CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2803, 4 December 1907, Page 60

CRICKET.

OTAGO TEAM'S NORTHERN TOTJB. Against Canterbury, at Christchurch — December 24 25. and 26. Against Wellington, at Wellington — December 28, 30 and 31. Ag&uist Auckland, at Auckland — January .2, 3, and 4. AUSTRALIA* FIXTURES. December 6 — England v. an Eleven of Australia, at Brisbane. December 14 — England v. Australia, First Test, at Sydr.ey. December " 21 — England v. Victoria, at Melbourne. December 26 — England v. Bendigo, at Bendigoj New South W«les v. Victoria, at Melbourne; New South Wales v. Queensland, at Sydney. 76TES BY LONG 3LIP. Only a fortnight remains prior to the det parture of the Otajyo team on its northern tour, yet no word has been heard oi the players being chosen for practice. The selector will probably see to it in the course of a day or two. ' • Several bowlers in senior cricket on Saturday suffered frpm the evil of the dropped catch. Is the art of lofty fielding dying out? The Cariebrook A bowling was not used o the best advantage on Saturday, bowlers being taken off and put on with • little judgment. People have gone crazy in their ''desire for Soai scoring (says the Australian cricketer Frank Layer), but the noise is caused chiefly by i>avil ; om cricketers, and those who undeistanr' «yan less about the game. Very little credit is given to the bowler. The ex-Albion latsman J. Peake is showing good form in Ohristchurcih. Playing for West Christchurch against Riccarton, " Peako compiled 46 by v.gorous hitting, and is said to be rapidly improving' in his play. Ransford, the young Victorian cricketer, i? rapidly playing- hinAelf into the Australian Eleven. Two or three years ago be was the most promising cricketer m Australia,' but since then, owing to illhealth or some other cause, ' he has not shown his true capabilities, though evevy now and then he gave glimpses of his early promise. A continuat'on of his present form must assuredly land him in the team. The Cricket Ball in tire Making.—Spof-forth-is responsible for the success -attending t-hie branch of manufacture. When taking a catch off bis own bowling oneday he damaged bis hand so severely that he cut opej the ball to see its contents. The inside was eominoeed chiefly of a b 7 ock of wood, and the idea suggested itself that if cork aild twine were sufficiently wovett an ideal ball could be produf^ed. He drew a sketch, describing how it should be done, and sent it to r Luff, of Whden's. In return a sample ball was forwarded, to , which Spofforth replied: "Ball splendid. Best, ever made- Send me half a dozen, and go on making, as everybody will use them." The Wisden's balls used to-day in test matches, county matches, and ekewhere, are exactly the same in structure as manufactured upon Spofforth's suggestion 30 years ago. Their worth- was at once , recognised by all the great bowlers of the i day. Taking, a line through the hatting form 1 Of certain players on Saturday last the ! task of Mr C G. "Wilson in selecting the Otago team for the northern tour is being made easier. . By agreement with the Canterbury and Otasro Cricket Associations, the Wellington I v. Citago match has been fixed by the local j association for December 27, 28, and 30. : and the Wellington v. Canterbury match for January 1, 2, and 3. Congratulations to the veteran Jim Baker and H, Siedeherg on compiling a 'century each in Senior Grade cricket on Saturday. The occasion is of such, rare oecurrenee in. Dunedin that it should be ' marked by a special paragraph. In the London County averages for 1907 A. Sims, the New Zealander, takes a prominent place. He scored 793 runs at an average of 56.64, and made three centuries (141, 130, and 124). The weather was ideal for cricket on Saturday, and the various grounds were in excellent condition for the king of •rammer game*. Batsmen were provided with splendid wickets, and the outfields generally were fast and true. Aa wa» generally expected, Carisbrook A had rather an easy win over the Be, beating that eleven on the first innings by 119 runs. The B teeam batted a man ohort, Drumnx being absent from the crease. The A team was after a three ( points win, and with an hour and a-quartcr'e batting cent in the P team for ; the eecond strike. The etand made byAlex, Roberts upset the calculations of the A and saved thje three] point defeat. Dunedin had no difficulty in securing three points aginet the Grange, and routed the north end team all the way. Albion asserted themselves over Opoho, and achieved ,un easy victory over the hili team. „ The wicket on Carisbrook was an excellent one for the continuation of the match A v. B. The old rivalry which has always existed between these teams wa§ present on Saturday, only more so; and there was great keenness on the field and at the batting crease. The outfield at Carisbrook was -faster than on the- previous Saturday, despite Friday's rain, and boundaries were of frequent occurrence, the ball making, znusie against the rails at the pavilion end, where Watson, "fielding" in the country, had a busy time, especially during- th« tenancy of Siedeberg at the batting crease The B team had a long way to go over the previous Saturday, the A having set them the task of getting 287, or ac near I those figures as possible. It was not altogether, a hopeless ta&k, for Austin and Siedeberg have broken the back of such a total before to-day; but as matters ■ turned out they failed to do it on this occasion, though Siedeberg tried desperately hard when he compiled 104 and then retired. But to the game. Uesher, the not out -of the previous Saturday, was not allowed to remain long *t the crease, the erstwhile Star batsman bein" yorked by young 1 Rutherford without making an alteration in the score. At this stage Siedeberg joined Austin, and the pair looked like going all day when " Jerry " was caught by Fisher off Watson for 16*. It was a collapse of the hopes of the B supporters when Austin retired to the pavilion to take off hie pad*. Austin ac a batsman is in the front rank, but he

rarely does himself justice, and does not appear to have the element of hick which accompanies s^me of our senior batsmen. However, I trust to see the popular Carisbrook player bring out all. the good crickefe that is in him on the northern tour ot the Otago team. Harry Siedeberg signalled his first appearance in senior cricket this season by treating tbs spectators to quite the best exhibition of batting witnessed on the Carisbrook Ground for some time. Indeed, it is probablo that Siedeberg has never batted co well in his cricket career. It wae an innings delightful to look upon, full of merit, and marked by excellent timing. Despite his recent illneesj Siedeberg p.ut 'plenty of power behind his strokes, and the ball travelled crisply along the turf to the boundary. He treated the majority of the bowlers with the greatest disrespect, and appeared to be very partial 'to Fisher, whom, he drove and cut with rare power and finish, Siedeberg was at the crease over two hours for his runs, and save for a smart "life" in the clips to Biarraway at 73 he played a faultless innings. Were there many such exhibitions at Carisbrodlc the public would not stay away in such large numbers as they do at present. Apropos of Siedeberg's innings, the batsman retired at. 104. feeling the strain after his recent severe illness. The effort took more out of the batsman tbma many- people suppose, and he showed signs of weakness after reaching- the pavilion. On Siedeherg retiring to the pavilion tha remaining batsmen were up against a forlorn hope. George Thomson had^ previously been beaten neck and crop by Fisher, and Captain Buxt came in, only to fall a victim to Rutherford. To Fisher's bowling Bart stepped right across the wicket and played him with, his pads. W. Sparrow, who has not been in bati ng ■ form this year, started to make a aame fo? himself, and compiled 17 in quite aggressive stylet While he- was at the wieketi the club's- historian commenced to narrate how Sparrow had once won a match for the B against Albion, being the only batsman to play the bowling. I was listening to the cricket story with great intent when Rutherford penetrated Sparrow's wicket' and the subsequent proceedings interested the casual onlooker no more. Sparrow i came back to the pavilion feeling that in compiling 17 he had done his duty. 3d he had, but the' other batsmen failed. Hence the defeat. Brown is a batsman who should make* runs, but he has been studying- hard for an exam, and is not in^ pood form. He collapsed to Fisher after adding 9 to bis side's total. Burning the midnight oil is not conducive to good cricket, and I believe there is some good cricket ia Brow,ii if it only gets a chance to come out. Charlie Stables, who has Ted a forlorn nope before to-day, waa m victim to Fisher, who got his wicket for 0. Williams does not shape like a batsman, and was early marked for dismissal. The end came with Johnstone,, who had been put on as a ooange bowler, getting Williame's wicfeet Roberts, who' scarcely got a strike, was the "not out. It was all over by. 5 o'clock, the B team having been dismissed forV 168, out of which one man claimed 104. The around fielding of the A team was clean, the picking-up and returning being excellent ; but the evil of the dropped catch was in evidence throughout the day. It did not require many changes of bowling to bring about the downfall of the B team, but nevertheless one or two changes were rung on to get ritf of Sledobeng, but all without effect. Fisher bottled well, keeping an excellent lensth throughout and havir- the majority of the batsmen more or less N in trouble. Rutherford, whose bowling has previously been referred to in these columns, is a trundler of some promise, and should ere long fill a. place air the Otago bowling crease. He has much in his favour. - The veteran Butler was not kept on long, and did not appear to strike hi* length. Other bowlers tried were * Johnstone, Watson, Bannerman, and Adanas, but Fisher and. Rutherford were the most successful. On resuming after the glory of afternoon tea, the few spectators present at Carisbrook were treated to some colossal hitting by Alex. Roberta, who lad gone in with Austin, for the B's second" innings. Roberts is a batsman of the unorthodox type who docs not play on the fringe- of the ball, but believes in bittin"- it hard and often. He opened his shoulders to the bowling from the outset, and with free, swinging hits put on 87 in something under the hour. The- finer arts of batsmanshrp are not for him. He does not juggle like a Ra&jitsbioji, npr ha* be- the grace of a Tromper, but for vigorous hitting with the blade swinging, free from tb» shoulder and the ball performing evolutions amongst the olouds Roberta's exhibition on Saturday would take some beatkiff. This lofty batsman twice hit the ball over the rails for 6 each'— veritable sky-scraper* they w«re,^but had the boundaries been marked amongst the clouds instead of round the ringside be must have passed well over the • century. It was not cricket according to the "book," but it was the sort that tingles the blood and makes the game possible for the spectators. The remaining batsmen to make runs in the B's/'second innings was Ussher, who compiled 24 not out. Jerry Austin started well, but he played * hot one back to Watson, which the Englishman accepted as a reasonable thing. When time was up the B's had lost two wickets for 128, but the ' game had already been won and lost on tfio - first innings. " ' Dunedin proved superior all the w»y against Grange, whom the bowlers routed to the tune of 66 in the first innings and 57 in the second. Good bowling had much to do with it, but inferior battmij/%old thetale with the greatest honesty. At several stages in the game there was a complete rout, and the procession of incoming _ and outgoing batsmen was an incident- in a game whion. was not otherwise brilliant for its cridtet. Torrance and Melvin were the destroying angels, and this pair dealt out good bowling to poor batting. Torrance bowled splendidly in tho Grange's first strike, cominff out with the splendid figures of seven for 21. Melvin went one better in the eecond, securing nine wickets for 27 runs. It was a fine performance, and the bowler was unfortunate in not getting the whole oi the' Grange wickets, the last one falling to Bannerman. Melvin kept a splendid length' throughout. He is a bowler of some possibilities. Little can be raid about the Grange batting. It was a sorr/ exhibition, and

Bone of the north-enders shaped well. Ward ; (who got 17 not out) and W. Henderson i (who scored 18) tried to stem the disaster j which overwhelmed the side in the first innings. In *he second innings Ogg, who fa an aggressive batsman when he gets going, hit out lustily for 17, and then paid the penalty. Charlie Chadwick, another performer of the- lofty type, scored 12. • In the first innings two batsmen compiled 35 out of 66 (whtch does not lavish praise over the remainder), and -in the second two other batsmen claimed 29 out of the 57 raised. Altogether it was an exhibition not to be proud of, and the Grange will be the first to admit it. Oarisbrook D secured a good win over Dunedin No. 2, when they defeated that team by an innings and 177 runs. So far as junior ohicket in Dunedin is concerned the win might be termed colossal. Mt J. Darling, as representative of the Board of Control f or international cricket in Australia, and Mr A. 0. Jones, captain of the M.C.C. team, as a result of their conference at the desire of the board, have drawn up the following. Though test matches only *re referred to, the agreement will apnTv to all matches of the English team. We have agreed to the following_arransfements for ■flic test matches to be played in Australia: — .1. The Umpires.— The English captain and Australian captain shall together select four f umpires previous to each test match', put then* names in a hat, and . draw out two ; the two in question to do duty at that match. 2. The Follow-on. — In the event of the side that bats first being 200 runs ahead on the first innings, they shall have the option of baiting or fielding, as they may decide. 3. The Boundaries. — The batsmen shall not be caught out by a fieldsman if the fieldsman is at the time touching the asphalt track surrounding the playing ground. Such a Hit would, of "ourse, being a boundary hit, count four runs. 4. New Bai.s.— There is to be a new ball . every 200 runs. In the event of the umpires deciding that, owing to the ball then in use being unfit to be played with, they shall have power to allow » new ball to be used At any time that they are unanimous on that point. 5. Rolling 'the Wicket— The ground man shall cause ther wicket to be swept and rolled for not more than 10 minutes after the close of each day's play, and at any time that night, whenever he is of opinion that such roiling will improve the wtcket, and he will use such a roller as he thinks best calculated to produce that effect. This sweeping and ~ rolling to be in addition to the sweeping and rolling provided for in law 9. 6. Exchanging Teams. — The two captains, before tossing, will give each other lists of the eleven selected by them to play in the match, together with the emergency fieldsman; and that /having been done, no alteration will be made in either eleven or emergency without the consent of the opposing captain. -7. Cutting the Grass.— All the playing ground, except the pitch, to be kept cut with mowing machine every day of the match, except Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. 8. The time of starting and drawing of stumps to be according to the clock on the gtound. 9. Tea Interval.— lf an innings is completed after the luncheon interval, and before 2.46 p.xn., then there will be the usual tea interval, but if an innings is completed after 2.45. then there will be no interval. (Signed) A. O. Jones, J. Dabunq. V. A. Titchmarsh, the well-known English Umpire, died on October 11, aged 55, at St. Albans, his condition having for some time been* hopeless. The English team- plainly contains a lot of dashing batsmen, but it hardly impresses one with the solidity of Warner's team. It is, of course, says a Sydney writer, early to fowh a decided opinion. But the bowling, which is about the best that England can put in the fields seems to lack a bowler of th« Bosanquet type, and the inclusion of Arnold as a mediumpaced right-hand bowler would probably strengthen the side, although Crawford, a Bowler of that elasSj appears to possess nearly every good gift. Bosanquet and Arnold, on the hard wickets in the last series of test matches, were a great factor in the downfall of the Australians. But* 'cricket is proverbially a funny .game. As Otago is shortly to meet Canterbury in a contest for cricket supremacy, news concerning the strength of the enemy should be interesting. A Canterbury writer throws come light on the matter in the following comment: "Selector Wheatley has reduced the list of players for interprovincial practices down to 16, and as the team will be -picked in a fortnight there is considerable interest as to what the final selection will be. Boxshall (wicketkeepor), D. Reese and Lusk (batsmen), »nd Bennett (bowler) make a brilliant quartet. Anthony and Orchard have struck -their best form also, while Lawrence "has commenced to practise, and despite his absence from clnb cricket is in good form. One difficulty that faces the selector w the question of bowlers— viz., the absolute need of a bowler besides Bennett, Loft, and Reese. If one is picked then Malone must be the man, as, next to Downes, he is the best slow bowler in New Zealand. That leaves three batsmen to be picked from Patrick,. Moorhouse, Cuff, Wood. Whitta, Fryer, and Ackroyd. Patrick and Moorhouse have not struck form yet. otherwise they are certainties. Of the others. I like best Cuff, of Rangiora, who ha« batted so brill-antlv this season in all his matches, b«"'des beius a useful bowler and a good fiela. Fryer has done EOthing except his Jessonian innings awainst East Christcburch. thoueb. he is batting at the nets, but Woods has struck his best form at last. Ackroyd and Whitta are also Tmttinir well, while Crawsbaw, the Hi<rh School captain, has an outside chance as a £as* bowler mease MaJone should fail to maintain has present form. Altojjethor Wheatlev has the prospect of a very stronsr Canterbury Eleven -one of the very best. The following should be Twtty near the selected t^ann i: Trsnnett, M*lono. Boxshall. D. Reese^ Lusk. Anthony, Lawrence, Orchard. PatricV. Moorhouse, and Cuff, 71th Wood as twelfth »»«*»•" ... Hardifraff. the little Nftits professional in tho Enjrlish team, who has boen^ so successful in Australia, was nicknamed Hotsttiff" while at Perth, and +bo name has chick to him as very appropriate. The English team broke many records .13. regards English teams in Australia in tha match played at Adelaide— viz. : The total gcore of 660 ; the number of centuries. four; the st*u.d by Hardstaff and Braund for fifth wicket, and Braund *nd Crawford for the «xth wicket; the number of ««• turies on a first appearance. Hardstoff 135 and Crawford 114; while Hardstafi's 135 beats "RanjiV score w th« highest *cor© for firat appearance.