CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1541, 10 September 1912, Page 9

CRICKET.

WKU.INUTON I*\S'l l ft.Hi, ANM \l. UITmDT. The smnnnl m<v(it\>s i't lV t'Hi|i ; 4luii ]■;.!:■( \)\>Xw{ v'l-ivKiM \'\\\\\ l> l\> l'\> li.'ld (o-ni(:l\i at (WN-iV h>on\ ( fi\Ui SliYt'tThe oomutl vovuMi >n iiu> ,M'.>i,mul>M of the olnlv has Von imiwhli.l. In Iliu wyM-l Iho loiwmitl.,' n>m:i;\!tiM..v. lh« cliil* nn its portion, but V>>*-' "\iu\o i>l the teams did <t> vvU -i- tltinti-! Ou< (nvvioiu ,M\UiM\, Imi (ho ;>,hu,>v \ Uμm oil tainod n>oo»d iwviuon \\\ t!\o thtm\|>ivinship. \wwg \),\\W\\ \\\ III" iiHrtl l\\ ll»> Coi\t\\\l dnb, who i\io U\ 1.0 t'\n>jivwl«lrtl"l on thoir mvonil win d>iu«j) tho Ihivo >imnoh>< ;-inoo tho l«>vi\lun» oi del dot ovio. kc(." In a brioC voviow w\ ln>l lit" comiiliHoo sit):.! "'\'\\i lIV--I olovt'H vNoiUtu' .V to;\m) i>li\\od nii\'> fttnmii'i SIX, ;\l\d lilMnn \\W\v. '\'\W ,01VUd I'lvVOll vSomot' It (oaiu) Hlajod oi.;ht iwulcho-i, wjiuiiitK Ihnv, nnd loon,.; ll\o, Tim ,liinl''i' loam Wiki (oi'.v diwi|i|i,iiiwlii{!, wnnihu I only one uialoh mil ol otshi |il»\od, whll" I on* was unliviixhcil, Ow\\»(i to » livvK of Vlayiui; womWvs IUo tUlvd-iSfAdo (m»\ v\h:> withdrawn fvon» (l\o i<omJH>(i(iou. 'I'lio chili was I'Oiii'i'c-i'liloil in rolU'ivontnllvii iiniti'lios bv Ali's<r.<, ilihbi , ."., Miilioiii'V, ,M i■ I - l.'ino, How'loj. Oi'inimell, lliiKor, olid llnwu. A loin- of Iho Nol.von dii-tviot was npiu inadrt by m>u\o vif Iho monildn's duviiw tho Chris-duns and Now Your holidays, nutl proved wry onjoyalilo, Tho miwi'ss of several of tlu< youuiOT moinbiM's ol' Iho senior taints wns very {ji'nlilyiui;, ono of tliein-Mr, W, in heading the Imttiug mot-uses for WolUnnlon. Owing to (he fact. thai, very lit Ito tuntcritil was mirohnsod duritij,' tho season, n iiuinlier of lints will bo required boforo tho ousuing yo.ir stiirls'. Tin; ro.>t of Iliu ninteristl is in very fieoil coiulilion. Tho finances of the club aro very satisfactory, and tho comroit.lpo roeonimend lhat jomething bo done early in the season with a viow of further iniprovoiuont in this ve- ' spcor. By obtaining stilllciont fund?, the club could afl'ord to consider Iho question of reducing subscriptions for tho younger inenibnrs. As will be noticed front the statement of receipts and expondituro a number of accounts outstanding from previous years have been paid off. leaving tho club practically freo from debt, while tho margin of assets over liabilities is .£■l2 -Is. Id. Tho committee desiro to pxpress their thanks to tho president, the vice-presidents, and honorary members for thoir'contimiod financial support, nnd to Mr. H. D. Clomentson for ngnin filling tho position, of scorer for the Senior A tonra. Your comniitteD tgnin desiro to congratulato the club on its position, both financial and otherwise, but aro of tho opinion that had a littlo more enthusiasm pervaded the members generally the position would have been even better in every respect, and would ask members to bear this in mind during tlie coming season, and assist the incoming committee in. every way possible to uphold the club's good name and position/'

SPOFFORTH TALKS OF BONNOI?. Mr. F. R. Spofforth, the "demon" Australian .border, said to be the virtual "discoverer" of Bonnor, whou informed of the death of his old colleague.)))- a London "Evening News" representative early, expressed his very deep sorrow at' the sad occurrence. "I first became acquainted wiHi Bonnor in 1880," "Spcrf." is reported to have said. "We were working very, hard nt the tiiuo to make up the Australian eleven, then about to leave for England, and 1 pressed him into tlie team because of his wonder-, ful hitting powers. Up till then ho ■was not known as a cricketer. Bonnor was introduced to mo because of his wonderful phvsique—he was Gffc. 53jin. in height—and I bowled against, him in practice to see how far he could hit. Bonnor hnrt played verv littles cricket indeed at that time. "His "first big match was for the Australian eleven apainst Victoria, fcjent in Inst, he made 35 runs in about six hits. That feat decided the rest of the team to take him to England with them in 1880. Bonnor fully justified his select : on. ■ E«, waSjj .of course, a member of subss"(ihent'iA'iistraJian 6ides which came to England. , ,'. , .' :.'.;. •'^Asktd : as', to-'what position amongst liitters the Australian really held, Mr. Spofforth said ; that he considered him far better than our modern hitters. "He. could hit a ball to a'far greater distance than anyone plaj-ing to-day, harder than Mr. C. I. Thornton,". Mr. Spofl'orth continued, "and in my opinion was the hardest hitter who has ever played cricket. I once saw him hit a ball bowled in practice by Boyle at Crew over a terrace of houses outside the ground. This was the biggest hit I ever saw in my life. . I also saw Bonnor hit the ball eight times out of the ground in one first-class match at Scarborough. C. T. Studd was the main sufferer in' this case. Indeed, Bonnor scarcely ever played in a match with any success without sending tho ball out of the ground."

Pressed for anecdotes the gr»at hitter,.Mr. Spofforth called to inind an in : oidents at Lords when Bonnor was caught and bowjed by Ulyott. "It was a wonderful hit, and a Wderful catch. On the team chaffing Bonnor about being caught and the greut hitter turned and said, 'I only got half hold of it, or I would have sent the ball through him.' And he really believed this himself."

. Summing up his impression of lionnor, Mr. Spofforth concluded thus: "He was a magnificent hitter, and a very fast runner, and could throw the cricket ball 121 yds. Ho was a very genial sort of man, and a good companion."