All-round Sport

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 172, 9 November 1893, Page 8

All-round Sport

Cricket.

By

“Blocker.”

It is with sincere regret that I have to announce the death of Mr Alexander Lewis Meldrum, popularly known as 4 Loo’ Meldrum. The deceased was prominently identified with all kind of athletic sports in Auckland for many years past, he having represented Auckland in both football and cricket —also a prominent member of the Althetic Club, but it was as a member of the well-known Gordon Cricket Club that he was best known and appreciated, and it came with almost painful suddeness the news of his death at the early age of thirty years. For some seasons past his duties have not allowed him to take any part in our Saturday contests, but whenever opportunity occurred during his travels, he showed that his hand had not yet lost its cunning. He was a first-class field, and one of the very best left hand bowlers and batsmen seen about Auckland when in practice. Last Saturday fortnight he was up in the Domain looking very worn and ill. Although admitting he was nearly ‘ played out,’ expressed an opinion that with the coming warm weather he would soon • pick up again.’ Alas 1 these hopes were not realised, and he passed away at his home in Park Road on Sunday evening, as above stated. General sympathy for his family was expressed in town to-day among his many friends. His brothers William and Dave are at present absent from Auckland, and to them the news of his death will come as a great blow. The heavy rain that commenced last Friday evening and continued through the night, utterly precluded any chance of cricket being played in the Domain last Saturday. Still as the rain by midday was holding off, a large number of local knights wended their way up to the oval, but had to come away again disappointed, the committee having met in the pavillion and agreed that there should be ‘no play.’ There was considerable grumbling at the committee’s action in not allowing the games to proceed, but I think that it was a very wise step, as the ground would have been terribly cut up and probably ruined for the rest of the season. As it is the rain soaked thoroughly through in past the surface, and with the nice drying weather since Saturday will enable Williams to give it a good rolling, with the result that if the grass is kept cut our readers will most likely see some big scores put up in the next contests, which are Gordon v. Parnell and Auckland v. United.

The secretary of the Association has received through W. Harman, the Christchurch secretary, a copy of a letter from Mr Coleman Davis, of Sydney, wherein he signifies his willingness to bring a New South Wales cricket team, to our shores during the surifrner and inquiring what terms the New Zealand Associations are willing to offer. I

understand that both in Canterbury and Auckland an offer of 50 per cent, of the gross proceeds has been made, and should the movement come to anything a first-class team is promised. I trust it will eventuate, as there is no doubt that our local cricketers learnt a ‘thing or two ’ from Mr Davis’s last team.

The Management Committee of our local Association met on Saturday night and elected Messrs Chas. McKinney, J. Young, and J. Fowke as a selection committee to chose the team against Wellington, and this they have commenced to wrestle with by selecting twenty-two to go into practise on Mondays and Thursdays. lam inclined to think that this is too great a number, sixteen or eighteen being plenty and less unweildy to handle, together with the fact that with so many who know they have no possible chance of getting into the team, the practices are apt to get very loose end uninteresting through these ‘no chance men ’ staying away altogether or turning up irregularly. I have not been favoured with an official list, but understand that the twenty-two are as follows :—R. Neill, J. Arneil, T. H. Wilson, Jacobs, Rev. Richards, J. R. Lundon, J. Fowke, F. Kelly, Kallender, N. Williams, T. A. Moresby, E. J. Ootterill, J. Ansenne, R. Yates, D. Hay, S. McPherson, W. Stempson, H. Lawson, R. Hoile, I. Mills, and J. Nicholson. The Avondale did not put in an appearance on the North Shore ground on Saturday, thinking probably that it would be too wet, but such was not the case. It played splendidly, and it would have to be a very heavy downpour indeed to stop play at North Shore if fine overhead.

The ground is looking beautiful and trim, and great credit is due to the Shoreites for the energy they have displayed in making their cricket ground. This season a great deal more has been taken into play, and I venture to say that by next season North Shore will be able to boast of having the second best cricket ground in New Zealand, the first prize going to Lancaster Park. In Mr Logan they have an enthusiast, who not only helps himself, but by his good practical common sense makes his men take almost the same interest in the ground as himself, and no matter whether fielding, scoring, or umpiring he is quite satisfied as long as it is ‘ cricket.’ Long may he continue to hold sway over the North Shore cricketers.

In Bob Wynyard they have another ‘ warrior ’ who as captain and coach is the right man in the right place, but I hear he will not be able to play regularly this season owing to increased duties. He is also on the Management Committee of the Auckland Association. The N.S.C.C. have this season erected a nice dressing room and ‘ other ’ conveniences near their principal wicket, and I can say that any town club that journeys to the Shore ground will have a first-class wicket to play on, and for the Junior Championships far better than any they can get in the Auckland Domain. The N.S.C.C. 11. eleven are on a fair way to polish off Belmont 11., the latter could only reach 28, while the former have put up 122 for 7 wickets. E. W. Burgess 8, Conley 13, J. W. Burgess 30, and Denby 47. The English journal Cricket has a poor opinion of George Giffen’s performances during the Australian tour. It says:— ‘ He was a comparative failure ; and indeed, except on a few notable occasions, he hardly ever came up to his great reputation at Home. To the fast bowling in particnlar he never shaped at all well, and in fact it seemed as if he did not care to stand up where the ball came along at an extreme pace, as in the case of Richardson, Lockwood, and Mold.’ This is Cricket's opinion of Giffen. George’s opinion of Cricket would be interesting. After the straight talk indulged in by the well-known cricketer J. W. Trumble respecting the bad opinion the Australian Eleven left behind them in England, the following paragraph in Cricket reads somewhat like a flat contradiction:—ln one respect both sides, the Australians as well as the English cricketers who opposed them, will have reason to look back on the tour with satisfaction. There was no hitch of any kind to mar the good feeling which ought to and does exist among cricketers, even when the competition is keen, and the issues at stake apparently large. In its best and highest motive, the development of cricket, and the interchange of friendly relations between the players of the Old World and the New, the last visit of the Australians has been an undoubted success. In the attainment of this object

the tact and good judgment of the manager, Mr Victor Cohen, have been a very important factor. The duties he has had to carryout necessarily involve a great deal of routine work, and require a considerable amount of good temper and forbearance. In this capacity Mr Cohen has shown himself to be quite equal to the best of his predecessors. This is, to those who have had any actual acquaintance with the working of previous teams, of itself no small praise. The Scottish Referee says that the speed at which a cricket ball is delivered by a fast bowler may be roughly estimated at a mile a minute. When Mr C. T. B. Turner, the Australian bowler, visited Woolwich Arsenal he was requested by an official to bowl through the electric screens in use for measuring the velocity of projectiles. It was found that at a point representing half-way between the wickets the velocity of Turner’s ball was 81 ft per second, or 55 miles an hour. At this rate the ball would traverse the pitch in 22-27ths of a second. Several bowlers however, as for instance Mold, the Lancashire professional, and Kortright, the Essex marvel, bowl faster than Turner and this would bring the pace to the mile per minute. It may be well understood that a batsman has to keep all his wits about him to guard his wickets and his body from such attacks as these.

Acting upon a wish expressed by the crackshots of H.M.s. Curacoa to have a rifle match with the Auckland volunteer marksmen, the local leading shootist have arranged a match for the 9th inst. to take place at the Mount Eden Range. The match is to be ten aside, with MartiniHenry Rifles, and the ranges will be 200, 500, and 600 yards. Auckland will be represented by Messrs Hatswell, Dormer, Doughty, Rose, Browne, Skinner, Fairs, Greenshields, Stanley, and McCallum, with Tobin, Henderson,Jand Taylor waiting men. The members of St. George’s Rowing Club held an ‘At Home ’ on Saturday last, when the Commodore’s Fours were rowed. Marriner’s crew turned out to be the winners

The West End Rowing Club held their Trial Fours Race for the gold medals presented by the President (Mr McLean) and the set of jerseys presented by Prof. Carrollo on Saturday last. Nine crews competed and rowed in three heats. Lawry’s crew won the medals and Atkinson’s the jerseys. The Auckland Rowing Club received two additions to its plant on Saturday by the Wairarapa, which brought two new clinker built inrigged gigs. The club has now 14 boats. The New South Wales Rowing Association has decided that the definition of an amateur shall be— ‘ One who has never knowingly competed with or against a professional rower or other professional athlete, or with or against any person who has been engaged in manual labour within one year of the date of entry ’ The annual report of the Parnell Lawn Tennis Club shows that the club is progressing satisfactorily. The membership roll has been steadily increasing nntil it now stands at 157. Officers for the ensuing season were elected as follows : President, Mr S. Thorne George ; Vicepresidents, Mr A. J. Denniston and the Rev. G. Mac Murray ; committee, Mrs Ruck and Messrs Pollen, Robinson, and Stevenson.

The committee of the A.A.A. have called a committee meeting for Friday night next to consider the case of Weston, who sent a ‘peculiar’ telegraphic message to the selection committee of the A.A.A.

The Rugby Union meets on Friday evening next at Gallagher’s British Hotel, for the purpose of receiving the annual report and balance-sheet, and electing office-bearers for next season. The entries in connection with the opening meeting of the Auckland A A. and C. Club close at the British Hotel on Saturday evening next at 8 p.m.