MACARTNEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18008, 19 November 1926, Page 8

MACARTNEY.

TEST MATCH BRILLIANCY PUBLIC RECOGNITION?

It will be peculiarly appropriate if Charles _ Gordon Macartney, who had • such phenomenal success in the recent series of Test matches in England, be tendered a testimonial match by the cricket authorities. There is a move to have one between Australia and the Rest played in honour of the wonderful little “Governor-General.” (says the Sydney “Sun.”) This game would serve a threefold purpose, in giving an opportunity to the men in the running for the next Australian team, provided a wonderful feast for the cricket enthusiasts, besides being a grand finale to the career of the famous little all-rounder, who said in England that he would definitely retire from first-class cricket after the tour had ended. Macartney has a wonderful record in all classes of cricket. 11 is average against England in Test matches is 43.15 for 38 complete innings, and he has secured 33 wickets at an average cost of 27.51. Mere figures, however, are of little use when talking about the genius of Macartney; it is beyond figures. \\ ho that saw Macartney’s innings at Leeds will ever forget those hours before lunch, when, after Bardslev had left for a “duck” first ball, Macartney and Woodful made a great stand, and the amazing New South Welshman reached his centurv after a classic display? He had a let-off by Carr at third slip when only two, but then he cover-drove Macaulay repeatedly to the fence, and by the sheer dash and audacity of his batting had the crowd amazed, and the fieldsmen disorganised. Fast Scorer. Were averages the final criterion of skill with the bat, Hobbs's complete record in Test cricket would overshadow Macartney s, but there is no comparison to be made. Macartney is always after runs, and although so short a man, has a phenomenal reach, and scores fast all the time. No one else can make that stroke, which is peculiarly his own, when he jumps out at a ball , wide on the off, and hits it through the covers on the half-vollev, with his bat parallel with the ground. The slightest mistake by eye, brain, or hand, and the’ ball is skied to the waiting covers fieldsmen. It would require a book to chronicle all of Macartney’s strokes, and the former is only mentioned because it is so pre-eminently a Macartney stroke. In 1920-21, Macartnev was very successful in Test matches, scoring 19, 69. 170 and 2 not out, at an average of 86.66. but he far eclipsed these by putting together 39, 133, not out, 151. 109, 25 and 16 in the last series of Tests in England. It seems incredible that a batsman of Macartney's brilliance could average 94.60 in a Test match series, and it will take another Trumper to equal the performance. Macartney’s batting in all matches in England follows;

Summary Batting: 42 innings, 1640 runs, 42.15 average. Bov,ling: S 3 wickets, DOS runs, average 27.51. GONDOLA v. PUNT. A novel feature at the Maidenhead Watermen’s Regatta was the contest over the punting championship course, between Wilson Edwards, professional punting champion of the Thames, in a punt, and Luigi Dalzennaro, the Venetian gondolier, in his gondola. The men changed craft after the first race, the gondolier punting and Edwards manipulating the gondola. In the first event the punt beat the gondola by a dozen lengths, but on changing craft the gondolier defeated the punting champion, who was uneasy with the oar. and utterly failed in pace and steering, taking nearly ten minutes tu negotiate the turn.

Year. Inn. Runs.H. Inns. N.O. Avge. 1909 40 G3S 124 7 19.33 1912 50 2207 203 1 45.04 1921 42 2335 345 2 55.45 1926 33 1561 160 4 53.S3 IX THE TESTS. 1907-8. Batting - . Bowling. 1st 2nrl O. M. Tt. W. O. M. R. W. 35 9 3 0 5 0 14 2 39 1 75 9 13 3 49 2 4 1 17 0 12 29 6 1 18 0 f, 1 1« 1 1 12 15.1 3 44 3 15 4 24 2 1909. 10 1 17 6 21 3 11 2 35 0 5 8 2 10 0 4 IS 25.3 6 58 7 16.5 5 27 4 5 51 IS 6 31 1 7 2 16 0 50 4x 16 24 9 u 8 2 It 1 1911-12. 26 27 12 3 26 1 7 0 2S 0 1912. ' l 30 19 6 22 3 22 5 43 0 1920-21. 19 69 3 0 17 0 170 2i — — 1925. 20 22x — 5 2 10 C 61 — -— 8 3 30 0 1226. 8.2 2 14 0 33 133x 33 R 90 1 — 151 — 31 13 51 2 4 1 13 0 109 — — 7 1 — 25 16 6 2 16 0 26 16 24 0 x Not out