CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2929, 4 May 1910, Page 57

CRICKET.

NOTES BY LONG SLIP. The South African Cricket Association has notified the Board of Control that the South African team will arrive in Australia in November next. The tour will last about four months. The trip to New Zealand has apparently given Emery some of his old dash as a batsman (remarks a Sydney writer). Until April 16 he had not reached the halfcentury for Redfern; but on the datt given he rattled up 76 in less than half an hour against Waverley. He eent the ball out of the ground four times for 6, and nine times it hit the fence, or 60 runs from, 13 strokes. Other Redfern players—Vincent 42, Maidment 35, Foster 30, Hayes 30, and Wordsworth 39 —also did well, and the total was 301 when the last wicket fell 175 minutes after the first ball had been bowled. The next English nail will bring particulars of an important meeting of the Advisory County Cricket Committee. One of the important questions to be considered was the proposed covering of the wickets, on which there was a proposal by Warwickshire, with an amplified one from Surrey. The former were prepared to allow proshire, with an amplified one from Surrey, explicitly defined the period when this should be permissible as after 9 a.m. on the first day, the covering to be utilised every night and removed- every morning at 7 o'clock if fine. This was to be, acording to the description, a different article to the Pawley mackintosh, and was not to exceed 18ft by 12ft, nor extend more than 3ft in front of the popping crease. Of course, the object in view was the avoidance of the irritating delays that now frequently occur in important matches. In the London Sportsman Mr J. N. Pentelow has published some tables dealing with colonial cricketers. Mr Pentelow works out the figures of not only Australian, but of South African, West Indian, Philadelphian, Canadian, and New Zealand players. Among batsmen who have had 100" innmgs or more, Clem Hili is first in the averages with 39.14, W. W. Armstrong neut with 38.53. V. Trumper third with 37.74, and J. Darling and M. A. Noble practically equal for fourth position. V. Trumper has scored most runs—viz., 8908, C. Hill having made 8376. W:. W. Armstrong has far the largest proportion of not out innings. Among the batsmen who have had 50 or more innings W. Bardsley is first with 46.73 per innings, and V. Hansford'next with 41.60. The bowling tables are headed by C. T. B. Turner, with 877 wickets at 12.52, F. R. Spofforth having token 719 at 13.46, G. E. Palmer 648 at 13.55. J. J. Ferris 506 at 14.42. H. Trumble 698 at 17.70, and G. Giffen 659 at 20.14. S. E. Gregory has the wonderful record of 400 innings for 8948 runs. J. M. C. Blackham. the great wicket-keeper, played 380 innings for 5317 runs. George Giffen has 316 innings to his credit, during which he scored 7375 runs. AUSTRALIA'S BEST BATSMAN AND BOWLER, I havo been asked the question (writes 11. Trott, in a Melbourne journal) who, in my opinion, was the best batsman Australia, has produced and who is the best bowler. I suppose every enthusiast and everyone who feels himself in a position to judge has his own private opinion, and if he expressed it publicly would immediately have plenty of correspondents down upon him, with reasons for their own particular fancy. There are men who, on

a good wicket, rank very high, but when it comes to a. sticky one are but fifthraters. When, therefore, judging a, batsman, one should take into consideration all kinds of wickets. Personally, I do not like to make comparisons, but on all wickets the two players who stood out to my mind as the greatest of Australian batsmen were Victor Trumper . and Joe Darling.

In placing these two men above all others, I am not going on figures. They may be ahead on the averages, but just at present I could not say. I place them on the top for their ability to suit themselves to circumstances. They were able to score, and score well, on all classes of wickets. As to the best bowlers Australia has produced, there are about six between whom I consider there is very little difference. Then, again, there are four distinct classes of bowling—the fast, the medium, the slow, and the left-hander. The medium and the left-hander will always show off best if figures are brought in, because their opportunities to improve their averages come when the wickets are bad. The slow and the fast bowlers are generally reserved for occasions when the wickets are hard' and true. It is, therefore, hardly fair to the latter to bring in averages. In my opinion, C. T. B. Turner was the greatest bowler that ever lived, but such a good authority as Jack Blackham gives the palm to Spofforth, and his opinion must carry a lot of weight. He kept wickets to both men's bowling, both in Australia and England. Then, again, W. L. Murdoch considers that Tom Kendall was Australia's greatest bowler. Talking upon the subject the other dav Murdoch remarked that he always told the cricketers of England when they spoke on this subject •'that they had never seen Australia's best bowler." Australia in the past has been exceptionally well <-ff in first-class bowlers. Here are a few: Bovle, Garrett, Allen, Palmer. Giffen, Ferris." Trumble, Jones, M'Kibbin, Noble, Howell and Laver.

N.Z. CRICKET COUNCIL. CHRISTCHURCH, May 2. The New Zealand Cricket Council on Saturday night rejected a motion by Mr Hardy (Taranaki) *' that no person who is in receipt of payment as a cricketer or coach shall be eligible to play in Plunket Shield matches until he has resided in the Dominion 12 months continuously." An amendment, moved by Mr Raphael (secretary)—" that no person be eligible to play in any match under the jurisdiction of the Cricket Council unless he has resided in the Dominion for the four months continuously preceding the match " —was also rejected, leaving the rule as it stands. It was decided to make a refund to the Marlborough Association for the loss made in connection with the visit of Lord Hawke's team, the refund to be in the proportion adopted in other oases. Marlborough's loss had not been brought under tht attention of the council when the settlement was made in connection with the tour. An application from Hawke's Bay for a refund of the amount guaranteed by the local association for the match against the Australians was referred to the Management Committee of the council for report. Hawke's Ray had lost its match because the ground had been flooded. EXPERIMENT IN CRICKET SCORING. LONDON, April 26. The Marylebone Club yesterday resolved to experiment with a- new method of scoring in county championship matches. Draws and losses will be ignored, and only wins will be reckoned.