CRICKET.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143451, 11 March 1911, Page 8

CRICKET.

(By “Argus.”)

After many delays, the Thursday senior competition lias at- last been brought to a close. Tin" conclusion of the competition was marked by some of the lackadaisical features which, unfortunately, have been too prominent in tin* competition this sea-sen. One match was forfeited, and for the other only six members of one team presented themselves. Owing to the facts that it was very one-sided alt through, and that only six Athletic men bothered about it on Thursday, the Inglewood-Athletic motel) calls for no comment, beyond pointing out that dudgeon obtained seven wickets for 2L> nma in Athletic's two innings. The final positions of the senior Thursday teams are set out in the following table: Clta’p W. D. L. l*ts.

In this table 1 have placed all the matches forfeited os wins or losacc, as the case might be. United Service have last the services of their fast bowlor, Wood, who left New Plymouth a couple of days ag'* to- take up his residence at To Kuiti. The Thursday junior competition is to bo concluded next Thursday afternoon, when Fire Brigade and Inglewood, who aro bracketed at tho top of the competition, will play off. 1 presume that the match will ho played on tho Sports Ground, as it is to bo played in Now Plymouth. t In first-grade matches in Brisbane this season J. W. M‘Laron, the Queensland fast bowler, has taken 50 wickets for 211 runs, average 4.22 runs per wicket. The attempt made by Hawke’s Bay against Auckland .was very feeble, ami their effort of 28 bears comparison with 1878, Wellington's 22 against Canterbury in 1904, Gtago’s 20 against Canterbury in the later ’sixties, and Canterbury's 27 agninnt Otagp in 1897. Leslie Minnett, one. of the most premising fast bowlers in New South Wales, h*d very had luck against South Africa. The fielding of the New South Welshmen was much below par, and about seven chances were dropped off ?»linnctt’s bowling in South Africa’s first innings. Ft was therefore not surprising that tho three wickets which ho captured in 36 overs cost 140 runs. Victor Trurnper was criticised somewhat severely by some Sydney writers for his handling of the New South Wales team against the South Africans. He appears to have erred frequently in his placing of tho field and his handling of the bowling. This is not the first occasion on which the great batsman has shown that he is by no means up to the standard of M, A. Noble and a few others as a captain. C. G. Macartney certainly signalised his return to form in a very striking way, in scoring three successive centuries against the South Africans, the only occasion, I think, on which this has been done against an international team. The greatest number of consecutive centuries recorder in first-class cricket is six, made by C. B. Fry in August and September, 1901, the scores being 106, 209, 149, XOS, 140, 105.

A good performance with the ball was dune by Victor Harris, playing lor the Union team in the Wednesday competition (/.ays the Wellington correspondent of the Canterbury Times). Iho whole of the ton of his opponents wore dismissed by bowling, his average reading ton wickets tor 21 runs. It is a very rare occurrence fur a howler to perform this lent, although i believe Ernest Uphani did a similar one in a senior match many years ago. [lt is a very rare occurrence in New Zealand cricket, but not elsewhere. The feat hac been performed on twenty-six occasions in first-class cricket in England alone.—•’Argus.”] Writing ci the last match between jith Airica and New South Wales, jlr. E. W. Ballantine, in the Melbourne Leader, says: “The consistency of the slips' failure enabled the youth Africans to provide a new record lor themselves. One of the most astonishing weaknesses of tlio tourists during their travels lias been the tremendous failure of the first-wicket pair. Perhaps tho fall of the first wicket may interest my readers, which, in sequence, have been: 5, 22. 6, 12, 29, 53 (against New South Wales), 0. 1, 24, 2, 14, 5 (lest;, 24 ’(test), 13, 18, 0. 15. 34 (test). I (tost), 31 (test), 10 (test), 29, 1,4, 16, 9, I, 9. 5, 7 (test). 2 (test), 76 (New South WalcH) —an ox era on! i nary record surely.” Pftarftft must leave Australia with “loving” feelings of the Sydney cricket ground, for his host penormances have strangely enough boon associated with the great urea (writes .Mr. E. \V. Hallantine). Against New South Wales last November lie made 45 and 52 not out, which found him a place in tho first test, and then ho scored 16 and 31, hut in tho bowling department ho was responsible for the defeat of Bar<kvJot, Hill, ami Gohrs. On his return to. the ground we find him with Tnmipor and dardsley in his hag before the total of the side had reached 25, and he assists in breaking the-spell overhanging the first-wicket partnendiip, and in addition he mnk“s his highest score oi the lour—sl. The 436 scored by New SouMi Wales was the outcome of some dfuhing rrHiet. hut if there were one department of the game in which I fully anticipated flu* South Africans would ;.hine. it was in catching; mid having accompanied the South African team through their seventeen test matches in England, South Africa, and Australia. I feel (hat I am not exaggerating when I say (hat their catching in AusIndia litin been a very great wealciuvp. It may he (hat the ball reams off the hat so very much quicker than they have been accustomed to. hut there it is an unvarnished fact, nuv*rvs have been maiF for which no excuse could he offered. There was room for much inmpl.aint against New Smith Wales, and in particular Macartney profited. Hts inning-, however, will reassure M'ncarMtcyV. 1 reducers that only a rarv lapse had been experienced. n.n.coUing is seldom heard cf in cricket, hut Broken Hill Ims Iren trying to introduce it anew into the- grand old game. A from Broken Hill, dated February 2*. rays: -The actum of a f-ertbm < ' the local uni 'n’sla end (he labour papers In proposing t° boycott tho coming crirhrt ma f el| l>uiwcen the South Africans if .a certain rdnvrr is felected to play with the lecrd team is IrvcMed nnrlicnlnrlT r»gr» : rrt W-M.r.r. AVrhbV fs admiUrdlv H:e champ’on cricket rr of the Harper at :be pro cut time, hut he incurred the Animosity of unionists during the 'trice Iwo year* ago hy remaining lovn] to his ujpleyrrs. tjie j’rcpretnry Companv. After l!:e strike an attempt war made to boycott several popular b^Mern nnd erickrters. but the attempt failed. \o new re a ran is offered for new reviving (he old core. Tim mi'oe-.sts of tho Harrier have, <heir heads fidl met now with thr boycott, fighting the harbors’ new tnri f f. trying to kero labourers awav from H’-okon Mill, and eiuloavcnring to keep their rn-opor«tive businesse: going on .a weekly loss.’’ “IVn.t.” in th? South Australian Observer, writes in regard to Hordern; “Those of us who had looked forward to 4 he triangular matches of I9]f with any degree of trepidation have eonsidernldy relieved hy the appearance in the cricket firmament of a new star howler—Herbert Hordern, of Sydney. Hr rapid advancement has not surprised those who remember his remarkable achievements in England for the Unveriurd College hoys and the Gentlemen of .Philadelphia. The latter were the best, and they included several sensational performances against strong county elevens. Hordern, who is about 25 yerrs old, was (Kirn in Sydney, and learned his cricket there beioro no'went, to the United Stoics to complete his .studies. As a bail of 17 he was trod a* a alow howler in first grade cricket, ami before he wont away lie accomplished many good performance's. He returned Irorn America just before the commencement ol the present season. The New South Wales selectors, while pleased to give him a trial against Tasmania aftd Queensland, did not appreciate his true value, and that is scarcely to bo wondered at, weeing that such experienced men as Noble and Trumpor questioned his ability. It was only when the State's representatives were in tiouhlo, and that a howler of his typo was wanted for Australia, that a trial was given to Hordern against Victoria. By securing thirteen wickets for 90 ho forced his way into the Australian Eleven, and Ilia record of eight Tor 105 justifies his promotion. Hordern went to America as a slow leg-break bowler. When googlios were discovered, he applied his brain to the mastery of the new theory with such success that one prominent Victorian batsman says Ms bowling is infinitely more puzzling than that of Schwarz. The young Sydney man is tall, and bowls high over, with a good swinging action winch is sard to he remindful of George Giffen. He keeps an excellent length, and sends in wrong ’uns ‘both ways,’ whereas Schwarz breaks only from tho off, with the ieghroak action. It really scorns that Australia has discovered another great bowler for good wickets worthy tc follow in the footsteps of Gillen. Ho should be of inestimable value in tho big matches against England next season, and in the triangular contests which are to follow. His performances with the hall this season, which read like those of a champion, are as follow: 7 for 31 v. Tasmania ; 5 for 67 v. Tasmania ; 4 for GO v. Queensland ; 5 for 70 v. Queensland); 0 for 31 v. A frica (for N.S.AV.); 1 for 10 v. Africa (for N.8.W.); 2 for 54 v. Africa (for combined team) ; 3 for 71 v. Africa (for combined team); 7 for 58 v. Victoria; 6 for 32 v. Victoria; 3 for 39 v. Africa (for Australia); 5 for 66 v. Africa (for Australia) —total, 48 for 589, average 12.27 per wicket.” [Hordern’s figures in tho fifth test match, namely, 4 for 72 and 2 for 117. alter his aggregate to 54 wickets for 778 runs, giving him an average of 14.4 runs per wicket.]

Inglewood .. 8 0 2 16 Urciiui .. 7 0 3 14 Now Plymouth .. C 0 4 12 Carrington Road 5 0 5 Athlot>o 4 0 6 8 TVaitara .. 0 0 10 0