NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2671, 24 May 1905, Page 58

NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

The first test match between England a.nd Australia commences at Nottingham en Monday next May 29. In a ladies cricket match at Melbourne (Vie.) on May 3 Miss E. M. Simmons achieved the highest individual score of the season by making 132 (not out) in a total of 206 for eight wickets. Mr D. H. Thomson, ex-secretary of the Otago Cricket Association, but now of Christchurch, advises me that W. H. Skitch, th© well-known Dunedin cricketer and enthusiast, has won the first prize in the Christchurch Cricketers' Art Union. Local erioketers- will, I feel- sure, not regret the prize going to such a good sport as Bill Skitoh. In the shape of scores and analyses the latest issue of Cricket to hand contains a painful reminder of the poor stand made by Otago against the Australians. Mr William Gilbert Grace, jun., of Powys House, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, and serving on the staff of the Royal College, Osborne, who took his cricket "Blue' for Cambridge in 1895, and afterwards played for Gloucestershire and the London County CO., left estate at his death on March 2, at East Cowes, aged 30 years, of the gross value of £1471 12s lOd, of which the net personality has been sworn at £1362 10s sd. Letters of administration of his estate have been granted in London to his father, Dr W. G. Grace. The best indoor cricket pitch m America is the one at Hayerford College. Here a separate building is set apart purely for winter practice. It is known as the "cricket shed," and is a long,, low structure, made entirely of wcodj with the exception of a large skylight in the roof. This skylight gives all the necessary light in a natural manner. " The shed is never used at night, although supplied with electrio lights. Inside it is. fitted up with two alleys, separated by a hanging net. The sides and top are also netted in with white canvas as a background. The wickets are pitched on coooannt matting stretched over a. surface of clay. This gives a perfect wicket at all time®. A row of windows on each side e»n be opened in warm weather, giving additional light. One end of the shed is > separated from the rest by a large hanging canvas. Composition balls are used until spring, when regular leather balls gradually take their place. L. O. H. Palairet, the famous Somersetshire cricketer, lias accepted an appointment in. Derbyshire, 'so that he will figure very seldom in cricket. He himself doubts if he will ever play for Somerset again, and in any case his appearances -would be few and far between. "It is with regret that I have to give up playing," says Palairet, '" but business has to come first and pleasure second."

On accepting the position of chairman, at the annual dinner of the Hampstead Club, for which the Demon Spofforth now plays, Mr J. Hill said he had adked himself what ha knew about cricket, and he was- compelled to answer that, as compared to many he saw around him, he knew but little. He referred to the fact that in 1365 it wae a gam© only considered fit for the lower classes, and was in the reign of Edward IV actually interdicted. Later, however, it was tolerated, and in 1751 Frederick, Prince of Wales, was killed whilst playing. "With all due respect to Trumper and Ranjitsinhji, there never was a batsman more delightful to watch than A. B. Stoddart." — P. F. Warner, at a dinner in London.

Lord Harris- has addressed the subjoined communication to a correspondent who drew his attention to a speech by F. S. Jackson, the Yorkshire player: — "In reply to your questions — {1} Whether ' special preparation ' of pitches prevents bowlers from getting work on the ball — I cannot speak from personal experience, not having played in a first-class match since 1897 ; but, judging from what I have seen from the benches, and from what I have heard from those who do piay, there is no possible doubt that special preparation does handicap the bowler. (2) Whether I think tkat tbe practice should be discontinued — I am under the impression that what may have been the practice is so no longer. I do not think it would be possible to lay down a law on the subject, because there are some grounds naturally fiery, and actually dangerous in some seasons, where more pieparation is necessary than on other grounds ; and I doubt its being possible to define what is meant by 'special preparation.' I think there is at present a pretty general condemnation of such a preparation as Mr Jacikson was complaining of, and I think that experience will show that what was really Becoming a, blot on the game will be satisfactorily minimised without any resort to legislation."

Thomas Plum, an old Northampton professional cricketer, recently died at the age of 71. He was a fine batsman- and wicketkeeper. W. G. Grace, in Cricket, called him one of the best he ever met. He played for All England for many years. After retiring from cricket he became a publican, and once backed himself to play a single- wicket match against 11 other publicans. Tom went in first, made 75, and got his opponents out twice over for 42.

Looking over some excellent cricket oha.t, I find a story (writes ' 'Boondi") told of Tom Bmmett, the famous Yorkshire player, who used to hit with 40 horae-power when in good form, and who, noticing a fieldsman at point standing very close, went up to him and kindly said : "If I were the©, mister, I'd stand a little further back, because when I hits thereabarta I hits turrible hard." Without delay the fielder took the good advice, and was soon glad he had the sense to do so. W. H. Cooper had a close call from a cannon-ball stroke of " Turrible Tom's." The ball just tipped Cooper's ear, and was at the boundary line in a quarter of a second later. Two years later, when Tom came out with another All England

team, the first words he said, on seeing W H., were: "Lawks! that wore a narrer shave you had that time, Mister Cooper!" At Harrogate Tom was in, and hitting like a. giant full of fighting whisky, when Aliok Bannerman, as th© wicket was sticky, came up to silly point to sneak a catch. "Alick," said the genial Yorkshireman, "Be you a married man?" "No," said Alick, "and don't intend to be." "Oh, that's all right, then," said Tom. "You see, you be standin' in rather close, and if you were married I'd advise you to get back a bit, but as you're not, it don't matter if I kill you, does it?" But a little later a ball went past Alick's off-ear with such an ominous buzz and hum that he was very glad to shift back to a healthier quarter. Charlie Bannerman was standing point at Lord's in that memorable matoh against the Marylebone Club that made All England sit up and ask questions about Australia, when W. G. Grace said to him : "My partner, Mr Hornby, hits very hard in that spot, Charlie ; if he lets go, and gets a fair hold, you might be killed." "Oh, does he," said Charlie, coolly; "well, if he kills me, he kills me ; and if he doesn't, he doesn't. But he can't hit much harder than I can, and littl© Kelly ha 3 stood up close to catch me on a fa3t wicket, so I'll take my chance." And Charlie never budged an inch, for it was the Australians' day out, and- the luck was with them all. There- were giants in the cricketing fields in those days. In the match Yorkshire v. Leicester, Hirst for the former made 341.

Kermode, the Australian bowler, playing against Essex, took seven, wickets- for 44 runs.

ADELAIDE, May 18.

The Cricket Association declined to join the proposedt Board of Control of International Cricket.