CRICKET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7807, 11 September 1903, Page 1

CRICKET.

NOTES. (By SCORING-BOARD.) The Auckland Cricket Association is advertising in Sydney for a. professional cricketer. Great satisfaction is felt id -Australia at the news that Lilley is comiog out with the English team. His good natured and genial dispositioa made him the most popular n*ember of Maclaren's team. Arnold, playing against the Gentlemen of the Souths took eight wickets for 58 runs. Playing against Kent, Fry made 138 and 101 (unfinished). Hay ward has made 2000 runs during the present season. Playing for Leicestershire against Surrey Knight scored 144 and 91 not out. He carried his bat through the second innings. , In the cricket mateh A Sussex v. Surrey, Sussex -declared their innings closed with 600 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Ranjitsinhji made 204. In the. cideket championship, Middlesex gained 77 points, Sussex 5^ Yorkshire 44, Lancasjhire 33, Notts 20, Worcestershire 14j amd Warwickshoffe. 11, Spooner, of Lancashire, has been invited to join Warner's cricket team. He is a brilliant field, and his batting average this season is 30. He made 247 against) Nottingham. . Fielder, the Kent bowler, who will visit Australia with the English team, was a farm hand before becoming a professional cricketer. His master invited a member of ! the Kent executive to see him bowl, with- the result $hat he was taken in hand and kept at the Tontoridge nursery for tSie last four years or so. Hargreav© has * fine record at the expense of A. O. Maelaren. The following are the Lancashire captain's innings against Warwickshire for the last two. seasons ■ — 1902, at Manchester, b Hargreave, 4 ; 1902, at Manchester, b Hargreave, 0;, 1903, at Manchester, b Har^reave, 0 > 1903, at Manchester, c and b Hargreave, 80; ,1903, at Birmingham, b HargTeave, 4 A London exchange says : — The announcement that P, F. Warner has volunteered to relinquish the captaincy of the -team that goes to Australia two months hence, in favour of A. C. 'Maclaren, will have given very general satisfaction. It is a generous action on the part of the popular Middlesex player, and one that redounds enormously to his credit. He has afforded the M.C.C. committee an easy way out of th« predicament in which it stupidly; landed . itself. Jt is suggested in some quarters that there is a clique M {Lords who are determined that Maclaren shall not be placed in the position to which Ms wide experience and great abilities entitle him. We cannot believe that this really is the case. Whether or no, they must not be allowed to have their way.- in a matter of this sort. The opinion of the general body of cricketers is now well known to the M.C.C. authorities, and: ft is to be hoped f.hey will -lose no time in placing the Australian project on a satisfactory basis. Maclaren must be appointed captain. It has been apparent for some time that the difficulty of getting together a representative English team for the. Australian tour was largely due to the determination of the M.C.C. to restrict the allowances to the amateurs. The " Daily , Mail " writes on the subject as follows: — "It would, seem that financial reasons are the cause in several instances of the ,- delay in the acceptances to the invitations for Australia. Maryiebone set put on the present 'project with the laudable* resolve" of strictly •enforcing the amateur status in respect to any player not a professional whom they should' invite. That is to say, no cricketer should be entitled to the prefix ,' Mr,' or the distinguishing initials before his name, and at the same time receive more than the bare expenses of his journey. No room would be found in a team going . out under the auspices of the M.C.C. for pseudoamateurs — the gentlemen who, H report speaks truly, frequently made more money out of such ventures than even the highest paid professionals. There is, however, no necessity for the M.C.C. to make social or other invidious distinctions in choosing the team for Australia. . Their business is "Eo get together the very best eleven cricketers this country can produce, irrespective of fiuely drawn, exceptions concerning various shades of amateurism. It is much too late in the day to be inquisitorial in this regard. Year after year, by their selection of the Gentlemen's team "at Lords, they have given their imprimatur to the existence of pseudo amateurs. The venture on wihich they are now embarked is a profit and loss undertaking, and if they are well advised they will not ruii the risk of failure, bofh from financial and cricketing points of view, by refusal to recognise that there are gradations of merit as pronounced among amateuTs as any professionals." Warner, who is one of the most prolific writers <m cricket matters, and who has special opportunities of obtaining infoTmrvtion, has contributed a very (interesting article in the "Westminster Gazette" regarding tihe payment of professional cricket-el's. Briefly stated, his remarks are as follow: — Professionals generally get £1 for every 50 scored, but Yorkshire gives instalment money, each -professicGial being marked accordii*ng to *his work in a particular match. Thus, if a man made 30 runs at a critioal time, or even a smaller score in a closelycqntiested" match, under certain conditions these inns might be as valuable' to the county .as a century, and it would thus deserve an equal reward. A fine bowling feat — as for instamce tihe 'dismissal of Ranji and .Fry for a small "score, or a brilliant catoh, ox a smart bib of wicketk&eping — might be similarly rewarded. Each mark represents ?ss, and the system has bean so successful that Middlesex (has followed suit. The usual payment^of a professional is £5 for home matches and) £6 for out niaitches. Out of this he pays railway, match and hotel expenses. If his side win he generally gets , 'another sovereign. Middlesex gives £5 to each professional for a. win over Yorkshire or Surrey. Men on the ground stafE at Lord's get 6s. 8d per day, or £2 per week, but! if playing away from Lord's the 6s 8d is deducted for each day's absence. Supposing, fen- instance, Middlesex won two matches in a week at Lord's, Jack Hearne or Trott anight well receive £16 for their six days' work, 'for, in addition to this retaining fee -of £2, they would receive £5 each match, £1 per win, and possibly £1 for their marks fcr good batting, bowling or fielding. Whe<n professionals play against the Gentlemen, at Lord's or the Oval they receive £10 per man. The two professionals of Lord Hawke's New Zealand team, in addition to all expenses, ■except wine bills, received £135 ; while those who go out to Australia -receive £300. In test matches in England they receive £20.