickets at an average cost of 3.2 l—an excellent performance. Ayres, quite a good “ googley ” bowler, proved a valuable asset to the team, having to his credit 33 wickets at an average cost of four runs, Riach, Burtenshaw, and Bringhans also secured good averages considering that this season was ‘ their first at cricket. Ayres played consistent cricket throughout the season, averaging double figures. Considering that only five members of this team have played cricket previous to this year, the result of their year’s play is a very creditable one. The club has something to look forward to next year,--when it will have the . services of a first-class coach to whom quite a few of the Australian cricket celebrities owe their success. The Leith Club is to be congratulated on its success, especially in view of the fact that the past season was its first. THE TOUR OF ENGLAND Commenting on the appointments which the New Zealand Council made for the tour of England, Arthur Maiiey writes as follows in the Sydney Sun;— ■ While-these ..dual appointments might have been made in order to economise, It also shows that the cricket authorities realise there are players in New Zealand capable of looking after the managerial and financial side of a tour. Otherwise the tour would have,been abandoned., Managing a team in England is not as strenuous as most people imagine. Hotel accommodation is usually arranged by Mr R. H. Mallett, who recently managed the West.lndies team. Railway passages are booked by a tourist agency, and the admirable Ferguson looks after the luggage, and does a certain amount of tipping. Other than accepting or refusing invitations to banquets or shoe factories, and dealing with applications for test match tickets, there is little else for the manager to do. ■ In order to make the manager s lot easier, typists are engaged, but there are few occasions on which the manager is not able to spend the whole day at the oncuet match. . . The treasurer’s work is, perhaps, more strenuous, and much more important, ict I tbinV that one capable man could do both jobs, and do them well. New Zealand Cricket Councils determination to send a team to England at aU costa is commendable, and it will be interesting to see how the manager-captain-zSl»d” Sit te suffered from the lack of funds for some years But, thanks to generous Australian and New Zealand patrons of the game, it has more or less kept its head above this season the Dominion Council invited an Australian team to visit New Zealand for a short tour, to assist in the preparation of the team leaving fo England, and, incidentally, help the finances. Although New Zealand was prepared to cover the cost of the tour, the Board of Control, for some unknown xeasn, turned the request down. With New Zealand struggling to maintain a certain standard of cricket, the board’s decision was somewhat disappointing It must not be thought that the benefits derived from such tours are confined to New Zealand. These tours give Australian cricketers excellent opportunities to play under other conditions and to develop team work. The fact that Lowry, the New Zealand manager-player, is well known in England should make his duties easier. I’m sure he will not make the same faux pas as an Australian manager once made, when, on arrival, he was met by a portly man with coils of chains and trinkets dangling from his neck, and wearing robes of office. The stout party extended his hand in welcome. Before he could say a word, however, the Australian manager exclaimed: I m the manager of the Australian Eleven. Who are you?” , ~ _ „, r , “Me; oh, I’m only the Lord Mayor ot London,” was the quiet response. PORT CHALMERS CLUB The Following are the averages of the Port Chalmers Club:— Batting.

*Not out.

Average runs per wicket. —For, 13.14; against, 6.34. Culbert’s wicket-kccping was outstanding. the total byes recorded being 44; average per innings o£ 3.14.

THE FIELDING CUP On counting up the points awarded for the cup presented by Mr J. J. Clark for fielding, it was found that three teams had tied for first place. The points gained by the various teams were as follow: — Carisbrook 36, Dunedin 36, Old Boys 36, Albion 31, Grange 30, Christian Brothers 29, NOTES Cricket notes for this season will cease with this issue.' The season;which has just been closed was the wettest within the memory of many old cricketers. The postponements were perhaps not as frequent as in some previous seasons, but conditions were seldom good for practice, and it is safe to say that there was not one really hard wicket during the season. A prominent member of one club stated that it had not averaged one night a week for practice. This state of affairs has been a severe handicap, and has robbed the season of a great deal of interest. Although he was “ not seeing them,” to use his own expression. Bush was not defeated until he had scored 78 for Grange on Saturday, and he did not give a chance. It was apparent at the start of his innings that he was confident and it was not until he was past the half century that he began to open out. Yet it was a good innings, and showed that he is a very sound cricketer. His average for the few innings that he has played is over 45. It is a coincidence that bn the same day as Dunning declared with a score of 208 against Christian Brothers a Wellington captain also decided to declare with the same number. But whereas Christian Brothers were dismissed for 92, the Wellington side watched its opponents knock up 379 for-nine wickets and win the match. ’ That Elmes’s loss of form was only temporary was shown by his scores_ of 50 not out on Saturday and 49 against Christian Brothers. His runs on Saturday were made in excellent style, and he obviously has many good knocks before him. In each of two complete innings played in First Grade on Saturday only one batsman was caught, the remainder being •either bowled, run out, or dismissed by the Ibw route. M'Haffie and Wilson made a good fighting stand when nine Albion wickets were down against Old Boys on Saturday. M'Haffie played ■ another fine knock for ‘SO not but, whlile Wilson, who is not recognised as a batsman, surprised his team mates by making a confident stand for 20. The batsmen could not reach Old Boys’ score, but the stand which they made was one of the brightest incidents in a season which has been marked by exciting finishes. A. P. F.‘ Chapman, former captain, of England, has accepted the position of captain of the Kent County cricket team in succession to G. B. Legge, who will be unable to spare the time to play regularly this year. G. C. Grant, captain of the West Indies cricket team which recently completed its tour of is now on his way to India. Grant denied a story that he was going to the mission field,, and explained that he was going to India to see hia brother. After that he will go to Rhodesia, where he has. accepted a position as a teacher. There is a humorous aspect to the allocation of certain “trophies” to members of a team of experienced and sociable players in the Canterbury Cricket Association’s Second Grade competition—a team composed largely of one-time First Grade players (states the Sun). At the beginning of the season a commercial traveller, who takes a great interest in cricket, and who has several friends in this team, offered to give a bottle of whisky to the member of the team who obtained the best bowling average for the season, and another bottle of whisky to the member who made the best score for the team in the season. Now, there are only two teetotallers in the side—and they won the two bottes of whisky! _ Melbourne’s latest sensation is the question of the cricketer a’Beckett’s amateur status. He is a member of the Melbourne University Football • Club, which plays with. the Metropolitan Association, a rigidly amateur body. A’Beckett has taken money for playing cricket with- the Australian Eleven, and the question is whether this may not bar him from amateur football. - The matter is being considered by the metropolitan body. In ’the Second Grade A competition University A is the winning team, and the Fourth Grade championship has been won by Grange. In the Second Grade B contest Taieri and Port Chalmers are at present equal in points, but Port Chalmers played one match less than Taieri. The clubs have been asked to forward their score books, to the Grade Committee, and the winner will be decided by a comparison of averages. A similar position has arisen in the Third Grade competition, in which Caversham Presbyterian and Albion are equal, Albion playing one game lees than Cavereham. The winner in this case also will be decided on averages. Mr G. A. Wycherley (president of the Otago Cricket Association) sent a telegram on - behalf of Otago cricketers to T. C. Lowry prior to the departure of the New Zealand team, wishing the side an enjoyable and successful tour. I was told a story the other day which shows that Dunedin is not unknown in the highest cricket circles. When the English team last toured Australia a Dunedin man and his son happened to be staying at their hotel. The boy had been presented with a bat by hia father, and immediately set about having it autographed by the Englishmen. When he asked Hobbs to inscribe his name the famous batsman asked the boy where he came from. The reply seemed to interest him. “ Oh,_ Dunedin,” he said, “that’s the only place in the world where they ring a hell at the end of an over." It may be added in passing that Mr O. Todd is believed to have been the originator of the idea. It does not seem likely, however, that it will now be adopted elsewhere. Changes, whether advisable or not, are not made lightly in the game of cricket. Visiting cricketers have mainly been non-committal when for their opinions of the innovation. Thu Englishmen who recently toured New Zealand were, if my recollection of their conversations in the score box is correct, far from enthusiastic. It seems to mo that experienced umpires count the balls in an over automatically, and I have frequently seen them walk away from the wicket before the bell has been rung. X have not asked any umpires whether they prefer the scorer to count the balls, but I would not be surprised if most of them were quite indifferent as to whether the bell is rung or not.

R. H.S. Inn. N.O. Av. Ledgerwood Culbert .. 194 ..' 226 ■77* 70* 10 13 1 2 21.56 20.55 .. 102 53 12 3 18.00 Martindale .. 195 49* 12 1 17.73 H. Nelson .. .. 187 91 12 15.58 Sinclair .. 135 36* 13 3 13.50 .. 67 36 9 1 8.37 Braithwaite .. 74 14 11 1 7.40 Short .. • - 38 12 1 7.36 Armstrong . .. 52 15 12 4 6.50 Walsh . 18 12 6.25

Bowl: mg. 0. M. ■R. W. Av. Ledgerwood .. 77 19 124 26 4.77 .. 132 36 274 48 5.71 Armstrong .. 73 18 167 20 8.35 Martindalc .. 63 5 233 21 11.10