CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 20002, 16 October 1926, Page 18 (Supplement)

CRICKET

(By

“Onlooker.”)

Season commences. Prospects bright for 1926-27. Five teams enter for Saturday senior competition. Bluff comes back after an absence of two or three years. Last, week’s opening practices were well attended and some pleasing form was displayed. The latest recruit to the junior competition is a team from Tisbury. Appleby, Union, Invercargill and Bluff made a start last week. Marist open up to-day. The junior Saturday competition commences next Saturday. Seniors one week later. It was thought the season would have to be delayed, but since the Grounds Committee of the S.C.A. has busied itself, everything promises to be in order by the dates arranged for successful openings. Last season, good turf wickets on the showgrounds were conspicuous by their almost total absence. This season, however, with an energetic grounds committee at the head of affairs, much better pitches can be looked for. A suggestion to the S.C.A.—that all senior matches be played at Queen’s Park, or any other ground which has good concrete wickets, on occasions when rain interferes with the turf at the showgrounds. The standard of play in Southland would have been greatly improved last season had a few games been played on the matting instead of on sodden and lifeless turf. Club matches are in full swing in Australia. A start has also been made in New Zealand, the (North Canterbury) Association leading the way for the Dominion some three weeks ago. Canterbury was to have commenced last Saturday, but heavy rain interve > an d brought about a postponement till .o -day. Alan Kippax, the brilliant New South Wales batsman, soon regained (he form that almost got him a trip to England with the 1926' Australians. He made 177 in a club match in Sydney last week. The following announcement should settle an old argument Macartney has decided to take up tennis—when he retires from cricket.” The season in Invercargill promises to be a much brighter one than the last. The governing body (the S.C.A.), comprising much new blood, has commenced operations in a business-like manner, and with a gentleman of the calibre of Mr J. S. McGrath as president, should do much to further the grand old game in these parts. Gus Hammond (late of Gore) is also a member of the association. Up to the present he has revealed himself a veritable “live wire.” It is to be hoped others on the executive will take his lead in the administering of the association’s affairs this season. There is not" a great deal of new blood in the various clubs. McAuliffe (rep. footballer) and Hammond are the latest arrivals and both will be seen out with I.C.C. This club had the nucleus of a good side last year, so the addition of these two new men should considerably strengthen them. Most of last season’s members are available and it is anticipated competition will be keen for places in the first eleven. Old Jack Doig simply can’t be left out (wonder if he will be considered for the Southland team this year) and then there are Doc. Brown, Abercrombie, Cook, Petrie, Goodsir, Lee, Agnew, Graham, Southern, Vial, Cheyne and Tapley to be considered. The Marist Club promises to show more keenness this season. About 24 members are available, and with such players as Driscoll, Kavanagh, Walsh, Nisbet, Wilson, Duthie, and Irvine, they should not experience difficulty in fielding as good a side as they had last year. On paper, the Greens had the strongest team in either competition last season, and it is somewhat strange that they did not finish higher up the ladder. Last season’s winners, Appleby, will be strengthened. Sparkes, the ex-Union wicket-keep®r, has signified his intention of [’laying for Appleby, and as all last season’s players are again available, there will be a force to be reckoned with. A good side should be chosen from the following—Poole (2), Sparkes, Shirreffs, Groves, Washer, Geddes, Johnson, Leggatt, Hayward, Edwards, Richards and Carson.

Union suffered the loss of Austin during the year, and as Wish and Shaw have definitely retired from active participation in the game and Sparkes has gone over to Appleby, it must be admitted that they will be weakened. Furthermore, Jack Hamilton is a doubtful starter. As against these defections, however, there is some compensation in the fact that Eunson and Vic. Raines (both ex-Southland reps.), are likely to turn out for Union. Kilby, A. Hamilton, Dixon, J. Lilley, Smith, Grant, Thomas, Maxwell, Campbell, and Hinton are again available, so after all and looking through the foregoing names, Union will still be in the joke. The junior membership of this club is good. Union will be able to enter four teams altogether. The Bluff Club will no doubt feel proud of their re-entry to the senior competition. They are very keen and deserve all the consideration given them by the association. Their next problem will be to get the association to agree to home and home matches. They have a good concrete wicket and promise, that the outfield on the ground will be put in first-class order for matches. The Bluff Council made a start in this direction on Monday last, and from all accounts, the playing area will be fit to play senior matches on. There is no reason why Bluff should not get senior games on their own ground, and it is anticipated the association will give their sanction. Among the players of the port club the following are mentioned as likely to be considered for the first eleven—Bradshaw, Parry, Crozier, Woods, Hamilton, McDonald, Finnerty, Long, Seamer, Ford, McQuarrie and Allen. Two juniors who showed good batting form at the practices last week were Mayze and Anderson, both of Union. The selector, or selection committee, for this season’s rep. team will be appointed at the next meeting of the association. In my opinion, one selector is preferable to three, and right now I am going to suggest that Mr J. McGrath would admirably fill the bill.- He will be taking more than a passing interest in the game, and is quite capable of summing up the merits and demerits of the various aspirants for rep. honours. Last season there were three selectors, but it could not be said that the three-man idea worked successfully. In the first place two were players and one a non-player and apart from not seeing all the players they rarely met together to choose the teams. One selector, provided the right man is chosen, is much better than three, and for this reason the change is desirable. Charlie Kelleway, who has just returned from England, has decided to retire from big cricket. He has refused an offer to reside at Adelaide. When the two N.S.W. veteran cricketers return from England, it is intended to stage a big cricket match for their benefit. Preparations are already in hand and it is hoped (with the aid of special donations) k tq hand Macartney ♦ and Bardsley £lOOO

each. Both players intend to retire from big cricket.—Exchange. John Hill, father of the famous Australian left-hander, Clem Hill, died at North Adelaide on September 18, at the age of 80. It was fitting that, as the father of a family of cricketers, he should be closely associated with the game. For many years he was a prominent figure in South Australian cricket, and had the honour of making the first century scored on the Adelaide Oval.

The outstanding success of the tour has been W. M. Woodfull, w|io has headed the averages, and done better than any of his contemporaries or predecessors (says an Australian writer in a review of the tour of the Australian Eleven). It took a long while to convince some people that Wood - full was a class batsman, but he has forced everyone to the conclusion that he is the new star of magnitude in the cricket firinament. Woodfull has proved himself. He has had to overcome physical disabilities, the result of illness, but he has made good, and in him one can see the future Victorian and Australian captain. He is essentially a student of the game, and his devotion to and enthusiasm for it have made him what he is and have earned for him the position he so justly occupies. ENGLAND’S NEXT TEAM. MANY NEW MEN NAMED. H. L. Collins, the Australian captain, in a broadcast talk from London on September 16, said that England had a wonderful chance of sending to Australia seven or eight batsmen of the forcing type, who should be most successful on the faster wickets in Australia, states the London correspondent of the Christchurch Sun. Discussing the possible team in the Australian Test matches in 1928, he said: “I will begin with the tail, which always has been one of England’s greatest problems. The time will come 'when England must look for Strudwick’s successor, Lilley or Cornford were capable stumpers, hut I suggest W. B. Franklin, one of the best wicket-keepers England has ever possessed. Lyon, of Somerset, is one of the finest cricketers in the world, and Australians were greatly impressed by him. I will be sorely disappointed if he is not included in the next team. Parsons, of Warwickshire, would also be popular in Australia. Duleepsinhji would be an excellent choice as Australia has not forgotten his uncle. He is still young, but would do well. Enthoven of the most promising of the younger school. He bats well, and is a bowler of the brainy type. Larwood will certainly be included. We have the profoundest respect for him, and fully expect him to become the best fast bowler England has had for several years. Hammond, of Gloucester, is also most promising. He is a fine batsman and an even better fieldsman. Geary is one of England’s most useful cricketers. He did not have the best of luck in the tests, but his slip catches at the Oval had a great deal to do with the result. A good slip fieldsman in Australia is worth a “bagful of runs.” If Hobbs is unable to go, Hallows, of Lancashire, would be an ideal partner for Sutcliffe, although Holmes must not be overlooked. Stevens should also be included. He would be one of my first choices for an opening batsman. I also think he would prove an able lieutenant if a vice-captain were wanted. Naturally Australia is looking to Chapman to lead the next team. It was a surprise choice at the Oval, but he did the job thoroughly and well.” Collins concluded by saying that to captain a touring side was not an easy job. While all the team played up to form things moved smoothly, but such good fortune somewhat eluded Australia on this tour. Hendry’s illness was a blow, and Gregory’s unfitness caused anxiety, as he had to be used sparingly. They had had a great time, although they had lost “the ashes,” but he was hopeful that Australia would win them back, as some wonderfull}' good players had not been played in test cricket. Unquestionably Australia needed them.