CRICKET.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13797, 31 October 1908, Page 10

CRICKET.

NOTES. (By "Mid-on.") The North Taranaki cricket season opened on Thurbday last under very ia\ ourable weather conditions. The match on the Sports Ground provided a good exhibition of batting by the Carrington Road Club. Going in first on tho fast and true wicket, the team occupied the crease throughout the afternoon, making the good score or 248 runs, Sumnor (49) being top scorer, and Frank Robertson (46) not far behind him. Avery and Benbow each got .into the thirties. Wallace (20) and Perham (18) also made useful contributions to the score. The batting throughout was very consistent. As 1 said last week, Carrington Road will take a lot of beating this season. New Plymouth Rovers played thenopening match at Waitara on a perfect wicket, which, however, played very slow, and cut up a good deal, giving the side which batted first a great advantage. The home team batted first and was dismissed for the small score of 56, Elliott bowling in his best form and taking five for 22. It looked a good thing for Rovers, but the "glorious uncertainty" again manifested itself. Hasell and Williams opened to tho bowling of "Bill" Skelton and Bond. Williams played the first over from Skelton. To Bond's first Hasell, in hitting to leg at a loose ball well off the wicket, only just touched the ball, which went off' his bat on to his pads and trickled into the wickets. Rev. A. Colvile followed, and also played a ball in his first over into his wicket. Two for one. Lash came next, and after making one put up a ball into slip's hands. Three for two. Price made a single and then placed a ball into Bodley's hands at mid-on. Four for five. Williams was the next to go, bowled by Skelton. Five for seven. Coppen filled the vacancy, only to succumb to the same bowler, and, Elliott being run out for two, seven wickets were down for ten runs. The side was all disposed of for 18. Braund not turning up, Rovers only played ten men. Skelton's bowling on a wicket which exactly suited him was deadly. He kept very low,- and got a great pace on the ball. Always a bowler to command respect, he is one who requires early success to bring out his best efforts. This he met with on Thursday, and he fairly excelled himself, keeping up his pace and accuracy to the end of the innings, and with his last ball breaking the middle stump in half. Waitara must Ke heartily congratulated upon their well-earned success. The New Plymouth Wanderers played Urenui, and, like their fellow-clubmen, met with disaster. The home team, going in first, put up the moderate score of 102, Scholefield (34) being top scorer. Against this Wanderers were only able to reply with 52, E. Whittle with 11 being the only one to reach double figures. The wicket was good, but soft, and gave the side winning the toss a groat advantage. Whittle (five for 42) bowled best for Wanderers. A soft grass wicket is always to his liking. A. H. Steeds behind the sticks proved ' the statement that his club did not possess a wicket-keeper to be a fallacy. Two byes in an innings of over 100, is good enough^ New Plymouth juniors just managed to win against Newton King's. King's. batted first and made 45. New Plymouth had nine down for the same total, and excitement ran high till Grey made the winning hit. Fire Brigade and Inglewood plnyed a drawn game, each side scoring 61 runs. The Saturday competitions commenced to-day. E. Lash skippers the Rovers, and Jack tho Wanderers, for the present season. Osborne has been chosen to lead the juniors. The English county championship this year was won by Yorkshire, who went through tho season undefeated.

Says the Referee: "The Australian team for England will no doubt consist of fourteen members and a manager. Some time back it was announced that Clem Hill would not be a candidate, but it has since been reported that he has altered his mind. So far Clem has not figured in club cricket this season. Which does not indicate any marked keenness on his part for the game. As Clem Hill is only thirty years old, he is in his prime, 'and it is to be hoped that he will again pack up and leave for England in March. Among the 'old hands' of the last Australian team in England, J. Darling, R. M. H. Rowland, C. E. McLeod, W. S. Howell, J. J. Kelly, and probably R. A. Duff are not in the running. F. Layer may be manager, but is not likely to get a place as a player. Thus there are only six of the fifteen of 1905 with prospects of inclusion ranging fair to good, viz., M. A. Noble, V. Trumper, W. W. Armstrong, C. Hill, A. Cotter, and S. E Gregory, and of these the selection of only the last-named is doubtful." There are thirty-four teams taking part in the Canterbury Cricket Association matches every Saturday — two teams more than last year — while every club has extra players. In Tasmanian cricket, from 1883 to date, K. E. Burn, according to tho Tasmanian Mail, has scored 15.557 runs at an average of 51.34. C. J. Eadv, from 1885 to date, has scored 12,584 runs at an average of 44.3, besides taking 1138 wickets at 14.2 each. After an honoruable career of over twenty years, says the Canterbury Times. J. Wheatley has joined the retired list. In the seventies "Johnny" played in such clubs as the old Hagley Oakleaf Club and Bakers' C.C., and later for the old Addington Club. It was as a member of the Midland Club that Wheatley came to the front and as such represented his province for many years. Captain of the senior team for many years. Wheatley endeared himself to his clubmates by his geniality and unfailing good temper, and he was in every sense a good sportsman. A. E. Relf, the English professional, is coming out to Auckland again for this season. Ho is on the Corinthic, due at Wellington next week. The M.C.C. batting averages for 1908 aro headed by P. F. Warner with 319 runs, averaging 53.16 per innings. F. A. Tarrant, tho ex-Australian, averaged 35.22 with tho ba«, and secured

17 wickets at 10.40, being far the most deadly bowler for tho club. The English professional batting averages for the 1908 season are headed by T. Hay ward, who scored 2337 runs in 52 innings, averaging 45.82. Next to him camo J. T. Tyldesley, 43.97; F. A. Tarrant, 41.04; A. Marshall, 40.22; and (i. A. Hirst, 38.97. The M.C.C. English team which toured Australia last season played several matches in England last month. Tho first, played at Hastings against an England Eleven, was drawn. The M.C.C. team scored 107 and 41 for 3 wickets (Arnold securing 8 for .59), and the England Eleven 161 and 87 for 7 wickets (K. S. Ranjitsinhji 64 and 5). Blythe (7 for 110) and Rhodes ('.) for ]H2) bowled unchanged in both innings. At Scarborough a similar match was also drawn. The England Eleven closed afc 6 for 408 (Ranjitsinhji 73, T. Havw;ud si, R. H. Spooner 44, and J. T. Tyldesley 38). The M.C.C. team made 238 iin-1106 for" 4 wickets (J. B. Hobbs 50 and 0, J. N. Crawford 56, G. Gunn 34 nnd 11, K. L. Hutchings 0 and- 57, A. O. Jones 42). Blythe, with 3 for 167, for the M.C.C. and Hirst, 6 for 52 and 1 for 19, for the- Eleven, were the most successful bo\' lers. The third match took place at Uttoxeter, when the M.C.C. team won by ij wickets. Tl'ey scored 201 and 60 for 1 wicket (Hu'tchings 47, Gunn 35, Hobbs 20 and 25 not out, and Rhodes 33 and 23 not out), Tarrant taking 7 for 82 and 1 for 33. The England Eleven compiler 180 and 80 (J. H. King 60 not out and 11, and A. Marshal 36 and 11), Blyth capturing 7 wickets for 75 and 6 for 39. Rhodes 4 for 79, and J. N. Crawford 3 for 52.

Yorkshire Kent Surrey Middlesex Sussex WorcestershireLancashire Notts Hampshire Gloucestershire Essex "Warwickshire Leicestershire Derbyshire Northamptonshire .. Somerset M. W. D. L. Pts 28 16 12 0- 16 25 17 5 3 14 20 13 12 1 9 19 610 3 3 28 618 4 2 18 6 7 o 1 20 10 6 9 1 20 6 7 7 1 22 . 7 6 9 2 24 8 5 11 3 22 510 7 2 21 5 7 9 4 21 4 9 8 4 22 5 4 13 8 22 3 5 14 11 20 2 5 13 11