NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2854, 25 November 1908, Page 60

NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Just on going to prees I have received the following telegram from the Gisborne Cricket Association in connection with the northern tour of the Otago cricket team: " Understand your Cricket Association i 3 considering possibility playing match here to fit in with the- Auek'ar.d arrangements. We shall be glad arrange game either before { Christmas or after New Year, which ever suits.'' i Dear Long Slip,—l read with great <pleaj sure your article, was particularly i struck with the. wise words of counsel yon ! gay« to the Otago players in tivincr to do i as Hopkins docs (the young exponent of the I game from Sy-dney, whom we have in our midst at present) in tho field, and thus demonstrate the usefulness of practising fielding, not sitting on one's haunches after batiing or talking in wild tones of the decadence of cricket in OtAgo and New Zealand generally. Hopkins has always been singled out as one of the ablest fields in Sydney cricket —not only in bis club, Rcdfevn, —and the reason of this is very apparent when one sees him at Carisbrook doing far more than his share in this ailimportanfc department of the game. May all of our cricketers take a lesson, and then the game will not g6 back as it has sadly don© in the past. —Yours, etc., Enthusiast. .^Dunedin, November 19, 1908. P.S.— selection of a team to do battle for the Plunket Shield would be:— C. G. Wilson (captain). A. H. Fisher, G. G. Austin, H. G. Siodeberg,- F. Williams, C C. t Hopkins, — Torrance, R. M. Rutherford, — , ! Wilkie. A. Dowrtes, aad either- Eckhoff 4>r ' C. Beal. § i The "'glorious uncerta-inty" vras again ■ | exemplified on Saturday last, when what | j suggested itself as a four-point' win for | Cariebrook B «as reduced to a two-point j victory by the splendid fight put up by j Albion in the second inninga. I That promising young cricketer M'Farlane, of the Albion Club, whom I have had! I occasion to refer in complimentary terms, gave another brilliant display of batting for his club against Carisbrook B on Saturday. It was a splendid inninga, clean and good ' to look at, played with commendable confidence. Having watched M'Farlane's career somewhat closely, I was much surprised that the selectors had emitted the young Albion player from These selected to practice in j view of the northern tour of the Otasco team. It is tor too late to rectify what j appears' to Jiave. been in oversight on the > part of the selectors. I Another player whom I think has been • treated rather ungallantiy in this conneotion is Maekersy, of Dunedin. This player on present form may not be in the first flight, but ho is more than good enough to select for practice, and perhaps moreworthy than oue or two of those chosen. Jt may be that the selectors overlooked Mackersy's claims too»

There were several flashes of eood fielding in the Dunedin v. Carisbrcok A match on Saturday, and a catch or two worth seeing. Dunedin's bowling was, on the whole, good, though Torrance showed too great an inclination to keep them short. This bowler has very little originality of attack, and there is nothing deadly in th© mechanical catapult style if devoid of lengthy Hopkins got in somo sweet drives, but in too great a hurry to score. A fine, "lively batsman to watch though, and may ! iL l.oug Slip" be there when the Sydney • player compiles a century. A sportsmanlike action was that of Blamire&'s in the Dunedin's second innings. Maekersy, in going for a short run, failed to get home before the wickets, went down, and tho umptre signalled "out." Blamires, however, called the batsman back and explained that the ball had not been in his hand when he knocked the bails off. The umpire thereupon reversed his decision, and Mackersy continued his innings. A coincidence in tho Carisbrook A's first innings: J. Wilkie caught Rutherford brilliantly before he had scored. To even matters Rutherford, in Dunedin's second strike, by a very fine effort, caught Wilkie, also for a " blob." The ball was going away, and Rutherford, out in tho country, had to run side on to bring off the catch. It was a splendid effort, and well deserved" the applause which greeted it. After capturing three for 5 in the first innings of Carisbrook, Maekersy bowled with rather -bad luck in the second. Leys was not at his best behind the sticks on Saturday, and let three chances go. The Grange wicket, upon which the Second Grade match Dunedin v. Grange was played, wa3 in bad condition, especially at one end, and tho fast bowlers — Popwell on tho one side and Latham on the other — kept the batsmen busy dodging the flying ball, which, more often than not, flew perilously ■near their ears. This state affairs, coupled with the fact that deep slip and long- field were continually getting mixed: up with the Third Grade players on the lower wicket, made matters anything but comfortable for battinjr or fielding side. Davidson bdwled well for Grange Second. He was on at the "not so bad" end, and> at times swung* across against the wind with disastrous) results to the batsmen. ' According to the Marylebone rulesamended come two years ago — the Carisbrook B had no Tight to close their innings after 4.50 p.m. on the first day — a fact of which the umpires were apparently unaware-. The matter was brought forward at the O.CA. Committee meeting on Friday last, but the Chairman ruled that there could be no discussion because no appeal had been lodged by the Albion Club. Perhaps the Umpires' Association will not deem it beyond their province tq discuss a. question affecting the laws of cricket. The match Albion v. Carisbrook B was continued on Saturday on a splendid wicket. Williams, the veteran, on-ly added 3 to his previous Saturday's total when he wac clean bowled by, Austin for 55. Williams took 70 minutes to put his runs to- | geth-er. With the advent of Crammond and Drake the spectators were treated to- something refreshing in the way of cricket, both batsmen hitting aggressively. Drake gave a very clean display. His driving was | crisp, and all his strokes marked by exeelj lent timing. Drake was at the crease 40 minutos for 39. Austin was bowling particularly well and keeping a good length, and having the majority of the Albion batsmen in trouble. Godfrey, the slow leg-break bowler, proved to be a veritable destroying angel. • He was very tricky, and had the batsmen "■ feeling " throughout the innings. Williams and Cummings opened up Albion's second innings. Cummin-ga was the fir-st to go back disconsolately to tiho pavilion, but not before he .had compiled 1 , 15 in as many minutes. Williams did not iarit long at the crease, being sent back after 25 minutes' play for 14. When M'Farlano joined Sfcraug the bssfc partnership of the day eventuated. M'Farlano was at. the crease- 50 minutes for his 70 runs, compiled in ,& truly workmanlike style. His score included two hits for s—"5 — " one out of the ground. On returning to the pavilion the Albion colt was accorded a well-deserved ovation. When matters were looking none too brilliant for Albion Shelton happened along, and held up his wicket until such time as he had -put 24 on the sheet, and at the finish was undefeated. How long he might have stayed had someone " kept up the other end " -is problematical, for he did not look much like getting out. One must congratulate tho north enJ club on the fight the eleven made when the game was at a critical stage. As showing the consistency of the Albion scoring, no dewer than- 10 batsmen got into double figures. Carisbrook B made rather an indifferent showing on the second strike against Albion, but they had such a lead on tihe, first innings that probablj "nothmg mattered." The B's sent in Baxron and Drumm to wipe off the figures. -Barron. wa» th© first to go, being bowled* by Mills for nil. Johnny Drumm put on 16 in 13 minutes, when he too went under. Godfrey came' to put his "leg in front" to Cumminga, and returned with, the dreaded 0 against his name. Jerry "Austin, Siedebcrg, and Adorns pulled things along ontil 58 runs appeared on the sheet, when the umpiresdecided upon time. Carisbrook winning on the first itmings. C. Wordsworth, of Redfern, who- has been engaged 1 by *h© Otago Cricket Association as arickeler and coach, is a fastmedium to fast right-hand bowler and a left-hand batsman. He has been a fair performer in Sydney First Grade for two or three season*. Last ««uson,- in the return match with Queensland at Brisbane, be captured four for 12 and scored IT

not out and 4-, it being his only appearance in cricket of any note other than 'club games. For Redfern last year he secured come fine bowling results, notably seven for 32 against Burwocd and eight for 65 againet University. A couple of years ago ha registered 93 not out against Gordon when runs were Badly wanted. Some mighty slogging was in evidence during a Wednesday cricket match in Wellington recently. Playing for -tho Hospital Club, Dr Brown performed the unique feat of sending every ball-of one over for 6--ma-king 36 to his credit in one over. This feat outrivals that of Clem Hill when he so unmercifully pasted Ollivier, of Christchurch, on- the Basin Reserve a few seasons «go. .During a match between All England and Hambledon in .September a well-known cridket enthusiast offered half a crown, a run to the professional making the highest score. "When Leach went in he had Dennett's 2p to beat; that occupied him about a/ dozen minutes, and then for him (lio ■whole world looked very cheerful, »with business doing at the rate of half a sovereign per boundary hit. Leach made 80 runs, including 10 4's, two 3's, and six 2'e. He was batting one .hour and a-half. Albert Trott.'the one-time Victorian, was one of tho professionals engaged. Can any enthusiast produce a better record for the second wicket in New Zealand? The- Senior cricket match, Old Boys v. Nelson, at the Park, Nelson, on a recent Saturday, was the occasion of no loss than five new local records being e6tablidhc<i by the Old Bojs' Club. When time was called the scoro was 412 for two wickets, comprised as under: — old boys. —First Innings. E. B. Beale, not ont 209 G. Richmond, c Cunnngham, b Louisson 8 M'Kay, b Franklin 63 A. Sandel, not out 101 Total for -two wicket* 412 Records were established as follows: — Total score, 412 (only two wickets down). Previous be>>t, 321, by College in 18G0. Individual Ecore, Beale 209 (not out). Second wicket (M^Kay and Beale), 132. Third wicket stand (Sandel and Beale, both not out), 264. Number of centuries in one innings, two (Sandel and Beale). > The total of 412 was compiled in four hours. Beale's fine- innings included six 6's and eighteen 4's. Clem Hiil's 141 fs the second highest innings he has played against Victoria. He has compiled 37 centuries in first-class cricket, M. A. Noble 32. and V. Trumpcr 30. He is likely to be tho first batsman to complete 2000 runs against each of th-9 other States in Sheffield Shield matches. He .has reached 2000 against New South Wales amd has made 1941 against Victoria, hie record in these contests being: —

Mr A. C. Maelaren, in. the Star, London (8-8-08), writes:—"One of the greatest cricketers I have ever met was George Giffen, whom I may style the 'W. G. of Australia, or the walking cricket 'encyclopaedia. He had every point of the game at his finger tips, and I doubt if .there ever existed a man who loved it more; indeed, his great affection for cricket almost bordered on madness. As a player Giffen was rery safe, and. always chose his ball very carefully before scoring off it. He could, of course, make good shots all round the wicket, but, at the same time, he took few risks. In my opinion he was every bit as good as W. G. Grace, at placing a ball, especially in his cutting, preferring to make a 6afß four rather than a really brilliant streke in the neighbourhood of a fieldsman. I don't think I ever met a man who •watched the field more closely. At no time was Giffen's artfulness more conspicuous than when ho was bowling. Perhaps I ought not to use the word 'artfulness,' because, after all, it was only his thorough knowledge of a batsman's weakness. None knew it better, and certainly there was never a bowler who made more use of his knowledge. "C. T. B. Turner was, in my opinion, the greatest bowler I have ever met: in fact, he always fascinated me to an extraordinary degree, so much so that when he . was bowling I could never for on« moment I

take my eyes off the man. His delivery was absolutely perfect; indeed, the magnificent 6viing of his arm has only been approached by ona man in England. I ', refer, of course, to Jack Hearne, who wa3 one of the finest bowlers the world has i ever known. Charlie Turner's excellence lay in the fact that ho was always accurate in his pitch, and scarcely ever made a mistake in the placing of hh men in the field. His fast ball was a beauty, and Tip had th© happy ktiaok of occasionally slipping in a ball which broke back just enough to beat th© bat; but even in this he was clever enough not to overdo it. Runs against Turner were always difficult to get, and; no matter what condition tho -wicket was it, he was sure to get in a terror of a ball periodically. I have a' vivid r-^ollection of two halls with which h© bowled mo out, and, strange to say,_ he remembered those 'specials' ton years afterwards. "Wlvn Turner and Ferris bowled so well together against all our English county sides few of the public knew what a great liand tho former took in the latter's success. I do not refer to catches, but the winning influence ho had on the side generally, and on the bowler who -was on the other end especially. Turner was a man who was always getting wickets, and whilst he was sticking the bat&men up and never allowing them to settle down to their game it was a comparatively easy matter for the bowler at the other end to R-et men oitt. "Hu<rh Trumble was, without a doubt, the finest bowler I ever played against for getting batsmen out lbw on sticky wickets. In fac{. in my opinion he was one of the most reliable bowlers Australia ever turned out. He could break a ball aa much as any man ever could, but never did too much- 1 suppose there oould not be a bowler who took such great interest in his field. He seemed to weigh up every man who was there to support him, and he knew almost So <w> inch where to place him. There i 3 no doubt that his ability to bowl for his fi«l darken wa-s a sreat factor in his success."

Sew South Wales Pictoiia .. .. In UJ.O. H.S. 48 3 365* 40 2 147 Run*. 2440 1941 Avg. 54.22 51.07