CRICKET.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 825, 28 December 1905, Page 13

CRICKET.

(By

“Yorkeb.”)

The association matches will be resume ou January. 6th, when the senior elevens except Ponsonby, will ail be weakened b rhe absence of their representative play ei-s. Curiously enough Paine i, the lead ing team, suffer least in th s respect s far as numbers go, but Olliff, the onl Parnellite in our touring team, is thi mainstay of his club’s bowling. Probabl a number of juniors Wj.l get a chance t show what they can do in first grad cricket. The representatives were to have mp a second eleven on Saturday, but to many of the players being unable t leave work the match, which would hav given a good opportunity for the men t get used to fielding together, had to b abandoned. The team’s itinerary is as follows: — Leave Onehunga by Rarawa on Sunda; afternoon; arrive Wanganui by train oj Monday and piay there on Tuesday an< Wednesday (26th and 27th December) Leaving by train next day for Welling ton, catching steamer to Lyttelton am express tram to Duned n, they have tw.i who.e days before playing Otago on Mon day, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Januar; 1,2, and 3); and by taking train bad to Christchurch they will have a day be fore the Canterbury match on Saturday Monday, and Tuesday (January 6,8, am 9). They will try to leave by steamei immediately after the match, and thui get two days’ rest in Wellington, when tiiey play on Friday, Saturday, and Mon day (January 12, 13, and 15). Arriving in Napier by train on the 16th, plai Hawke’s Bay on Thursday and Friday (18th and 19th January), and return bv East Coast steamer on Sunday, 21st. *** ■ »

When last we went the rounds of the other provinces a good deal of bad weather was experienced when travelling and the team suffered a good deal. This time the train service has been availed oi wherever poss ble, and a little more time given between matches. This means additional expense, but it is money well spent. On y one member of the last touring team had any Christmas dinner (a biscuit). I trust they will fare very much more sumptuously this time. Sea sickness and fast travelling were the general excuse for the number of catches dropped in. May there be no need for excuses this time. It is difficult to forecast the team’s success, as we hear so little of cricket in the other centres, but they can hardly fail to improve on the last team’s record—four matches, four losses. Much depends on the form shown

y the bowlers of the team —Olliff, Stemon, and McNeil. The batting and fieldng is good.

T. Elliott (Eden), who was elected aptain, is a batsman of the steady order, , very safe field, and emergency wicket :eeper. He has been making runs faster his season than before. As a captain ie has had experience both in club and epresentative cricket, and should handle he team well.

H. B. Lusk (Eden) has never done himeif justice in big cricket. Perhaps he s too anxious to make runs. In the lips he is safe and quick, and bowls a iseful slow ball.

W. B. Smith (Eden) was uncertain of iis place in the team, I should imagine, intil his innings against Grafton. Last eason he got 112 in representative ricket, and might do it any time again ow that he has struck form. A good ard-working outfield, who always tries ard to save runs.

t * * * W. Stemson (Eden) is a very old rep. md one who generally rises to the occaion. H’s bowling is much slower than t was, and though he can still bowl a ;ood fast ball he does not do so often inough. : Heis a good forcing bat, but s not as keen in the field as he might be.

OH’ff (Parnell), one of the bowlers of he team, would probably have been licked for his batting a.one. His bowing is very difficult when the wicket is ticky or crumbling. The most difficult jail he has is a slow leg break, but for ome reason he does not use it as much is he might.

F. McNeil (North Shore), the fast lowier, is perhaps the only member of the earn who is strong in one department of he game on'.y, for he is just a fa r batsnan and field. That he did not meet rith more success against the Australians yas, it seemed to me, because he sacriiced his pace for accuracy. It is the ittle bit of pace that tells.

Haddon (North Shore) is in much bet;er form than when he was playing here ast year. He has beautiful off strokes, md pulls well, but takes a lot of risk omet mes. Can field well when he likes, md returns to the wickets better than nost.

J. Hussey-.(North Shore), picked as an ill-round man, who will probably do a ;ood deal of bowling, in which department’he'did'•’his’share towards winning >ur rep. games last season. He is a good >at. with one or two weak strokes, but I von’t help to get him out by mentioning ihem.

S, P. Jones (Grafton), the most experienced cricketer in Auckland, whose sound knowledge and keen judgment will no loubt be ava led of by his skipper in an emergency.i His forte is batting, and i beautiful bat he is to watch, even ihough he relies so much on his back play md does not score quickly. That he got ;he prize for fielding in the Australian match'speaks for itself. Many of the seam would do well to study the way he throws in from the field.

D. Hay (Grafton), whose return to orm has come at the right time, is perhaps the most versatile batsman of the team. . Scores all round the wicket, but he generally uses his legs to get to the p : tch of a ball whenever he can. He is generally very successful as a bowler in big events, and is a very fast outfield and it iso throws well.

G. Schmoll (City), the wicket-keeper, is not up to the standard of most of the nbn who have kept wicket for the province, but he is safe and always tries, and s a very useful batsman in good form at jresent.

L. (?. Hemus (City) is a nice bat indined to start badly, and his nerves have litherto prevented him from scoring as ie ought. A safe field, but if he makes me mistake others may follow.

R. Neill (City) is not a regular memler of the team, but will probably play (lore than once if his business arrangements permit.

Messrs. A. G. Whitaker, R. Cary secretary of Eden C.C.), W. Dinnison( secretary of A.C.A.), and F. J. Ohlson are iccompanying the team, and the latter s kindly, acting as manager.

Olliff, I hear, will come straight home ifter the Wellington match, and Mr. Jinnison also returns after a fortnight. Hussey joins on the way down to Welington..

Congratulations to the Grammar School boys, winners of the secondary school competition, which is begun in the latter half of one season and concluded in the beginning of the next, so as to come within the school year. They well deserve their win, for they take a keen interest in their practice and pay every attention to their coach (S. P. Jones), who, I am sure, must be well pleased with most of them. St. John’s and King’s are also being coached now, and in future, if they try as hard as the Auck and College and Grammar School boys do, closer matches may be expected.

The ground at Victoria Park is looking well. Some eight wickets are apparently being laid down, but I trust it is not intended to use them all at the same time, as they are too close to be safe. Cricket suffers because of the number of games on the Domain, and it is simply wonderful that there are not more accidents.

A quantity of Bull! soil has arrived, and I understand some of it .is to go to the Domain. If not already done, information as to how to put it down should be obtained from Australia.