CRICKET.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 889, 21 March 1907, Page 10

CRICKET.

There is no doubt whatever that the three point for an outright win system of scoring has done much to brighten up cricket in Auckland, especially during the second day of a match. This was very noticeable on Saturday, when the interest taken in the fortunes of the different teams was most marked.

Just on time North Shore scored a three point win over City. The latter’s reply to the Shoremen’s previous Saturday’s score of 172 was 96, S. Spence being 23 not out. Hussey and ’ Hollingrake went in again for Shore, and hitting freely soon had 69 on the slate when the innings closed. City were thus left 145 to get to win, but made a poor showing, all being out for 66. North Shore thus won by 79 runs.

Grafton’s victory over Parnell displaces the latter from the top of the list in the championship. In reply to Grafton’s 112 Parnell could only manage 72. Going in again Grafton hit up 83 for three wickets (Mason 33 not out, Foster 24), and then with

a view to a three point win declared. Parnell had thus but 125 to get to pull the game out of the fire, but after Murray (34) and Sale (24) had gone nobody looked like making the runs, and eight wickets had fallen for 97 when the bell rang.

Ponsonby gave Eden a three points beating, winning by 50 runs. Ponsonby’s first innings realised 117, Eden replying with 73. Ponsonby’s second venture totalled 75, Eden being asked to make 120 to win. . It was quite beyond them, only 69 finishing the innings. The batting throughout was very poor.

When North Shore 11. made the good total of 168 against Grafton 11. and the latter had lost two wickets for 23, it looked as though the Shoremen would win. There are some sterling bats in the Grafton Eleven, and some excellent batting was shown, Graham making 60, Hill 67 not out, Howell 54, and Robinson 37. The total reached 286, and the victory makes Grafton a certainty for the championship. * * * *

Eden A beat Parnell 11. by 39 on the first innings with scores of 123 and 97 for three (innings closed) to 84, and 115 for eight. * * * *

At Christchurch the last round in the first grade cricket championship was commenced on Saturday. Riccarton, playing against St. Albans,, made 257 for seven wickets (A. Armstrong, run out, 97, F. C. Fryer, not out, 78). In the match Linwood v. Sydenham, the former made 169 in their first innings (J. Wheatley 50), Sydenham replying with 69 for four wickets. West Christchurch, playing against East Christchurch, made 258 for nine wickets (C. F. D. Cook 100, H. B. Whitta 66).

A Christchurch High School boy named Crawshaw on Saturday made 212 not out against St. Albans.

William Bestwick, the Derbyshire fast bowler, has been tried in connection with the death of a man on January 26, at Heanor, in Derbyshire. It appears that Bestwick had been heard to declare that Brown, the deceased, was always tracking him down. The allegation on the part of the accused is und'erstood to be that Brown, who is a miner, waylaid him on the Saturday night, and, running into his own house, emerged with a table-knife, with which he attacked Beswick. The suggestion is also that in the struggle which followed Bestwick obtained possession of the knife and struck back in self-defence, occasioning the injuries to which Brown succumbed. There were terrible wounds labout the head and neck, these having evidently been caused with a knife. The injuries were of such a character that death appeared to have occurred very speedily. Bestwick’s wounds, although serious, were not regarded as being of a vital character. The deceased, a widower, was 37 years old. Bestwick, who is a married man, lives with his parents at Heanor. He was acquitted on the grounds of justifiable homicide, he having acted in selfdefence. W. Bestwick, who for many years past has been prominent as a bowler for Derbyshire, last year topped his county averages with a record of 111 wickets at a cost of 18.18 runs apiece. He is 31 years of age.

A. Cotter, the Sydney fast bowler, is developing hitting powers which the cricket public so highly approve of. Last week in compiling 152 in an hour and 25 minutes against Waverley, he hit sixteen 6’s and six 4’s, or 120 by boundary strokes, 96 being from hits over the fence.

J. R. M. Mackay, the Sydney cricketer now in South Africa, is not to go to England with the African team. This seems only right, as he has only been in the colony a few weeks. J.R.M.’s latest innings at Johannesburg, of which particulars are to hand, were —102, 99, 49, 11, and 104. So that he is giving Rand bowlers a sample of his quality.

Writing to Mr. Raphael, hon. sec. New Zealand Cricket Council, Mr. C. E. de Trafford, who captained the English teams, says:—“l know you have had' a hard and difficult time in making all the many arrangements that were necessary for the success of our tour, and I should like you to feel that we appreciate very much all that you have done for us. Please convey to the New Zealand Cricket Council and cricketers of New Zealand our most grateful thanks, and our appreciation of their many great

kindnesses to us. I must congratulate the council and players on their victory in the last test match, and on the way they played up and won the match. It was most gratifying to find in all the teams we played against such thorough good sportsmen as our opponents. I hope the time will not be long before we are able to return some of the hospitality to you all at Home, and give you as hearty a welcome as we have received from you.”

At the annual meeting of the Gloucestershire County C.C. Mr. G. L. Jessop described the present County championship system as an anomaly, and said it would continue to be so until each County played each other. Whether it would come to pass he did not know, but as at present constituted the championsrip did not run on proper lines. In allotting points for wins and deducting for losses, as at present, if one county won fifteen matches, and lost one, and another county won one and drew fifteen, the latter county would be champions, which was absurd. The present system placed a premium upon drawn games, and drawn games were the bane of first-class cricket. No county, however, for ten years had paid so little attention to draws as Kent, who had never played for a drawn game, notwithstanding that they were several times in danger of losing the championship. Mentioning that a meeting of the M.C.C. had been held and nothing done, Mr. Jessop suggested five points for a win and two deducted for a loss, as in the second-class championship. Whether Gloucester held the position of ninth or third it did not matter. So long as he had anything to do with the county they would not play for a drawn game. Once, he mentioned, they last year tried to win and lost, and were severely criticised for not saving the game, but he would do the same again.

Cricket is evidently gaining ground in America. An invitation has been extended to the Kent Eleven by the Associated Club of Philadelphia to play a series of matches in America in the autumn. The programme, it is stated, will consist of three matches at Philadelphia, and one at New York against the Metropolitan Cricket League. A team of Philadelphian cricketers intended playing a series of matches in Hamilton, Bermuda, in the latter part of last month. It is also probable that a team will make a tour under the auspices of the West Indian Cricket Association in the spring.