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Otago Witness, Issue 2400, 1 March 1900, Page 46

NOTES BY SLIP.

1 have been privileged, to receive from Mr F. 15. Ashley-Cooper a copy of a valuable little volume he has compiled, entitled "Feats, Facts, • and Figures of 1893," -which is in effect an er>i1 ■some, of all that is worth knowing about the .English cricket Eeason of last year. Mr AshleyCooper is well known to all cricketers and lovers ' of cricket as exceedingly methodical and correct ' in his statistical work, as" well as a perfect en- • cyclopedia of cricket lore and an indisputable authority on all matters relating to the game, ■ -and I can only count it a very high compliment that he should have forwarded me a copy of this -work, more particularly as he informs me •ihat only 20 copies of it were issued, ali of them "being intended for private circulation. The South Otago Association's Shield match Lawrence -and LoveJl's Plat resulted •in a win for Lawrence by 34 runs on the fi.r3t innings. Lovell's Flat were all dismissed for .27 runs, Lawrence making 51. The result of . this match leaves LaAvrence at the head of the . 'list of clubs in the northern district of the South Otago Cricket Association. A match between Tapanui and Waikoikoi was won by tho latter by 48 runs on tile first inmings. Scores: Tapamii, 53 (G-. Sommerville 27), Waikoikoi, 101 (G. Crawford 47, Robertson '26, A. Eeid 14). "For Waikoikoi, Howatt obtained a remarkable analysis — 28 balls, 3 maidens, 'i run, 6 wickets. 'The return match between Waikouaiti and Palmerston was easily won by the former. Palanerston went first to the wickets, and made 68, 'Turner 19 and Robertson 16 getting double 'figures. Before time was called Waikouaiti had scored 80 for the loss of four wickets, Bradley .making 50 in good Btyle, but his score was assisted by some loose fielding. , A_. B. Williams has notified the New Zealand 'Cricket Association that he will.be unable to itake part in the match New Zealand v. Victoria at Christchurch. "J. Fowke takes his __ 2pia.ee. . One of .the members of the Cajiterbury Cricket 'Association Committee, at a meeting last weelc, gave a very peculiar description of the ethics • of cricket. He said that the umpires for Can- , ter bury .and Otago gave out thejr opponents lbw - every time. there was an opportunity; but that • never were the mystic letters recorded against • ffcheir own men by the umpires. Hence the gentleman who occupied the floor opined that it ' .would be a good thng to have foreign um- • yrres. , The ' numerous friends of the celebrated - tolayer,-? Harry Trott, will be Very pleased to learn -that &c v is showing BignS bf mental im-

provement. Dr Beattie Smith kindly informs me (" Felix," oi the Australasian) that on a recent Saturday Harry played with the Kew Asylum team, and performed splendidly by scoring 98 runs in 40 minutes against the North Melbourne Rovers. Harry hit a grand sixer, and no fewer than 20 4's. The asylum players "declared" with three down for 200. The Rovers made only 60, Harry Trott bowling one ball for one wicket. Dr Smith states : " Trott brightened up, fielded with some agility, and batted with neatness and dexterity. Of course a man ran for him. This news will be pleasant for Harry's old friends to hear."

An article on the Australian Eleven of 1899 is an interesting feature in " Wisden " for this year. Frorc it I extract the following: — "Except as regards the rnanagenint of his wicketkeepers Darling proved himself one of the very best captains that ever took a team into the field. In following Harry Trott he was of necessity judged by the highest standard, and it is only the truth to say that he exceeded all anticipations. He placed the field with the nicest skill according to the peculiarities of different batsmen, and like Trott he shewed a perfect genius for changing his bowling, always seeming to put the right bowler on at the right time and at the proper end. The way in which he utilised Jones's pace was in itsolt sufficient to prove him a great leader. Judged by general results, the batting of the Australians was stronger than the bowling, but in this connection I think figures were to some extent fallacious. The bowlers, it is true, suffered a good deal in many of the smaller fixtures, bxit apart from the English matches at Manchester and the Oval they nearly always did wonderful work when any special effort was demanded of them. Perhaps by reason of oJd associations 1 cannot bring myself to believe that Jones, Trumble, Howell, Noble, and M'Leod were equal to the famous group of 1882 — Spofforth, Palmer, Boyle, G-arrett, and Giffen — but- allowing for the enormous difference in the character of the seasons there niay not have been very much to choose. It struck me that Jones bowled with a fairer action than in 1886, and though there were occasions — notably the opening fixture at the Crystal Palace and the England match at Manchester — when his delivery was far from satisfactory there can be no doubt, I think, that he strove to keep within the law. This being the case, it was gratifying to find that he lofct nothing either in pace or effectiveness. The team owed him far more than could be gleaned from his average, the four victories at Lord's being due in a large measure to his effoits. Tiurnble bowled quite aa well as in 1896, the falling off in his. average being more than accounted for by the number of dry wickets on which he had to play. He never seemed easy to hie, and whenever the ground gave him tho least advantage, as for example in the first match with Surrey and the opening stage of the return with that county, he was deadly, his off break, in combination with an accuracy of pitch that would have done credit to -Alfred Shaw in his best day, being far too, much for the majority of the batsmen. . . . It is likely enough that if he had not been such a wonderful success as a batsman Noble would have done great things with the ball, but as it was he scarcely came up to expectation, proving comparatively ineffective in the latter half of the season and failing to secure his 100 wickets. On his good days, however, he'always looked extremely difficult to play, notably in the England match at Leeds and the latter part of the return match with the M.C.C, at Lord's. I am bound to add — somewhat reluctantly — that the fairness of his deliveiy was often questioned by those who played against him. No one alleged that his action was- habitually unfair, but that he threw now and then scarcely seemed to be disputed. In this connection, I may mention that on the first morning the team practised at Lord's at the beginning of May I had not been on the ground ten minutes before three people — quite independent of one another — told me that Noble's action was questionable. Howell, without realising all the Jiopes raised by his wonderful performance against Surrey in May, proved himself a first-rabe bowler, and seemed just as good at the end of the tour as he had been at the beginning. Taking one day with another, however, I do not think he did so much with the ball on hp^rd wickets as had been expected. Still, he always looked to have plenty of spin, and for subtle variations of pace -without apparent change of action it would be hard to find his superior. M'Leod, by reason of his failures as a batsman, did not till the tour was nearly three parts over have much chance of bowling on big occasions, but in August he nuddsnlv came out in first-rate form. In the Warwickshire match at Birmingham circumstances compelled him to bowl, contrary to his usual practice, round the wicket and he found the new method answer uncommonly well, the ball going away with his arm in a very puzzlingfashion. ... Of the Australian batting one might write columns and yet leave the subject \in exhausted. Certainly no travelling team has ever possessed a band of more consistent lungetters. Having regard to the character of the summer not one of them came out with an astonishing record, but in a collective sense the strength was overwhelming. A side so difficult to get rid of. on hard wickets has certainly never before "been sent to England fiom the colonies. Clement Hill. Noble, Darling, "Worrall, and Trwmper formed in themselves "a superb combination, and in addition the team included Gregory. Iredale, Trumble, Kelh', Lav.er, ana M'Leod. No wonder, with the sun shining day after day. that' the scoring was high. Personally, I think Hill was the best bat of the lot, but there can be very little to choose between him and Darling, judging the latter on his form in August."

The conditions prevailing on Saturday were so entirely favourable to a good display of batting that the fact that the combined efforts of the C range and Carisbrook batsmen resulted in only 172 run's being scored was very disappointing. ■ The early departure of Baker from the wickets led to the conclusion among the spectators that th? Grange would not Sfore much more than half the century; but the rather lucky innings of Chadwick altered the aspect. Though the young Grange batsman was fortunate in not being got rid of very easily in his innings, he certainly made some admirable strokes later on, one or two to ]eg beins: very effective. Johnston's play was characteristic — slow, but pretty sure. When he was given out leg before wicket, such an interval elapsed between the stroke and the umpire's decision that the spectators had doubts as to how he actually did get out. The explanation is very simple. G-. Austin sent up one of those deliveries which he alone of Otago bowlers is capable of bowling — those that curl in the air — and Johnston, judging that the ball would land on his leg side, made a great swoop, and at the same time placed his foot in the block hole, where the ball really did land. Fisher appealed in an undertone, and as the umpire didn't appear to hear him, a second appeal was made, and Mr M'Crorie gave the only decision he could reasonably have giver. — out, leg beforp wicket. Turnbull's score of 21 included some nice hits ; but the field were lenient towards him. That the Grange has a well-defined tail is shown by the fact that the last six batsmen aggregated orily 8 runs.

Liggins and Siedeberg started the Carisbrook innings so well that the prospects of a very respectable total being reached were bright; but with' the departure of these two, something like a collapse ensued, and at the close of the day's play seven of their wickefs had fallen, and the score was fetill i short of their opponents'. Liggins showed something liko his old form in compiling his -20, while Siedeberg had suite

mastered the bowling.when he was given out on an appeal for thrown out. The umpire's decision was by no means endorsed by the spectators; those in a good position declaring that the batsman was wrongly dismissed. Some unpleasantness was caused by A. Downes persistently appealing for leg before; though, considering he was breaking from a foot to 18in, and sent down not more than two or three straight balls, he had little hope of getting a favourable decision.

The Senior Cup match between the "United and Midland Clubs was concluded at Christchurch last Saturday, the former winning by six wickets. The Midlanders made 131 and 235 (Cobcroft 96, Smith 27, Barry 23, D. Reese 19), and the United scored 226 and 142 for four wickets (Clark not out 41, T. D. Harrnan not out 29, "W. Harman 20, Prankish 18, Sims 17). The competition for the Cup is now very interesting. In the next round, Lancaster Park play Midland, and United play Sydenharn. If the U.C.C. should win the latter match, Midland cannot van the Cup, but the L.P.C. could tie with United by beating, the Midland. It is unnecessary to add anything to the tolerably full report, which appears elsewhere, of the match between Southland and Otago. The match excited no interest, and the local team, although it included only four, or at most five, players, who would be likely to be included in the best eleven of Otago, won rather easily. The Southland team, on the other hand, -was not at its full strength. The absence of Burnes alone was a distinct loss to it. The best batting for the visitors was shown by Dr Jack Thomson, who happened to be in Dunedm making his preparations for a trip he contemplates making to the old country, and to the Paris Exhibition. '