NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 58

NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

On the second day of the match at tho Oval between Surrey and the Australians play wa-s interrupted in order that the Australians might be presented to the Prince of Wales, who had gone to the Oval with his two sons, Prince Edward and Prince Albert. The- three Princes shook hands with each member of the team, and remained for a couple of hours to watch the game. Private i-eports from England state that several members of the team suffered very much from the severe cold. J. J. Kelly , had the little finger on one of hia hands so badly injured that he could not take part in" the Notts and Oxford University matches. Newland appears to hay© fallen far short of the Avistralian Eleven standard as wicket-keeper, and with Kelly injured the team has been severely handicapped. There is not a shadow of doubt that the best Australian wicket-keeper of the day is not in England just now. A peculiar incident in the first match of the- Australian Eleven in England, the Gentleman of England, at the Crystal Palace : "Lawton, whose batting and fielding were the brightest feature of the Gentleman's cricket, was out in a very unlucky fashion. In attempting to cut a ball from Hopkins his bat slipped out of its rubber handle. It struck the ball on its way, and the ball., instead of keeping- low, fell into Trumper^s hands at third man, while the j bat careered tho full length of the pitch, ! nearly striking Fry hi its flight." Stranger, who has just entered at the Essex Ground when M'Gahpy's °coro stood at 160, to laconic spectator: "Would you mind telling me how many Es*ex made?" Laconic Spectator: '"Ain't out." Stranger : "Not out yet ! Oh, I see, eoir.rone has made 160. Who is it?" L.S. : "Cholly." Stranger: "Cholly! Who on earth is that?" L.S. • "Cholly M'Gahey." Stranger: "Ah, I understand. Thanks."

In was announced in several papers re ccntly that Ml- P. F. Warner would read the lessons at the church of St. Mary-at-Hill on Sunday evening. Perhaps (says Cricket) thenext thing to be announced will be a mission service held during the luncheon hour at the test matches.

At the dinner given by the Surrey County C.C. to the Australians, in the course of a speech Darling, the Australian captain, said that his team would be glad to see the test matches played out, for it was not a proper test if a game were not played to a finish, and a. side might easily have the worst of the play as a whole and yet win the rubber. Then there should be screens at both ends of tne ground. If it was necessary at one end it was a pretty strong argument that they should be also placed in position at tho pavilion end. and he hoped the Board of Control would be able to arrange this. As to boundaries, he thought a system of 4under «nd 6 over was a good one, and would tend to brighten, the play. There can be no doubt that the Australians- are exceedingly wise in arranging; that no member of their team shall write daily criticisms for the press, for it must, be patent to everyone that a man who sits down to write a. "smart" and pithy report after a long- day' 9 cricket, instead of having a quiet smoke and chat, is handicapping himself and his team considerably. It is remarkable that on the next morning he is sometimes to be found wool-gathering when a. catch comes in his- way, or that in trying to decide how he shall describe a new variety of swerve, he is bowled neckand u crop ! It is not often ihat a man scores a "niner" even in these days of progress and, therefore, Duff may congratulate himself for he counted a nine in his seois in the second innings against the Gentlemen at the Crystal Palace on May 4 (says a, London paper). He made a beautiful coverpoint hit, which nearly reached the boundary. Warner ran for the ball at a fair pace, "trat threw it in badly to Jessop, who had backed hum up to within about bO yard*. When Je»op picked up the ball ho saw that the>-p was ju-t a chance of running Duff uut in his fifth run. and banged at the wickot accordingly, with the result that tho ball was at the boundary in no time.

C. B. Fry tints de-cubp<l Haigh, who played in ln«> nr=t tp-t match.— "Haigb has pace, sting, accuracy, and aiHfice. He is a fa«t bowler, but can send down a medmm-paco ball. He is n<?\er crrat'c; he does not %,ct hi^ pace from furious effort, but from ,wing and elasticuv. He takes a Idirly lengthy run. wuh quit*, springy strides. He delrxcrs the ball with a somewhat catapulty action, as Though bi-> arm were made o£ indiarubber. Ho alto 1 ", big pace skilfully; th-e delivery is the same.

but the ball, held differently, does not come so fast. He sends down a particularly fine 'yorifcer.' H« oomes quickly from the pitch, and when the latter favours him can break a lot from the off. He is a good bat, fields excellently, and is a thorough trier." I/ast eeasoH ia first-class cricket Haigii scored 1055 runs in W -completed innings. His average was 26.37, and his highest score 138. He took 121 wickets for 2*02 runs; average 19.85. Jessop (Gloucester) scored 234 in the oounty match against Somerset, and Tyldesley put Tip 250 for Lancashire agaiosfc Notts. In the .match Lancashire v. Sussex Poidevin, tbe *x-Sydneyifce, for the fo<rmer, scored 338.

A Ghristchurch telegram states that the Midland Cricket Club lias decided to oppose the proposals maSe by the Canterbury Cricket Association for the institution of district cricket. The United Clul) has accepted on-e of the schemes submitted hy the association.