CRICKET.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 841, 19 April 1906, Page 11

CRICKET.

(By

“Yorker.”)

The weather was so much better dui ing the holidays that it was rather a pity that no championship matches were played. If the weather continues fine the wickets ought to be faster again, and City’s prospects of beating Grafton and winning the premiership be brighter. Should a tie result it will be almost impossible to play off.

In spite of the lateness of the season many spent their Easter on the cricket field, both in town and country.

A fairly strong Ponsonby team went to the Waikato and played Hamilton and Tuhikaramea. At the latter place they were badly beaten, mainly through the instrumentality of Pomeroy, late of Ponsonby, and Shepherd, who dismissed them for 65. The country players got 121. Ponsonby’s regular bowlers failed, and Cummings got most of the wickets.

•< annua l game between the Star” and “ Herald” was played on Friday. W. R. Forster’s batting and Stiickland s bowling were too many for the ‘ Star,” and their opponents won rather easily.

Two matches of interest were played during the holidays—one between a team from the primary and secondary schools selected and captained by S. P. Jones, and a team got together by the treasurer of the Cricket Association, C. Hay. The other was a game Past v. Present Auckland College and Grammar School boys. I trust that these are only the first of many such games, as although, as was to be expected, the boys were beaten, they will derive much good from such experience. The wicket on Saturday was exceedingly difficult, I understand, and under the circumstances the scores of the combined schools against the bowling of Sloman and Sisam, who were both making the ball do almost anything, were good. Most of the boys showed admirable defence, but found it difficult to get the ball away, and the patience displayed was splendid, and augurs well for their future success. Little Horspool, of Grafton Road school, played a fine innings for 29 in the first innings, and got 13 in the second attempt. R. Sloman, of the Grammar School, was the only other double-figure scorer, with 16 not out. He plays with a very straight bat, and gets the full face on to everything, and gets the ball away off his legs very well. Rolfe, of Prince Albert, is also a very promising youngster who bats and bowls well, and moreover, fields keenly and well. Abrahams, of Ring’s College, and Jacobsen, of Grammar School, both bowled well. The latter is fairly fast but hardly studies his length ehough. Spence (42), Greville (19), H. Forster (17), and W. R. Forster (21, not out) got most of the runs for the mixed team.

On Monday, when the A.C. and G.S. game was played, the wicket was much drier. The schools’ first two batsmen were not separated for more than half an hour, during which time they put on 30. Both showed good defence, and played some very difficult overs from Sloman, who eventually bowled Forster with a ball which kept very low. The next two wickets fell quickly, and then little Sloman was in for a long time, and again played a fine innings for 25. Eventually his brother got a good one past him. None of the others got many runs, although most of them stayed in for some time. The innings closed for 89. The boys started pretty well in the field, getting rid of W. R. Forster, Eastgate and D. Clayton for 50, but A. E. Sloman had been getting his eye in, and when C. Hay joined him he gave one of his characteristic displays of forcing cricket, and punished the bowling as few batsmen here can. He was eventually stumped of Sisam for 111, when the total was 171. Hay got 3'o, mostly in singles, but should, I think, have been stumped first ball. Gray got 17 and Wilks 15, and the whole side 227. The bowlers put their punishment from Sloman very well, and the field kept going too. Sisam has yet to learn how to bowl at such a batsman. Fawcett, who clean bowled Forster and Clayton, got two for 43 and Sisam five for 79. Jacobsen’s length was again at fault. In the school’s second attempt they got 80 for eight wickets, H. Forster

top-scoring with a good 37. Of the others F. Taylor, who has a nice style, shaped test. * * * * A gang of men has been at woi k for the last few days taking up and relaying the drains in the Domain—a much-needed improvement, as the old drains were so badly put down that they took away very little water. The one at the hospital end was completely blocked up. I understand the work will be pushed on so as not. to interfere with the games next Saturday. # * The City Council are to be commended for their decision not to allow winter games on the central and northern portions of the ground this vear I hope the caretaker will take the opportunity to improve the fielding °round as well as the wickets. Some parts cannot have had the roller on them for many a day. * * * * The methods of putting down the Bull! soil at the Domain and at Victoria Park vary considerably. At the ground the turf has been taken a depth of 2in and filled m with Bulli, While on the Domain the new soil is being put on top of the turf. I am informed that Mr. Yates says there will be 2in of Bulli on his wickets but it is noteworthy that the same amount of soil that has done only one wicket in Freeman’s Bay has been sufficient for three on the Domain. * The Otago Cricket Association has asked the umpires for an official explanation of the incident in the Meh bourne C.C. v. Otago match, when the stumps were drawn five minutes before time. The reason given at the time was that the captains had agreed to follow the Australian custom but the construction they put on this custom is not supported by some of the best authorities on the other side “ Not Out” and Shortslip both think that the custom applies to an adjournment only, and not to the conclusion of a match. In any case I cannot understand why the laws of the game, which are perfectly clear on the point, should not be followed. It will be remembered that the Melbourne team had lost eight wickets, and as one man was away they had only one wicket to go. What custom would have been followed had only a few runs been required, I wonder?