THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 770, 19 March 1910, Page 12

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

A WEEKLY RECORD OF SPORTS AND OTHER PASTIMES.

CRICKET.

tßi The Bbsaxe*.]

;■■ ."' Numerous.; delays' and interruptions ;. R.We beeoi: oxperienced by cricketers in {;■:' Wellington; this eeasoni' with the result . - that the senior championship finals have ■ ■'.;. been later, than, usual,': and the eighth iy-.Tound was.only concluded last ;'■■ Saturday. 7 Thi6 afternoon ■'the .'ninth series ;; :wiU be rfiniahedVon: suburban -grounds, ;'. ~.: * v he. first, day?s play dating as far!.back ~ ,»* March 5. Thesematohes are:-Central .?: Sonth, 'East :±: vSNorth,. East\ B : v. ;<:;; poi]ege; and : ,Petone.:v.vHutt..,:; '■'; ■..':''.'.'.- . . ! : A-suggestion was made at tie last meet-' :;;.. teg;of the W.C.A. Management Commit- ..:; .)ee ;that another 'round of the" eeiiior : :■.;lhampipnship should be .played■:after ,: . Easter,' the', idea being, to allow..all the. :,: fading teams to meet... The committee ■:.•■ lisoussed the proposal, and agreed to play. '1..'.:, i tenth round after Easter,.-providedthat :, v the .weather' is favourable. Tier-'deter- , ■, ■■.- mined that if Saturday, April 2, should pe wet.the , additional matches ehould be •,':■..■ ibandoned. ■ Now, that, round, if played, C ;.. will/ihave' to. be decided' on suburban Vo. wickets,: because , the City Council de- .. >reed; when last they met, that, the Basin Reserve and all other city recreation . ffroun'ds\ would be closed .to ' cricketers ./ : after .-, Easter. Monday, ;March : 28. .The /■' question arises: Is the extra round worth ,: '.while? Al.:this late stage.in the cricket :' ieason, when interest ip. / the summer ..game; is. lessening ■" day by day, hardly X; anyone , will dispute Central's .claim .to: .;., .the: championship, "-:' and '■■■ the' ..proposed ■April series may not brrng any> variation , J.,.; , in the table of championship points. ; ;. After all, the 'Management Committee , v ■■: Might not- to require ,to be •: reminded ■ '? a '!";^ 6 P'' t ™'< ll -and : linavbid-' ... Stole , interruptions of play,, because'. of. r , . sports meetings, .cricketers must .not en-. .-..-- croach. upon the rights, of ..footballers:. . ' ■.'-■' Already,; there are !■ aotive preparations \r. for the football season; on all hands, and ;•■•.". flannels and gloves, bats and .stumps, ■"...:. must be put on one side at the appointed : .. . ..time.; .There is .always .a little, overlapping 'twixt the seasons, but one is voic- -:'■'. ing the general sentiment in saying that : ;•. time the senior cricket championKhip is concluded on April 9 (as , pro- ... .posed), the.: Spirit of; Summer Sport will '■■.:■- -hare retired to winter quarters. '' .' ■.'■-. . ;The drawn '■ match, Central v. East A, .'had. some interesting points.' With 258 v ; 'on the board ior.ifive wickets,.;EEat,.s t ,. A' declared and took tho fieldat a quarter- ■'■; ' .(past 2 o'clock. ..Central: were again: late, ■;/ tho. opening.:. batsmen,. , '. Naiighton ; and : . Sirch, not appearing till- half-past 2. '.;,.- JThat quarter of an hour cost Central the match, as when Htn« was called they ■ ■ : . ; were only 2fi; runs 'Ixshind, Easfs :'■ total, ;■.. ..tor the loss of three wickets.. ■=;,;.' ■. ' :• .The wicket looked "a good thing" for .-■ .the bowlers,, :but the batsmen had the -, :l»etter. of. the argument most of■ tho time. • Birch did not get a chance to "get going," : .as with the score at 6 Hickey beat him. ; ■ Trith a "trimmer." Hawthorn" arrived,; ~•■•;.: and:at survived an appeal from the '■■'•,'.■ whole field for a cateh at-the wicket. : :.:.'Had' Hawthorn been 'given- out, as' he ■? certainly. , ehbuld. have beeni in 'the writer's ppiaioh, East imight, have won.: The '■■_ verdict went in his favour, however, and ■:•. "he set to work, .making the East bowling ; ;look yerj simple. - One stroke off Berner v .-..'.jinw; a beauty. ..Naughton, at the' - other end, played the rock, and took a lot of : care m.gathering his:29' runs.■;; ; ; ■. .. ■'-" ■: -.-■ Hickson - plodded along, in; ■ his.; usual .."". , manner; for; 36 not.out,, but-in.: fairness • •'.to him it must be stated 1 that. he. was, Buffering from a 'split finger,^the result '■.:,: :: :>, of^.a , * knock; in early part of his in-

■•..;iiinge. ■■••■.;; ■■'.•■•.>..■.■■■:■•.■.•'••.".■. ■■ ;-.;■;;; ■.■';': ■"''■ ■'■■ The emprise packetof, the day was the. .'V- innings of Eoberta, who scored' 'freely, ' and never gave a chance in compiling 85, . out. Players:of the stamp of Roberts .iwpuld - be; improved, . and ■•■'would '■•'Tnost'-'Mely. tnm--sout ; top-notcher3 ) '->if helped by the advice of. a coach. East bowling was somewhat harmless,. Hales and Hickey being thebeet of a.poor lot. ~ The match) North ■v. South Was cbm- . .plated -.last". Saturday on' No. 2 incket/pf the Basm Beserve, and'resulted tu'a win :. for. North by the,. small m argin ,■ of.-. 13 .runs. The, two not-out. men, Smith- and '.Guthrie,, went toi the wickets to try and ' get 13: runs, but, this ■;• small. task proved too much for .them, as Smith lost his .wicket to;■ Pinlayson straight away, being clean bowled .without: scoring.- Walters followed, ; , and .was - caught' by. Eichardson off Knlayson's next ball for nil; and Schinoll only went in to: be clean bowled bwo balls later.; Finlayson thus secured ;he three, wickets for nil,'and .his team rere 13 runs, to.'the-good on ;the first nnings... :':■',.; • " : '. ■'■: •. '. '■■'.. . ■. ■ .-. i''

: -North commenced their second inning with Eichardson nnd Enlayson,. and botl batsmen: forced: the pac'e from the jump !Both of them scored.as:they liked agains Jthe bowling of Patrick and Smith. '■•! change was at last "made-in the bowlins Dind going on in .place :of ■ Smith, am this had immediate effect in dissolvini the partnership.'-Kichardsbri: went- out o 'his crease tp.Dirid.and was stumped b; Schmoll. '-.'■''.; ; : ;■ . .. >.;. " ■; Blacklock filled the vacancy, and openec his account with a single off Dind. Hi ibatted cautiously- until., he reached. IC. when he tipped one into Schmoll's hands off Dind.. Williams followed, and commenced hitting right away, and soon had 14 to: his credit. Tien Patrick sent him . to, the pavilion with "a "yorker." -Finlaysoh was "laying the -timber on"t for all he was. worth meanwhile, and numerous ■■ changes : in. the bowling, did not shift him ■until he had compiled 65. At this stage ,hehit one to Walters off Smith; and the chance was accepted.- His innings was a creditable performance, and vras' played vrithout a single chance.' Hanson ffas not out, with 9i and Richardson declared the. innings dosed, leaving' South with 139 to draw'level. •■'■'."• : . V .. .

. South commenced ■■ their second innings with Burton and-Vare, but ..'the /latter. only scored a single ; and lost his wicket to a low ball from Mnlayson/; ■Patrick: followed, arid. was too anxious to ''score. iWheri 13 was the total opposite' his name (9 having been mode off four strokes), he hit all, round, one 'from Finlaysoh- and retired.... ■ .-'.. : .■< - ' ■..•■■ : i

. ~ : Burton, who. was batting' safely, was now partnered by Dind, and the pair ■.batted freely, carrying the score to 85; -.; !At: this stage : Finlaysoh; broke through -.Burton's defence. His innings of 22 was a chanceless one, and he. played correot : -cricket. .Dind "was batting, splendidly - and making some fine' drives, hitting 23 \aS six,strokes. When;his score stood at • =;: S9, he was beaten by. an ■ awkward. : ball ■■'from'; Luckie.'.'. ' ■;:•. ,;".. .i , '- ' .- ~ , : Smith followed, had'two hits, and was easily caught.and bowled by Finlayson .for 4. Guthrie and Walters-were 'not ■out with 4. and 5 respectively when time . : was called. 'The total for South was 109 lor five wickets, leaving the side in arreai £o the extent of' 43 runs. '■ /■'■ The:.following. table shows the- number of championship points' earned by the v .teams to date:— ''■■■'.".,.■. ' t 7 ■■' ■ ■'/ '-" 111 ■■•'-V.; ■' '■' ■ .: '■■£ ■■.'■■« .-; Team... S & ' g ;. J ~■■.. ■ <Pi. & : .VI ■ Q ,: h Central _.... 8,0 i 1 . 17 . East A . 8 G ■: 1 1 1C . Sonth j... 8 .5 3 '■■'■"—. 11 North 8 . 5 3 — 12 Hutt 8 -3- 5 ■-••■ 8 : College. 8 2 '. C - C . Petone ........ 8 2 ■ G '■ — 5 /■East B .....: 8 .".. .2 \ . G' '- ' 5 The "gates" at tho three first matches of the Australians in New Zealand realised .£3BO. .€2Ol, and 1£542 respectively. ■:•'■ In the firsfTest match South Africa V M.C.G., at Johannesburg, the takings were as follow:—Saturday,' J81100; Mon- , day, £1200; Tuesday, .£801); and Wednes-day,-,£GO; total, .£3160. The official' returns during the five davs of the second Test match of. the M.C.C. team, at Durban, showed an attendance of 20,500, realising JJ1575, which amount, less guarantees and expenses, left a . large '. surplus for. distribution between the Natal Cricket Association and the Durban 'Cricket Union. For the M.C.C. team in South Africa .'J. B Hobbs has made, among other " scores, the following:—110, IU, 5, 55, 39, ■ 31, 13, 31, 39, 35, IC3, 53, and 70. .■ ■ "There have beeu rumours in cricket circles, and also in several Wesl-Em! clubs," says "Wanderer" in tho "SnnrU-

man," "that Lord Dalmeny may again captain Surrey in the season of 1910—1 do not say in every match, but. pretty regularly/ , "■..■.■•■•'■ < Thus'the Sydney "Referee":—The leading . batsmen of South Australia, Victoria, New South. Wales, and New Zealand, in the opinion of the public, is a left-hander, viz., C. Hill, V. S. Ransford, W.-Bardsley, and D. Reese. In every case save.Clem Hill, thequestion is, of" course, open to.question, W. W. Armstrong challenging V. S. Kansford, and V.'Trumper- challenging W. Bardsloy. . This, prominence of the left-hander ■Jβ. peculiar. , ... ~. . . According .to Major 1 Wain* (who was manager of the Now' South Wales, team which visited Now Zealand fifteen years ago) there arc young players in the Australian touring team who will ultimately make their mark in future international cricket. ' .; * ■•••'■ ..-'...'•

The following table shows the- positions of the Auckland senior-grade teams:— V' .. .'Played.'Won.Lost.Dr'wn.P'ts. Parnell ......;. 8. .5. 2/ 1 12 North Shore 8 5 2 1 11 University. .. :8 , 8 4. 1- , ' » Grafton 8 3 4 1 » Eden ........... 8' 3 3 ; 2 6 Ponsonby ... 8 2 ~-.'■' 6 :0. ,4 Cricket in the Dominion, especially in Canterbury and: Otago, has (says Major Waine, who is accompanying the Australian' team), improved "out of sight compared with what it was fifteen yeara ago, and the improvement was noticeable in all departments.:. The. only direction in which there , was-no. improvement was in the wickets,' , which ho found to bo practically the same. '..-.The-' wickets did not-seem to get that attention they required, and what was wanted was an : able man like T. Warne, who went to America to instruct ; the Philadelphia Club, one of the leading clubs in the ■ United . States,, to take the matter m hand. .. . .'■'.•' The biggest outstanding individual feat in the last round of grade matches in Sydney 6tands to .the credit of V. Trumper, whose 107 and 103 make a record for district club games in Sydney. The second innings of.. 103 was just as fine-a display as .the^first innings, the 'runs having been made in an hour and three-quarters. In the world of batting practically nothing is. beyond the powers of Trumper, (says the. "Arrow"). H it had been' necessary, he would probably have made two hundreds in a match for Paddington more than'once in yeara past, when his form; was'so brilliant and his success so wonderful.'". ■

"l;think the South Africans will prove that they.-will-create more than;a passing impression.when they appear on the classic grounds of Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide .(says-' a -South African correspondent), -and that they have assets in bowling and batting that will, have to be seriously reckoned with by ..the best- that our Australian cousins can produce. The Cornstalks are smarter than the South Africans.in the field, and run' much quicker .between" the wickets, and -are keener on 'stealing , : runs, but still- the Mi'C.C. men ."will have bucked up the : Springboks;/in these, two , particulars by. .the,,time they set sail for the 'other side/ 'The gbogly. bowling .of Carr at the last England-Australia Test-match at the - Oval-convinced, me'that the Australians did not like it, ; and when they get it dispensed ;by such a quartette as Vogller, fFaiilkner, White, and Scb.warz I think taey will; find still more that it is not to tneir..liking, and that!it will upset the-.calculations, of' batsmen like 'Armstrdng, Trumper, Bansford, and Bardsley." ; ;■',.■■; ■••'■' ■;. ■ ..' ■-.-- ■' .:. .