CRICKET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11282, 9 January 1915, Page 4

CRICKET.

Tli© first two days' play in the Auck-land-Canterbury match resulted m some very interesting cricket and Canterbury one's again, on an Auckland wicket, has to face a big score in the final innings, viz.. 291. The biggest surprise, as well as a most pleasant one, is the success or Arthur Thomas, who scored 41 and took eight wickets for 99. Thomas for some voara lias been one of the most successful all-round players m Senior cricket—a most energetic, untiring plaver who would have been in many a Canterbury eleven but for the fear that he was not a "match player," as confirmed by his achievements m the matches in which he took part. < However, ho has achieved distinction at last, lie was not bowled in the first innings and then when put on was responsible for the first seven wickets at a sm.ill cost. With the- bat. too, he was in a merry mood, a.nd his 41 was made at a stage when things were black for Cante*u"ry. The success of Thomas with the ball is all the more pronounced when in the two innings Carlton took five for 87. Bennett four for 109, Sandman two for 85, Hiokinott ml for 46, while in one innings Thomas took eight for 99. C. Dacre is the younger brother of I>. Dacre, and both are cricketers of great promise. C. Dacre is only fifteen, and yet in his first game ho played brilliant cricket for his 37. Surely fifteen years of age must be the record age at which a plavor has represented his province. In Canterbury A. M. Ollivier and D. Reese played at sixteen and R. Hickmott at seventeeu. G. Gumming, is the old Otago playor of a dozen years ago, and who was a member of the famous Auckland team, including Relf, which badly smashed Canterbury at Hagley Park in the first contest for the Plunket Shield. F. Mason, who made 81, is the veteran of the. Auckland team, though still in the earlv thirties. He was a member of the Auckland team eleven years ago which luckily scrambled home by 2 runs from Canterbury on the Auckland Domain.

Brooke-Smith, who made 65 in flhe second innings, ia well known *s. Canterbury players. He is a of the dashing typo and his cricket :•? always interesting to watch. wT.wi Mie Aucklanders came down last year ha was the only batsman who shaped confidently to Wilson and Co. at Lancaster Park.

Heartiest congratulations to F. Mialane on his 222 not out against Otago. nils is the record individual score for New Zealand interprovinial cricket, and. certainly there is no player in Wellington more worthy than Midlano to achieve that honour. It was rather an irony that Midlane was left out of the last New Zealand team, but this was due to his own performances in 1912-13 and to the Wellington selectors who left him out of two games in that season, with the consequence that the New Zealand selectors who picked their team on 1912-13 form had to leavo him out. From the very moment that the New Zealand team was picked, Midlane recovered his form, and his cricket of one and a half seasons has been very successful.

The weakness of the Otago bowling was emphasised again when Wellington rattled up 498 runs despite the fact that Crawford was at one end of the bowling crease. He took five wickets, certainly, but they cost 149 runs, which is evidence that his bowling is not up to his best Australian form. •

A most unusual topic has been discussed by the Dunedin papers, viz., lack of courtesy and hospitality- by the Canterbury Cricket Association and the New Zealand Council towards the Otago cricketers and officials during their recent stay in Christchurch. Now, T agree with Mr D. Res&e, the Canterbury captain, that no good will be done to cricket and to the good feeling between the two provinces by a newspaper discussion, but still something may be said that may be helpful. Ten or fifteen years ago Canterbury and Otago, together with other provinces, agreed to dispense with the entertaining of teams." In the first place, money was unnecessarily spent; and in the .second, members of visiting teams preferred to hare their spare time, to themselves, especially on Sundays- Now, a generation of enthusiasts has oqtne whoso idea of cricket management is that hospitality, more ox - less lavish, must be .shown to visiting teams. This is contrary to the spirit of the agreement between Canterbury and Otago. The onus of hospitality always rests upon individual members, and not on the Associations. If there has been » shortage of individual hospitality, I am very sorry to hear it, although I know personally that Messrs J>. Roe.so and F. (;. Raphael were unremitting in their attentions to the members of the Otago team. The matter of courtesy is a charge that must be taken up by the Canterbury Cricket Association and' the New Zealand Cricket Council, and action taken so that in the future no charge can be made by our good friends in Otago.

WELLINGTON. [lfjlOM OIR COEBESI'OKTIEN'TS.] January 1. After the showing of the Wellington team against Auckland during the Christmas holidays, people will begin to believe my repeated assertion that cricket in Wellington this season is brighter than it has been for some yews. Scores of 288 and 283 for eight, wickets would seem to point in this oirection, at any rate. Tt is alwbys aj risky thing to declare an innings closed but T certainly think the Wellington captain erred on the safe pide in this match, the fact that the Avtcklandcrft ware 112 runs abort at the oill of time of the total set them being proof positive. Wollington-Mnrlborough match, played en Christmas Day and Boxing t>av, ivas a runaway victory for the local team. It was"a poor "game, relieved with two fino performances by J. Rodgerr,, the Petone player. With the ball be secured eight Marlborough wickets in the first innings for 13 runs, and with tho bat be run up the fine score of 139. A. Onto (72) and Rodgers gathered together 193 for the seventh

wicket. These were the only things worth mentioning about the game. By storing centuries against Auckland and Marlborough respectively, *\ . \ Baker (110) and J. Rodgers (139) joined a very soloct company. As a matter of fact, the playersi who have made century scores in Wellington representative cricket only number eleven altogether, and their tallies are as under * — ]<y>_W. P. Redgrave, v. Havoc's Bay. IC3—A. B. Williams, v. Canterbury. M-9—F. A. Mkllane, v. C-tajro. Hd*—G. C. Hecniiii, v. Wairarapa. IK)—J. Rotifers, v. Marlborough. 133 H. C. Hickwro, v. Auckland. I'M—J. P. BJscldock, v. Hav.-ko's Bay. 122*—11. E. Burton, v. Marlborough. lig—W. A. Bakor, v. Auckland. 113—G, A. Riclmrflson, v. Otogo. 10S—L. T. Cobcroft, v. Wairarapa. 102— F. A. Midlane, v. Auckland. 100—A. B. "Williams, v. Entrlnnd. It is not a very formidable) list- considering the number of years cricket har, been plaved in Wellington. As far back as IRBS the first century stand for a wicket was lwide, the batsmen on that occasion being J. P. Firth (the present principal of Wellington College) and vV. J. Salmon, the opposition being Nelson. Thirty-one of these stands hare been recorded to date, the princioal being:— 207—Fourth wiokofc, F. A. Midlane and C. A. Richn-rdson. 106— Second wicket, J. P. Bkoklook tuid D. JNsiightem. 193—Seventh wicket, J. RodgeTS and A. Calo. , „ „ 182—Third wicket, "W. A. Baker and H. E. Burton. 173—Fifth wickot, J. S. Hiddleston and F. A. Midi ano. 153—Third wicket, K. IT. Tucker and P. A. Midlanc. "Banjo" Patterson, in one of his humorous poems, tells the story of how .a cricket match wan won. The tele was well told, but it was highly improbable. It was brought forward to mind by an incident that happened at the Basin Reserve last Saturday morning, in the match between Marlborough .and Wellington. A. Cate and J. Rodgers, the Petone players, were making a good stand against the Marlborough howlers, and the former made one stroke to a vacant part of the field, where the ball was promptly snapped up by a wandering dog. who made of? with it. The umpires declared the ball dead, but Cate, who is a bit of a humourist, claimed that tho batsmen should have been .allowed to keep on running, " and then I would have been able to £ct my century score easier." Traill is"sometimes stranger than fiction, and it seems to me that even " Banjo " Patterson's improbable story will have to be accepted as possible, for I cannot agree with the umpires that the ball was dead, and tho batsmen should have been allowed to go on scoring runs, for the ball was not lost as long as '' Pincher " has it in his mouth. I