OPENING OF CRICKET SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 937, 3 October 1910, Page 4

OPENING OF CRICKET SEASON.

SAUNDERS AT THE NETS

, Music of\the.mallets,: knocking iip'.the ■nets,'; was;'; ringing;' at ;■ the-.; Basin; Reserve ; on; Saturday, 1 , and to the'crioketer there is': no finer music - Theire. was,. too,- : that" stir ■ , of : quiet activity;betokening, to!some,-.the revived interest !, in' the "king of * games", which: is promised this year.'-'.;-?• ro~\ ■. . Presently:, the crow'd;; thickened! 'round the".Central; Club's: Aets,';and . theijusual .'."•What's up";"query-drew. .' the i'answer, ."Saunders!" l 'lt,seemedVa:potent answer,, ..for .the net.was soon besieged both behiijyd ! and : -before.'- A colt-,had" the' bat;; and'-, tne hew,; coach,'/after: avfew';' deliveries, 'sent: down his bff-st'ump. -v Next'.ball lifted .the tyro's middle;stump clean'out.• of l.the ground,,:'ahdx .the, "succeeding':; delivery; ;bowled dowh',the';"empty.air/fiwhere,the. ; two uprooted wickets-had stood a-imoirient: before,"; ..That would have' been thei.'fhat; .trick,": and. it inflde,': as; it .'were/a, fitting beginning to:the season's;;work;-'The "old l rected'"memories""■•of ■.:the ',Victorian's' ;dTumatic.:feat-at Old how. ho ' "took. a' hundred wickets that tour',■in.,England,".;,and ;all that,sort of thing., During the .'/afternoon Saunders worked- his way round all the nets, giving each club a turn, finishing up with "WoU'; :lington,East...jn>the evaning; .KfVIJ-"Jy : ; Our- new \ coach,', :asV most;, cricketers: know, is a left-hand ifastmediuni:! bowler.'. Xike-.niosti'ileft-hande'rs: he' has:a ; natural .turn;;from;"leg,' ; but.not;, the 'Isanie.'.turh; with^ch;;ball.'.::;At.;times'.,.thb'.".turii-in". 'is'-hardly/nibfe'-^ :with.;bther"deUveries:.it'-.amounts hasty.'-break-back. ,'.,' He 'also Imakes'pace , front, the..'pitch,-"and';at;:,times'comes ; up. at':. : the:batsmaii|.unexpectedly quicklafter the; ball.touches ,'theWgpaffl'/'.rPer'hapi;-' ■however, ■.■the'most' .'noticeable': .■•feature. ,'about his bowling is; his. beautifully "easy. : aot'ioii/..'^His'';arm r: .'comes\-'ov«;<\mli , ,'';.noi' trouble at all, and-jf his; services; Vwero .wanteUhecouid-probably.keep.upan; endall' day.. Needless to sayi he;appears;to: beable to "pitch :them" : ''':pretty/;,-much hepkases.•/: ■ ■'.'■ /;■' '!i .4- ; i ,■/V.^fc• ■'. ■';; Undoubtedly;.' one; of : hiaV/liardesti tasks' ■ here \will'be. getting "the Basin-Reserve.in : ordefl'. ■. It;'is. understood'." that; launders' himeslf :is quite/hopeful,., but old 'cricket.ers ;who ' were \ at; the -Basin', oh Saturday: also made'; a;; careful /inspection:', of.r the 'ground; .•' and .many,' of '■;.them." seemed'" to agree; that a great deal of-wbrkirandSno, •Email amount .of ■ skill,; will': be'! necessary .to; remove the hundredsvoflittle.,hummocks and hollows,with which itssurface' isdottedV-' . ■•'■'; -V-';: :■ :■ ■; v.:-. V-'./:'-;