NOTES BY LONG SLIP,

Otago Witness, Issue 2579, 19 August 1903, Page 58

NOTES BY LONG SLIP,

Mr J. A. Murdoch, •assistant secretary to the iI.C.C, will accompany P. F. Warner's team to Australia.

This significant item appears in Sydney Rt-ferco: — "Xetv South "Welshman" writes from Wellington, New Zealand, suggesting that cricketers who may be thinking of going to Now Zealand to settle down there should not go across mnless th&y 'have a guarantee of permanent employment.

Albert Trott, the Anglo-Australian cricketer, accomplished a good performance the other day sai England, capturing five wickets for 18 runs. Tarrant, the ex-Vic-torian left-hander, bagged five for 27. Yorkshire's bowlers, G. H. Hirst and W. Rhodes, reaped a rich harvest of wickets last week. In th© first match Hirst gci ten for 36 and Rhodes ecven for 39 against Gloucs'Steri'hiro at Sheffield, the visi'Ors team making only 65 and 36. In the second match, against Surrey, at Kennington Oval, •Hirst gat ten for 67 and R::oc!:e ten lor 81, Sussex's totals beoig 84 and 73. Yorkshire made 254, and won by an innings and 97.

Before a thoroughly repressntativ© English team will go out to Australia (says W. J. Ford) it will be necessary to compensate for lotss of income the amateurs as well as the pros.

W. G. Grace, now 55 years of a,ge, scored 150 runs and took six iviekets for 102 in a recent match against Gloucestershire, his old county.

Dan Reese, interviewed in England: — " Dunedin has two grounds — Oarisbrock and the Oval. In the south of N-ew Zealand thereis so much more wet that the wickets generally are soft. Still, with the least advantages as far as cricket is concerned of any of the provinces, Dunedin has always managed to hold its own and more in New Zealand cricket. Thanks in a great measure to the possession of Fisher and Downes, both fine bowlera on sticky wickets, it used frequently to beat the other provinces. The former, though now on the wane, bowled so well against all teams five or six years ago that the Australian selectors took him to practice in Melbourne with a view to playing him against Mr Stoddart's team in 1897. They did not select him after all, as on the hard wickets he was lacking in resource, wifh only his natural delivery to assist him. Dowries, a medium to slow, with an off-break, has for the last 10 years been about the best bowler in the colony."

Cricket anecdotes ar© the nearest w© can approach to the actual thing in this abominable weather (says an Enlish scribe). Her© is on© of W. G.'s. A few years ago Mr A. G. G. Asher, an old "Dark Blue," was captain of a Scotch team that played and beat Gloucestershire. Towards th© end of the county's innings, Mr Asher went on to bowl, and took th© last wickets. At dinner afterwards, Dr Graoe, in proposing the- Scotch captain's health, chaffingly described him as the worst bowkor he had ever seen. Next year the Gloucester team w?iUrt north again, and tihe champion collared tho bowling. In despair, Mr Asher took the ball, and, as he did so, called out to "W. G." to ask him if he remembered his criticism. "Ye«," said the Doctor. "Well," eaid the very worst bowler, "I've been keeping one all this time specially for you," and with the second ball he bowled him.

On© of the best batsmen of the day at the present time is undoubtedly L. G. Wright. For Derbyshire, in recent matches, he has scored 56 and 41 against Surrey, 58 (not out) and 17 against Essex, 72 and 44 against Hampshire, 47 aud 78 agdmst Yorkshire, and 0 and 133 against Warwickshire. Several of these fine innings were play?d when hardly anybody els© on his side could withstand tho bowling.

The cricket match was proceedingly steadily, and the home team seemed to stand a very good chance of winning until a stern young man with a square jaw "took his stand at the wicket. Then tho leather began to fly. Thrca times this visiting Jeesop sent the ball into the lotis; grass in an adjoining meadow, each »ime causing a delay while it waß hunted fcr. At last an extra big hit proved itoo much for the horn© umpire. "Out," he roared, as the ball went soaring over the fence. "Out?" gasped th© astonished batsman. "How can I be out?" "Don't ask no questions," stormed the umpire. "Out I cays and ou'C you goes. That's a match ball you're knocking nfcout. and it cost us 4s 6d. 'Taint likely we're going to let you lose it for us. W© want it for Whitsun Monday."

Not sc very long ago (says Pricket) it was usual to see at least two or three of tho men who had played in the 'Varsity match taking their places in th& following week in the match between Gentlemen and Players at Lord's, but it is now quit© s rarity to find tho Universities well represented in this match. This year Dowson alone can b© said to be a great personality in either of the toam3. One of the saddest features of modern University cricket is tho tendency for batsmen to play a sleepy kind of cricket, which i 3 not at all in keeping with traditional University play. Let us hope that it is only a phase which will quickly pass away.

At the request of the Warwickshire Committee, Lilley joins the English team of cricketei'9 for Australia.