CRICKET.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16780, 24 April 1926, Page 20 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

THE FINAL. (By "Cover Point.") When Hamilton left off on the previous Saturday, with four wickets down for 22, it was generally recognised that they were up against it, although there was sufficient batting strength left, if it got going to see them through. Robertson and Stott opened very briskly, and seemed in no way oppressed by the task ahead of them, and runs came quite 'quickly until Robertson played all round Going's slow one, and was bowled. Taylor was more uncertain than usual, and before he had got. properly settled down Going disposed of him with a real trimmer. A perfect length, it came off the pilch like lightning, left the Yorkshireman slanding, and sent his leg stump spinning. The Hani.'.ton barometer was falling fast, and il. took another drop when Kgglcston hit. too soon at Mick Johnston and was caught. All this time Stotl had been holding his end up, undismayed by the ruin lhat was going on around him, anil quite at home with all the bowling. Curious that one man should seem so much, at home when all the others were in difficulties. Temperament, perhaps. Ellerm,- Hie newcomer, opened with some charming shots, end it looked, even at that late stage, an if Hamilton still had a faint hope. However, Bob Johnston cams on, and, as usual, some cne llifi to go. This time it was Eucrm, whose brief innings had been the tit-bit of the match. Sutcliffc, out of form, was very scratchy, but he escaped disaster, and it was Stott who went, l.b.w. to Bob Johnston, alter playing a patient and meritorious innings Of 30 —halt' of the runs scored while he was in. He had his hack lo the wall throughout, but laid the wood on when he found he could safely do so, and some of his lullblooded drives evoked well-merited applause. With his departure the end soon came, ami with halt' the afternoon gone il looked as though the game was, for all practical purposes, over. Under the circumstances, with only an hour and a half to play, wo expected thai Hamilton East would treat us to something spa.kling in the way of batting; but evidently they had decided lo take "Safely first," as their mollo,, and for a quarter of an hour Harold Johnston and BarnclL treated us to the dreariest exhibition of stonewalling we have seen for Jong enough. 11 was not the. lack or runs lhat hurl, so much as the lack of resolution. The bat was hardly ever put against, the ball, and I saw a ball come along lo Barnetl, a perfect one lo cut. On an ordinary occasion the Hamilton East man would have sent il flashing past point to the boundary;-but this time he did everything perfectly right up lo the point of contact with the. ball, and then he lapped it lamely a yard or two in front, of him. 11 was soon after this that he was given out 1.b.w., mistakenly, I think, for he seemed to have played tho ball first; but if the umpire did make a mistake most of us found it quite easy to forgive him. The departure of his partner seemed lo waken Johnston out of his sleep, for he became quite aggressive all of a sudden, and rattled on 10 runs in short order. The exaggerated respect shown lo the bowling seemed lo put new life into Hamilton, and into Taylor in particular, for changing lo the llincmoa Street end, where he always seems best suited, he proceeded lo lake charge, and in six overs and two balls he took six wickets for one run. H was line work, and was warmly applauded by the crowd. As a result they were all out, for 39, and wiln Hamilton 108 in arrears (here, was all the material for a good finish had time allowed. There was only half an hour left for play, and the' Hamilton men bit at everything thai came along, losing eight wickets for 44 before slumps were drawn. Hamilton East had thus to be content with a first-innings win, but it, sufficed to give llicm the match and the championship. A feature of tho afternoon's play was the catching, all the ten chances offered being accepted. It is not often that this happens in Hamilton; I hope its effect will not be lost before next season.

THE SEASON. I think it was of Charles 1., who ended his days on the scaffold, thai it was said lhat nothing in his life became him better than the manner of his leaving it. Something of the same kind might be said of the season which has just ended, for the final match, interesting as it was right to the finish, attained a standard which was never reached at any other part of the season. Taking it as a whole, it was disappointing. The balling was but moderate, the bowling a little better, but tho fielding, with two bright expections, was poor, and the running between the wickets was often shocking. Moreover, il was quite a common occurrence to find learns playing short-handed. There was a good deal less public interest, manifested than in pasl seasons, although there was a very fair attendance on both days of the final. The match wickets have lasted fairly well —ifodced, they were belter in the latter half of the season than earlier, and Willi the special work that is being done on them at present they should be even belter next season and for some seasons -j come. The practice wickets unfortunately were very rough, and something will have to be done Lo improve them if the game is lo make any progress. This may have had something to do with the poor attendances which some clubs had, although I think lack or enthusiasm was mainly responsible.

THE TEAMS. Hamilton East, the winners of the competition, thoroughly earned the distinction, and so long as Ihey retain their present spirit are likely to be a formidable combination for many years to come. Built around a captain in Bob Johnston, for whom the whole team had the utmost respect, ami in whom Limy placed wholehearted confidence, they had a spirit of esprit-de-corps which made them in every sense of the word a team, ami there is no doubt that it was team work that won them the competition. They were fortunate, too, in being able to place practically the same team in I lie field every match, so that their combination was never upset. Apart from Harnett, they had no outstanding batsmen, but their strength lay in their out-crickcl. With a good and wellvaried bowling sific, capably handled, and backed up by clean and smart fielding and sure catching, Ihey were always very difficult to pet, runs against; Barnclt was in good form Willi Ihc bat, throughout, and played many line innings, making his runs

With an effortless ease which was a pleasure to behold. In addition, he bowled his slows at times with.great success, but if the batsmen had handled him properly his figures would not have been so good. Going Improved out of sight as a bowler, no longer relying on the fast stuff alone, but exploiting a slow hall by way of variety with good results. Although he made runs at times, notably in the final match just, when they were wan led, his batting did not fulfil the promise it, showed last season. With, his cheerful personality and unruffled disposition, Dufty was a popular member of the side, and he bowled steadily throughout the season. When he got runs it was either by vigorous hitting or tip-and-run methods, both of which found favour with the public. In addition, he fielded splendidly near the wicket, taking some fine catches and saving a lot, of runs. Marcroft's bowling was not made much use of; it was seldom needed, but his batting brightened up and he seems to be acquiring greater facility in getting the ball' through tl/c fieldsmen. Herrick did not get many runs, but he would be worth a, place in any team for his alert fielding, while when occasion required L ho kept wickets quite, satisfactorily. Skeal remained as much a mystery as c*cr. Possessing all the physical qualifications lhat go to the making of a balsnmn, be every now and again plays an innings thai suggests the fulfilment of the promise he has shown for so many years past, only lo fade away again. His hands are as safe as ever, (bough, and his work in the long-field as effective. Mac Johnston, while not attaining the standard of some of our other stumpers, has been doing effective work behind the sticks, but he has not been so successful with the bat as in past years. Wallis, the veteran of the team, has been a useful opening batsman and change oowler. Mick Johnston, who used to bo the despair of the opposition bowlers in his school days, does no I. make many runs nowadays, but his howling, in the last two matches at least, has played no small part in putling the team where it is to-day. Harold came into the team after Loughlin dropped out, getting a few runs and fielding well. I have already made reference lo the pari played by the captain; suffice it; lo add that his own bowling has been very effective, not only from the point of view of figures, hut because he almost invariably met with success immediately he went on, and so prcvenle'd many a partnership from becoming troublesome. Loughlin played in the first two matches, batting so well lhat his departure for Auckland was a distinct loss, and Morgan, Norton and Hoes filled gaps at various times.

FRANK IREDALE, The death of Frank Ircdale, which was announced last, week, -removes from the stage one who in the nineties was one of Australia's foremost batsmen. Horn on January 19, .1807, his progress up the ladder of fame was steady rather than meteoric, for he gradually added lo his reputation as a batsman without doing anything special lhat would cause him lo be talked about. Still, he must have got very close to the Australian Eleven of 1893, and in the following season, when Sloddarl's team visited Australia, lie made 133 (run oat) for Now South Wales in his first innings against them. He was immediately selected for the first Test match, and amply justified his inclusion. He went in when Lyons, Troll and Darling were out for 21, and stayed with Giffcn till the score was taken to 192, when he was caught by Studdart oil' F. G. J. Ford for a chanceless 81. Giffcn made 101, Syd. Gregory 201, and Blackham 74, and the total reached 580. England made 325 (Ward.7s) and following on 437 (Ward 117)1 Left with 177 lo get, Australia had 113 on for two wickets at ihe end of the fifth day, but il rained in the night and under the influence of a hot sun il was tremendously difficult next clay. Peel and Briggs carried all before them and the total was only 100. Peel taking 0 for 07 and Briggs 3 for 25. lredalc returned one to Briggs when his score was 5. At Melbourne he made 5 and 08 and at Adelaide 7 and 14 0, the latter a beautiful innings. The fourth match, at Sydney, was played on a had wicket, Stoddart sent Australia in, and they lost their first six wickets for 51, Ircdale failing lo score. However, Barry Graham, still a colt, was undismayed by the sit nation, and hit, away freely lo score 105 Darling got 31 and Albert Trott 85 not out, and the tolal was 2Si. England could only make 05 and 72, Giffcn taking 8 for 40, Harry Tro.l 3 Tor 21, and Turner 7 for 51. in the great deciding match at Melbourne, ircdale was a very modest scorer, getting 8 and 18. . He was one of the first six picked for the 1890 Eleven, and just before the team sailed he made 187 and 80 not out in a New South Wales-Soul Australia match. In England he had such a remarkable run of low scores that he was left out of the first Test match, but before the next Test came along he scored 509 runs in eight completed innings. He thus earned a place in the second game, making ins and 11. The third Test was nlavcct on a wicket spoilt by rain and won by 00 runs. The Australians hart last use of Ihe wicket, scoring 4,mrlhi" 0 Ircdale (who had made 30 icfi°stinnings) 2, Giffcn 1, Harry Troll, 3, Gregory 6, Hill 0, Donvan 0, Kelly 2 Jones 2, Trumblc 7 (no out) , Sbb'in 10, extras 2. Mol <bbin an Trumblc look the score from i. to .■ lor the last wicket Peel 100 0 tor 23 and Hcarnc 4 lor 10. ln "»° i 897-8 season Stoddart took a second eleven to Australia and in the Test series Ircdale made 2o and 18, 89 84, and 0 in the first four games, being dropped from ihe fifth. In England agate in 1899 ho made C and 20 in he first Test, missed the next two rough an attack of German measles. made 31 and 30 not out in the fourth, a A d 2.^Lar:n l \ookthe^EngUsh r n^ST«^3 which England won by an innings an 124 runs, MacLarcn making 116, and h 0 retired from first-class cr.cke immediately afterwards, >yh.e slißm his m .jmc In his 14 Tests lie made 80/ ST.* an average of 30 68, Highest score of 140; while for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield he played 71 completed innings .scoring 2085 runs and averaging ■»■«»*• ,\ somewhat uncertain startci, 1 was always liable to give a chance n slips or somewhere on the off-Bide Uorc settling, down; but once: , mere were few safer batsmen. All hi strokes were made freely an> Srace fully, and Australia has probably ncv a had a belter exponent of the cut. made the stroke bolh square and line and in every direction between and no mallo r how fast, the bowling he 1 his culling lo Ihe fraction ot a second either, quile often culling with -W rool across. His forward play as free and elegant, he lined the ball

finely, and he also included the pull shot in his repertoire. He was a safe field in tho country and in England developed a faculty for catching the "flics" in the slips off Jones's fast bowling. Perhaps before the present campaign is over Collins may wish he had a slip fielder of his calibre with him when Gregory is on.,