CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 54

CRICKET.

ROTES lIY I.OXG SUP. An interesting announcement has been made by the New Zealand Cricket Council. It is, in effect, that a first-class Australian team will tour Now Zealand in February and March of next year. It is impossible yet to give the personnel of the team, but it is already certain that six Inter-State players of world-wide fame have dce.ded to conic over. The associations will not be asked to give guarantees. Arthur Sms, the Canterbury and Now Zealand representative, who is at present in England, scored 73 no* out In the Black-heatli-Elthani match recently. Among tiie notable players taking part in the game were \V. G. Grace and .Mason, the latter making 63. A good programme is being arranged for the New Zealand team when they v;sit Australia. It is proposed (says the Referee) that the New Zealanders should arrive in Sydney on December 9 or 10, and put in two days’ practice at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The importance of practice of this kind is not to lie over-estimated. It gives the plavers the necessary time to find their land legs, and, what is of still more Importance, it gives them an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the pace and character of the turf wickets oi Australia. The New Zealanders are to play at Maitland and Glen limes, those centre; having arranged to find the guarantee oi £SO. The associations of New South Male; and Queensland are guaranteeing £75 each and I expect to hear of the V.C.A. doing likewise. Matches at Wagga and Alburj are mentioned as possible. In addition t< the match with Victoria, the team will play the Melbourne and South Melbourne CTub.in the Victorian capital.- [The New Zoa land Council lias now wisely decided to cut out some of ihe country matches In favoui •of playing at Adelaide.] FINE PERFORMANCES WITH BAT' AND BALL. LONDON, August 5. Playing against Sussex at Canterbury A. Fielder (Kent) secured seven wicket* for 41 runs. He was no-balled seven time* for dragging bis foot over. August 6. Playing against Somerset. A. E. Dipper of Gloucester, scored 168 and 85. Against Leicester R. A. Hayward, fo Northants, scored 160 and 78. including ; nine. August 7. George Gunn in seven consecutive in nings (twice not out) made 647 runs. August 9. Playing for Hampshire against Somerse Mead made 97 runs. He is the first bats man to compile 2000 runs this season. Playing against Essex W. Denton car ried his bat with a score of 230,

THE AUSTRALIANS’ TOUR. N E\V YORK, August 5. The Australian cricketers defeated a team of 13 veterans by 464 runs to 144. August 9. The German Town Club (Philadelphia), playing 12 men, defeated Australia. German Town made 271 for seven ■wickets, and Australia 270 (Bardsley 64). PHILADELPHIA, August 7. The Australians have commenced a two days’ match against Germantown, the host American team they have yet met. Ihe home team made 190 runs in their first innings, and the Australians compiled 144. NEW YORK. August 10. The Australians began a two days’match against a "West Indian eleven at Long Island City. The West Indians, batting first innings, were dismissed for 13 runs. Macartney captured seven wickets at a cost of seven runs. In their second venture they made 61. The Australians scored 21.3. and won by an innings and 139 runs. THE AUSTRALIAN TOUR. CHRISTCHURCH. August 8. The Management Committee _ of the Canterburv Association met to-nignt. A letter was received from the secretary of the New Zealand Cricket Council regarding the Australian lour of the New Zealand ' team, stating that until the council had communicated with the Australian Association it was not possible to advise the Canterbury Association as to the itinerary. As to other information with regard to the tour, the date was not yet fixed, but the team was to be back in New Zealand by January 51. The length of the tour would be about six weeks, and the council had agreed to guarantee £TGO. The proposed guarantee from the council and the associations would be refunded pro rata according to the financial result of the tour, and any surplus would he divided between the council and the associations in proportion to the amount of the guarantee. Ihe council placed the arranging of the matches and the guarantees, on certain lines suggested by the council, in the hands of the secretary of the Australian Board of Control, it. being proposed to play matches against New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Glen limes, Maitland, Goulbnrn, Toowoomba. and the .'Melbourne Cricket Club. It was also proposed to play matches New Zealand against Wellington and New Zealand against Auckland. The guarantees in Australia would be received by tiie manager of the team as the matches were played, and as the council would require from £4OO to £SCO before the team left New Zealand, it became necessary to ask the major associations to guarantee a sum of £7O each in order to finance the tour. The probable result of the tour was as follows: —New South Wales, £100: Victoria, £75: Queensland, £75; South Australia, £75; Glen Lines, £SO; Maitland. £SO: Goulbnrn, £SO; Toowoomba, £SO; Melbourne (.Ticket Club, £25; New Zealand matches, £25; — total, £7OO. The council was asking ds agent to endeavour to arrange matches with Bathmvt and Newcastle at £SO per match. At the quarterly general meeting held in April last practically all the dele

gates were present, and it was unanimously decided to send a team to Australia this season, as none of the Aus Indian associations had any oilier foreign engagements, and tlie council trusted that the association would see its way to guarantee the amount required. Arrange ments had been concluded for a first-class Australian team to visit New Zealand in February and March next on a basis ot 69 per cent, of the gross proceeds per match, no guarantee being required. The information as to the personnel of the team and as to other matters would be announced later. It was decided that the Canterbury Association should guarantee ;975. The council advised that the general meeting would be held at 8 p.m. on September 8 to consider the proposed alterations to the rules providing that the system of challenge to decide the possession of the Hawke Cup be reverted to, and that the application from the Southland (Ticket Association to take part in the Plunkot Shield Competition He agreed to. —lt was decided to leave the matters to the discretion of the delegates, subject to the opinion of the committee that the first proposal should lie carried and the second rejected.