CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 12

CRICKET.

[BY THE Besaebb.]

LEADING BATTING AVERAGES

Note.—Tho above figures are exclusive of averages" obtained: in incompleted innings ;of the fcittrtot rOMfld.

Leading bowling averages,

-"p; •• '• ,' .1• •• .T|-. -Vj ; •W:•' '• O ■ ;-r g,-- fcO, ' : J ' SI r'-. -S?" »■ w bird ' ' © ■ Taylor (Pet.) ... 7 4 4 1.7 Patrick (Mid.) , 0 2 1 4.5 Monaghan (O.fc) ... .... 171 29 7 . 8.5 Mapleson'(New.) ... i ... 20 3 2 8.i5 MasbU (0.J8.) ... ... 2-18 27 7 0.1 Bodgers (Wai.) ... i.. 290 30 7 D.B ' Bruce. (Mid.) . ... :• ... 49 5 ; 5 9.8 Connolly (Pet.) 233 23 5 10.1 Staple (Wai.) 31 3 2 10.3 Smyrke (Pet.) .:. ... 31 3 . 3 10.3 .G. Prinßle (Wai.) ... 11 1 1 : 11.0 Mitohen (Mid.) ... , ... 189 17 7 11.1 : .O'Fsrrell; (New.)uii .M..1. • 4 2~. 11.6 . Tncker (O.B.) u.. ... 163, 11 r 5■ . 11.8 Upham (Mid.) ... 216 18 6 12.0 Herlihy'(T.M.C.A.) ... 31!) 28 ': G 12.2 Beeohey (O.B.) .i.37 . 3 3 12.3 Alpe (New.) 31G 2o 5 12.0 Bnce (Pet.) : ; 303 . 2-1 G 12.G

Brice (Pet.) : ; 303 V" 24 G 12.' JEIaIOS • (Well.) ; ... .152 .12 7 12. Grimttett (Y.M.C.A.) ... 347 26 7. 13. Cobewft (Pet.) 288 21 5 18. ' : C; Hidkey (Phoea.), :. 302' 21 - 6 14. Qninn (Well.) 215 15 4 14.: , fi. Hlifeon (Well.) . ... 160 )■ 11 5 14.! , ,C. Hickson (Mid.). • ■ ... ,181 '12 -.S : 15.1 , Matthiws (Wni.) ■ < ... -46 : 3 3 15.; Ryaft (Mid.) ».i i.. 172 11 G 15.< lom&x(O.B.) 32 2 ... 1 IG.( . Mill«r (Gas Coi) ... 190 12W'i 5 IG.C ~,'Day (New.) ...' ... 17 I'., ,i iV.C Owehs (Y.M.C.A.) . 105 6- 3' 17:5 •Wilson (Plioen.) .... ... 164 9 4 18 2 Midlane (Y.M.C.A.) ...- 03 5, 4 16.G • A. 3L;Pringl<) (Wai.), ... : . 225 '12 ■ 5 18.7 , Waugh (Gas C 0.)... 19 V 1 l ■ 10.0 . ; , Gibbes, (Phocn.) 33G "17 6 ; 19.7 Van) (Well.) - 20 1 1 20.0 Excltisirc of averages iii uncompleted innings of cartent round. i.<.- ,

The Newtown-Petono fixture, which was commenced at Petone last Saturday, was not very,satisfactory to oither:sido.-''As mftttors. stand at present, Petone,- ivho started 'out badly, hold the/best- pbsltioni Newtown having failed 'miserably,.when their, turn at tho wickets came. The star batsmen in both teams failed) -CobcroftJ i Brictj and Smyrk only Contributing'; 13 between them. Taylor with ; 57 to his credit, • Joyce and Nunn 21 'each, and Connolly 17. saved-the reputation ■of Petone. Schmoll' 28,' .not., olit, and Alpe 13 were tfe; only; two to top 4.

/"Taylor frlayod a good innings for Pctonb-last Saturday, l batting with confidence/, ;thrbughbut: andV scoring : frCCly, pl'inoipally.'otf pretty Cuts; .with an occasional leg stroke. • ;--/:'•

Nunn, a promoted Petone junior, who has been'doing well in tho second grade, l made his first appearance in ssniar ranks against Newtown. 1 -He is only. a lad, and has/an ugly style,' but v has 1 some good strokes, and 'hits with great vigou'r.: He is also "an-excellent field, and 'the way ho landed the .ball in from | the ont4eld was :a Bni'prise to tke .Newtown j men. 7^''-i-;../;:/-::;' 1 >-i<):V1 ' Newtown have ,an excellent wicketkeepeM in Schmoll, if last Saturday's exhibition is ,3iis average display behind the stumps. Cato, the gnarman of tho: Petono stumps, was nbt ■up to. his best form, and lost »■ couplb of easy ehances, notably,when Maplesen walked out to hit bnt and strolled leisurely back, whilst Cato Was juggling with the ball. ,- Several of the Itewtowri player's were; loud in their complaints at decisions of the umpire in . the Petone -mutch last Saturday.; The decisions 'which - did ;not : meet witli satisfaction - happened both during the timo the town men wero fielding and whilst they ' were batting. - The senior wicket at Petone was reported by the toivn batsmen to bb a very good one, but tho mowing machine might have been run ever tho outfield with advantage, tho ball travelling- very- slowly.'when' it got a littlo tfay. from tho pitch./ Thore are four fairly good wickets on this ground, which bear the • marks,of,^cartful tending.. The 'second grouridj however: looks on the rough side,; although • tho: wiekets v themselves :avo prepared. The No. 1. ground is /a pretty little spot, and could bo mado a perfect ground with the expenditure of .a bit of money;. :. . : Somewhat;"disappointing.-".,- That must be . the vcrdict when one looks at Midland's score

of 149, and remembers, tho favourable condi- ■ tions which last Saturday brought. C.'Hick- ; son end Brncc take foremost places among a rathejrpoor batting; team, but their scores (49 . and".27) 'cannot.be regarded as anything phenomenal. • The most noteworthy incident 'which oc-oumd-while Clando Hickson was wielding tho bat was the disabling-of his brother "Stan" in -the outfield.The Wellington man stooped to a hard off-drive by his brother, . and the ball rose up suddenly, and struck him smartly, on the forenead. of O'Shea wero requisitioned as substitute. ' Neither Hickson nor Bruce put much lifo into their batting, and spectators watched m for something brilliant... Hickson'gave -. :a -ioiiplo chances 'before 'neatly caught .by bowler. Hales. : - The innings' of Wy nyard. promised to bo a . ' fruitful: one, especially.ovhen a" seven, was re- . corded,, but-his'tumble-came'quickly. Ho V. played outside to a ball from Hales, and re- , tired with 19. Hales had an^oxcollent,bowling average for the. day—7 wickets for Tho fast bowler \ kept. a good length, and his eye. was keen. With a left-hand snap he disposed; of Mitchell off his own bowling,; and the wickets of Bruco, XJpham, Sisson, and Malison also foil to him. - ' If the performance of tho .first three .Welligton min, under rather ftdyersd' conditions, . is a' foreshadowing of .what will; follow, the team to-day should have no difficulty in making the 89 runs necessary for a victory on tho first innings. It . was; a-promising.-com-menccment for Wellington—Mahoney 22, Varo 21, and Murphy 11 not out. In the match on No. 1 wicket, Payne was ■ 16okih£!fbrexorcise.He hit hard and often, ';. and -ended-up. ;with, .the. neat- little total- of

59. Stroke after-strike to leg added to his laurolß. and for one of theße (more powerful than the,rest) an"eight" was Tun. Payne wreaked divers kinds of havoc with Hickby's off-breaks.

A long afternoon's bowling was put in by O. Hickey and Gibbes, and when all was ovor tho reckoning showed respectively sis wickets for, 56 ruris 1 and 4 for 68. For over-, worked bowlers this is commendable.

Although 'at the'beginning of Saturday's; play' the sun- was shilling brightly, clouds came over early, and a. chill wind brought a ohill feeling to tho hearts: of those in the field. Most of the spectators had deserted tho Basin by *i.30, and at that hour tho light was becoming wretched. - It was found quite impossible to continue the games until G.4s—the. scheduled time. .Oh No.- 1- wicket, Phoenixiwere'permitted to leavo (one wicket down) at twelve minutes past six. Just prior to this, Wellington, on the other wicket, put in an appeal, but not successfully. In the fading light "the batsnien. were, put to a 'stern test, 1 , but a respite came shortly after 6.20; • . . '.V'. 1 .

. The! Dunedin correspondent of the "Can'terbury- 1 Timcs"_ '.thatthe action' of Alex Downes, in refusing', at the eleventh; hour tb! ■'accompany.'; tho Otago team to Auckland .in quest of 'the Plunkoi Shield, has rather;'disgusted cricket legislators and enthusiasts there; It will be remembered that Downcs treated the team in a similarly, "casual" .'manner iii','Ohrist'church ; last season.:, More unlikely tilings - may happen than that'Downes will; be "dropped" for all future representative matches. A' member of'the Canterbury : team which went to Auckland reports to the " Weekly Press" _that Wellington intends sending a team up north this season in quest of tho shield. ■-: ■■.' '", f - '■ ■.:

-Victor Trumpor is'.iti a. serious, state of health'. Ho has had to, relinquish'cricket for ii : lengthy period, and it is' doubtful if the great batsman will over again be. the man lie Was. ,\ : Tho trouble is of. a pulmonary nature.

Tho late Mr. Joseph Rowley, whoso death was ;'recently vannounced-' at Dee Bank. Queen's Ferry, at the advanced ago of <n ytors, was. 6n6 of. a faniouß'.faniily; of cricketers who at .various times havo been towers to Lancashire!' ./'Like the Lyttcltons arid Christophorsons, the: Rowleys could; it'is' : said,'have mustered: out of their own family a cricket eleven Capable of playing, a good game with almbstfany team. : in- • tho-early records of' Lancashire. cricket fre-quoiit-mentibn is made of'the'Rowley family, and so long, 'since, as 186-i : ,we find four brothers—Joseph, A.BVE.'B.;and E.—play-, ing for Lancashire in - that,, the: first year any serious attempt'was made to play county matches. Mr. Rowley, who had 'the distinction' of making- the first-' fifty for the county, : against the Birkenhead Park Club, hid as contemporaries Messrs. T. T\ Bellhouse, Si H. Swire, J.; Fairclouah, A. Appleby; XL Challonder, Sir . Joseph Leese, and other piqncera of Lancashire cricket. ' Tho deceased gentleman waß a good all-round athlete, end at wrestling, boxing, throwing the hammer, ahd pntting tho weight'won'numerous trop-; hies. He was a crack: shot with "tho rifle,' and as > a member of tho 6th Cheshiro (Chester) Rifle Volunteers won tho Sheriff of Ches l ter s ' prize in' 1868 and several other' silver cups. Although ho did not Commence playing golf until he', was. 60 years, of' Ago/ ho became a scratch ' player soon after joining the Chester' Golf' Club. Hb won competitions, . and : . in .1894 .'- carried off tho Committee's Cup. Mr, Rowley was also noted for marked ability '.oh' ;the billiard tabic, and in his/ .younger days ; ! was considered ono of the best amateur cueists in tlife; country.—London "SpoHsniAn."' ; ;

;;' H.H. tho Jain 'of Nawanagar (RanjitsinhjiJ recently left ; England on his return .to his Indian ' State. , .; Hie. ;was accompanied by Messrs. C. L. A. Smith aud H. L. Simms, the SuSSex County, amateurs,: whilst Messrs. A. C. Maclaren and.'G'. N. Poster acoo'mpanied him as secretary and cricket tutof :fqr'-junibr, relatives respectively. '

..At a recent mooting, of tho. Southland Cricket 1 Association it was .decided tb' write, arid remirid/.tho' Canterbury Assooiatiori that they! liav6 .'bWed. sbiithlalid', a Return niatch sirice! :; lß94,, Wfheji v visited / Christchurch, I ,anil..'asking, the Cariterbui'y team to' -visit; Invorcai'gill''during' tlie week- before ,or after tho Otago . match in. February. Tho "Manchester, Guardian'.' has ia vword' 0r..--t.wo'',on:-Lancashire cricket:— I '.'Oiir ;cashire ;fielding:has in the ■ last season or two been sadly poor. _ Now what should a 'writer : whoso- business - it.. is l . to offer an accurate] impartial ..criticism ".of L&ncisbiire., cricket. do', in,such a.case,?,. .Should he, faithfully;. out for : tlie .benefit of those, who. do not seo tho. gaie. the.fatal'.defect in the.play which everyono-present can seo for himself? Or should-, ho.-suppress the truth? You may— everyone properly, publish the, ."batting :showing -what; a poor rim-, getter;; some batsman- is;. evetj': "duck" la . . batsman .'makes. ..may; be -exactly -recorded in .the .score-sheet ; you. may publish a bowler's averages, though they show' hitri, to be . a cbthpleto -failureJ,.But mistakes. in,;the. field 1 Theso aro too sacred to be. put on record, instead ci matches won. Tho ; mero sight of any record: of thcta, it .is',said, demoralises the players': ! nerves'.'..Everyone Is, sbrr,y-4host. of all, perhaps,; the veracious.-chronicler— I that, a player sho'uld'he upset. when he. sees tho nextmorning .precisely how many wickets ho has presented ..his' opponents with. .(Probably, the batsman who sees two ."ducks" to his name endures similar emotions.) .But it wohld ho yet worso fir him and for tho game if by a policy of easy acquiescence on .the part of . commentators .on ; his play he should bo led to,feel that,-'after' all,_ it does; not vory much matter. ■: Our criticism has at least .succeeded in: producing; ii Conviction :that rnissed catchen' do, really matter. Lord I Hawko arrived at that conviction many years ago,' ahd ' Yorkshire reaps ,th« .benefit. • ',- So' far -the 'matches in the junior cbinpetition have been of' a-fairly.- oven nature.'--A' few batches, havo' been won "by. big margins;..! but most •of the' contests,, have had; to be ; l played, out to tho second innings. ; V , The .career' , has been ono of j victory, all along the line, and take - m ' unexpected . turn,'; this :, suburban: team, which last • year waß ;• second in. the. jlinibr, cbmpetitibri should out winners of tho championship. ■■■=• ■ , Y.M.CiA. A. and .Victoria College A have also been fairly, successful. Perhaps ; tho :bbst point"; l about, tho;/teams 'is their .fielding, 'which in the majority of' them is .well up; to tho mark.- Petone shine especially in this respect. '; ■ .-/'■ /Bowling in'some;of tfe teams is quite asgood as in/the lower, division of liie senior gradebut in ,others / there is room for, great , improvement.' 'VYadestown are very : lucky in possessing foni - bowlers, : who could hold their: own with any other quartet in tho championship. Of the four, Burns aud Moffat hare had the most to do, and have acquitted themselves right- well. : wheii called upon, Collett and Whiterod have also done all that could bo required of them.

In batting carefulness is not such a noticeable feature as hard hitting. Dry, of Midnow'a senior, has had , very'good scores to llis name. The two best , bats in the Wadcstown team are _D. Hay and Bowles. Hay has played; consistently good cricket throughout the. season, and has been rewarded with a good average., Bowles has also, been consistent, and last Saturday lie capped previous . good , performances by placing an excellent 63 to his credit. , The ..match between Auckland and Otago for thb. Plunket Shield; bred an amount of bitterness that is happily, a rarity in Now Zealand' cricket, and will not soon be forgotten. -It was a. regrettable business right through (remarks- the " Weekly. Press The. southerners were not wholly blameless for this, deplorable , state of things; the. understanding was that it was to be a three days' match. There was, therefore, this essential difference between the requirements of the two sides, that Otago: had to'.win the game; to claim the , shield, whereas Auckland rer tainod it .by pithor winning or drawing. The southerners appeared not to appreciate - this •fact, for they were to. some extent a party to the waste of time which meant so much to them.. For .instance,,they, acquiesced in an adjournment for afternoon tea—twenty minutes on the first day and a quarter of an:hour' on each of the other days.: Then, again, their tactics on the last, day, when they occupied tho wickets for nearly two hours for. 89 runs, showed-a. woeful lack of enterprise,, and was playing right into Auckland's hands. ._ However, on the other, hand, the shield holders pursued a policy right through which betokened an intention to retain the shield if it ; were possible to, do so by any. legal means.. .

•', * ' "V 1 ' " tn ' ' -p"' ' O ' •• v" & 5 2 . . -i-ff- : J. . 'A Sot H r^-l Payne (Gas Co.) ... 4' 3 S3 129 04.5 Tucker (03.) '4 0 .101 249 62.8 Briw (Pet.) .: ... ... 8 1 108. 351 50.1 J. P. Blackloek. (O.B.) i 0, 82 188 47.0 Mihoaey (Well.) ... 7 2 117 232 4G.4 U»aghan (O.B.) ... V 0 119 174 43.5 C. Hiekson (Hid.) ... 8 2 75* 201 .83.5 EiohBTdson (Well.) ... 5 . 1 82* ISO. ;32.5 UsirWd (PllOen.) ... 1 0 32- ' 32 32.0 Xittl© (Phooiftt) ... 4 0 50 • 121 80.2 S. Hick»n (Well.) .;. 5 0 S3 .150 ' iiO.O Nwishton (Well.) ... 7 1 '.58 178 ■ 23.8 . Hodjro (Gas. iCo.) : 6 V 2 35* 112 28.0 Braes (Mid,) .;. •.. ... 9 1 .. 75 222 27.7, Qninn (Well.) ' -6- 2 . SO 105 26.3 Lairs (New.) ,k, ... 7 - 0 CO . .183 . 26.1 H'Gill (O.B.) ...'. r ... 4 1 45 75 .. 25.0 Alpe (NewJ 8 1 36 1C9 24.1 Taylor (Pet.) 8 3 45* 117 23.1 .Burton (Plioen.) •. ... 5 1 1 ■■■. 57 00 .22i5 Topp (Gas. Co,) ... G 1 49 111 22.2 Gibbos (Phooil.) ... 0 1 59* 108 21.6 Midlane (Y.M.O.A.) ... 8 0 £6 195 21.0 •Waugh (Gar. Co.) . ... G 1 38 .108 21.6 C. P. Bmcklock (O.B.) i 0 50 85 21.2 G61dfi8Cli (O.B.)" ... '2 : 0 25 42 21.0 ■'Nimii (Pet.) ..... ... 1 1 : 21'* 21 , 21.0 Roberts (Y.M.C.A.) ... .5' 0 '34 101 20.8 Dodgers (Wai.) .:. ... 8 0 39 164 ' 20.5 Maiison (Mid.) ...' ... 8 2 51* .121 20.1 W. "Wigliton ■ (Mid.) 2 . 2 v 15* 20 20.0, Patriftk (Mid.) ' 4 1 27 58 19.3 Wynyatd (Mid.) ... 10 0 39 1S9 18.9 y. Hictey (Phoen;), ... 3 .: 0 29 . 56 , 18.6 Dixon Moen.) G 0 55 111 18.5 Wilson (Wai.) ... 8 . .1. 30 126 18.0 Williams (Mid.) ... 9 0 48 161 17.8 Dr6dg6 (Gas C6.) ... G 0 45 104 17.3 Cobtroft (Pet.) 7 0 63 120 17.1 M'Ltonnn'(Pnoeu.)' ...'5 - 0: 40 85 17.0 Joyco (Pit.) 7 0 29 116 16.5 'Hawthome (Gas Co.) i.iv 6 0 2G 97 16.1 Aslibolt (Gas Co.) ... 2 0 30 32 1G.0 Beedhey (O.B.) 5 1 29* 02 15.5 Hull (Gas. Co.) G 1 26 71 14.2 Dysbli (Pet.) .3 0 19 42 14.0 Day (New.) 8 1 21 92 13.1 CllmiO (Wni.) 5 1 17* 52 13.0 Lutikie (Well.) 6 2 29* 51 -12.7 Cht6 (Pet.) 7 1 25* - 7G 12.6 Harty (Phoen.) o.' ■ i ... 2 0 . 24 25 ■ 12.5 Lomax (O.B.) , 4 0 32 50 12.5 Phillips (Y.M.C.A.) ... 7 1 31 74 12.3 Atkinson (Y.M.C.A.) ... 9 0 30 108 . 12.0 Jacobs (O.B.) 4 1 23 : SO 12.0 . Staples [Win,) 7 0 31 84 12.0 *Not oiit. . . ' '