CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 11

CRICKET.

(Br SebvebJ

-Several reasons have been assigned' by well-wishers. of the Canterbury team; : to account tor their failure against' Welling* ton< last week.. It. cannot .be gainsaid ■that.if. the. .visiting, eleven had included Orchard and. Bennett it would'have been materially strengthened. There may .be soriiettiiiig. in•■ the contention th'at. .the wicket.was not;'quite-as true'as. was'desired, but. that does not explain away the defeat.-Apart; from their batting,' which was, for part, anything uut tree, | their.. trundling wa'snot as.deadly as had been ': anticipated, and their, fielding' was -never ; particularly keen -except towards the;<eia,of the game.. V', , ; i ; i'l'he.'.most noteworthy play. on.'Oie' part of. aiiy of the visitors .was tne'partnership 1 behyeen W. Carltoh and-Boxshall in their second innings.. Batting solidly,VCarltou found, the boundary on'eight occasions, whilst: his total-also included three. 3's, .one: 2; and 13 singles. His .partn'er.'Box.shall, was content with, less ambitious strokes,.but his "placing".was admirable. It:is.of interest tp mention that of Canterbury's ; grand aggregate of 251 W.* Car'l- : ton'scored a.total of 86runs. • ; -. l ...;.:Midlane,; who got'into the. local, team only ,as a result of a vacancy, , proved a: great, acquisition tohia side. He ■. started o!I badly, ■however/ by missing 1 an easy ciitch; 'Which', proved .expensive, '. but: -before the game was over made full reparation. : Together with "Teddy? Roberts,' , he shared.the honour of securing highest score■',(3l) ■■ in : .Wellington's: first innings, whilst; l in ! the. second innings h'a" carried -his .-bat ifor .40.'. Besides ' hitting cleanly arid .vigorously, Midlane-showed ; himself: to bo' tne ■ most versatile bat in the local eleven;..;.' ■'■•.•'.• , ., , .";■'"'- :, -';.: •;■•'.:■.■ •''""Taken' all round,, the bowling : of. the local- team Was meritorious. Special men- , ,tiori:. in "this .'regard; should be; made \of Upham's~ trundling., : :-.' In the ■ Visitors''- first innings r.he'.sent .down seven-overs,- all of which.proved maidens, which speaks for itself.;: His trundling in the 'second :in:nings merited the high encomiums l which .wore.,passed; concerning it.' Maintaining' a; fine length, be feained :the splendid average of;;six wickets.' for. 52 rnns. '-./ Hickey, with four for .50 for 36, and Brice,:five f0r.37, alsocame : in-for a good, deal:of praise. ;■ 7::. : "■ i -.'.".-. , ; ':'.- ?! ' ' In ! tho wicket-keeping department, Eoberts could not, fail'.'to learn a ■ point or two;;fn>m. Boxshall, although l the latter wos-caTelpss atf 1 times, ilf "(Teddy'Vhad been , a; little'.taller.and- .more alert: he would-.almost, certainly have, brought' off ■ : '.wiiich' -was [ missed. There ; were 'times success' might'have, attehde'd'.'his efforts.if. he had removed the ba'jlsjsma'ftly;.;,-; ; As:a:batsman he showed confidence'-and : yigour.-x ■ To.'Retlier;jwithV.UphamV;'lie made a ivery provfi.taliie'j'Jsfcina, -Included.'in his total" of ■ 3i'Vruns6were, only , seven- : singles.. . ■ , '■•'.. .;' ;The>Otap6 ; Association. havo to ;• provide itiv'6;;'bats iin^'.connection with the Sonth-':larid;;,'matcTi^-o.ne;"for..Siedeberg 'and the flthe'r.fpr M&artney^-any-:player making a :,'century r in'-5. representative cricket 'being eriti tied; to'. this' attention. .'.'■' ' ( '■ .iThe':;i.Grqund3f'iCQmmittee: of '.the. WelJingtbn.LCricketJAsso'oiation. have , declared ' tlievPetone'isenior;'wicket unfit' for: play,' ,Md;in''fu'ttievit.'will,.only',be used-.by, junior iv.-;'' V:','.':' ":■ .'■'.••' !,vJ:';,NivCrawfpfdJ:will;;ni)tfbe :eligible;lto' represent'; Australia , 'a'gSuuist'South' Africa .'neit;Seiison. I: J:In-interhatidrial cricket he can''playVfor';EnEland only.' i ''•- .'■ ;:;: Australia; will 'have ; a , very, solid, team t-j meet,the■ Spnth:.'Africans'.nextvseason. •If is/satisfactory,' ,t6o,';to know : , that-most of 'tho'new ''bowlers ■ coming;.along are tolerably ''.'.'capable', ■ ■ batsmen. -' .—'- Sydney. ,"Eefer'ee.'';::r,-.;.;.v : - ,^^.r v ''; ,, ■:, p ' V'-'-'■■'■ ; .M/ivAyvNojjle,; while; 1 in "Ceylon,' is.rep'ortedjitojh'ayei.stated'that "Clem'■ Hill yp'ujiSimpstVJiKely ■'■■'sneceed him 'in'-' the 'captaMSy ?of':th>! j next .Test.' team. ; Hill •waf-{§ybTy:whit:capable of Reading" a .TestteimiS'trumper'''waii likely,' to: succeed ;Hm.*i'ri' the:-captaincy .of Newv South ■>:,;.';■ ;;',. / ■v.'WitK'ithoJglbyea in"?the recent match, New /South:'. Wales ■ y^Victoria"; Carkeek was simply fttst plass;' ■;■ Not a single bye. isvdo.iiTi against ;him' ; ;dprtng:theVwhplo Sydney, innings; '.whicK'''lastea;.4-hours;39 minutes",.and,he did.not;miss.>anything.in the nature ;of a legitimate ch'ance.-■;.■' ,"Sid" ; Orchard would ; have li2ed to ■ haveSassisted ■Canterbury' against'-Wek ;lingt6ni'last;.week;but;he was "off colour" arid"thought: that if- h6; participated .in the 'contest it might' mean''that he .would ■ jhave to stand down- against Auckland, in. ; 'the: shield match; ■■;. ■;■'; : Vj,;, ;;'•-■'"•• -the; .Otago-Sputhlarid ■match: "Long ; Slip," ; in. !the 'cpu'rse"of' ;m'arks, says:— an innings : so unusually; sensational: there": wore raanyV. attractive; displays, but'none'-which:'stood,'.oit.inpro; for, all-round brilliancy, '■ than',: ; that, of :Macartney,' whose; 118 in rninutes,:.was. .theC'chnrapagno ; '<|f ';' cricket.' 'Vlt--was,-a; delightfully V.free:''exhibition; while ;it lasted;. : and;- : ay.novelty. in;.O tagpj '.Cricket. was : Vthat :even ;.the","almbst"continuous; boundary hits; becamel •monotonous'..','Thp; little' Australian.-scarcely'.movedJout;of his .crease,V'-but';with .beautihl;',. : timin&;; superb .wTist' -' play,'.'andJCfine;.power',:he. square-critand drove. b'all.'.'aftetibaU ;iinder; the rails. ■' The! pace which tho 'ball' .made; off the. ;bat . ; was not.only a knowledge , of the , 'art;'oi'nm-', 'inland method,'but .displ.ayed'to'.advant;. agii/the; Australian's ;ease, ,and .freedom from.:effort."-;. ■■■■,";■'.■;• \'- : '"^'"'i''K' : .: f : \ • jEeferring, to; Emery's ;fine performance oi seven ;wickets :for,i 28; runs .fpr'iNew; South '.Wales.; against, -; Victoria' ; in V 'tteir: first-innings,", the"Daily'.Telegraph";; says'' : it'wassail theV more'meritorious; in ; view; 6f,'-the' fact - that-'it iwas '.achieved'-.'on.-a! perfect" wicket'-: It-■ would seem-..(that; .journal' , adds) .that'.aS'fatal i.mistake- was madev'iri' omittingL--bim.;from j.the- eleven. which '■■■• played:' against ■'■/•South;: .Australia. Followers-of 'cricket-'.will rememberrthat prior-, to-'fthe' splectiori.of ithe: last Aus-.; tralian" , tpuriiig • team, iNoble "advised. the inclusion : .'ol) -Smery, ...but, he";was:.overlooked. ■■':*■ '■'"-■■' ■•■i;'i..' , --'.■:'■ ;■'■ ■,:■': -;:; 1 - ;'■■'. i An- .-interestuig.. little.' story, j has ; been; told '■■ of;.the';late John' Coriway,;promoter of ■ the .first ! Australian' team'. to -Erigland '(1878)'. Australians :'were .quartered in'.a'.big■ marquee;in".-a ■■ provincial town iri'i England;;. and...with',.a : r .characteristic want ;'of-'.knowledge, '.in, ■■: colonial /matters' an-im'pruderit-spectator tried.his'.idea ,oi. "blackfello#'. up6n : jthe' -Sauntering' : info' tho'.enclosure:'he' began: "You' talkoe Engliss" allee. same ?" :: "Certainly,", roplied;:^priwayj'■ "and. act ■ iti too.": ".Ho; thereupo.i'seized, the ■.astbnishedVßritisher. arid tbssed-"him, over ..the. pickets... : ; , ; :VThe • match' wh'ich :is" exciting 'great ; in-terest-'in :Otago:,(says: "Long ;.■ Slip"V.:is Ithati,'between :.C.ariterbuTy,".and',"Auckland, : 'which ■'.is' now in ■-■progress.''- On'.the". result .of .'this .contest ■ 'depends''.- the-location'. of .th'e''Pluiiket; Shield.: : Should '.Canterbury, succeed "in- bringing, the--shield- , Eouth,.-an OEago;:■representativo.:team,: will .visit Cnristchurcli ; :iri. February-.to 1 challenge Canterbury's-' right :-to,•.be , .' , the Plunket Shield holders'for the .year.. ;>lt, is;: also on '-the cards that if 'defies Can-; torbury.-to take',it : from her,. will, send «a 'team . toV Auckland i with .big pos-' sibilities'-of. bringing the. piece- of.- plate to Dunedin. : The. fine performance put .up-by the. Otagb,'representatives 'against Southland.encourages -one : in.'the-Belief that ..Otago did -.not • show, her: true- form against-; Canterbury,. and .that this"-pro-:yince's ipro'spects:~ against': Auckland, ; far from-being,discouraging; are most.hopeful .indeed.' rjn> view l - of ■ .the ; possibility, of Otago -jbeingyable .-to .placev a -■ stronger team: in* the' , field''than' did.duty , against .Cdnterbu'ry.j'. no. ''effort; should-be spared by.:tho:local .'association; to• dispatch the team«everi'.as'far. as Auckland, if necessaiy.'.in'.anV attempt to -bring the Plunket Shield .to.'.tliis end. : ;If ,the:'movement •is no.tomado .'.this: year, when.: the. prospects of the' province: were never, better, the ; shield,-'W- far as Otago;is'concerned,' may remain nin the' north. •. :, ■-.'•.■'. . / ■ : . . .Cricket Vis 1 , a;, week-end: vacation accom- ■ panicd-by■ light.'refreshments and a mild, .healthy,.glow. ■ V'lf-ia ;'• called•• the 1 English national ; game,'i.But.to i the visitor abroad it:- looks, imore ilike'j .the' 'English ■ national drink. ■; It-is :a ; !thrcd- days', ceremony, par;ticipated iii by^S-players,'six score 'boys. 500 .spectators; 'arid-,a : .'tea'.urn.'- A good playeriwiU-.BCorelOO'.runs.diinng, a game, while 'an '.expert, spectator- .will - score •20 ;'cups"".'bf'tea,' 10' bottles of ginger beer, and a .gallon of. miscellaneous moisture'. The ,great' tronble•: •- with cricket ■'from the point-:of" view: ;is its length,• ■it'isn't .'a-game : really; it.is a condition or an. epoch;-.; No; one can .attend, all of: a cricket: -/game-rat vloast;:.no.:..'Anierican co.uld..":.'There;.af"el.rio'-.crises;in'.tho; game, arid not; enough' excitement to warrant-a •man throwing ..up his'hat : bnce in 10 years. ;Dißarly.>as.;ißritqnsl,'lqve: cricket, they do' not go'.to.soe'the games; A,championship match'.brings''out-a. few, hundred , people at 1 a': tinip./.-.'The.'Englishman gets off .for atf afternobnVisits;three, or; four, hours in a-Xcold' wind"w'atching.i.ths".playersf.'driK bling- the'bill here 'andithero, and. goes . home full ;of reverence ;fbr';tho.:game, and of gratitude.because"he doesn't;haye to ; go the next'- day.-—An ; 'Americari:-satire';on the .'"placid/game of cricket" ; ; ' . ; ••