A11-round Sport

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 175, 30 November 1893, Page 6

A11-round Sport

By

“Blocker.”

Cricket.

Saturday last gave >ur cricketers an opportunity to get a littl e practice in view of the interprovincial match, which takes place next Saturday on the Domain, Auckland meeting the Wellington team on that day, and continuing the match on Monday. Great preparations have been made by the local body to give the visitors a good time, and by the exertions of the members and friends of the Association, I am glad to say that the tickets are going off freely, and with fine weather there should be a big attendance of lovers of the grand old game. Afternoon tea for the ladies will be served in the ladies’ room in the pavilion, while a band will discourse popular music on the slope at intervals. This should be one of the most successful cricket matches ever held on the Domain, and from the composition of the teams a good game should be the result, although the home team might, I think, have been strengthened by the addition of one or two more aggressive batsmen.

The practice match held at the North Shore last Saturday was to give a line for the committee to go on. I regret to say, however, that the committee have not acted in picking the team on what form was shown at the Shore, otherwise, taking the net practice into consideration, they would certainly not have selected

R.Neil, who has certainly not shown anything like representative form all through either at the nets or in the Gordon match, whilst on Saturday his bowling was far below either that of Kelly or Hay. It must, however, be admitted that in big matches Neil has generally kept up his reputation as a slow bowler, and perhaps his greater experience will be of more value to his side than the Gordon bowler would be at this particular juncture, although I undoubtedly think that the time is not far distant when Kelly, who is improving rapidly in his batting, will be one of the first —if not the first —of Auckland’s selected team as a bowler. J. Arneil is next on the list, and some surprise was expressed in cricketing

circles at his selection. He has not done anything to warrant his inclusion in the team as a batsman, whilst his fielding is bad— very bad ; although it must be conceded that ‘ Jack ’ has plenty of pluck, and it is quite on the cards that he will do sufficient in this match to uphold his great reputation as one of Auckland s best men of the past. I fancy, however, that Arneil will find like many of us that he is getting past his day. He is a good general, and now that he is in the team he will be the right man in the right place if he is elected captain. Richards, the other Aucklander, is a solid defence, a fair field, and should anything happen to Fowke he will make a capital substitute behind the wickets. Kallender, the Gordon fast bowler, who in this team has superseded Stempson, is one of the in-and-out class —some days on and some days off, and if it happens that Saturday is his day ‘on,’ then the Wellington men will find him a very ugly customer indeed. In batting he is very uncertain, but just one of those batsmen who at times demoralize a field in about three overs.

Fowke is the wicket keep of the team, and although going down the hill somewhat, Johnny is still a warrior in big matches and woe betide the batsman who gives him the slightest show. Johnny’s ‘ ’Ow’s that ’ is out before the bails reach the ground. As a bat he is of the ‘ defence force.’

The next man, J. Ansenne, brings me down to the blot of the team. He is only a moderate field, and only about fifth or sixth in his club. As a batsman he is not wanted in the team-, for when men with good defence like Fowke, Richards, Neil and Mills have been picked, to put Ansenne in weakens the composition, especially with Arneil, Williams, and Lawson on the wrong side of the batting ledger. It is a matter for wonder that the selection committee did not see there was plenty of defence material in the team without Ansenne. His place should have been taken by a man li v e Lundon, Wilson or McCormick, the former especially, for he is a punishing bat and a first rate change bowler, whilst the latter time after time has shown his ability to get runs under the most adverse circumstances.

Williams, although a surprise to many, I will let go; not that I think his bowling will be much good to his side, because here again I think Lundon would excel him, but because as a batsman he is of the punishing order, has plenty of pluck, and is a likely scoring man in any team. Lawson is in for his bowling, and will no doubt do all that is asked of him in that department, but he will not, I think, increase the score by many runs. Mills I take to be the safest bat in the team, and one who will play right up to the handle. He is a splendid field, and a good change bowler. Gardiner, another of the right sort, is a good defence, and a batsman of the punishing order, and the rapidity with which he has got into form shows that he means business.

Hay, the United colt, is on his first trial, and if he can get over his nervousness he will do himself credit. He is a really good medium bowler, and I am inclined to think we will have to rely on him to a greater extent than is at present thought, while as a bat he will, or ought, to shape fairly well in this his first big match.

To sum up briefly, I think Wellington will win, as they are in comparison a far better batting team, whilst their bowling 1 take to be about equal. As I said before, our great weakness is in having batsmen of the slow scoring order such as R. Neill, Fowke, Richards and Ansenne, together with uncertain batsmen such as Kallender, Hay, Lawson, Arneil, and Williams, among whom are men who have to go in. the team through other undeniable qualifications. The visiting team play under very adverse circumstances, seeing that they are timed to arrive here via the West Coast on Friday at midninht, which means that they cannot reach bed before 2 a.m., and therefore will not be very fit for cricket at 11 a.m. on Saturday. On Saturday week the championship matches will be continued as follows : — Gordon v. Parnell, and Auckland v. United.