NOTES BY SLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 50

NOTES BY SLIP.

An interesting match was played at Sydney on the 10th and 12inst., a New South Wales eleven, including seven players who had represented Australia, being pitted against 15 rising players, only eleven of the hitter, however, being permitted *c field. Syd. Gregory won the toss, and sent in Victor Trumper and Harry Donnan. The former had his leg-stump cent out of the perpendicular by Marsh, the aboriginal bowler, after he had n>ade a single. Donnan disappeared from the ecene for five, and two of the cracks had gone for 11. Iredale was bowled by Marsh for 11 and Hopkins succumbed also to Marsh for 7. Noble and Syd. Gregory took the score from- 44 for four wickets to 176, when the latter was held in the slips off Marsh. Noble went on until he had made the fine score of 149, when a miss-hit off Marsh caused his exit. He was missed soon after starting his innings by Colreavy off Howard, but his display, on the whole, was in keeping with his high reputation, his cutting and driving, when he warmed to his work, being a treat to witness. R. A. Duff appeared to marked advantage in compiling 46. J. J. Kelly fell for 7, but Howell knocked up 26. The Eleven scored 320, -Marsh securing six -wickets for 125. The Fifteen replied with 223, of which Poidevin made 55, Pite 45, and W. S. Duff 36. Poidevin hit ten fours, and during his partnership with Pite, Noble was hit about somewhat freely. Noble, however, came out with grand figures, eight wickets falling to him for 90. He was, indeed, the hero of the match, making- top score and having- the best bowling average. The Eleven, at their second try, lost fouv wickets for 112, Hopkins making 45, Howell 24, and Kelly 20. In connection with this match I clip the following reference to an unusual occurrence from the Town and Country Journal: — A little bit of theatrical business was displayed at the beginning of the trial match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday. On the £rst day of the match Marsh had been noballed several times by W. Curran,_ the umpire, for deliveries which he considered to ba unlawful. Marsti maintained that his delivery was in accordance with the law, which Fays that the ball mu«t be bowled — not thrown or jerked. To demonstrate this, he bound a splint on his elbow, which prevented the arm being bent. Curran paid this, was mere trickery, and suggested that the wrist should be bound. Very unwisely, he refused to umpire aqaui, 4 and his refusal created considerable discussion in the pavilion. LTnfortm-ately, some people seem to think that, because n bowler i? no-bowled for throwing, he must have attempted to gain an advantage by deliberately unfair play. No such inference cm be drawn from the present incident, ilarfh bowled 239 balLs durmg the match, and was keenly watched by Callaway and Curran on the first day, and Jones on the pecond daj'. Of these 239 balls, only four were cl'allcnged by the umpire, and therefore the other 235 must have been properly bowled, not thrown or jerl-ed. It is quite impossible to draw up a rule in writing defining exactly what is

legal bowling and what is not, and, therefore, the decision must be left to the discretion of the umpire. The rule, as it stands, distinctly instructs the umpire to call No ball if he is not satisfied of the absolute fairness of the delivery. The rule, as it is worded, does not give the bowler the benefit of any .doubt, and, therefore, one umpire may no-ball a bowler who may satisfy 99 other umpires. Marsh says that his delivery does not constitute a throw, and in order to give the umpire, Curran, an opportunity of being ""satisfied of the absolute- iairness, of the .delivery," he bound his elbow in" splints, so that it could not be bent. Unfortunately .Curran misunderstands the nature of his,, duties as an umpire, and he decined -to go on umpiring, and thereby deprived himself of an opportunity. of satisfying himself of the. fairness of the delivery. There are many cricketers who- maintain that Marsh throws, and if they were umpiring it would be their duty to-no-ba,ll him, but there are just as many, and probably more, who are quite satisfied with tlfe" f airnes's- of his delivery. "The question is continually cropping'- \ip" r a nd will do so whilst the rule stands as it is. At Invercargill last week the match betv een the Appleby and Star Elevens was concluded in favour of the former, the scores being — Appleby, 126 and 156 fo reight wickets (Kane not out 55, Stead 2?, Ferguson not out 16, Geddes 12, Strong 12, Manson 10) ; Star, 92. The Invercargill Eleven defeated the Star Thirteen by 72 Tuns on the first innings, scoring 112 and 124 for three wickets (Marion 53, Jones not out 54), against the Star's 40 (Cowan 13). A match between Lovell's Flat and Waitahuna last week resulted in a rather curious tie. Lovell's Flat made 52 (Hall 13, Bowie 11) an,« 27, and Waitahuna, reversing the scoring, made 27 and's2 (W. M'Kenzie 20, Cowan 13). From Cobcroft I gather that he Avill probably start cricket this season in about a fortnight's time. The Grange may .secure tb.2 benefit of his service?. Though there was still some flood-water at the south end of the Carisbrook ground on Saturday, Mills had a good and fairly fast wicket prepared for the match between the Carisbrook and Albion Clubs. There was nothing in the wickel to justify the Albion s slow scoring. Only two members of the team at all distinguished themselves with the bat. Black played nicely for his runs, but a mistake by one of the ximpires gave him a life at the outset of his innings when he had been caught at the wickets, and E. Gibson showed some freedom in hi& batting. Therewas nothing noteworthy about the Carisbrook batting, either, if the displays by Broad and G. G. Austin be exeepted, and these players were both extremely streaky for the first couple of overs, Permin (upon whose bowling both subsequently came down rather heavily) repeatedly sticking them up. Burt, and Liggins shaped well. Siedeberg failed for the first. time this season, and he had as a companion in mipforLune Mill?, who has not succeeded in striking form at all yet. Possibly after the weather has quite settled he may show some of his Auckland batting, in _ which case he will be a tower of strength to his club and also to the province. 'in the North ,Otago Cricket Association's matches last week the Oamaru- A team (batting nine men) defeated the Waitaki High School by 17 runs on the first innings.' The High School made 70 (Brown 12, Hunter 11) to Oamaru's 87 (Borton 18, Fdrsyth not out 15, A. Ongley 13, Hevvat 13, Teschemaker 10, F. Ongley 10). Tureka defeated the Capulet by 67 runs. Tureka closed their innings with six wickets down for 97 (Gibb not out 44,'Doig 18, Dewar 14, Meldrum 13), and disposed of the Capulets for 30 (M'Ghie 14). Dr "Jack" -Thompson returned -last week from his trip to Englr*_cl. He tells me he saw a lot of first-class cricket in England. He had the good fortune to see C. B. Fry and G. 'L. Jessop play jfjne innings, and he saw A. E. Stoddart make nis big score of the season, but he was unfortunate in not seeing K. S. Ranjitsinhji. Pie went to two matches played by Sussex in. order to see the incomparable Indian bay, but Rani did not play in either, and they were the only Susex matches in which he did not take part during the season. He saw some big hitting by Albert Trott, V. T. Hill, and others besides the amateur? already named. He was at the Scarborough Festival at the close of the season and saw F. S. Jackson score his century in his first innings of the year, after being invalided back from the war. But "Jack" does not think there was much the matter with Jackson. A lot of fellows have got invalided -home who had got tired of the war. ♦ The Senior Cup rratches at OhristcbnToh were continued last Saturday in lovely weather. In the match Midland v. Lav caster Park Midland made 64 and Lancaster Park 111 "(Cant 34, H. C. Ridley- 27). In the match United v. Sydenham and Addington the United scored 100 (Sims 26, Hair 22 not out) and 31 foi one wicket. Sydenham scored 63 (Love not out 26). In the senior matches at Wellington on Saturday the Phcenix defeated the Old Boys by an innings and 37 runs. Tn "the" Midland v. Wellington match Midland's first innings closed for 274, giving the team a lead cf 179. Wellington has made 152 in the second innings. Two centuries were scored — Midlane (Phoenix), 111 not out; Tucker (Midland), 109 not out. In a junior .match Bidwell (Wellington College) made 221 not out. The following players have been selected by the Canterbury Association to practise for the annual matches with Otago and Wellington : — Barry, Bennett, Boxshall, Callaway, Cant, Frankish, Fowke, T. D. Harman, Labatt, Lawrence, Mai one, Ollivier, Orchard, Pearce, Ridley (2), Reese (2), Robertson, Sims, J. H. Smith, Wilding (2), Wigley, and White.