CRICKET

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 705, 10 September 1903, Page 12

CRICKET

The London Sportsman ” has started a fund for that very deserving institution the London Hospital, and money appears to be coming in freely from all classes of sportsmen. Cricketers are invited to pay the following fines to the fund :—For each dropped catch, 6d ; for each duck’s egg, is; for each pair of spectacles, 2s 6d ; for each wide bowled, 6d. Thank-offerings for the fund : For every 50 he makes the player pays 6d, for every good bowling analysis he pays 6d, a stubborn batsiman pays per hour Is. * * * * The cricket editor of the “ London Sportsman ” has the following on the question of the captaincy of the English team for Australia :—“ It is a pity that the matter of the captaincy should have caused so much friction. When one looks at the constitution of the M.C.C. Committee it at once repels the suggestion of an ‘ intended insult ’ to Mr Maclaren, just as the Lancashire captain assured me on Saturday afternoon that, as I already felt certain, there was not the slightest personal feeling between himself and Mr Warner. There must have been Some question of principle which prompted the M.C.C. to make the offer to the Hon. F. S. Jackson, and, failing him, to Mr Pelham Warner to take out the team. Mr Maclaren felt that from his standpoint—and no one will be surprised at his regarding it so—it would be impossible for him. having captained England in the Test matches here and in Australia since 1899, to take part in the tour under Mr Warner. I do not think that any unbiassed critic would assert that the Middlesex deputy captain has had the same experience, notably of Australian cricket, or was such a brilliant player as the Lancashire leader. Still, to read some of the remarks, one would imagine that ‘P.F.W.’ was a most incompetent skipper, and possessed a batting average of nearer sixteen than sixty.” * * * sit The cable has brought word that Middlesex has won the county championship this year from Sussex. The regular members af the winning county team are P. F. Warner, L. J. Moon, G. W. Beldam, W. F. Robertson, B. J. T. Bosanquet, R. W. Nicholls, F. H. E. Cunliffe, G. Mac*Gregor, Trott, Rawlin and J. T. Hearne. :«i at. <: y. The forward position of Sussex comes aa rather a surprise. For years the Southern county has suffered from the absence of any bowling talent, for although with batsmen like C. B. Fry and Ranjitsinghi they were generally able to make a lot of runs they could never prevent their opponents doing the same. «*- * * * A cable states that Sussex, a county noted for the big scores which its eleven makes on the Brighton Ground, when playing against the once formidable Surrey eleven made the huge score of 600 for seven wickets, Ranjitsinghi contributing 204 to the total. * * * * Arnold, a member of Warner’s team for Australia took eight wickets for 58 runs against the gentlemen of the South of England.