THE NEW RELIGION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12615, 18 November 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE NEW RELIGION.

V CAPTAIN WARNER ON CRICKET

•Mr-. V. F. Warner, the captain of the English cricket team, avlvo Avill ) be remembered as much- for his criticism of Sydney - croAvds as for the performances of the side he captained when- he Avon the rubber, and so annexed the coveted "ashes," is once more in Australia oh a similar mission to that which'. accounted for his presence in the Commonwealth during ,the 1903-4 seasoii. -..Naturally, Mr Warner predicts great things in the way of cricket from his side, and expresses the hope that they will bo found good enough to satisfactorily solve the problem set them. Whether they will; or not does not ma't-ter-dust now — the tests are yet too far off!" to warrant any speculation. All that need be said is in -the way of expressing tho hope -that , the games will be played out as far as possible under equal conditions, and that the best side .will' win.

. '.Mr Warner, judged from the viewpoint of the outsider, ia what the American Avould describe as "a genial sort of cuss." He is (states the Telegraph) glad to be back in Australia,' Avhere he had such a pleasant time a feAv years ago j glad to meet so many old friends, and to havo tho opportunity, of making neAV ones ; he hopes Hordern's illness is not going to interfere AA-ith his chances of being picked against ' the visitors ; and — Avag that he is — he "hopes that George Giffen will come/ doAvn to the nets, and boAvl against the team at practice in Adelaide." Seeing that George -Giffen has been out of the game for so long a -time, there does not seem to be much likelihood of .his doing the. team much good, if he does boAvl at the nets. Kasper-like, the South Australian may be able to recall a feAv "famous victories," but there his usefulness to Warner Avould probably cease. . Not that onecares to suggest that the Avily diplomat from Lun'non is endeavoring to be too courteous. Time Avas Avhen the mention of the name of George Giffen Avould thrill the community ; and a visitor had only to ask a. street urchin if it was Avell Avith George, to haA'e a voluntary guide all day. Things have altered so much that the A-eteran is' now knoAvn as an ordinary civil servant; and as a con-se-quence the Postmaster-General is hiving a feAv inquiries as to the state of his health just iioav. Incidentally, it may be mentioned as strange that Warner did not inquire after Crockett's health, or if he did, the intervieAver forgot to record it. >. .

The good purpose that Warner's recent utterances haA'e served, however, is that is slioavs that the much-maligned Australia is not the only sport-stricken country in the Avorld after all. The Mother Country is coming into her rights in this connection at last. "The chief object of such games," said Warner in Adelaide on Saturday, "is to do the best that is possible in the interests of this great game, which is so dear to every man, woman and child in England. In fact, if is more than a mere game Avith many. It is a religion." At last. And, although the Warner men are not a missionary side — tho pioneering stage has been lost in the vista of tho past — they are revivalists of a game that England is making a religion of. Tlie Warner theology should catch on in Australia.

THE FIELDING OP EXPERTS. A feature, of the match just concluded betAveen Queensland and New South Wales Avas tho fielding of the home side, in Avhich Gregory, Macartney and Trumper distinguished themselves particularly in this branch of the game, and gave reason for abundant hopo that in the test matches against Warner's team tho best traditions of Australian cricket would be maintained. It has been one of the popular delusions of those persons outside the Commonwealth that Australians invariably succeed with the bat and ball, but fail in the field. Never Avas a greater mistake made, for Avn.li ono or tAvo exceptions, is recent yen r-5 the big contests have been Avon us mirh by the excellence of the "cduntry Avork" as through the runs made from the bat, or tho wickets that have* 'beeii dismantled. Anyone, for instance, Avho can imagine Syd Gregroy failing in mis cUI partment of the summer pastime might well be reckoned a candidate for .he **\j ceiving house. And what is true 61 Syd Gregory is true of most men in the trst flight to-day. If the visiting English team succeeds in loAvering the colors of the colonials, it Avill not be because J he home players have not been ablo to lice*down the runs by good ground work cr through missing catches, so much as 1.0---causo of Aveaknesses in other depart ments.