CRICKET.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 19, 9 November 1910, Page 8

CRICKET.

rhe South Africans. THEIR PROSPECTS IN AUSTRALIA. THE GOOGLIE BOWLING. “Phoenix,” of the “Rand Daily Mail,” writing of the South Africans, who began their first match to-day, to the “Melbourne Age,” says:—“On this subject I should like my news and views to be taken as coming from one who has had considerable experience, both as player and critic, in Australia and South Africa. It appears me that there are probably two questions now being asked by the crieket public of Australia—(l) What style of cricket do these South Africans play? (2) Wha-t chances of success have they for their tour? And I shall endeavour to givs readers such information as may help them to draw conclusions as to the issues of the contests, and, I hope, interest them in the visitors, whose training on matting pitches has developed methods which are novel to Australians. “Let me start off by saying that the question of the South African exploitation of the googlie on the Australian turf has me beaten, and I can only conjecture on the following grounds: You all know that Bosanquet was the ‘father’ of the googlie. What he did to help P. F. Warner to carry back the ‘ashes’ is likewise ancient history with you; but we here cannot judge how far the

novelty of the ball was instrumental in his phenomenal successes. And another thing that exercises the South African mind is that we find no records in the Australian newspapers of prominent disciples of the brilliant, if ephemera], trundler. R. O. Schwarz, of the coming South African team, was Bosanquet’s pupil, and it is admitted by English experts that he improved on the work of his master. He in turn taught the South Africans, and he will be associated in Australia with Faulkner and Vogler, of great renown recently as expositors of this form of attack. Of these, Faulkner, on last season's form, was the undoubted best, for Vogler depended much more on his great ‘allround’ abilities as a bowler, and npon his infinite variety. Ili-s ‘ringing in’ of an unexpected googlie may prove the

most dangerous exhibition of the Wt in Australia. “Then those who know the accuracy of the Australian turf, as compared with the ‘bite’ and ‘lift’ of the ball on the matting over earth wickets, believe that the googlie must be easier to meet over there; then the ordinary big break ball must be pitched closer to the line of wickets, and .then the ‘wrong W will thereby lose something of its sting. So the probable effect of the googlie on those wickets is an interesting and important problem in the minds of South African cricket experts. I have consistently told our ‘star performers’ that they will achieve successes with the bat beyond their fondest dreams, but that they must be prepared for fairly regular leather-hunting expeditions, -which would, mean disaster on the lighter scoring) grounds of the sub-continent. I told them that on the nearest approach t<J perfection in wickets I had grave doubts as to the efficacy of the googlie, except as a change, and that their team should include all the variety consistent with the gathering of the best all-round side. Fortunately for them, this condition becomes easier by far than it would in either England or Australia, for neither of the latter great centres has yet put into the field a representative team in which there was such an abnormal proportion of bowlers. And the team that visits you cannot fail to be almost as fortunate in this respect. But there is one unfortunate lack, not likely to be made good; there is not a really fast bowler in South

Africa at present. In fact, since the retirement of Coetzee from prominent cricket there is not one who can claim anything better than fast medium. That, however, would undoubtedly be the weak, point in the .South African attack. W would be easily accepted that the googlie ‘ordinary’ ball (breaking from th® right-hander’s leg) comes easier to the left-hander, and our googlie exponents quite appreciate the fact that they wilt most probably meet Clem Hill, Hansford. and Bardsley. Our greatest bow-* ler, Vogler (one of the best—if not th<3 best —in the world just now), has a tre-

mcndouaty high opinion of Bardsley and Abe latter's wonderful placing on the off.”

“The South African cricketers will be found as manly and unassuming a lot of good men as Australia has deservedly boasted of since Jack Conway’s lot first astonished England, but they and the supporters of the game in this country are obsessed by an ignorance of Australis, and the conditions of cricket there, which are ludicrous to those who have come from 'down under.’ And we got remarks from people who purport to know, and see comments in tire newspapers from others which have had the effect of putting the South African association in an invidious position. Just fancy the imbecile remark of Major Trevor—that the Australian population was so small that a guarantee should be demanded by a team visiting there—and this kind of piffle being cabled out to our daily papers. This is only a sample of the rubbish that has caused tire hesitancy of the South African Cricket Association in this guarantee matter, and would never occur now that South Africans and Australians are going to meet in a way which will prove tire criminal absurdity of the prophecies of many who would be far better in a home. “Now that Monte Noble has withdrawn from the world’s cricket, we in South Africa thing Aubrey Faulkner- the world’s best all-round man—on all wiekets and in all conditions. What you Australians will find in him is that he is a man of enduring physique, indomitable courage, kindly and sociable demeanour, and the temperament of our forefathers, which does not allow them to know when they are beaten ‘untit the numbers are up.’ Our men will have about a fortnight’s experience on the beautiful Adelaide turf before they meet South Australia in the first match, and you will find Faulkner not only ‘at home’ there., but exerting an influence on his side which will be far-reaching. I hold no brief for Faulkner, and he will need none with Australians. I have abused the semi-crouching attitude he has found so effective here, and told him he will launch out into nobler methods in Australia. See if he does not! He is now the best exemplar of the googlie bowling theory in the world, untiring, entirely nonchalant over punishment as long as he has the hope of eventual success in view, and he is a fine field anyway. His undoubted place in the field is at short slip, and he comes a good second to the brilliant Vogler in that position—and that takes a great lot of beating. “In my opinion the inevitable second best man of the South African side is Ernie Vogler. If he does the best that his superb bowling and fielding abilities warrant one in expecting, you will see Something to warrant the admiration of oven those who hark back lovingly to the exploits of ‘Spoil’,’ Harry Boyle, George Giffen, George Palmer, ‘Ted’ Evans, ‘Charlie’ Turner, and ‘Jackie’ Ferris. 1 have told him that he is likely to be worse extended this trip than ever he was in his life, but he is no shirker, and has a splendid physique. You will all like Ernie.

“Sibby Snook is the man I should place next in the category of fine South Africans. If he ventures to wear the eld slouch hat which he has affected hitherto here, the Australian public will say that he is a back blocker from somewhere out Cloncurry way, and the Queenslanders will love him. He is a truly fine and reliable bat, with that imperturbable temperament which is so valuable in critical situations, a fine field anywhere, and a bowler who, I think, will make a big name for himself on this tour. “A. D. Nourse (the ‘good old Dave’ of the South African public) is another man hard to beat all round. He is a left hand batsman of the utmost courage, and with a ready grasp of bowling conditions; a bowler of quality, and possessed of a good head piece, and a field who has hands like what we used to denominate ‘carpet bags’ in my time, and with fatal resiliency also. Dave Will be a very popular man with the Australian public. “R. O. Schwarz will certainly be included as a ‘googlie’ bowler, and may or may not (as aforesaid) be a success in that capacity. But he is a proved fine batsman, never nervous, always making the best of his opportunities, and a useful field. He should come out with * good measure of credit. “Writing of ‘Billy’ Zulch at the beginning of last season, I ventured to call him ‘the coming bat of South Africa? X did not then know that he would have

the near chance of exploiting the Australian wickets, but his performances •gainst the recent M.C.C. team very nearly justified my predietion. You will find him a very hard batsman to dismiss, with increasing resource and punishing powers, on your wickets; a great outfield and a change bowler whose average will be far from the worst of his side. It is likely he will be one of the opening bats for the South African side, and will prove very worthy of the honour. “Jimmy Sinclair (the popular idol with the bat on the Rand) opened last season with a brilliancy reminiscent of the best days of your Bonnor and Lyons, but was not himself (as a cricketer) against the last M.C.C. team here. He is now again capable to the full extent of his fine physical powers, and may be expected to do his tine reputation full justice. He has always stood in the front rank of South African cricketers as a field and bowler (usually taking mid-off), but he could not be left out of any South African team as a bowler, and his peculiarity of spin, combined with judgment, I look to see enhance his reputation on the Australian turf. “Tom Campbell is the undoubted best wicketkeeper in South Africa, bar Percy Sherwell (who was debarred from representative honours by business requirements last season). He is very sound and untiring, and, besides justifying his place in the capacity against the M.C.C. team here, he proved his worth as a reliable batsman so well that no South African team would be complete without him. “Sid Pegler is a great ‘colt,’ one of the rare breed, who play better for their country than they do in club matches. He was regarded as, and played as, such a bowler against the M.C.C. team last season, and, beside doing himself justice. in that department, he batted splendidly. I look to see him put up a big batting record on Australian wickets. “Micky Comma ille, the Capetown representative in the preliminary fifteen, and the only player chosen so far living outside the Transvaal, is a sturdy and athletic fellow, a cool and determined bat, defensive to a degree when necessary, but with any number of bright points when things are going well with his side. He will be the star outfield of his side, no matter who else goes. THE DRUG FIEND. [A ’Frisco sporting writer insists that Mr. Jeffries was drugged when lie went to the canvas in his late lamented battle.] When jolly Julius Caesar, with his welldeveloped beezer, Which he called his Roman sneezer in the days that are no more, Got an awful stab from Brutus through his cuticle and cutis, He was sore. But though Brutus said “Sic Semper,” Julius Caesar kept his temper, And before he kicked the bucket all his loyal friends he hugged, “Friends,” said he, “I'm not complaining, but my good luck star is waning— I was drugged!” When ’Napoleon hit three hundred, when his cannon roared and thundered, Any time his henchmen blundered he was swift and sure to strike; Never from a fracas shrinking, he was always thinking, thinking, Sleep or bike. When his Waterloo was over, and the English were in elover, And he longed to be a rover, white Parisian shoulders shrugged, “I will bet yon a simoleon,’! quoth the hardInck Kid Napoleon, “I was drugged!” ■When Kid Cain hit Battling Abel with a leaf from father’s table, And the daylight turned to sable for the younger sou of Eve, Abel, knowing he bnd plenty, lay and took the count of twenty On his sleeve. Down the lane came Father Adam, thinking that his Abel had ’em. Then he telephoned the madam while the stricken youth lie hugged, “Tell mo, tell me, little baby, tell me how it happened, Abie, Were you drugged?” Wihen 1 wrote these little verses, funny as « string of hearses, Funny «s a line of nurses, I was thinking to myself That the editor would lore them and would never, never shove them On the shelf. X supposed tliat be knew merit and could find It like a ferret. Now I think I’d grin and bear it if that editor were jugged. For ho said, In accents chilly, while I stood there sort of silly, “When you wrote this poem, Billy r You were dmggedl"