CRICKET NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5455, 6 January 1896, Page 3

CRICKET NOTES.

[BY SCORING-BOARD IN " CANTERBURY

TirarES."!

The Johannesburg b Times, mentions that ; A. E. Trotfc is likely totake up his abode in that city, and an old East Melbourne man, writing from Johannesburg, says: — "I hope it is correct, as we are badly in need of some good men here, and a good allround man like A. E. Trott will be a boon to us. I have been a member of the "Wanderers Cricket Club since I left the East Melbourne, and the poor bowling in particular here made me long for a good, practice on the East Melbourne turf again; We have no turf here ; it is all hard, > red groiuid, so we play on matting. There are a few good bats, but, compared with Australian bowling, there is hardly a decent bowler in the Transvaal. I think the East second when I left would stand well against 1 any team here. We have one really good bat and wicket-keeper in Halliwell. At present we have to put up; with many inconveniences; no lockers, no baths, no system in our practising. A step in the right direction is to get over a good man like A. E. Trott." A. E. Trott has not the slightest intention of going to Johannesburg. The Sydney Referee, in commenting upon the recent intercolonial match between New South Wales and Queensland writes as follows : — Those who often admired Percy M'Donnell's brilliant batting for New South Wales in the old days were reminded of those good old times by his peppering of the two Glebe bowlers on Saturday. Coningham batted very briskly at the time, but he was forgotten while M'Donnoll was banging with all his wonderful power. The Queens-, land captain scored ;65 in fifty minutes, and in conjunction with Coning : ham knocked up 102 in forty-eight minutes. His strokes after the first couple of overs were a succession ofeboundary hits, the two s's off M'Kibbin in one over being superb. His carpet drives on the off were magnifient, the ball travelling like lightning to the fence. No fewer than 52 runs were scored off M'Kibbin's first eight overs, whilst Newell had 31 knocked off him at the same period. M'DonneU's strokes were 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4/4, 4, 4, 2, 1, 2. ; Coriinghani's aggregate for the match of 202 rims is splendid. The left-hander played remarkably well in both innings, and although whilst hitting with M'DonnellonSaturday.hemadeafewlucky strokes, he managed to keep the ball down well throughout, and made a number of fine strokes on each side of the wicket. His 151 in the first innings is the largest score he has ever made in an intercolonial match. A couple of seasons back he" compiled 153 for a Sydney Combination against the North, Callaway on the same occasion getting into three figures. n

" Felix," in the Australasian, writes as under regarding Ferris, who has lately arrived in Australia after a long residence in Gloucestershire: — "Jack Ferris-," has borne the burden 1 and heat of the day for Gloucestershire ever since he went home to throw in his lot with the champion about five years ago". I remember well the occasion of his departure, when in the M.C.C. pavilion the assembled members drank to his jolly good health with three times three and one cheer more for the fine young cricketer who was sent on his way by the stirring and eloquent words of the President of the M.C.C. To me it seems but yesterday ; the whole thing is printed on my brain, even to the very words that I wrote about his "setting sail in theMassilia for the home of the brave and the free." Well, he has come back after the lapse of five years, andltellyouinplain words he looks the same old Jack, perhaps a shade thinner, but with that hearty English colour which is born not only of Devon cider and Yorkshire pudding, but of every county of England bar the metropolis itself. Jack would like to play for New South Wales very much, and, so far as I can gather, the Victorians will not offer the slightest objection. In chatting with Ferris, I gathered that he has a very high opinion indeed of young Townsend, the Gloucestershii'e bowler. He has a wonderful break from leg, and, according to Jack, he delivers with a high action, but the ball none the less keeps low, and conies off the pitch with fatal haste. Tbwnsend can also work from the off, and bats very well. He is about 6ft in height, aud Jack reckons him one of the thinnest men playing cricket. He is a son of Frank Townsend, the. veteran of Gloucestershire, county. /