CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 12

CRICKET.

Thorewas a 6ad lack of bright crickot on She Bapin Reserve last Saturday. Whatever might,have been tlio cause, it would be very unfair,wholly to blame v. tho wicket, which , played fairly well as the afternoon 'wore on. It is to'be hoped that greatly-improved batting form will be shown to-day. Of the two contests in the city, that between Midland v. Wellington attracted tho attention of a majority of the spectators. ( The result in this match—a tie on the initial innings—was a somewhat rare occurrence. On another wiokot on tho Basin H«serve, Gas Company disposed of Phoenix twice in tho afternoon for a grand total 32 short of their firßt'and only innings' score. In connection with this match, the batting was, with tile exception of the display given by Gibbes in the second'innings, lamentably feeble, and the fielding was at times very po6r. \ , 1 None of tho players in the town matches found himself moro in the limelight than M. Luckie. During hie turn with the ball ho quite excelled himself at times. When he disposed of Dry and Wynyard in tho same over his delight knew no bounds. Judge of v his discomfiture, however, when shortly af- ,- i terwards he missed ,a chance, which appeared to be simplicity itself, off Bruce. Whilst tho ball was descending from' the azuro bluo 'Luckio stood (patiently?) with his hands— apart. the ball glanced off his nose ' on to the ground his face was a study. It seems ,strango that Vftro is not given a . fair trial with tho ball by tho Wellington skipper. Recently at Napier he obtained the splendid avcrago of 6 wickets for 5 runs, and he has also put up several croditablo por- , formances in junior matches. - Yet ho has been given only two chances to date in tho cup matches—on ono occasion for four overs, and on another for three overs. Give the young players a chance, Captain Richardnonl Only, tv, o members of the Phoenix team— Pickson and Burton—got into double figures in tho first innings against Gas Company, and poor judgment was responsible for both being run out. . In their second attempt, ■when tho Phoenicians did somewhat better, five of them—Audenwood, Dickson, Gibbes, Waters, and P. Hiokey—made more than a one-figure score". What tho Phoenix team • require, and badly at that, is plenty of prac- / tice, good hard practice not only at batting, out also in other departments of the game, particularly fielding, vWaiwetu put up a very creditable performance in their match against Old Boys. 'As the latter only added 61 runs for tho last six wickets on Saturday, tho losers aro to bo congratulated in disposing of such a formid- ' ablo combination for 227 runs. The play was dovoid of any special interest. In the not very romarkablo cricket on the Petono ground last Saturdnj, Laws (Nen- ' town) was about the only man who batted \ both with spirit aiid confidence, and his scoie, which was the highest of the day, was only 17, He" was given out lcg-before-wicket iii both innings. ' Isherwood rrnd Joyce batted fairly well for Potone, putting iip 15 and 12 respectively. Joyco gave ono cliarcc and was missed behind tho wickot. Isherwood also gnve a chance and \>ns spared ' Tyler staved in a fa , "!.' long time for his 10 runs. There nas notlum; Wai th noting $bout tho battws of O'Fairoll, tho only other player to scoio double figures A uniquo poifoimancp is loported from SmrthfieHl, Australia. In a match there a player named G, Parr captured the whole ten wickets at a cost of S runs, ahd then compiled 100.

It may. interest those who.are agitating for the:"paid umpire" to know,that all umpires in.tha Sydney grade matches wore to be. paid 285. ; per. Saturday up' to December 19 out of the association's funds.;,.;-i-;;/;;-';-' ;■!;-. V " .' ■ There are somei very" good bowlers in Australia. writesT'JNot.Out". initlio Sydney "Itef-; eree;'- and if these < men ,■ be 'picked in the team for England,: they, are. sure /to. show that: ,it : -is /easier, to capture l ■wickets on English ;';';■ :.,' .;'-, -cThe /players :.to .represent/; Otago against ..Canterbury ;in the Jnterprovincial inatch next; week will be selected after to-day's'matches'. , '.it •is '• anticipated that;.the,jteam will;, be. the same,' witlttthe';; exception "of Howden,; as that; which recently ! drew : with -Auckland, in. -the. vhistorio' match for'the Plunket Shield. ■ ■ '■.;■ The curiosities of oricket are'not restrictedto actual incidents on the field, or matters; arising out of the Here is one: In his last four,matches against South Australia Albert Hopkins scored 120, 108, 5, 62, and; 218, totalling 513 runs at an average of 128.25 per innings. It is prodigious. In the last four' against Victoria he scored 7, 0, 6, ; 7, s,'and 7, or 82 runs in si? innings, averaging 6.83. ' ; : Among those cricketers who are accompanying "Banji" out to India is the English bowler Hargveaves, who was out in New Zea- t land with Pelham Warner's team a year or , two back. ' ;■ M. Ai Noble has made 84 centuries in firstclass cricket, seven of these being 200 :or over, viz., 284, 281, 267, 280, 213, 213, and 200. Against Viotoria alone he has played 12 innings of three figures, viz., 153, 100,; 122, 155, 103, 112, 281, 123, 101, 176, 123, and 213. In these games ho has compiled 2,680 runs at an average of 68 per innings. In Sheffield Shield orioket he has made close upon 6000 runs, and 19 centuries. He has : . lived to outshine Clem Hill as a run-getter; on Australain wickets!' If the term may be applied to anyone, he is the "W.G." of Australian cricket. ,i /;./;/: = /• .

> 9 (Br The Beeuceb) LEADING BATTING AVERAGES. The highest individual averages to dato arc i es under.— l ' Pajne (Gas Co.) ' 4 2 59 129 615 Tucker (O.B.) 5 0 101 316 6S6 L Bnoe (Pet.) 9 1 106 852 440 Mahony (WelU 8 2 117 254 42 3 itonaghan (O.B.) ... 'S 0 119 196 39.2 J. P.Blacklock(O.B.)... 5 0 83 188 37.2 Brpce (Mid.) ... ...10 2 75 271 338 - Richardson (Well.) ... 5 1 82» 130 32 5 Newbold (Phoon.) .., 10 32 32 32 0 S. Hiokson (Well.) ... 6 0 63 191 31.8 C. Hicksoa (Mid.) ... 9 2 75* 213 30.4 Natghton (Well.) ... 8 1 58 203 29 0 Hodge (Gas Co.) '6 2 35* 112 28 0 W. Wirfiton (Mid.) ... 3 2 15* 37 27,0 Topp(GasCo) 6 1 49 111 22 2 Nunn (Pet.) 2 1 21* 22 22 0 Hldla&e QT.M.C.A.) ... 9 0 86 195 216 Waugh (Gas Co.) ... 6 1 38 108 21.6 Quinn (Well.) ... ' ... 7, 2 30 103 21.6 Gibbes (Phoen) 8 1 59* 151 21.5 Laws (New.) 9 0 60 193 21,5 BeecTiey ,(O.B) 6 1 43 105 210 Goldfinch (03.) 2 0 25 42 21.0 Boberte (Y.M.C.A.) ... B 0 34 101 20.8 M'Gill (O.B.) ... ... 5 1 45 S3 20,7 Alpo<New.) 10 1 36 186 20.6 little (Phoen.) 6 0 59 123 20,5 C. P. Blaoklocfc (O.B.)... 6 1 50 $? 19.8 , Taylor Pet.) 1 ... , ...'9 3 45* 118 19.6 P. Hickey (Phoen.) ... 5 1 29 75 18.7 ' BironfMid.)- 5 0 47 93 18.6 ' Bodgers (Wai.)' 9 0 39 167 18,5 Patnck (Mid.) 5 1 27 74 18 5 Manson (Mid.) ...\ ... 9 2 51* 128 182 Williams (Mid.) 9 0 48 161 17.8 Bnrton (Phoen.) 7 1 57 106 17 6 Dredge (Gas Co.) 6 0 45 101 17.3 ' Dixon (Phoen) ... ... 8 0 55 137 17.1 Wynyard (Mid.) 11 0 39 189 17.1 ,. Wilson (Wai.). 9 1 SO 133 16 6 Hawthorne (Gas Co,) ... 6 0 26 97 16 0 Ashbolt (Gas Co.) .:. 2 0 30 32 16.0 Joyce (Pet.) 8 0 29 .128 10 0 , Coboroft (Pet.) ...♦ ..'. 8 0 63 126 15.7 Clittie (Wai.) 6 1 23 75 " 15.0 Hull (Gas Co.) 6 1 28 71 14 2 Dyson (Pet,) 3 0 19 42 140 M'Lennan (Phoon.) ... 7 0 40 91 13 4 Harty (Phoen.) '20 24 25 12 5 VaTe (Wgtn.) 6 0 21 74 12 3 Phillips (Y.M.C.A ) ... 7 1 31 74 12 3 itkinson (T.M.C.A.) ... 9,0 80 108 12.0 , i i " 'Not out. i , ' LEADING BOWLING AVERAGES. { i? The best boiling averages to date ere as follow:— Taylor (Pet.) ' ... .',; 7 i i'~ 1.7 Burke (Gas. Co.) 27 i 2 6.7 1 Monaghan (O.B.) 208 25 7 80 ' ■' Maplesden (Now.) 28 3 2 8.0 ' Patrick (Mid) 35 4 2 87 < Bruce (Mid.V 49 5 5 9.8 , Beeehey (OB.) .50 5 3 10 0 Mason (O.B) ..., l 281 28 7 10 0 v Smyrke (Pot.) l .... ... 31 3 3 10 3 ' Staples (Wai.) ... ' ... 31 3 2 10.3 Q. S..Pnngle (Wai.) ... 21 2.1 10.5 . , Connolly (Pet.) 276 26 5 106 'Rodeers (Wai.) 880 85 7 10.8 Tucker (O.B).. ' 178, 16 S 11.1 ( Coboroft (Pet.) 348 31 5 11.2 Bnce (Pet.)' 310 27 6 114 i OTarrell (Ntfwr) 46 i 2 115 Mitchell'(Mid.) 250 21 7 11,9 | Hales (Well j 171 14 7 12 2 Herlihy (Y.M.C.A.) ... 319 25 6 12.2 , Bpham'(Mill) •' 237 19 6 12.4 Alpe ,(New.) ... ' 345 26 5 18 2 Grimmett (Y.M.C.A.) ... 347 26 7 13 3 ' C: Hiekey (Phoen.) 302 21 6 14.3 ' Qmnn (Well) 215 15 4 14 3 Miller (Gas. Co.) ... \.. 232 16 5 145 S. Hiokson (Well) 160 11 - 5 14.5 Matthews (Wai.) '46 3 3 15 3 laws (Ne* ) 310 20 8 15 5 - Eyan (Mid.) 172 11 6 15 6 f " C. Hickson (Mid.) 192' 12 5 16 0 lomftx (O.B.) 32 2, 1 16 0 Day (New) 17 1 1 17 0 Hull (Gas Co.) 155-9 5 17 2 Owens (Y.M.C.A.) 105 6 3 17.5 * Wilson (Phoen) ...- ..161 -9 ' i 18.2 Miller, (Well) .' 225 12 6 18 5 • Midlane (Y.M.C.A.) ... 93 5 4 18.6 Waugh (Gas. Co.) 19 1 ' 1 19.0 Nash .(Well.) „, 155 8 i 19.3 . Gibbes (Phoen.) 336 17 6 19.7