CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 20669, 15 December 1928, Page 18 (Supplement)

CRICKET

(By “Onlooker.” ) honours’ board SECOND GRADE.

REMINDERS December 25 26: —Southland v Otago, at Dunedin. J lee ember 26—27: —Southland v South Otago, at Invercargill. December 29 :—Town team v Orepuki, at Orepuki. December 29—Jan. 4:—Third test (England v Australia*, at Melbourne. January B—9:—Southland v North Otago at Invercargill. To be arranged:—Town v Country, at at Gore. To-day's Senior Games. I. A v I.C.C. B, Showgrounds. Appleby v Union, Appleby ground. Bluff, a bye. NOTES AND COMMENTS Last Saturday's trial game was a washout ! Second round (two-day matchesi of senior games will be commenced to-day. Wednesday competition commences on Wednesday next. The Otago team to play Southland at Dunedin as as follows:—Torrance, N. Cherry Claridge, Cankie, Silver, leader, Proctor, Cameron, Allan, White, Duncan. 1 jarwood’s retort to the statement attributed to Ponsford “that the Englishman is not a very fast bowler’ would probably be that a fast bowler is not required to . get Ponsford out. J. C. White's four wickets for seven runs at Brisbane in the first last give him the best bowling average for an innings yet obtained in a test match between England and Australia by any bovzler who has taken more ' than three wickets in an innings. One hundred and fifteen test matches have been played between England and Australia to date, 63 of them in Australia and 52 in England. Of these Australia has won 47, England 43 and 25 have been drawn. Sydney Guardian writer says that judging by the energetic manner in which Larwood threw himself into his task against Ponsford in Victoria’s second innings, there is little doubt that the Englishman did not take kindly to Ponsford’s comment that he could not be regarded as a fast bowler.” England's 521 in the first test at Brisbane makes the sixth occasion on which over 500 runs have been scored against Australia in test games. The previous figures read: 589 (Melbourne! 1911-12; 577 (Sydney) 1903-4 ; 576 (The Oval) 1899; 551 (Sydney 1897-8; 548 (Melbourne) 1924-5. The Australians, also, have topped the 500 mark on six occasions and hold the record for the biggest total (600' in tests. Australia's figures are: 600 (Melbourne) 1925; 586 (Sydney! 1894-95; 582 (Adelaide) 1920-21; 581 (Sydney! 1920-21; 573 (Adelaide) 1897-8; 551 (The Oval) 1884. The smallest innings total ever recorded in a test match between Australia and England is 36, made by Australia (J. Darling’s team at Birmingham in 1902. W. Rhodes took seven wickets for 17 runs and G. H. Hirst took three for 15. At Sydney in 1887-8 Australia was dismissed for 42 runs, G. A. Lohmann taking five for 17 and R. Peel five for 18. In 1896 at the Oval, Australia made 44 in one innings, Peel taking six for 23 and J. T. Hearne four for 19. England's smallest total is the 45 which A. Shrewsbury’s team made in its first innings at Sydney in January 1887. C. B. Turner took six wickets for 15 runs and J. J. Ferris four for 27. Yet, despite that small score. England won by 13 runs. The visitors scored 184 in their second innings. Australia made 119 and 97. “Sim” Richards, Appleby’s champion fieldsman, made a wonderful catch during the progress of rhe practice game on No 2 Showgrounds’ wicket last Saturday. Richards was fielding in the country when a lofty drive was made by McGavin and Richards gave chase to what appeared to be a hopeless case. Dropping fast, the ball was several yards away from the fieldsman and several feet from the ground. “Sim” made a diagonal leap and when his feet touched terra firma it was seen that he had effected a great catch. The brilliancy of the achievement lay in the fact that Richards himself was “on the drop” when he collect- , ed the ball. Applause came from ail sides of th° ground for a splendid effort. Mention of a proposed junior representative game between Southland and Otago was made at the last meeting of the S.C.A. and it was decided to negotiate with the sister province to arrange the match to be played at Dunedin. Last Christmas Southland and Otago juniors played at Invercargill, the match resulting in victory for Southland. That. Charlie Diack is an all-round sportsman and athlete of a high order m shown in the fact that- he has gained representative honours in three sports. Diack has played for Otago and Southland on the Rugbyfield; he .’epresented Southland at tennis last season, and now he has earned his first tap as a representative cricketer. In addition Diack is also a crack sprinter and has won many trophies on the running tracks. His is a unique record indeed and his latest honour, that of gaining his rep. cricket cap, is the subject of much congratulation among sportsmen generally. Diack is batting very consistently in club cricket and should do well in the bigger fixtures. Driscoll showed a glimpse of his old batting form during the trial game last Saturday. The Bluff man’s trouble is obviously his inability to get practice. Perhaps he could link up with players using the Showgrounds forp ractice and thus get a regular knock. Driscoll still can show the younger generation how to square cut and drive. Mr. E. V. Mills, of Invercargill, has been appointed a delegate of the Bluff Club on the executive of the Southland Cricket Association. There have been no defections from the Southland team to play Otago at Dunedin. The twelfth man will be announced later. It is understood, however, that T. Groves, Appleby’s captain, who has represented the province for a number of years will be asked to take the office of captain. Five of the originally chosen 14, from whom the Southland team to play South Otago at Invercargill was to be selected, having announced their inability to take part in the game, the following team is now announced to play: —Morgan, Cook, Francis, Fogo. Bird, Driscoll. McDonald, Hammond, V. Poole. C. Agnew, Southern. Messrs. Wabh, Gosling ami Kingsland have been appointed selectors of the Southland junior representative team to play Otago in January or February. There is every possibility of an Otago University team playing a Southland junior team in the early New Zear—probably the second week in January.

It is 36 years since the first test match of any series was not played in Sydney. Every team since Lord Sheffield’s 1891-2 played its first Test in Sydney. Australia won the toss four times in the last series of Tests played in Australia, England’s only win having been in the match in which the toss was won by A. E. R. ganIn each of the four preceding series Australia won the toss three times and England twice. In all Test matches in Australia, Australia has won the toss in 32 and England in 31 matches. Australia has won 36 matches to England’s 25. In all Test marches (in both countries) Australia has won 47 and England 43—115 Tests having been played, the toss having been won by England in 59 and by Australia in 54. In England in 1926 England won the toss in three of the five matches; in 19212 (W. W. Armstrong), England won the toss in four of the five matches; and in 1912 in all three matches. So that in the last three series in England the home captain won the toss in ten matches and the Australian in three. FIRST TESTS IN EACH SERIES EACH SIDE HAS WON FOUR TIMES. The regular arrangement of the fiveTest series between England and Australia may be said to have occurred in 1894, when Andrew St oddart brought out his first team under the auspices of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust and the Melbourne C. C The board of Control was formed ten years later. Including that season, eight series of five matches each have been played in Australia, in all of which the first Test was played in Sydney. The rubber was won five times by Australia and three times by England. In the first four of these series, England won the first Test. In the last four, Australia won it. Three times the side winning the first Test has been defeated in the rubber, England in 1897-S. and 1901-2, and Australia in 1911-12. When England last was ' victorious in Australia she had in Sydney Barnes and Frank Foster, the most deadly pair of English bowlers seen in Australia on fast, true wickets, for over twenty years. They were so successful that after the first ' Test, which Australia won by 146 rune, ' the Australian batsmen in the first innings ; of each of the other four Tests went down rather badly, the totals being 184, 183, 191, and 176. Appended are details of each of the first Tests in the last eight Australian series:

Ixrk *75] Anderson 5—19 Coding 34 McIntosh 6 —57 ( McColl 4—40 Ryan 3—30 | McMillan 3—30 THIRD GRADE. iSkerrctl 371 A. McIntosh 5—22 Angus 31 Hannan •i — | Thom 3—20

England. Australia. Won by. 1894—Sydney 325—437 586—166 Eng. by 10 r. 1897—Sydney 551— 96-1 237—408 Eng. by 9 w. 1901—Sydney 464 — 168—172 inn. & 124 1903 —Sydney 577—194-5 285—485 Eng. by 5 w. 1907—Sydney 273—300 300-275-8 Aust, by 3 w. 1911—Sydney 318—291 447—308 Aust, by 146 r. 1920—Sydney 190—281 267—581 Aust, by 377 r. ’927—Sydney 298—411 450—452 Aust, by 193 r.