By "L.B.W."

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 24 December 1912, Page 2

By "L.8.W."

The testimonial cricket match which is to be given to Victor Trumper will take place on Jan. 31, Feb. 1, 3, and 4. The match arranged is that between New South Wales and the Best of Australia, in Sydney.

"pjemW Spoffor/th Jhpjl. jbeea suggesting in London that to make cricket livelier, two runs should l>e allowed against the batting side for every maiden over (says the Sydney "Bulletin.") The idea is that slow bats would be forced into having a go, and so would either get runs or get out, and then perhaps English people would come to the matches. But Spofforth—perhaps through having been a bowler himself—does not propose any bowlermuzzling. His new rule would seem to need as a corollary .that a bowler who obviously makes no attempt to hit the stumps should be no-balled. A*nyway, for one reason or another, Warner and Schwarz and a lot of other authorities on the game give his suggestion their cordial curse.

At a meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association recently it was decided to challenge Auckland to play for the Plunket Shield at Auckland on Jan. 1 and following days, and that the Auckland AssociVs'on be asked to make the match an "initial fixture alternately in Wellington and Auckland. The following team has been selected t& represent Auckland: Hemus (oaotain), Cumrnings, Rountree, Brook-Smith, Taylor (Eden), Dacre, and Sale (North Shore), Oliff and Sommervill (Parnell), E. Horspool (Grafton), N. Snedden (Ponsonby). The ewelfth man is Kavanagh (Ponsonby).

In the last Test match, O. B. Fry stood on his wicket in playing at the ball. The Australians appealed, and believed that he was out. They said that Fry at once turned to the umpire and said "I am not out," or words .to that effect, and the umpire said "Not out." It seems impossible that such thing* could happen, but if they did, the captain of the Australian team should have quietly reported the matter to the M.C.C.* without losing time. ' Cricket is pretty good this season in .many centres, Auckland amongst the number, and good scores are 'recorded every weeik. The finish of the Pon-sonby-Grafton game was "one that will long be remembered by those who were fortunate enough to be present. Grafton had made 216 in their first innings, and for a while it looked as if Pbnsonby would fail to reach this total. But by determined batting, the West Endera drew up, and , actually equalled the score when nine wickets were down. There /was breathless excitement when the last two men we're in. One run was wanted, but loj Harvie, the Grafton .bowler, sent down a wide, and thus gave Ponsonby ia two-point win by one Tun. In the next over one of the PonBonby Ttnen was \ stumped without further scoring, and thus concluded as exciting a, match as one could wish to ■soe. "• '•■ ~- "■ •■'.- ■