CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1396, 23 March 1912, Page 12

CRICKET.

[Bx the Breaker.] Whole Basin to ha Top-dreised. l'or somo timo past it has been whispered among cricketers that next summer will see a now Basin Deserve. The whisper will probably turn out to bo a reality. As is well known, the pitches fur the past two seasons, have-bcfeir beyondreproach, but the proposal now is to lay out tho whole of the Rn.sin on the billianitablo style, so that certain rough patches' tfhicli have troubled fieldsmen shall disappear altogether. It is likely thitt neither football nor hockey will be permissible on the Reserve this winter. Wednesday Association to Assist. Towards finding the cost for this tlesirnblo work it is likely that tho City and tho Wellington Cricket Association''will co-operate, but it is also certain that the Wednesday Cricket Association, will not be tontent to be left behind in ail" undertaking of this kind, which will prove so beneficial both to cricketers and public. As n matter of fact, tho Wednesday Association are taking active steps in the matter, and their secretary (Mr. ,1. C. Cusack) lias, with characteristic energy, convened a meeting of Wednesday players to eonsidor tho big proposal. This meeting is to be held on Monday evening at ■ the Town Hall. Central and East—The Play-off. 1 The match between the >two leading teams in the senior competitions ended as eeemed inevitable, in a two-point win for Contral. It was a very decisive win, too, for Central, with three wickets still- in hand, totted up a lead of 177 on-the first ihnings scores. In the last round of • games to be played, the association has very wisely matched * these tw'o" tennis 'Again. The end of the season is Hearing, otherwise it is probable that the association would have ordered that this match, which is a plny-o(E for the championship, should have been played out. Such an arrangement would probably have suited the teams well enough, and it'is always more satisfactory ;to have, ft big match" played to a finish if possible. . • Hast A will probably have'ltickev with them when the two teams meet again today, and his bowling nuist make the side a great deal stronger. Ile invariably gets • -wickets, and unless he has lost his cunning during his rest, lie should get them again. With Ifickey, Grimniett, ami •Gibbes, East 'will have.a very strong attack. Thev badly need a fast'bowler, but the three bowlers named are likely to do damage enough. It is impossible to sav what tho Central bowling will be like. If Naughton is on his form by any chance, it will bo geed, but after liiin, Jiobinson is the only man from whom much can lie expected. In batting, tho two teams are on present form very well matched.

Beechey's Century. In last Saturday's play the brightest •feature was the innings played- bv Beechey. ire already had .38 runs up, but he ran from that to-121-in a verv short space of time. Seldom has he .batted-at (such a- terrific pace. He went for all the bowling with the utmost daring, vet givJhg no chance, and the runs came very fast. The batting of the other side was of the solid, rather than brilliant.-var-iety. They had no chance of winning. lucker played, one of his best innings of the year, marred only bv the error of )udgment, wnich cost Uibbcs his wicketrun out. Jlidlane was ulso hitting in his best style when stumps were'drawn. The Marlborough Visitors. ■Admittedly it is good'for young play•is to have a game occasionally with moro Experienced men, but there is a limit to the degree of superiority that it is advisable to look for. The Marlborough boys thought to try themselves out against a Wellington B team. It was a weak B team which met them, and heat them disastrously. The visitors were, so completely outclassed that they probablv learncd next to nothing. They might have made a decent game with"a Wednesday team, or with, a second-class team, but any Saturday club team would almost certainly have beaten them. Thevhad an enjoyable, outing, perhaps, but the match could not have been a good piece of business for the local association. - | Promising Wicket-keeper.

i'clix," in the "Australasian," makes the following reference to young Webster, the wicket-keeper! of the Board's Australian team:—"Ho is a nice youth, and'it needs only a few words wi<ii him to show that ho is a genuine enthusiast in his desire to pick up wrinkles. He is a nephew of my old friend, P. "Webster, who was first secretary of tho agricultural society in Sydney in tho davs when even Charlie Beal was young and Jack Blackham was in his prime with the gloves. I aiii sorry (hat mv voting friend could not have the chance of a chat with Jack, about wicket-keeping. It would be an education ,Ar him.'.'.'Bin, you can take it from mo* that the'young follow means" well, and if honest endeavour will brki.x him (o thefront, then he will come to the front. He has gone to Sydney simply "to say farewell to his poo-' pie. He is a Sydney lad, and lie told me that it was the great star Victor Trumper who advised him to'try his luck in Adelaide. They have so many stars in Sydney that a young fellow has to seek, fresh . fields and pastures new if he wants to stand a chance of coming to the front. A'ictor's advice has turned out trumps for young Webster." ■■■'.. Trumper's Debut in Test Cricket. Mr. Darling tells how Victor Trumper' was first selected in an Australian Pleven (says the "IM'crce''):—"Towards the close of tho season of IS9B and 1891), before the team was chosen for .England, TrumpeY. hud a great record in club cricket in Sydney. In Sheffield Shield matches, however, he played seven innings lor Now South Wales and had o.ilv made li' 9 runs for the season. H'is highest score was (IS, and his average was 18.42. Form in interstate- matches is the only guide for selectors when picking a team for England. In club ma'.ches many players may have done well, but been absolute failures in hi* cricket. With regard to picking, the eleven for England. at the cud of the season I have mentioned, the last place was left, open until (he ma'.ch against the Itest of Australia in Melbourne was finished. The choice of the selectors lay between I.iiver nnd Trumper. In the"firstmatch Eavcr scored .'1(1 and i:i(i, while Trumper scored li and -if). In (he second match I.aver scored X) and 41. aiul.Trttmjicr -((! and SG. Envoi- -also howled well in these matches. The [cam was finally chosen in Melbourne, and although the Sydney press clamoured for Trumper's inclusion, the selectors recognised that, on' performances I.aver deserved the place, mid ho was cho.-cn. Just on tho-eve' of tailing for England the Australian Eleven played Hie Kesl of Australia in Adelaide, nnd Trumper played a superb innings of "•"). Although the innings came late in. the season, the selectors were so impressed with it that Trumper was taken home a- nn extra man, although it was the original intention of the selectors to only pick thirteen men. In spite of..the ar-: dent advocacy of his claims by the 'Referee' and other Sydney, papers, Trumper would not have been taken with this team if he had not played that innings of 75 in Adelaide." Captains of Yesterday. M. A. Noble captained the last Australian eleven in L'uglni-d. That was in 1300. Of the matches played no fewer than 22 were .drawn. Nineteen were won, and four were. lost. The team won the rubber of tests. .1. Darling captained tho reariis which visited England in 186!). 1002, and 1905. Tho 1!)0.'i learn won IB matches, lost three, while lit were drawn. Tho 1902 combination won i'l matches, lost two. and drew 14. Tho ISM team won 1G matches, lost throe, and drew Hi. (i. H. S. Trott captained the 155G eleven. They won 19 matches, lost six, nnd drew eiiht. ljlackham led tho 1893 team. They won 18 matches, lost ten, and drew eight. W. L. Murdoch captained (he learns which toured England in IS'.lO. 1881, 1882, and 1880. . The 1882 _ loam was the most successful. Twentythree matches worn won "nnd only four loßt, while 11 were drawn. The

1880 team was close up with 21 wins, four losses, and 12 draws. In 1881 tho team did not do so well, for whilo it secured 18 wins, seven matches were lost, and soven drawn. Murdoch's 1800 team, however, was beaten ofteuer than any Australian eleven in Knglnnd. Of :!8 - games played, 16"worn lost, while only 13 were won, nine being .drun'n. .I'. 8. JFlJonnelb who headed the 1888 town, was also beaten ofteuer than he won. His team won 10 times, while it: suffered defeat -on 11 occasions, seven games being indecisive. In 18811 11. J. IT. "Scott headed' tho A usIndians. As in.Noble's year, 22 games wero drawn/ while the margin of wins over losses was. only one, niiio matches going the Australians' way and eight to their opponents. Tho other eleven to tour England was tho first, and was led by-D. -W-. Gregory, ii relative of Syd. Gregory, who will captain the 1012 combination. Tho team won 18 matches,. seven . being, .lost, ...and 12 drawn.—"Sydney Daily Telegraph." A South: African Pair.' , " '.'„ With Louis Tanc'rcd in foriti (says the "Gape Times" in referring to the chosen South African team), South Africa requires no better opening pair than Willj Zulch and Tsncrcd, for the latter is one of thoso batsmen who scorn nblo to take the edgeoff the best bowling and score at a very' fair 'pace! 'That is where Zulch has. failed, for Zulch mid Coinmaille or Ziilch and Strieker are too unenterprising to set'a' strong foundation of a big innings. Faulkner's accident has come at a most inopportune juncture, for, whilst lie• will; jnrobably •be out and about by February,' the" "a'ffcV effect's' of "a" broken leg may affect "his cricket altogether— which would be regrettable in tho extreme ami depressing indeed so far~'tis South Africa's prospects are concerned. Miscellaneous Notes. W. Carlton, the Canterbury professional, scored 136 the other day, mating his third century this' season. .;.' Hopkins, the Otago and ex-Sydney batsman, who has proved himself in the best class in New Zealand this seasgu,,will not be available for a Dominion team should .such be sent to Australia.'.ncxCuseason. Tin anticipates returning to Sydney in November of next year to tako.Sup his permanent residence. Hopkins (says the Otago "Witness") will be a serious loss to cricket in New Zealand, but to thi game in .Otago particularly.