CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1354, 3 February 1912, Page 12

CRICKET.

[Bt mi Break eh.] WEDNESDAY BATTING, ■ i

Canterbury Umpires Defended. "Old Canterbury" writes:—"l think it ought, to be known that the Canterbury umpiring in the Hunket Shield match, though far from perfect, was not so very bad.. It has. been said that Kceso could not get men out l.b.w. bowling as he did left hand round the'wicket. Couldn't he? What about if he was breaking back a foot from leg? Well, I was sitting most of the time nearly in lino with the' wickets, and that is just about the extent ho was coming back. Personally the only dismissal that I had much doubt about was in the case of Blamircs." [Our correspondent inny lie right, but, if, as he says, thero was "doubt' in' ono case, the batsman should certainly have got the benefit of that doubt. "VFhcn in doubt—not out" is an old maxim for umpires, and a good one.] Bcrendscn—and the Chances. It seems that our promising young wicket-keeper Berendsen 'did not quite moot requirements in the second innings of the Shield match. Standing deep to B rice's bowling, ho failed to gather in three catches which came his way, and these, added to Beechey'a expensive miss in the field, meant, a good deal. ... . , 11 .What's Come O'er the Nets? , The attention which John V. Saunders fives to tho terms of his engagement, was only too evident when he was away in Christchurch. During all.that timo not a' solitary net was hoisted in the evenings on tho -Basin .Reserve, and a number, of crickoters—mostly juniorshave been asking why. It is unfortunately true that all juniors are not keen onthe game, but many are.' "And these enthusiasts missed the usual net practice. > The Steady Form of Gibbes. It goes without saying that the batting of popular "Billy" Gibbes in representative games has attracted a good deal of attention. ■ Some think that, on present form, he is the best nll-iound cricketer in New Zealand. Of course, this is a veTy tall order, for New Zealand has quite a lot of very good cricketers, but he is certainly there or thereabouts. His performances in club cricket also are reremarkable, for consistency, his lowest score this year being 28. . One can only hope that he will not be content with past successes, but go straight on. His intimate friends know that he makes a fairly deep study of the game, and there is no reason why he should not develop even further. Some Current Chatter, It is stated that the Oriental (Wednesday) club are now the oldest senior eleven playing in Wellington. Central Juniors are now in front in their grade. What with the services of' Gourlay,' Schlaadt, and tho other nine, they look as though they could take a deal of beating. Warno's name appears among tho list of the Wellington North senior players for to-day s engagements. His career in senior Saturday cricket will be watched with a good deal of interest. One notes with some satisfaction' that victor Harris is at the top of. tho Wedtoday _ bowling averages. His "curly stuff' is by an almost perfect control of his length, and perhaps tho *!l , , splendid bowling is that Ins deliveries do not come faster off tho pitch. Somo of the Saturday junior elevens have ceased collecting the usual weekly .levy, being under tho impression that the association's "rich uncle" is dead, aim has left them everything, or something to that effect. It is a mistake. Cotter a la Jcssop, The "Sydney Morning Herald"- says there was some big hitting by the New South Welshmen in the match against Victoria 011 January 2G. Minnett roused the spectators by lifting Armstrong for 6, which made him 51, made in 48 minutes. and tho total 155. Hrnerv followed Minnett's example, and straight-hit tho slow bowler over the fence. lie was bowled a little later by Armstrong for 22. The partnership added TO runs. Then came the sensation of the day's play. Cotter went in, aud quickly took charge of (lie bowling. l[e hit four sixes, in brilliant fashion, and gave a fine allround exhibition. One ball lodged on the ladies' pari lion. Some idea of his rate of scoring can be gathered from tho tact that, when he wnt in. Minnett was 51, and when stumps were drawn (.'otter was 58, and Minnett (!5. (jitter's figures are: 2 0 1 1 2 1 « I I G I t 41 I 2 1 4 0 i 2 1; and the runs were made in 22 minutes.

Templars' Achievement—Has it a Parallel? Rather nn interesting note comes from a correspondent—'"Observer." The noto ■relates to u performance which appears to stand out by itself. "Observer writes:— What is claimed to be a record occurred at Nowtown Park on Saturday last in tho third-class match, North v, icmplars. Tho hitter learn won tho match by an innings and GO runs, and only lost 0110 wicket in doing so, and that wicket was not credited to any of tho North s bowlers, as the player was run out. _ I have had a long 'experience in cricketing matters, and can't remember a similar case where not one bowler in a team secured a wicket in a full two-innings match. lii the above match for Templars Tarrelly secured 103 not out, and Dooley M not out. I think, Sir, a little comment on performances like tho abovo would do cricket a lot of good, as these young players are the ones wo havo to look forward to in the future to hold up their end for AVcllington, and a wordor two in , tho press occasionally gives them a lot'of encouragement. [As regards the comment on such performances, a.s suggested by "Observer, it can only be stated that space for such matters has always been readily given in this column to communications bearing a bona fide signature, such as is forwarded with the above note.] "Caught" and Bowled, Indeed. It is the unexpected eo often happening in cricket that constitutes one of the great charms of the game, and instances of what may befall the best batsmen were afforded in the second and third test matches in the extraordinary dismissal of Trumper and Minnett (says the "Sydney Morning Herald." In Adelaide, 'iVumper was batting confidently in the first innings when a ball from tho fast bowler Hitch scattered his wicket. Trumper explained to the wondering members of the pavilion how it occurred. Just as the ball came along he proceeded toplay it, but to his dismay found his bat caught in his pad. In tho short interval at his disposal ho tugged hard to get it free, but failed, and had tho novel experience of being bowled without being able, so to 6peak, to lift a bat in his defence. The pad must have been too big or worked loose. ' Exactly a similar thing occurred to the daslling batsman Hoy'Minnett in the Melbourne match, and it is rarely that batsmen of such calibre and caution get "caught" and bowled in this way. English Bowling Tactics. According to Mr. J. 6. Jackschon, the well-known scorer, tho Australian Eleven are by no means down-hearted over the success of the English team in the second and third matches (says a Sydney exchange). Mr. Jackschon, who saw the inatchos in Melbourne and Adelaide, speaks highly of the bowling of Barnes and Foster, and was struck by the fact that it was consistently directed to the leg side of tho wicket, all the fieldsmen nearly being brought round to the leg side. Tho ball came persistently at the batsmen's legs instead of at the stumps, this being, of course, quite a legitimate, if unorthodox, method of attack. The result, Mr. Jackschon said, of the accurate bowliug at tho batsmen's pads was that many of the. Australians wero wounded with the ball, and many were bowled off their pads. Trumper, in the Adelaide match, was badly bruised on both feet, tho result being that ho could hardly run. It was after this that he was struck .on tho calf of tho leg while fielding, and sustained a rupture of a snmll bloodvessel.

Sir. Jiickschon thinks that the persistent leg theory adopted by the Englishmen, with the crowd of fieldsmen on the "ou" side, rather nonplussed the Australians, and cramped their batting. In Mr. Jacksclion's opinion. Border's new tactics in placing his fiold in the second and third matches militated against- his success. In Sydney, where he got 12 wickets, he had two fieldsmen close in, but these he dispensed with in Melbourne and Adelaide, with the result that an undue number of,singles were scored, and tho batsmen opernted without the feeling of restraint occasioned by the presence of fieldsmen close in on the alert for the catches that the "goo'glie" bowling lends melt to. Injured' Australian Players. Victor Trumper, the vice-captain of the Australian team, has benefited greatly by the minor operation performed on his leg by Dr. It. 11. Strong, who was able to report that the wound was healing well. Irumper returned from Adelaide to Sydney by the express train, and after a few days rest in Sydney, will return to Melbourne to practise for tho fourth Test march, to commence on February 9. , Vernon Ransford, whoso hand was injured in the third Test match in Adelaide recovering. He practised on the Melbourne Cricket Ground last week but found that he could not properly hold the bat. Special treatment'has, however reduced the inflammation in his thumb

AterRuns. fl.S. In?s. N.O. age. Sullivan (Vivian) ... . 74 7-i 1 ~ 74.0 Warne (Union) 378 112 8 1 54.0 Smith (Artillery)... 290 '116 8 2 13.3 M'Eldowney (Orient.) 93 it* 3 1 40.5 M'Gili (Union) 20G 75 6 7 2 11.1 .: Harris (.Union) 233 86» 8 2 39.3 *, Wilkinson' (Orient.) 153 95 -i — 3S.2 Dempsey (Vivian) ... 127 92 S 1 81.7 Knapp (P. and T.) Ill 55 4 — 27.7 Grieg (P. and T.)... 131 90 (i t 1 26.S Taylor (Union) 151 37 (i — 25.1 Driver (Union) 151 49* 7 1 25.1 Gourlay (Oriental) 191 53 8 — 23.8 Carson (Vivian) 156 81 8 1 22.2 Cherry (Rivals) ...... 89 36 4 — 22;2 Blamires (Artillery) 44 28 2 — 22.0 Bramley (Vivian) ;.. 170 75 8 — 21.2 Robinson (Artillery) 101 GO S — 20.2 ■ Bailoy (Artillery) ... 120 55" 7 1 20.0 little (Oriental) ... 77 45 6 2 19.2 , Davis (Rivals) 149 45 10 2 18.G Ryan (Oriental) ..... 37 34 2 — 18.5 • 'George (Rivals) ...... 159 42 9 — 17.6 ' Thompson (Oriental) '87 57 5 — 17.fi Mills (Vivian) 118 43 7 . - 16.8 M'Kenzio (Rivals) ... 134 34 9 1 16.7 Caterer (Vivian) ... 130 31* 9 1 16.2 Ward (Oriental) ..i... 16 16 1 — 1G.0 Pickering (Rivals)... 105 52* 8 1 15.0 Wyatt (P. and T.)... 90 44 6 — 15.0 Bale (P. and T.) ... 90 50 7 1 15.0 Pnton (Artillery) ... 90 35 7 1 15.0 Sauvcrin (Union) ... 73 3G 5 — 14.G Taylor, (Artillery) ... 73 26 G 1 14.fi O'Suliivan (Union) 86 20 8 2 14.3 Toms (P. and T.) ... 57 2G -i - 14.2 Cooper (Artillery) m 14 12' 2 2 14.0 Ellison (Oriental) ... 14 14* 1 1 14.0 Sclater P. and T.) 95 46 7 - 13.5 Stainton (Rivals) ... 40 23 4 1 13.3 • Hill (Vivian) 40 33 3 - 13.3 Truscott (Oriental) . 92 38 8 1 13.1 Haydon (Vivian) ... 116 30 !) — 12.8 Carrad (P. and T.) 62 25 fi 1 12.4 Hatfield (P. and T.) 12 9* 2- 1 12.0 Plimmer (P. and T.) 71 33 6 - 11.8 Alpo (Oriental) '92 25 8 — 11.5 Major Hughes (A.) SO 28 7 — 11.4 Cording (Vivian) ... 79 41*. 8 1 11.1 Thomson (I J . and T.) 45 17 5 1 11.2 , Mollinson (Rivals) 11 11 1 — 11.0 Dr. M'Evedy (Rivals) SG 35 9 — 10.6 Castles (Vivians) ... 95 45 . 9 — 10.5 ' Dr. Anderson (Riv.) 100 35 10 — 10.0 Hull (Rivals) 60 24 6 — 10.0 ' WEDNESDAY BOWLING. Wkts. Huns. Avrg. Harris (Union) 31 278 8.1 Cooper (Artillery) ... 10 87 8.7 Thompson (Oriental) 18 179 9.8 Knapp (P. and T.) ... 13 128 S.8 Vare'(Rivals) 14 156 11.1 , M'Intyre (Artillery)... 13 ' 149 11.4 ' Ooirrlay (Oriental) ... 24 310 12.3 Hull (Rivals) 12 > 164 13.6 Dailey (Artillery) ... 23 . 318 13.3 Robinson (Artillery) 11 157 14.2 O'Suliivan (Union) ... 13 202 15.5 Mills (Vivian) ...... 16 276 • 17.2 M'Kenzio (Rivals) ... 13 235 18.0 Bonner (Union) 11 223 20.2 Hill (Vivian) 10 219 21.9 Bale (P.- and T.) ... 10 261 26.4 Tho foregoing are the bowlers who have taken ten wickets or more.