NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2626, 13 July 1904, Page 62

NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Albert Ward, the well-known English cricketer, fOlf 01 wards a copy of his cricket catalogue for 1904. It contains s. price li >t of the best cricket material purchasable, besides a list of general sporting- requisites. C. B. Fry, playing for his county against Cambridge University, hit up 150 — his t,ixth eeniury ithis season. Fiy's batting average is 87 a*uns per innings.

Ra-njilpinhji and Or Grace have joined tho Daily Mail staff of cricket journali-i*.

Pelham Warnar was rcet.ntly entertained by the Authors' Club in honour of tho success of the M.C.C. team in Australia. J. M. Barrio presided. Mi Warner expressed the hope that the test mateh&s of 1905 would b'3 played to a finish.

Tho "bowler of the century," F. E. Allan, one of Spofforth's contemporaries, is reported to be lying ill in a Melbourne Hospital.

Cricket in the latest issue to hand has a chat about B. J. T. Bosantjuet, who won famo as a member of the M.C.C. Team in Australia. It is related of him that during hi 1 tour of America in ISOI, w hen he headed the batting averages and was second in bowling, one of his victims was approached by a friend, wlio asked him how ho managed to get out. To which the reply was: "Waal, that dako with the Paris'an name gave me a real elegant ball, and I thought I would get a start on it, but it put up a joke on me, and the catcher nui^sad up the wicket."

Many jokes are 'being made in Englanel at the present time over the number of cricketers who have turned journalists, and the ■* cry latest is: — A gentleman walko up to a friend and asks : ''Have you just been talking with some cricketers" The friend says, "Why? What makes you ask.'" To which the I'eply is, "Oh, merely because. I see you have a spot of ink on your face."

While Trott was at the wicket at Lord's on May 16, playing for M.C.C and Giound against Kent, he caused a. moment's anxiety to the occupants of tho pavilion seats. Th's was when he made a lofty drive) in their direction; but tho boll sailed past tl-e corner of the pavilion and landetl on the road behind. Trctt holds a unique record at Lord's, as 'he is the only batainan who has so far hit a ball over the new pavilion. Tho [professions! is naturally ptouel of this unique performance. It is not generally known that Jim Phillips, the old Middlesex professional, and now well known as an umpire, is responsible* for Trott's \isiting England. In tho forty-first test match between England and Australia at Adelaide, Albert scored 38 not out and 72 not out, and also took eight of the Englishmen's wickets for 43 urns. As ho hacl played consistently all through the season, many good judges thought he was cutain to bo chosen for tho next tour. Ho was not, so -Tim Phillips advised him to go to England "on hi' own." He did so; was engaged at Lord's, completed the nects^-ary qualification for Middlesex, and everyone knows how valuable his services ha\e been both to tho club and the county.

At the conclusion of the tour of the English cricket team under tho captaincy of Mr A. O. Maclarenin 1902 the, Melbourne Cricket Club Committee distributed a sum of £1000 amongst the various cricket clubs in Ivlelbourne. The clubs in the Victorian Cricket Association took £900, and tho c o in the League of Vicfcnian Cricketers £100 between them. The Melbourne Cricket, Club were the promoters ot thai tour, and made largo profits out of it. The team which came t.o Australia last summer u.iJlcr Mr P. F. Warner was the venture of the Marylebono Cricket Club, who financed tho tour, and the Australian grounds benefited only to tho extent of their share. The treasurers of the various Melbourne clubs, remembering the generosity of the Melbourne Cricket Club two years ago ; have

! been wondering what share, if any. the ! club would give them on tin* occasion. It "\\ill bo pleasant nevv«, tliPiefmo, to the 1 !! to know that the M.C.C. Committee has decided that £400 shall be ghen to the cluLs of tho Yictoiian Crifket .'..s>cciano'i and £100 to th« clubs of the L"auuc cf Tictoiian Crukerprs. The 1 rofits to the M C.C. on tin's latent tour were much 10-s than in previous year*, and the cli-t;i'u tton really moans tho gi\ing away of a portion of tho ground's, ic\enue. 11>e committee, ]io\vp\ci, lealisps t'nat club enck'-t and inter-State games aio ccu^idcidbly in-tprfer-cd with by an English tour, and this i latesi action will stand as or.c m_,!e evidence of the caie of the M.C.C. for Victorian ciicket.