CRICKET STORIES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20639, 30 January 1937, Page 16

CRICKET STORIES

THE LATE VICTOR TRUMPER Performances in Dominion Vernon Ransford, the former Victorian and Australian left-handed batsman, recently entered a hospital in Melbourne for an X-ray examination. He was visited by fellow internationals and a representative of the Sydney Referee. With the test atmosphere prevalent at the time it was naturally not long before cricket became the sole topic. The name of the late Victor Trumper cropped up and Ransford, in reminiscent mood, related the following concerning his more famous contemporary:— “When we were in New Zealand only a year before Victor died, he played some glorious cricket. This one was told me by Charles Boxshall, the wicketkeeper. It was against Canterbury at Christchurch and Boxshall was keeping wickets. First day Canterbury scored 92 and the Australians lost five for 118. Warwick Armstrong w r as out at 209. Then Victor started, and hit the bowling in every direction, and by every kind of wonderful stroke. When he had made his hundred he turned to Boxshall and said: ‘Where would you like to see me caught?” Boxshall replied, ‘At cover.’ So next bail Trumper hit straight to coverpoint, who dropped it.

“He then went on with the fireworks until he reached 200. He now turned to Boxshall again and said, ‘Where would you like to see me caught this time?’ and the ’keeper said, ‘By that chap in the long field.’ So he hit the next ball to that chap in the long field, and that chap dropped it. He went on to make 293 in three hours! “It was on that tour in New Zealand that over one thousand runs were made in the day. We were playing at Temuka against South Canterbury, who scored 180. Then we hit up 922 for nine wickets! Jack Crawford got 354 and Victor 135, and they put on 298 for the eighth wicket. South Canterbury played fifteen men that day. It’s a world’s record for one day’s play in cricket. A hurricane, I called it.”