CRICKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23671, 1 December 1938, Page 4

CRICKET

By Slip FIXTURES: December 24, 26, 27 and 28,-Otayo v. Wellington, at Wellington. December 31, January 2, 3 and 4. Otago v. Auckland, at Carisbrook. February 3,4, 6 and 7.—Otago v. Canterbury, at Carisbrook. March 2, 4 and 6.—Otago v. Sir Julien Cahn's eleven, at Carisbrook. PLAYERS DISSATISFIED The decision of ,the Otago Cricket Association not to play matches in the higher grades on the occasion of the Town v. Country game last Saturday caused a great deal of dissatisfaction among Dlayers, who declared that it was unreasonable to deprive about 300 men of a game because 11 were required for the country fixture. The purpose of the association in postponing fixtures was not made clear, but its action displeased a large number of players, who hold the view that they should have been given a game despite the absence of prominent players from their, teams. No committee can hope to avoid occasional dissatisfaction among the men whose recreation it organises, but complaints by players are so frequent that one must conclude that either the players are unreasonable in their demands or the members of the association are not sufficiently in touch with the players' views. If the latter Is the case, the committee as a whole may offer the exciise that it has been misled,.,for a number of the decisions that have caused displeasure have been made on the •recommendation of members who are' themselves players.- There is on the association's committee a strong representation of playing members,.who ought to know what active cricekters. desire, but the fact remains that a great majority of players favour 2 to 6 o'clock as the hours of play; while the association has fixed the hours at 1.30 to 6.30. It seems clear, at any rate, that the players want their cricket on Saturday afternoons, even if they would prefer a shorter game. The decision to postpone matches last Saturday has annoyed them, and their attitude points to the necessity for closer attention to the interests and desires of the players generally. ' LESSONS OF COUNTRY WEEK The country week matches served a dual purpose in that they stimulated interest,in the game outside the boundaries, of Dunedin, and also pointed to the fact that Otago players will have to improve upon their present form if they are to hold their own with northern sides this season. The games further illustrated the improvement that has taken place in the. standard of Southland cricket. This team was much stronger than ; the others which took part in the tournament, and the combined side, which.was mainly composed of Southland, players, gave the Town team as big a fright as did the Southland team which opposed the Otago Eleven at Invercargill on Labour Day. If Southland is to contribute any players to the Otago Plunket Shield eleven, Cutler seems to be the brightest prospect, but Southland's strength lay in the evenness of its side rather than in individual merit. At the same time, it should be added, that Scandrett is in danger of becoming a mere hitter instead of a fine cricketer as: he should be. The Town eleven's display against the combined team brought the tournament to a disappointing conclusion. The 1 bowling of the home side was unimpressive, and the> batting'was slow and uncertain, while Mills's wicketkeeping was not up to the standard expected of an Otago representative Had Southland's regular 'keeper, Dunnett, been available, he might very well r have forced 'bis way into the Otago side, but, unfortunately, he is suffering from the efforts of a blow on the face from a cricket ball at practice, and may not be able to play again. The Otago team will have to be s .lected soon, and it is to be expected that the form shown on the next few Saurdays will have an imporant bearing on its composition, but a definite all-round improvement is required if the team is to be as strong as it should be... HANS EBELING RETIRES Hans Ebeling; the captain of the Melbourne Cricket Club, has announced his retirement, He was first heard of (an Australian writer states) at Caulfield Grammar School, and played his first interstate match for Victoria on his nineteenth birthday. He has been an ornament to the game in every way and has many fine performances to his credit, the best perhaps being his seven wickets for 28 runs for Victoria against Queensland 'n 1928. . ■,.' v ■ ■ A fast-medium right-hand bowler, Ebeling was one of the best of his type in Australia. He had splendid com-

mand, and the ability to swing late made him a source of danger. As he could bowl for long spells he was a valuable member of the side. He was a member of the 1934 Australian team that toured England, and he played in the last test match, scoring 2 and 41, and taking three for 74 and none for 15. On the tour he took 62 wickets at an average of 20.83, and his top score was 41, Ebeling, who is aged 33 years, first played for Victoria in 1924. He took 109 wickets for.an average of 30.1, and made 640 runs in 50 innings (eight times not out), with 76 his top score. Ebeling followed Woodfull as captain of Victoria, and held thai; position until

last year, when, after matches against New Zealand and Western Australia, he was replaced by Keith Rigg. ARMSTRONG'S WEIGHT The comment of Mr Dan Reece, who returned this week from Australia, on the great weight of Warwick Armstrong—2l stone—recalls a story told by W. A. Oldfleld in his recent book. On a voyage Home with an Australian team to England (Oldfleld states) Armstrong learned a bitter lesson on the subject of weight-re-ducing. He was worried because of the fact that he weighed 20 stone, and decided that he must reduce his weight before he reached the Old Country so that he would be in his best condition for the heavy programme that lay ahead. Every afternoon about 5 o'clock Armstrong disappeared to the depths of the steamer and joined the stokers. He remained below about an hour each day, and on his arrival in England he hopefully got on the scales. I shall never forget his look of disgust when he saw the hand racing round to 21 stone. Instead of taking off a stone he had added one. He had the satisfaction, however, of bejng much fitter. NOTES W,. J. O'Reilly, after his strenuous season in England, had a remarkable record in Sydney on a recent Saturday. Playing for St. George against Paddington, he took five wickets for 15 in the first innings and nine for 27, including the hat trick, in the second. It shows keenness unusual in a champion bowler to put forth such a sustained effort in a club match (commented an Australian writer) One recalls some of the great bowlers of the past, notably the late Hugh Trumble, who reserved their best for first-class matches. They did not concentrate in club games. The Victorian selectors have chosen the team to represent "The Rest against the Australian eleven in the match to celebrate the centenary of the Melbourne Cricket Club, to commence on the Melbourne ground on Friday, December 9. The team is: K. E Rigg (V., captain).' I. S. Lee. (V.), R. G. Gregory (V.), M. W. Sievers (V.), L. E. Nagel (V.), E. H. Bromley (V.) J. A. Ledward (V.)), S. G. Barnes (N.S.W.), D. Tallon <Q.), C. Christ (Q.), and G. Eyres (W.A.).W. E. Pearson (Victoria) will be, twelfth man for each team. ' . There was the hall mark of class about Roy Sheffield's innings of 78 for University (Wellington) against Old Boys. The coach, who formerly played for Essex, put the students on the right way. At one stage he took but little oarl; in the scoring, but it was obvious that he was" giving every opportunity to his young partner, who was shaping in fine style. Since the previous Saturday Sheffield had.been to Auckland where he was married on the Monday evening He was back in Wellington with his bride on Wednesday morning, . and resumed cricket coaching duties that day. . . The Melbourne Cricket Club has called for applications for the secretaryship, created vacant by the death of Mr Hugh Trumble. The salary is £IOOO per annum. , .... .. _ W Tallon, who was included in the Queensland Sheffield Shield team, to meet New South Wales, is a brother of Don Tallon, the State wicket-keeper. A slow leg-break bowler, he took the place filled at times by K. Govam C L. Badcock produced one of nis missing test centuries in Adelaide recently. Playing his first innings since his return, from England, he showed brilliant form in hitting •up 142 (14 4's and a 6) in 163 minutes for Adelaide against Prospect. . famS- ,_- A Gerringong (N.S.W.) farmer, Edgar Emery, by his sensational high scoring in country cricket matches, has forced himself to the notice of all cricketers.- His last four innings for Gerringong produced 700 runs. Emery told me (states a writer in the Sydney Referee) that.he is lucky to be playing cricket to-day. Five years ago he spent nine months in bed with a strained heart, and on doctor's orders was told never again to take part in anv active sport. Yet here he..is right in "the thick of it again, and. judging by his scores at Gerringong this season, one would think he never had a day's illness in his life.