Cricket.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 67, 22 February 1895, Page 4

Cricket.

The following interesting pars are extracted from the Sydney Bulletin: — In England McLaren being an amateur, is “ Mister.’ With the Sydney crowd he is “ Archie.” In one of the matches on the Sydney ground, McLaren was fielding near the fence, and a sky hit came towards him. “ Miss it Archie,” yelled one of the crowd, “ Miss it, Archie, and you can kiss my sister.” Crowds are partisans. When in Melbourne the Vies, are in and a Sydney bowler is bowling on the off theory, the crowd, fearful that their batsman will hit out and get caught, keep up a fusilade from the fence. “ Bowl straight!” “ Can’t you see the wicket ?” “ You’re a cock-eyed bowler.” “ Can’t hit a house if you’re inside it,” Ac., Ac. But when the Sydney men are in and the Vies, are playing “ off ” and failing to tempt the wary batsmen, then comes a change of fire from the ground croAvd. “ Hit the ball!’’ * { Lay on the wood like Bruce does !” “ Why the devil don’t you try to score ?” “ Isn’t it big enough ? Would you like a pumpkin to hit at ?” Ac., Ac. Adelaide experts consider Iredale the next Australian batsman to George Giffen. They like bis confidence, ease and elegance. Albert Trott was 22 on February 6. Giffen thinks that Lyon’s recent failures have been chiefiy caused by his attempts to play cautiously. “ His game is to hit,” George says. Nothing would please S.A. better than to see Giant Jack put up a century against the Englishmen. Over £SOO has been collected for George Giffen in Adelaide. Albert Trott says the Englishmen lost the third test match chiefly through overcarefulness. The barracking Worrall received from the Sydney crowd was not half as severe as that which Lyons had in Melbourne. Lyons let Iredale do a lot of his fielding for him, and the many runs which resulted from Lyons’ defectiveness may alone exclude him from the next two test matches. No selection committee could allege against Bathurst McKibben what was pleaded againgt Iredale—that he was physically unfit for the hurly-burly of an English tour. McKibben rode 40 miles on Thursday, travelled all night in the train, and paralysed the Victorians on Friday. Cricket cannot require the “ staying power ” essential in other manly games else Blackham and Garret, members of the first Australian Eleven which visited England 17 years ago, and who played for their respective provinces in the last intercolonial match, would long ago ha\ T e been laid on the shelf. In the New South Wales-Victoria interproviucial match the Victorian eleven reached only 181 in their first innings, the small score being greatly due to McKibben, who took five of their wickets for 86 runs. Several of the Victorians say that McKibben’s fast ball is a decided throw.

Some 7000 people, on Anniversary Day, went to Sydney Cricket Ground, and spent most of their time in objurgating the drizzling rain and bitter wind. Not until three o’clock, did play begin, and it closed before five, iredale batted with splendid vigour, sending his score of 28 up to 86, and when his cuts and drives sped over the surface of the field, and cut a thin, green track through the rain-beaded grass, the crowd greAv warm Avith enthusiasm. But the ball, however, spent about half its time in the sawdust, and while A. E. Trott or C. McLeod would be giving it a dry coat the crowd unmercifully barracked Worrall. Worrall is reputed to ha\ T e derided N.S.W. players by stating that the Australian Eleven could be formed without them. The Sydney crowd resented this by deriding Worrall. Thus, when the first ball bowled was driven, by Iredale to the fence, fifty voices shouted ; —“ How do you like that, Worrall ?” “ Put Worrall on ! He can play !” “ Let Worrall bowl!” and so on during the bare laao hours of play. Moses was bowled for Iby a straight ball, which decived him in the flight.