CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 62

CRICKET.

30TES BT LONG SLIP. Our old friend Dan Recce, of Christchurch, has been appointed cole selector of Canterbury representative teams by the Canterbury Cricket Association. A First Grade Sydney player rejoicing in the good cricket name of Hopkins — though he is not Bert of that ilk — is reported to have joined Carishrook this season. A leading Dunedin wicket-keeper, in the person of Watkins, who was thought to have excellent chances of being- included in the Otago team in quest of the Plunket Shield at Christmas, has been transferred to Gore. As Watkins, in addition to beizkg a reliable wicket-keeper (especially to fast bowling) is a pretty bat, he should streng&en Southland somewhat this year. The proposed rep. match with Otago on November 7 and 9 King's Birthday) is pretty well a certainty, and the. leading Otago players advocate the giving of both gates to the Southland Association to help ,toAd«fnay the expenses o£ the trip. Most of -the local players (says a Southland! writer) appear anxious for the trip, and they may rest assured that the Otago team will be a " topnoicher," in anticipation of their tour north as far as Auckland. The New South Wales Cricket Association has (says »Sydney Referee) decided to abolish payment for loss of salary this season. This payment, has been made over only a comparatively brief period; that is, wi+Jiin the last 10 or 11 \ears. Prior to that amateurs receiving nothing— not even the 7s 6d per day now given for personal expenses. Tho professionals were paid £10 a, match out of the colony. Mr F. C. Raphael, hon. secretary of the N.Z. Cricket Council, lias left on a trip to Australia. Mr Raphael, whose health has been anything but good lately, will be away two or three months, ami will visit Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. During his stay in the Common w&aJth he will interview tho members of the Board of Control to ascertain tho possibilities of securing a visit from an Australian, team. The groat South Australian batsman, J. Darliiu?, has retired ftom cricket in AustraLit. As batsman in his prime (writes " Not Out "), he wa.s one of themost remarkable punisiiers of hi» or any age, and those who saw it will probably agree that no greater innings was ever played than his 160 in the final test match of 1898 on the Sydney Ground. Darling as battniaii was greatest at the pinch. A bigger-hearted 1 player never represented' Australia, and if we only produce a few ycung ones of his type England will not have thing? all her own way ia the battles for "the ashes" of the near future. In te^t matches he played 46 innings, ecoririg l<o2 rune, wth an average 0f '31.15. Altogether in first-class cricket ho played in 332 innings, scored 10.563 11ms ; his highest score was 210, and his average 34.51. Darling has 29 centuries to hie credit. He will live in Tasmania on his sheep station. The present English &ea.-on has produced several curious incidents concerning tlir> application of tho clo-.ure (bays a writer in Cricket). 4f Hampshire furnished an instance of a side declining its innings

closed before the opposing total had been . reached ; Lancashire quite recently- twice used the closure in the course of a single match ; and at Lord's this week both side 3 made use of law 54, the home team doing so when the scores were level, .and afterwards suffering defeat by 17 runs. Middlesex's severe reverse must have caused much disappointment to "Warner, who evidently considered that runs would not be sodiffi- . cult to make in the fourth innings. "Unless my memory deceives me," the writer continues, "Kent were beaten a few years ago at Lords in a match between the same sides after declaring their first innings ; if this is so — I am far from my books at the moment of writing — a remarkable -coincidence has occurred 1 ." An English writer says, "Many Scottish cricketers are hoping that tho Australians will find it convenient to play a match at Perth (Scotland) or Dundee next year. Perth is one of the chief centres of cricket beyond the Tweed, and a visit of the colonials to the city would do much for the game there." In a letter to a friend in Australia, W. G. Graca Expressed the opinion that in the last test matches the better team won. Tse added:— "lt is a pity the M.C.O. here did not send! out our best team. lam wondering what your fellows will do when they next come Home. If they do not ', unearth some new -first-class bowlers -they will -not take back the ashes. We havefew young bowlers who are any good at the present time. The South Africans are just now a good team, and will take all the beating wo can give them. They have three or four good bowlers, and 1 they are sure to improve. I bhink they can give England and Australia a long start at the present time in this department of the, game." Some of the correspondents who have in the columns of /he Sportsman, been airing their views on the constitution of the ideal English eleven on this season's form, havo made weird selections, and the final choice has been determine! by the majority of vote 9. The side, aivinjr the names in the , order of the votes they received, consists of Hirst. G. L. Jessop, Lilley. P. F. Warner. Blythe, Hayward. J. N. Crawford. C. B. Fry. Tyldesley, W. Brearlcy, and , Rhodes. Tarrant, Trofct, and Ranjitsinhji j were omitted, as 'the team was to be purley English - I J. Darling, with his wife and family, left Adelaide on September 29 to settle in Ta»mania. Prior to his departure th© Ground and Finance and fha Cricket Committees of the South Australian Cricket Association at a joint meefclnjr, bad© him. farewell, and wished him health and prosperity. T.i reply. Darling • made a characteristic speech, defending the position taken up by the Australian players in seeking fair play front flho cricket authorities. Referring to tho coming tour of th« Australian Eleven, in England,, he said!:— "ln August, 1907. the Board of Control met in Sydney, and , Messrs CresweJl and Blinman, who we're with him oould remember that at that i'nr.<3 i a bad feeling existed betH-een the New South Wales players and the association, i and that there was a likelihood of the Aus- { tralian Eleven players in that State net . playing against the English team. He tried to get a resolution passed that tiia , financial arrangements of the next Au*- \ tralian Eleven to "Emriand would be the t same as in the past. That was not adopted but he had the assurance from several of , the delegates • that it would be all right. I -After a long discussion matters were , patched up, and they played aspainst the Englishmen. Now they heard remarke i that the board was going to do certain ] things. He knew that certain delegates on the board 1 wer© trying to interfere with , the arrangements. If they did, ih© sooner the board was smashed the better." On a reosnt holiday a village cricket team was engaged in cricket combat with fom-e- rivals from a neighbouring while, to add to the enjoyment, the re-contly-organisiEifl brass band was billed to perform -on , the field. Thanks to the efforts of a batsman who had survived Several appears, bbc home-side were doinja: really well, when a confident and chorused "How's that?" bade fair to puf an end to the luoky man's stay. "Not out!" roared the umpire, with a look of defiance, j "Mean to cay he wasn't out?" bellowed the- ! wicket-keeper in tones of disgust. "I [ jrive 'im not out," came the reply ; "and if you take my tip you'll stop appealin' ! 'E's the cha.p as blows the cornet, and j while we keeps 'im 'ere tho bar.d can't play !"

CHEISTCHURCH NOTES. I (From Oue Own ConEE^w-mraT ) I October 12. ! Tho cricket competitions opened en ■ Saturday afternoon in dull, cold -weather, { which considerably reflected on the attendance of the public. The wickets end outI fields -were excellent, and ?oir.o e,plendi<l i batting was witnessed. I Linwood b)ad first stroke against St. I Albana at Lancaster Parl?, and batted all ' the afternoon, making 364 for six wicket-s. i Reginald Ridley was the hero of the aftorI noon, scoring 137 not out in fine =tyle, principally oi. the leg sid*. F. Wild'ins? | made 50." Roberteon 43, S. Orchard 3*. ;A. E. Ridley 33, H. C. Ridley 30 not J out, and Dean 7. Tho fielding was not up .to the mark, 30 extras being recorded. St. ' Albana' bowling was weak, i West Christchurch would appear to be !up against a tough proposition in the Sydenham team, which contains several promoted juniors, v/Hi shaped very well. fSydenhami batted first, and 1 four wickets wero down for 34, when Ha3'Os (a junior) a nid Bruges became associated, and Ihd partnership put on 115 by really fine allBound play. Hayes wai eventually bowled by Malone for an invaluable 51, with only two chances, which occurred towards tho close. J. Gray tficn partnered Bruges, and the pace- was a merry one. While Gray went in for lofty lifting Bru£C= was playing free, forcing cricket, getting well over rhe ball and putting- plenty of force behind his strokes. Bruges reached his century amid . appau=se from all round the erouiul with a splendid hit out. of Hagley Park. At 111 Bruges was well eaugh"t by D. Reese off a very "hot 'un." Ho had given no semblance of a chance till he had made 104, and the innings included two 6's, iwo s's, and numerous 4's. Gray meanwhile was rattling up a good score, and there were visions of a second century, but Robinson (an English player) got one past/ him when he was 80. Gray took all ri«k=, and went for the slow bowling, and he was rewarded with two or three "lives," but cricket of that =ort is what draws the crowd. .Tone, made 24 ai>d Watson 12, arv] the inn-ngs cfo«ea for 314 Q3 extras), n t ade in just c^cr three hours, ildione got

five for 74, Reese three for 87, Lxisk one for 52, and Robinson one for 43. The catching 1 was not good, but the ground fielding left nothing to be desired, in some cases being brilliant. In. the few minutes that remained "West Christchurch lost one wicket (Peake) for 9 runs. East Christchurch mad© 152 against Ricearton on Hagley Park. Only four members of the team failed to reach double figures, and the batting was fairly even. Addison made 33 not out in attractive style, and) R. "Ward made 27., No fewer than four batsmen were run out through attempting too short- runs. At the call of time Riceartan had lost three wick'ste for 82. Whitta 25 not out, Norman 21 not out, Anthony and Caygill each a dozen. The fielding on both sides was good, but the bowling was indifferent. W. Fuller (better known as a footballer) made 111 not out in a score of 266 for five wickets, scored by West Christchurch against High School in tho Junior Grade. "Billy" Uru made 148 with the Ranigora Veterans a fortnight ago, and was the first Canterbury player to reach three figures this season. "Billy" plays also with the Woodend Club, and when he gets his boots off and a bumpy wicket look out ! He can "rock 'em in" wonderfully. E. Humphries, the professional coach, is expected to arrive in Christchuroh .n the first week in November. He will piay with East Christchurch team on Saturdays.