CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 775, 26 March 1910, Page 12

CRICKET.

[Bx The Bbeakeb.]

Mr. C. G. Macartney, the Australian cricketer, who was under engagement to the Otago Cricket Association, departed for Melbourne by the Moeraki on Sunday. Mr..Macartney's future movements as regards cricket aro indefinite. Second Test match commences on the Basin Reserve to-day. Champion senior team for the season—Central—are to be congratulated on their fine showing this season. Edgar _ R. Mayne, the South Australian, is clearly enjoying the tour. His success is no doubt very agreeable, since they say it was touch-and-go whether he would bo selected in the South Australian team this season. Fortunately for the-present holders of the Sheffield Shield, he was not omitted. What "they say/' however, has the appearance of tho ridiculous.—"Referee." Tom Hearne, who was for many years chief of tho ground .staff at Lord's, died recently, from cancer in St. Bartholomew's Hospital. He was born at Stoke Poges in 1849. The son of _ the" famo-UB "Old Tom" Hearne, of Middlesex and All England fame, who was also in his day ground superintendent at Lord's, young Tom did not immediately succeed his father (who died in 1900), the position for a time being filled by Pearce. Hearne was a great authority on the preparation of encket. grounds, and the wickets at Loral's certainly, improved under! his care.' He was also ot one time cricket coach at Wellington College.

"Whom do you consider the best players you have met in Australia ?" was ■a question recently asked of E. R. Mayne. This was his reply; "I should rank S. F. Barnes, Noble, Saunders, Armstrong, and Cotter as the best bowlers I have met during my limited experience, and Trumper as by far the greatest batsman—l don't expect ever to come across his equal. The best fieldsman in Australia at the present time is C. E. Simpson, of Queensland. He is also a ;fine bat and,a good bowler, and all the cricketers here consider him the best player in his State. It was a great loss to South Australian cricket, and to the young players especially, when Joe Darling gave up tho game. He is the best captain I have played under, and one was always, suro of being treated fairly by him."

. The tour of the Australian team in New Zealand is turning out a success in ovory way, remarks tho Sydney "Referee." The New Zealand provinces are showing good cricket, the visitors.. are likewise doing well",in that direction, and tho "gates" aro sufficiently largo to leavo substantial profits to the council and associations in Now Zealand for tho purpose of fostering, tho gamo in future years. Perhaps the most.. important expression of opinion since the tour was started: is that emanating from Mr. W. W.. Armstrong, to the effect that tho wickets in New Zealand are of an inferior order. ' It is universally recognised in the leading centres of Australian cricket that, while an occasional practice on a bad wicket is very useful, perfect wickets are essential for tho development of thoihighest class of batsmen in cricket as played in Australia,'

• Thus tie .Auckland "Herald":—lt is very rare,-if it Las ever .happened, in New Zealand or anywhere else. before for a whole team to be clean bowled without scoring a single run. This record was put up on the Auckland Domain on Saturday, i- The match ■■■' was between Whareriti (Grafton Road) and Havelock, both teams being; composed of adults. Havelock, winning the toss," went in to bat first, and the ten wickets, fell in less than that number : of minutes, without even ■ one run being made. Two byes, however, went to the team's credit. Whareriti made a score of 43.;. -Blackie was the hero of the match, making 14'(the top score) for Whareriti, and taking .nino'of the Havelock's wickets' for nothing, Lloyd securing the other one. ' ;

Commenting oh the achievements of Bardsley in the Dominion, the Sydney "Eoferee" says:—-Warren Bardsley: appears to be disappointing some of the oxpectant critics of New Zealand, They expected centuries, and at first were given 30's and "blobs." In the Otago match he scored 80 for once out, in the ,New-Zealand match. 97,' and on tho 'whole tour to date only two 'men (Mayne and Armstrong) have scored more runs. However, W. Bardsley is all right; he is a trifle stale after his 'English tour, and in this is like many, who preceded him; after their first visit to England. The critics in some instances would seem to regard run-get-ting success as one of those. mechanical achievements in which high-class batsman can hardly ever fail. ~ It ; is the glorious uncertainty of cricket which brings the great player, to tho lovel of tho mediocre ■ one at times.' ■

CENTRAL SENIORS. BATTING AVERAGES/ ' i /% i § £4 J3 9 ° w a § llj -g: g. Roberts, E. 9 202 85* 4 40.2 Hawthorn 13 296 62 5 37.0 Hickson ' 8 207 56 1 29.4 Birch _ 10 256 91 1 25.4 Laws '. ... 10 146 44* 2 18.2 Naughton 12 202 66 0 17.8 Beechy 12 185 51* 1 16.9 Kinviir .. , 9 117 53 0 13.0 CondliSe - 4 43 32 0 10.3 Bruce 8 71 16 1 10.1 Wilson 2 20 13 0 10.0 Mason ... '.. 3 25 24 0 8.1 Miller 9 33 12* i, ,6.3 Wilkinson! ......... 2 41 35* .2*41.0 Murphy ..'.__ 2 5.5 0, 2.5 ■ 'Denotes not out. tWilkinson has the best average, but' played only in. two innings. "__ BOWLING AVERAGES. ■ '• ■ a -2 §, '.-..'"' ' M I «••£ < Hawthorn ... 508 14 ■ 262 26 10.2 Kinvig 558 14 251 22 IL9 Laws .. 900. 25; 467 37 12.23 Miller ......... 1028 32 493 36 13.25 Beechy 150 4 56 4 14.0 Mason, E. „ 258 4., 145 8 18.1 Hickson, C. ... 214 6 104 5 20.4 Wilson 144 2 78 3 28.0 Bruco .IB 1,8 0 - The following is a list of the Petone Senior Cricket Club's avorages for the season: — Batting. , m a ■» ■ ' ' d US" bo" .9 JSd -3 2 n -e ■ utf- s p. m K WS B • < Brice, W. S. ... 17 — 59 357 21.0 Senior, H 9 — 49 183 20.3 Freeman, A 4 — 28 55 13.75 Isherwood, L. ... 9 .— 26 106 11.7 Cato, A. W.'. 17 2 3S 174, 11.6 Joyco, M. 15 1 67 136 9.71 Hey, H. 7 — 18 61 8.71 Bennett, A 17 1 47 136 8.5 Dalgloish, A. .... .15 — 23 92 6.13 Powell 13 1 20 68 5.6 Bold, C. 14 2 49, 68 5.6 Bowling. Wkts. Buns. Mdns. Balls. Av. Senior, H. ... 23 221 21 543 9.6 Brice, W. S. 60 664 44 1396 11.6 Joyce, M U 185 .10 ' 354 13.21 Bennett, A.... IS" 283 14 486 18.86 Nunn, H. ... 6 118 3 206 19.6 More speak English -than Russian, Trench, "id German nut together,