Cricket Notes

Southland Times, Issue 17078, 29 October 1902, Page 2

Cricket Notes

(By Stump.) Under the above pseudonym, notes will appear in these columns every week. The present season gives every promise of providing better cricket than we have been accustomed to for many years and now that the snap of cold weather seems to have taken its departure, knights of the willow can be seen regularly at practice. Those responsible for the arranging of cup and junior fixtures have, at hist, come to the conclusion that October is too early to commence inter club matches. To those who have studied Southland Octobers for several years past this will commend itself as a stop in the right direction. No senior matches will be played in town until after the King’s birthday and then every Wednesday will be pretty well taken up for some months.

I hear that owing to diminished numbers, the Appleby Club is to place only one senior eleven in the field this season. This is to be regretted because now that there is only one other club in the town, there will probably be a shortage of matches. The old adage about “ an ill wind" might, however, now apply and country cricket ought to benefit by more visits from town players. In this connection, I am not at all surprised that a number of country teams have sect did from the Association, because, with the exception of having a vote at the annual meeting, they obtained little or no other benefit for their yearly “ sub.” The clubs in the Eastern District are taking active steps to have a little union of their own—more power to them What we want from this henceforth is cricket, and cricket we are going to have, no matter whether country clubs are affiliated to the main body or not. Since amalgamating with the 1.C.C., the Star Club is very strong, and can easily place three teams in the field. For the King’s Birthday the)' send elevens to Mataura 'and Riverton, and probably a stay-at-home eleven will arrange a match on the Eastern Reserve. For to-day and next Wednesday, even sides have been chosen for a final match amongst themselves, commencing at 2 o'clock sharp. The Appleby Club play at tho same hour on their own ground. Two brothers of Clem Hill distinguished themselves in tho first senior club match of the season in Adelaide, Roy Hill making 111 not out, and H. Hill 81. Playing for the Gentlemen against the Players early in September, T. L. Taylor and C. J. Buraup each scored 102. The following particulars of the members of Lord Hawke’s team to visit the colony this season will be of interest :—

On his present, form C. J. Burnup (born 1875) is perhaps the best bat in tho team. Cricket of September 11 says:—“lf an England team had now to be picked against the Australians it would be impossible to dispense with the services of Burnup.” His average for 1902 is 40.11, and during the year he made six centuries. Ever eince 1896, his best year at Cambridge, and when lie was one of the three men who made 100 against the 1896 Australian team, ho has batted consistently, and never averaged under 32 runs. He generally gets a few wickets a year with the ball, but is too expensive to be classified as a “ bowler.” The keenest of cricketers, he is untiring in tho outfield.

P. F. Warner (born 1873) has long been one of the mainstays of Middlesex with the bat. He was unable to visit Australia with Maclaren’s team last year. “ Vt isdon ” describes- him as certainly one of the great county batsmen of the year. His average for this year is 31.5 that is to say, on a par with Hill and Maclarpn—yet this average compares unfavourably with' his splendid figures of the two previous y ars, when he averaged 45 each season. Doubtless the wet season was responsible for the falling off. He has the further advantage of getting his runs in irreproachable style. T. L Taylor (born 1878) is the one player who rivalled Shrewsbury for consistency during tho past season. Averse as the Selection Committee is to choose men of very sound but slow batting powers, yet he was chosen as twelfth man for England. Playing in first-class cricket as early as 1898 he has steadily improved each year, and now occupies the proud position of easily heading the averages for Yorkshire, the crack county. For all matches his average is just on 38. Like all the Yorkshire Eleven he is a first-rate field.

F. L. Fane (born 1875), like those previously mentioned, has done excellent work

for his county. The wet season caused his average to drop 15 runs, yet it still amounts to 30. With Perrin and McGahey (a member of Maclaren’s team) he has to do the ■ bulk of the run-getting for Essex. F. IM. Dowson (born 1880) is too young to have a long list of performances behind him. During the last three seasons he has done excellent work, not only for I ;ambridge, but for Surrey. This year with the bat he averaged 30, coming next to Fane, L.O H. Pal diet and Hay w-ard. He nearly joined the baud of players who have also secured 100 wickets as well as got 1000 runs in a season. He took 76 wickets for 23 runs a piece, a cheaper rate than T. Richardssn’s, the fast bowler, cost him. With the hall his chief merit is his length, as his on play is with the bat. B. J. T. Bosunquet (born 1877) has been a > more successful batsman than Dowson, and i a more expensive bowler in tho past. This year tho positions have been reversed. His batting average has dropped to 25, or is equal to Darling’s, while his bowling, fast round, has been more successful than ever. After Warner and Douglas he is Middlesex’s best and most consistent bat. He combines in a remarkable degree watchful defence with powerful hitting. In bowling he has lately sometimes adopted, with fair success, the now fashionable leg-breaks. J. Stanning (born 1878) had, up to the present year, confined his efforts to ’Varsity cricket, in 1901 he was an absentee altogether from the cricket field. This season lie re appeared in the ranks of Lancashire, and always earned his place in the team. P. R. Johnson (born 1880), tho youngest member of the team, is a native of Wellington, being the son of Mr G. R. Johnson, an ex member of the Legislative Council. He found the past wet season a trying one, and 1 his average was only J 3.12. With the ball he has done very little. A. IJ. Wickham (born 1855) is the wicketkeeper of the team. Since leaving Oxford he has played for Somerset in his spare time. ' His form only served to make his absence more fully felt. A. E. Leathern (born 1859), is the weak ’ man of the team. In addition to playing for >. his ’Varsity, he has represented Gloucester ' us late as 1897. For the county, however, his performances with bat And ball have been very poor. .

Last, but not least, comes Lord Hawke himself, the captain of the crack Yorkshire team. Lord Hawke has done so much for Yorkshire and for cricket generally off the field that on this score alone his name is known in every cricket quarter. ' It is he who has made Yorkshire what it is, and the members of his team have long recognised that he is a leader of whom they may Well be proud. This and what he has done for professional cricket in England has tended to obscure his performitaces with the bat. After twenty-two years of firstclass cricket he can still make his century in the best company, and hit and cut. with all the power and cleanliness of his 'Varsity days. The two professionals in the team are 8. Hargreaves and G. J. Thomson. 'I he former was born in 1876. Playing for Warwickshire first in 1893, he lias improved steadily every year. Last year he secured the coveted one hundred wickets in the season, and this year he bowled so well that he ran Rhodes close at one stage for international honours. A medium paced left-hand bowler, ho has impressed the Australian visitors considerably. G. J. Thomson is easily the finest all-round player in Northamptonshire, and he, like Hargreaves, especially brought himself under the notice of the Australians by his all round play.