CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 60

CRICKET.

ENGLISH CRICKET TEAM IN AUSTRALIA. January 12, 13, 15, and 16. —v. AUSTRALIA (Third Test), at Adelaida. January 19 and 20. —v. Ballarat, at Ballarat. January 23, 24, and 25—v. Launceston, at Launceston. February 2,3, 5, and 6.—v. Victoria, at Melbourne. February 9, 10, 12, and 13. —v. AUSTRALIA (Fourth Test), at Melbourne. February 10, 17, 19, and 20 —v. New South Wales, at Sydney. February 23, 94, 26. and 27. —v. AUSTRALIA (Fifth Tost), at Sydney. March 1 2,4, and 5. —v. South Australia, at Adelaide OTAGD TEAM’S FIXTURES. February 16, 17, 19.—Against Auckland, at Carisbrook. NOTES BY LONG SLIPDuring the first innings of Otago against Canterbury at Lancaster Hark last week a partisan of Canterbury cricket in the public pavilion became so annoying with his remarks that Reese, the Canterbury captain, Stopped the game temporarily, and, walking over to the pavilion, singled the individual out for a just rebuke. “The batsmen arc playing the game, not you,” remonstrated the Canterbury skipper. Thereafter a very small person shrank perceptibly’ smaller, and thoio was silence. . , Soriie time ago the question was raised as to the advisability of playing professional orickcteis in Plunket Shield matches. The mutter wes raised at a meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council, and rejected on the ground that the presence of the professional cricketer on the side was not only of very material benefit, but a factor in the education of cricketers generally. The material benefit of the professional coach has been vividly demonstrated in the Plunket Shield matches in the past. For -some seasons Relf, tho Auckland professional, was in the main instrumental in the ' Auckland Association holding the Plunket Shield against all-oomere until Canterbury, by a splendid performance secured the coveted trophy last year. Now wo have in the latest Plunket Shield engagement another professional in W. Carlton, the Canterbury coach, practically retaming the shield for Canterbury. I have no hesitation in saying that but for the magnificent defensive tactics of Carlton and the moral effect of his game in tho contest at Lancaster Park last week the Plunket Shield would now be in the possession of Otago. I do not labour this argument to the distress of any other, but merely us© it as evidence of how the winning of Plunket Shield matches has been influenced by the importation of foreign talent. If this influence were confined to the legitimate members of the team coached by the imported professional, as it should bo, all would be well; but when in addition tho services of the professional arc requisitioned to ‘‘materially benefit the province in a Plunket Shield , match or intorprovincial contest the position is unreal and unfair to the less affluent associations Personally, I hold the opmion that it was never intended by the donor that imported foreign talent should take part in Plunket Shield contests. The benefits of importing a professional coach should be, and are, evidenced in the style of the recognised representatives of the province in which such imported coach is engaged. That is the real educative benefit, and the only legitimate benefit that should be derived from the importation of foreign talent. To further increase tho advantage by actually playing tho imported professional coach in contests which should be confined to representatives of the respective provinces is to place a premium on tho association paying the highest price for retaining the Plunket Shield. Many questions arc being asked, as to tho explanation of the collapse of Otago in the second innings against Canterbury, when tho match was well within the graep of the southern province. As an eye-witness, I cannot furnish any just or reason why there should nave been a collapse—at least such a collapse as all out for 52, — but in mitigation of the offence the following circumstances may bo taken into consideration. The Otago players had had a long and trying day in the field fighting every run against Canterbury, and wore obviously tired when at 5 o clock they wont in to bat; the light was bad, tho wickcjt playing queerly, and after being cut and rolled was faster than at any stage of the game. These circumstances, not sufficient in themselves to account for Otago’s poor second innings display, but os a combination of circumstances, together with the fact that Reese and Sandman were bowling at the top of their form, may bo advanced and considered before condemning tho team’s showing. Five of tho best batsmen on the Otago side were out overnight for 22. The effect of this on the remaining batsmen going in was not good, and the next morning they, too, collapsed befor tho excellent bowling of Re-ase and Bennett. I verily believe had the Otago team not gone in tired on the last hour in an indifferent light overnight, but opened the innings fresh the next morning, Canterbury would have been set 150 runs to get to win, and as Downes and Ramsden were bowling the rival players stood every chanco of being dismissed before they got them. It would not bo unfair to .say that Otago had the match within grasp on more than one occasion and let it slip through their fingers. Tho tail end of tho first innings —(Tight wickets for 90—and the whole of the second for 52, suggests, all tho adverse circumstance© in, that Otago is not a fighting side with the bat. _ This has been proved over and over again in Otago cricket during past years, and the more one sees tho more one realises the opportunities lost by lock of the spirit of the back-to-the-wall game. I do not accuse ■Otago of not being a, fighting side,. but I do say they are not a fighting side with the bat in all circumstances. Until wo get that spirit engendered into local cricketers we can never be certain of our play or our players. Just so long as tho present stylo of game is played and men and

methods go undeveloped, just so long will Otago as a cricketing province be humbled and suffer iniquities. The first step towards improvement in our game is the playing of all grade matches on turf wickets. The time has long since arrived when the association should take up a firm attitude on this point, and insist that all finst grade, and as many of the junior grades as possible, be played on turf. More is wanted, but nothing less will do

The one “discovery,” probably, as a result of the visit of the Goldfields team to Dunedin in the one-day match against an Otago Eleven 13 a promising young wicket-keeper in the person of JSicmnitz. an ex-High School boy, .who showed wonderful adaptability behind the wickets. He was instrumental in dismissing three Otago batsmen from catches and stumping, besides keeping wickets generally in quite promising stylo. As others see us. Commenting on the play of Hopkins and Austin in the recent matca against Canterbury, a well-known Christchurch critic shows this appreciation : —“ Hopkirts for Otago secured the coveted three figures, this being the first century over made by, an Otago player against Canterbury. I congratulate him heartily, not only upon the actual figures, but also upon the way in which they wore made. Hopkins hajla from Sydney, but ho must not be confused with A. J. Hopkins, the Australian Eleven player. The Otago representative is a Redfern man, and ia one of quite a number of first-class batsmen in Sydney who find it difficult to get beyond club cricket. Last year he gave Canterbury some trouble at Carisbrook, but this year he eclipsed anything that has .come from the south. He took no risks, and watched the ball carefully on to his bat. He has an effective crisp off-drive and a late out which brings him a lot of runs. At 73 ho should have been caught by Carlton, who did not move to the ball. Patrick bowled a ball wide to tho off, the batsman slashed at it and it went easily to Carlton at cover-point. Very late in his innings he pulled a ball to forward longon, and Ollivier might have made an easy catch-, but for some unaccountable reason bo stood still and took the ball on the rebound. He also snicked Reese a few times between his legs and wickets, but these were minor blemishes in an innings so fine. Austin’s 64 was also made by fine cricket in by far the best innings he has played against Canterbury. He was always safe, although Bennett should have caught him at mid-on when 33. That was his only mistake, and it was very hard luck for him to get out in the way he did. Austin has a fine forcing etroico on tho on-side, and got many runs there. He is, however, liable to be stumped on that side if the ball is doing anything. The highest score made in the EnglandAustralia series of test matches is 686, by the Australians at Sydney in 1894-5 contests. England scored 577 at Sydney in 1903-4. The highest score in England was 576, by England at tho Oval in 1899. The three four lowest in the series have been made by tho Australians, viz., 36 at Edgbaston in 1902, 42 at Sydney in 1887-8, and 44 at the Oval in 1896. England was dismissed at Sydney in 1886-7 for 45. Tho record partnership in the series is 243 for the eight wicket, by C. Hill and R. T. Hartigan at Adelaide in 1907-8. The record first wicket partnership is 185, by F. S. Jackson and T. Hayward at the Oval in 1899. The following players made a century on their first appearances in test matches: —R. E. Foster (287), W. G. Grace (152), G. Gunn (119), Ranjitsinhji (154), C. Bannermaa (165), R. A. Duff (104), H‘. Graham (107), R. T. Hartigan (116). R. A. Duff also made a century (146) in the last test match he played in. The highest individual score of the series ia R. E. Foster’s 287 at Sydney in 1903-4. Others to make over 200 were S. E. Gregory (201) and W. L. Murdoch (211). The only instance of a batsman scoring two individual centuries in a test match is Warren Bardsley’s 156 and 130 at the Oval in 1909. For England 43 centuries have been scored and 41 for Australia. Jackson and Maclaren for England have each scored five centuries in test matches, while Trumper has been similarly successful for Australia. No other Englishman has made four centuries in the series, but both Cldm Hill and Sid Gregory have done so for Australia. The hat trick has six times been accomplished in the series three times for each country. Tho successful Englishmen were Bates, Briggs and J. T. Hearne, while Truruble (twice) and Spofforth secured three English wickets with consecutive balls. There have been 86 matches played, and of these England won 35, Australia 34, and 17 have been drawn. England won nine more than Australia of the matches played in England, while Australia has a lead of eight on her own grounds. The first test matches were played in Australia in 1876-7, while the first in England wore not played until 1880. The largest aggregate attendance at a test match was at Melbourne in March, 1895, when 95,000 people watched tho play. The’ gate takings were £4003 14a. This amount was, however, exceeded at Sydney in 1903, when 87,000 people attended, the gate realising £4274 10s. The record aggregate of runs in a test match in tho England-Australia senes is 1514, at Sydney, in the 1894-5 season _ At Kurow, where cricket is played with all tho fervour of true devotees, a team that put up mostly ducks for 7 in its first innings pulled the match out of the fire with 103 in its second, winning ultimately by 17 runs. , . . ... .Much sympathy will bo felt locally for Charlie Macartney the Australian international and ex-Otago “coach, who was injured by a polo falling on his head while practising at the nebs at Adelaide on Monday It ' is bo bo hoped that his injuries arc not serious, and that ho will bo able to take part in the third test if selected. new stand erected on the AXolbourno Cricket Ground, and opened by his Excellency tho Governor on the first day of tho second test match, has been named the “Wardill Stand” in recognition of the longterm of office and splendid services of thelate secretary . At the jubilee of international cricket celebrated in Melbourne a subscription list in conm-ction with the testimonial to Mr J. BLackham was opened, and £52 subscribed. Thcro were 800 present at tho gathering, including tho members of the English " and Australian teams. During tho proceedings a letter waft read from Mr Charles Lawrence, of UlO first English team. 111-health prevented his being present. “I arn now in my eighty-fourth year,” ho

added, “but my Interest in the game is ns keen now as it wars when in May, 1849, Slaying for Scotland, in Edinburgh, I owled out the whole side of the AllEngland Eleven.” The Australian Board of Control for International Cricket Matches eat on December 29 and arranged the details of the forthcoming tour of the Australian Eleven in England. Mr O. ilill _ was appointed captain. Mr V. Trymper vice-captain, arm Messrs C Hill, P. A. Al'Alister, and F. A. Iredale as selectors, ancj it was agreed that ihe team should consist of 15 players. It was decided that the appointment of scorer should bo left in the hands of the team, but that the-score book must be returned to the board at the termination of the tour. The financial arrangements of the tour are that the board take* 5 per cent, of the first £6OOO received, and l&i per cent, of liny takings over that amount. The remainder to be divided in equal shares amongst the players. There is a proviso that any plaver may have the option of taking, instead of bis share, a lump sum of £4OO and all expenses. In the event of this being done any excess in dividend for that player above £4OO will accrue to the board. The motion to appoint a secretary at a salary of £4OO for the tour, together with all expenses, was carried after a long discussion Some incidents of the second test worth recording:—The first ball from Barnes, who, / with Foster, opened the attack against the ' Australians, cannoned from Bardsley's foot on to the wicket' and dislodged the bails One wicket for no runs was the depressing start; bqt worse was to follow. With 5 runs on the board Kelleway put his leg in front to Barnes, who had now captured two wickets for 1 run. In his fourth over Barnes clean bowled Hill. Victor Trumpcr Came out to see Armstrong caught behind the wickets off Barnes, who had taken four wickets for 1 run. After making 15, Trumper was beaten by Foster all the way, and half of the Australians were out for 23! Minnett had a abort life, for after making 2 ho hit Barnes to cover, where Hobbs took an easy catch. Six for 38. Barnes at this stage had five wickets for 6 runs, off 66 balls, seven maidens. Hansford pleased the spectators by his bright play, but after making 43 touched one from Hitch, and was caught by Smith fielding short stop. Hansford was at tlx© crease 94 minutes. Cotter played lively cricket before being run out, apd Carte* gave a good display. Whitty let out at Barnes, and as the bails came off it was thought that Whitty was out. But the umpire called the players back as they were moving away. It appears that the ball rebounded from the wicketkeeper’s pads. When Hordern had reached 40 he gave a difficult show to Barnes in the slips off a full toss from Foster. When Whitty had made 14 he wae bowled first ball by Woolley, who had just gone on. The innings terminated at a quarter past 5 o’clock for a total of 184. Hordern merits express mention (says “Felix”) for his sound and • eminently useful essay for 49 not «ut. Ho wag at the wickets for 2hr 21miih, and hit six 4’s. The Englishmen howled and fielded with animation and nerve from start to finish, and the remarkably successful bowling of Barnes wae talked about round the ground. The “bite” in the wicket rendered him assistance in the early part of the play, but his length was superb, and he turned the ball from either side at times. Foster and Douglas sent down some fine bails. Smith, with the was first-class. Ho wae smart and clean in taking the bowlers and field, and caught three men out. Hobbs and Hitch did some beautiful work in the field, and the Englishmen have every reason to fed well satisfied with th© manner in which they performed with the ball and in the field.

It would ho difficult to praise Hearnn too highly. He played Hordern like shelling peas, and his coolness throughout was as marked as his effectiveness. I iwas fairly delighted with his display. Ho has sound and varied strokes on both sides of the wicket, and he makes them with neatness and, when opportunity offers, with excellent application of wood lie was at the wickets 3 hours 45 minutes, and so far as I could see he did not give a chance. He hit eleven d’s, and on returning to the pavilion the crowd fairly rose at him in a splendid manifestation of sustained applause. Ho went in first wicket down, when the score was 10, and at his exit 214 had been added Now and then ho reminds mo somewhat of the famous Arthur Shrewsbury, who was so remarkable for meeting the ball with the full face of the blade. That 114 is an achievement which reflects very much credit, indeed, on the young Middlesex all-rounder, and T most heartily congratulate him. Wilfred Rhodes also batted well for 61, but his essay was marred bv a chance in the slips fit 19 off Cotter. Tt was. however, by no means an easy chance. The popular Yorkshireman made some very nic« strokes on both sides of the wicket, and hit six 4’s. He was in 2 hours 14 minutes. Armstrong’s 90 will stand to his credit for manv a day a-s a great effort. By the snirit of determination ho manifested at the outset he made it patent that he was fully alive to the critical condition of the game, and beyond ail Question he played a splendid innings He, had some remarkably good bowling to play, and ho proved fully coual to the call made upon him. His driving, cutting, and leg plav were admirable both in execution and effectiveness, and while he was in possession for 2 hours 28 minutes, it was rare indeed to find the hall travelling in a direction other then that intended. Those might he termed slight, blemishes, but when the hlarhcless charncter of the bawling is taken into consideration, anv trivial defects of the nature indicated should most certainly bo permitted to nass without being set down ns faultv strokes. He hit 14 4’s. and on returning to the navilion he mot with a greetin'* that was simply grand. And he deserved it all. fer his great display fairly lifted the Australian side out of a position that, seemed almost boneless. Associated with him in this sterling work was Vernon Ransford. who >s entitled to a good share of the credit He stonned an hour and 42 minutes for h>= 32. which includes three 4’s. The bat. with the little silver nhite on the back of it, and with \v nich tno Rev. Tt. O. Rlnmivec sailed into the Canterbury Itowling at Wellington last, week, has a rather interesting little story attached to {t Whenever he goes in to bat he takes It up with quite an affectionate hand, for ft reeabs an effort which he made to m- { crest the young men of Rwannnnoa, North 'anterhury. in cricket, and it was they who gave it to him. Perhaus Mr Bland res would not be far astray if he said that tut more, eager watchers of the scores in

the recent Canterbury-Wellington match would b© found than the members of the little team in North Canterbury who gave it to him, and next Sunday morning- as a group of young farmers await outside a little country church the arrival of the preacher’s buggy, on© will perhaps say: “Did you see our old panson scored some against Canterbury?” and then, perhaps, another will reply i “I wonder what bat he was using?” “■Guff,” says an indignant person just back from Christchurch, “is the Alpha and Omega of the Pluoket Shield match between Otago and Canterbury. You never saw anything like it. There was press guff, barrackers’ guff, officials’ guff, ana even the players themselves gulfed a bit. Isn’t it about time that someone rose _up in arms against this perennial guff time that w© put ice in our hats, and made some sober sort of try to see things os they really are? The wicket was not difficult—it -was an easy batsman’s wicket nearly all the time. Just one of those ordinary Lancaster Park wickets with any sting that it might have had taken out of it by the rain. Of course, you had to wait for the ball, but, if you were content to do that, vou could not get out without bad luck. Yea. I read all that story about Sandman breaking a yard from leg. More guff. What’s in a break—even a break of two furlongs—if the ball just hobbjes off the pitch as tamo as a marmoset in the Newtown Zoo? Well, that was Sandman. A normal wicket would have suited either him, or Reese, or Bennett about twice as well. What comes of the Otago batting after that? Just guff. Mind you, I am not inclined to depreciate Canterbury. 1 like them, and I think that (with fair fortune) Wellington con hardly beat them Your average Cantabrian is a good sport, and a good cricketer, but he is glow to adapt himself to new conditions. He must have the fast ‘play forward’ wicket that ho is normally used to, and if you give him that he CAN bat. Rut don’t give him any other kind of wicket—even a slow and easy one —or he immediately sees lions in the path. All .that by the wav. My chief point if guff. Isn’t is wonderful how these southern people—Otago especially —will dabble in hyperbole? Never a moulting and ancient duck appears on the edge of their pond but it becomes a ewan; never an old crock passes over their highway but they see a racehorse. Ha! and also Ho 1 The plain truth of the Plunket Shield match is that it was quite an ordinary game on a very ordinary wicket, and the beet side won by about the margin they deserved.” —Dominion. P. B. Courtis, who played for the Dunedin senior team- three years ago, has taken to the game again in the Waikato district, in the North Island. In the opening match between Hamilton A and Hamilton B the ex-Dunedin cricketer made 34 runs for the B Eleven, and playing for Hamilton United against Franklin, the other day ho compiled 45 out of a total of 144, and secured two wickets for 21 runs. In his interesting reminiscences of cricket and cricketers of the past, “Felix” says: “In glancing back I must not forget the first teet match played in the long series of these great contests. That was on the Melbourne ground in March, 1877, between Australia and Lilly white’s English team. The game was won by Australia, and was chiefly remarkable for the magnificent innings of 165 (retired hurt) by Charlie Bannerman against Alfred Shaw, Allen Hill, George Ulyett, and other fine bowlers. His injury was caused by a smashing blow on the fingers from a very fast ball sent down by Ulyett. A sum of £165 was collected and presented to Bannerman in recognition of hie splendid achievement, so, ho got a sovereign per run. His driving was tremendous. One ball he hit back to the fast bowler, Allen Hill, who tried to skm it. The ball struck him on the wrist and went to the boundary for 4. In a few moments there was a huge contused lump on Allen’s wrist. To that victory is due the banding together the first Australian team for (England. Lillywihito described Charlie Bannerman’s innings ae one of the very finest ever played. “The beat bowler since Giffen,” was a prominent South Australian critic’s summing up Hordern after he saw him perform in the first test. Hordern, by the way, bowled some poor stuff in that match, but the Englishmen did not hit him. Half volleys were patted back to the bowler. "Hordern has them under a mesmeric spoil,” was one onlooker’s explanation of the phenomenon. But it appears, speaking generally, to bo a good thing to send down a loose ball occasionally'. It not only sometimes gets a wicket—Kelloway in the first test stalled off good stuff for over an hour, and was then cut off a full toss — but it gives the batsmen confidence, and they start lashing out, only to fall to “a ring-tailed hobhy-dazzler” that follows it. But in the case of Hordern, his poor stuff was treated by the Englishmen with a respect that could not have been exceeded if the bowling had been the best ever seen —-a circumstance that was dccidely fortunate, so far as the all-conquering bowler was concerned. It, is hardly likely, however, that this respect will he continued. The fact that, the majority of the Englishmen were figuring in their first test match no doubt had the effect of tying thorn up, and so they blocked balls which, if sent down in picnic cricket, would have been promptly hit to the fence. In the subsequent matches of the series this weight of responsibility will bo gone, and they may be expected to shape more in keeping witn their reputations.

Hordern’s wonderful control over the hall makes him the best gcogly bowler playing the game. His length is, except on rare occasions, of such a character that he must, be played irrespective of the break of the ball. And in addition to having a good length ho makes pace from the pitch, and has a straight ball with leg-break action. This ball, or, rather, the knowledge that he may bowl it. is the greatest trouble of all to the English professional. When he sees from the action of the arm that the ball will be a break, he promptly steps in front of his wicket, and if ho misses it with the bat he has still his logs to keep it out, of the wicket. But he cannot do this with any degree of safety when Hordern is bowling, for what appears from the action of the arm to bo a big log-break, may be a straight ball, and the Ibw decision hangs over him like a nightmare, or a Damocles’ sword, or any other old thing yo uliko to think of to fit the position. During his comparatively short career Strudwick. the English wicket-keeper, who is a member of the English team in Australia. whilst keeping wickets in first class cricket, has taken C>ll wickets, of which 532 have been caught, and 103 stumped.