CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 62

CRICKET.

WOTES BY LONG SLIP

A 'gold medal of a particularly neat design was to Mr D. Reese at last week's" meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association, as a souvenir of his. performance in the match between Canterbury and Australia. On the obverse, Mr Reese's initials were engraved in monogram, with the words "Canterbury Cricket Association" in a scroll below. The inscription on the reverse was as follows: "Australia v. Canterbury. D. Reese, first innings, 105; second, 41. 25th Feb., 1910." Wordsworth, just back from New Zealand, operated successfully with the ball for Redfern against Balmain, His side was contented with 416 for seven wickets, and applied' the closure prior to resumption. Wordsworth then took six wickets for 42, and Balmain was out for 122, Folkard being dismissed without scoring. In the seoond innings Wordsworth was not tried as a. bowler. If he had, Balmain might have been beaten outright, instead of by 294 runs on the first innings, as five of the best men were out for 60 when. rime was called. Foster did the hat trick, and his three wickets did not cost a run, which is something unusual for a player who rarely bowls. A curious incident happened recently at Melbourne. A. Dudgeon, the St. Kilda captain, went sillly point in a match at Carlton on Easter Saturday. His shadow extended across the pitch, right on the spot for a sood length ball. Matthews was bowling, and kept a good length. Jinks, the Carlton batsman, found that Dudgeon's shifting shadow affected his sight of the ball. He appealed in vain to one umpire, but the other umpire requested Dudgeon to move. Personally, I think (says "Felix" in the Australasian) the umpire who asked Dudgeon to move acted justly, and in accordance with the provisions of the law as to "fair or unfair play," Of course, if there had' been no shadow Jinks would not have appealed. In. my experience "i have known of similar cases, and umpires have asked fieldsmen to so stand that the shadow would not be just in the place for a good kngth ball. No lover of the game needs to be told how greatly Surrey—and not only Surrey, but 'England—suffered last season from ths lameness of "Tom" Hayward, who had' opened the season in such brilliant form (says "Wanderer" in the Sportsman). The county committee are fully alive to this, for nearly three weeks ago they kindly "sent "Tom" down to the Royal Hotel, Matlock Bath, to undergo, under the care of Dr Sharpe, a special treatment of Russian and Fango baths, for the rheumatism in his knees, with which he was affected. He is, 1 hear, improving daily, and hopes, in the course of a few days, to feel quite fit and strong again. Surreyites will be glad to hear that, so far from retiring, he hopes (to quote his own words in a letter to me) "to get many more centuries for the county." v The following interesting note reached the editor of .Cricket from Volksrii6t : "Playing for the Civil Service against Volksrust C.C. (champions of the Eastern Transvaal and Northern Natal), J. H. Plessis took six wickets for 7 runs. His second over was remarkable:—First ball, 2 runs; second ball, a wicket; third ball, a wicket; fourth ' ball, easy catch dropped, 2 runs; fifth ball, no-ball, hit middle stump; sixth ball, a wicket; seventh ball, a wicket. He is only 16 years of age, and was discovered by Mr T. S. Wakeford, J.P. (an old Tonbridgian). as recently as November last, since when, playing for the Volksrust C.C, he has taken 19 wickets for 95 runs —a remarkable occurrence, as he had never previously played in a match of any description. He bo.vls left-hand, fast, and has a short run, easy delivery, and a natural leg-break; he can also break back occasionally without any perceptible variation of pace or action. An effort is being made to send him to Johannesburg, where he would receive proper training. It is thought he will ultimately prove of great service to South .African cricket." David Hunter, who. retired at the end of last season, after more than 20 years' service for Yorkshire, haa accepted the position of cricket coach at Marlborough. He had received a number of tempting offers, including appointments in the colonies, but decided to accept the Marlborough position. On February 4 the Earl of Londesborough presided at a dinner in his honour at Scarborough. His lordship presented Hunter with an illuminated address and a cheque for £l5O, publicly subscribed by followers of the game. One of the most exciting finishes ever seen on a cricket field took place on the Sydney University Oval last week. Paddington made 103 and University went in for hitting, closing the innings with eight wickets down for 224. In the second venture Paddington put together 147, thus leaving 'Varsity 32 runs to get with just 10 minutes to do it in. It was so dark that the ball was almost invisible. The scene at the finish, is well told in the Referee: — "Massie and Minnett were the batsmen, and Carty and Sayle the bowlers. It was impossible to see the ball being bowled. All one could discern was the bowler running up to the wicket and swinging his arm. How the batsmen saw the ball can only be conjectured, because after it. was struck the fieldsmen, who were all in crouching attitudes, did not sta.rt to chase the ball for some few seconds. Carty bowled the first over, and 11 runs were scored, Massie getting the first ball away to the fine leg boundary. He hit another 4 and 3, and Minnett was clean bowled for nil in the same over. The excitement waa intense, the spectators uttering all sorts of ejaculations. Stack was next, but was run out for 3, and then Sayle bowled Massie for 11, leaving J. B. Lane (padless) and N. G. Docker to battle out the finish, 9 runs being wanted when the last over was started. "All that the batsmen could see was the bowljr run up and swiu.a: his: arm. After that thev hit at the darkest spot in the atmosphere, and —everything came right to the nr.. "When Lane snicked the, last ball of the day to the boundary, giving University the victory within 30 seconds of time, hats and sticks were ihrown skyward, and cheer after cheer rent the air. "The University players van out and shouldered their captain and Ducker, and carried them triumphantly to the pavilion. ''Thus ended a most remarkable match. During >.m experience of some 28 years (adds til.j Referee writeri one. has not seen anything approaching it for excitement, .U'h::!i I : "£.'■'. .accentuated by the extraordi-