CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 9

CRICKET.

'. . ' . ■ (BY Breaker.) V' v; . MULISH ,TEAM IN 1 AUSTRALIA. '. Victoria, at 'Melbourne—January.'!;3l,j ahd' Kobruary-'-l, 3, and' 4. '• Australia '(fourth test), ; at Melbourherriieb'.ruary 7j, 8,-'lO, and 11. '. 1 ■New South/Wales,-.at Sydney—February 14;' ( "15,' 17,' 'and'lS. . I Australia (fifth. test)',. at 1 V 21;'22, . 24, and 25. ,'^^v( South Australia, at Adelaido—Eclirud'ry .39, ! anill March 2, 3, 'and '4.' : : : • : t Wost'Australia; at lertli—March,l2,l3, 14. . ' and 16. . : 4 r | : '.Say? "Dong Slip" ' in; .tho .'.[.Otago'Wit- . ne'ss"Tho returned " Otago • cricketers are not enamoured of tha : umpiring in tlio. Jjortli". I Island, and allege that soriio of.tho ''leg be- i foro" decisions wero astounding. .. ■' Baker, tho Otago crack player, who was < operated on recently.- for iipoislbned./'leg, is: ] progressing favourably. Ho will bo unable ' to-play 9gain-this- sejisoi].^i-'- i ; Rolf, thd.''!Rngli*sh;cpncli,..w-])b Returns' Home in March-, has bqe'n offered'another, season's work by tho Auckland; Association. "'v' < ; .A' prominent'. member of : . the .Otago, tour- i ing : .:team-'was greatly impressed by: tho-keen ] interest 'taken'...in, thoVgamp'-at" Auckland by ; thi fair . sex, .'arid.' opined , thiit' if the , ladies of • Duncdin could be go.t tov,take such an interest in .the gariio as their far northern sisters . cricket ..would .be .a..much .mojo .dcr ; ligiitful game to play', and' would .have a ■- splendid influence', on tho' players. 1 "Tho Auckland wicket was tho worst we , have ever played on in first-class cricket," , declaro several, members of the Otago touring tijam. . Otago players- do not view with favour ithe proposal, that a match should^bo'played: tween Auckland' (tho holders of. Shield) and the rest of New Zeaalnd.,', Tho "small boy" element in Wo'llijigtmr did not. impress the Otago cricketer's very, favour-' ably, and the gamin of tho Basiii--Reserve were 'unanimously given tho' palm' ?a"s' bfcing .tho.most precocious'jnet oil;the .toui>.rH' , L'ong Slip," in tho'"Otago Witness." i Torrance, tho Otago who did: so well against Wellington,, and 'who.'i.was 'approached with a view : of taking up''bis' residence hero and playing for ono of the city clubs, has decided to remain in Duncdin. Connolly, a Sydney player, has taken up his residence at Petono and; purposes "playing for tho .local'club. He .ljill bo'a de r cidcd acquisition, as besides being a hitter of moro than , average ability he is'.a fine, I left-handed, medium-paco.'bowler/-'Although 'some of the batting on-tho Basin Ileservo,- last Saturday was distinctly entertaining,tho finishes in tho Wellington-P.etono and 'Midland-Newtown games were uninteresting, both games being won on-; the -first inning's scores. . It ~\yas apparent early in tho afternoon that,tho finishes would'bo.tame and it was only tho hitting of Williams "in ■,tho ono game, and . D. S, Hickson in . tho other that kept the spectators on the ground. • C.-Hickson and 'Williams-resumed batting for Midland against. Neivtown after'.having mado a respectable showing on the previous Saturday, but Hickson was, clean. bowled by Smith before ho.had added to his-previous week's scoro whic)f stood at 35.'. Wynyard, who partnered Williams gayo' a clianco behind tho'wickets off his . first- 'ball-ifrom Smith, but A. Day failed to hold 1 the ball. Smith appeared to puzzlo the - Mi,dl.andor,. who shaped very, poorly-'for-a start although his scoro mounted .up as tho result of sundry snicks and poises. Tho jiair carried the total along to 170 when'Wynyard, who had, given a couplo more-easy chances, was clean bowled by A. Day.Patrick camo next, and bis stay. was.short and merry. Ho gave one .clianco to.vTilyjfad off Ryan; 'and ilieil settled .'down to score, running up 26 by clean hitting before he was bowled by. Ryan. Williams-in the meantime had been smiting tho b'pwliiig all over tho field : and when 200 showed on tho scoro board he had scored 100 of them. When his total stood at 112 lio was bowled through trying to '.hook a medium paced hall from , Ryan. • Williams played a capital innings, most of his strokes being perfect. Ho gavo several chances, however, but none of them wero taken seriously by tho Newtown field. Ryan missed him in tho slips olf G. Day; Woodgcr also let a chance go in the slips, • and J. Day dropped a high catch. .Murphy was not impressive in making 18. Queo, who has (fono nothing for a long time, camo to light with 70. Ho did not open woll, Ryan in particular tying him up, and after getting fairly under way ho scored rapidly, threes and fours figuring largely in his total. Manson was the only Midlander who did not get into doublo figures.' Ho left with a . "blob." Upham put on 17, and Mitchell and-Wighton tho two last men created some surpriso by ■knocking up 21 and 2S respectively. ' None of tho Newtown bowlers camo ■ out with anything like decent averages, but most of them should havo ;bcon treated better by tho field. The Newtown trundlers must bo big hearted in en : to keep plugging along in spito of the way they are treated "by tho .fieldsmen.'' Innumerable catches are missed by the Newtown field in every match, and tho only safe way to get a wicket for this team is to knock the stumps down—sometimes a difficult matter. Another weakness in tho Newtown team is tho wicket-keeping. Extras usually tot up to more than tlw average scoro'of a first-class batsman, and further it is disheartening to a howler and , ilomoralising to a team to sco clianco after clianco missed behind tho sticks and byes I coining as fast as runs. It would pay tho Newtown team to get a wicket-keeper, per- ' haps a smart junior, for wicket-kce.ping i alone. And man who could Is cop wickets would bo worth his placo in the team if ho

never made a run, and tho;.selection cominittco should not have much difficulty in picking a man to go out of tho team to make tho vacancy. .. . Tho Petonc-Wellington .match'' was never jn doubt, a win-for Wellington on the first innings being assured soon after play commenced. Petone had one'wicket to fall and 24 runs to make to pass "Wellington's first innings score. This looked interesting,, but Petone wero not equal to tho task, the innings closing when 7 of tho 24 had been scored. •As there was no possibility of the gamo being played out that afternoon it was clear that Wellington must win.on tho first innings. Cobcroft was responsible for 56' (not out) of the Petono total.

Mahony and Naughton opened for Wellington in their sccond turn at the wickets, but Naughton did not last long although-' shaping well; Ho was given out leg before wjwn lie had scored 10. Hickson 'joined VaHonoy, and tho partnership of the innings commenced.. ■_ Both luon scored freely all 11 round' tho wicket and seemed to havo* tho Petone bowling tied up. Hickson Ecored with great rapidity and gave a dashing exhibition of batting.' When ho was about GO ho gave a chance, but'was let off and dashed on For tho century which appeared in'duo course. (Jobcroft tempted tho Wellington .hitter.-, who put two high catches up:On .each occa* sion the ball went right into the., hands of fieldsman, but ; neither of them held'it;Cobcroft at length succeeded in getting Hickson caught by Smyrke, his total being 119. ( Mahony, who had made 40 in- the first-innings, gave another excellent display for 62. His innings was a fide'all-round'ex-hibition of cricket, and ' was marred only iby two catches behind the wickets. After tho Mahony-Hicicson stand the Wellington wickets fell rapidly,. Woybourne 39, Hales 13, and Fisher 10, Jfping the.only other: batsmen to'reach double I figures.' " Ish'er'.vood batted nicely for 35 (not out) in tho' of Petone's sceond innings covered before stumps wero'drawn., Smvrko, with fiv-o for 38, was tho best of fcho Petone bowlers. He did .the: whole of his- dainago in \ the. three, last overs, which showed, five wickets for 5 runs. Go-bcroft's four wickets proved expensive, costing 126 runs; . . ' / ... v • • W. P. Howell has hot! been in the best of health for some time. , - Iho return match New South Wales V. Victoria will commenco .on-' the Sydney Cricket Ground to-day. E. G. Hayes, of Surrey and' the M.C.C. team now in Australia, is to. have Surrey v; Lancashire as his benefit match next season.' Ihc fivo highest aggregates in first-class cricket in the world havo been compiled at tho Sydney Cricket Ground, viz.,-1739, England v. New South Wales, in .1898; 1716, Now South Wales v. South Australia, 1907; 1014 and 1541, Australia.v. England, in 1894 and 1903 respectivelyand 1553, Australia V. Rest-of Australia, 1805). R. Bannerman, a son of Charlie Bannerman, made-181,:.for.Sydney District.#; II" v. Burwood 11., -in .tho Second. Grado last Saturday week, at -.'tho'..Sydney ' CricketGround No: 2. v lt is the second highest innings over, played - in'; any grado. for. the Sydney Club, the highest (185)' standing to tho credit of John Ranshaw, tho present Gordonian, against ,Paddington four, years ago. Bannerman,. who. is. 6n the ground staff at the 5.0. G., is a right-hand batsriian'. < -

; The ' "Referee"', gives '.the' following list of liauyien who have nia'do.a'century, in their first Test match:—C. Banncrmaii, 165j. Australia, at Melbourne, 1877; W-. G-., Grace, 152, England,! at Kehtiington Ovulj.,lßSo.;'H, Gi iham, IQ7, Australia',;.at Lord's,'lß93; K.' S. Ranjitsinhji, 154,- England;- jit ■ Ma'nch'Os- : tor,' 1896;. -E. A..-Duff, 104,. Australia, at .Melbourne,: 1902 R. E. Foster, 287-, England, at Sydney, 1903; G. Gunii, . 119,, England, , at. Sydney-,. f 1907.; -R. Hart-igati ..:116, Australia, at Adelaide; .IOOS. , - Roger Hartigah,'who.compiled ;116 against the M.C.C. in, Australia's second innings in tho third' Test , match',- is, says tho "Referee," quito an;idoal cricketer perainent, . pluck, activity, and physique'; ,lie has very, powerful.'wrists,. plays-with power and frpedpm, and; with- most.*-'exact' timing, is jiist as sound'on. the: leg-side as on the off,' and-just ias.' sure behind' the wickot as in front of .it." He-has 'embraced every chance gjiven hipi .in tlio 'pa'st; and' this season ho: culminates'.splendid work with ' tho; highest honours a : bntsriiaii gan attain; • And that alone shows tha,t the "Queensland .champion lias the requisite''nerve for' tlio .highest tests at cricket; His; brilliancy '•and > untiring energy, as a field, and-especially his Joneslike smartness in'tho. slips,- make' him_ a -valuable'man in-tho out-cricket'of-'the sido, and especially with a; bowler of Cotter's paco. Fiolder, of tho M.C.C. team, is quite a different typo of fast bowler from-A. Cotter,who fills the role for Australia,'says "Not Out," in the ."Referee;" He delivers high over, keeps a very good length, generally in the vicinity 'of the off-stump,'and at times swings away a trifle. He'is not-quite so fast as . Cotter,' but he sends ..'down ' fewer loose ones',' and, as-his delivery .is'higher, ho does-not require :.Cotter's psice' iiu order to make tho ball fly 1 from' the . pitch,, awkwardly, for tlio. Kits,men.'"... Fiolder-. h'as'.been regarded as a run-getting cypher, -but:.on', the , true wickets, .of Australia he has already , shown that he can'-ivield a straight ,bat' with, a steady nerve, 'otherwise'.-TeSt inatch' number two would have ended like the first, in 'a' win for Australia..,..Fielder. .plays..for..Kent,' and has as clubmates K. L. Hutchings and C.' Blythc. , BOWLING'ROUND THE WICKET. . Sir,r-As L.B.W. - to roujuf. .tlio .wicket bowling is dccried by somo people, I enclose a cutting which may. throw somd'.lit'tlo light on tho subject, ftp •. paragraph, - was 'published a few years ago. and'perhaps juay enlighten somo of our umpires. I havo heard batsmen sometimes say.to^ho.umpire. "Oh, he is bowling round', tho wicket.; "You can't give nio out- L.8.W." Tho rulo'on L.B.W. says nothing" about 'which' sido to. bowl/ to 'come under .its provision.—l am,..ete;,- ' FULL TOSS.