ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1548, 18 September 1912, Page 2

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

1, ■ : CRICKET. THE CAREER OF KORTLANGINTERESTING TALK. TITE GAME IN UNITED STATES. Wellington as a cricket centre is fortunate in having seemed as a resident Mr. Bert Kortlnng. He is a batsman who, for the thv.ee successive seasons past, has headed tho hatting averages for Victoria, both in club and inter-State cricket. This is one of tho best performances, as far as consistency is concerned, known in the history of the game in that State. , In tho lflOS-9 reason, Kortlang—then a now arrival with no groat acquaintance with Australian wickets—managed.to put up an average of 96 for , the Essondon Club and, in inter-Stato cricket, placed to his credit an average of no fewer than 131, and that over iiino innings.- In 191011 his club average was 75, and in (he ten innings in which he batted in interstate games, ho managed to average Gl. Again last season (1911-12) he slapped up an averoge of 98 'runs for his club, an average of 45 in inter-Stnto games, and then hopped over to Sydney -for the latter part of tho season, and there secured second place in tho club batting averages. All of which goes to show that Kortlang (who is to play for Wellington South this season) "cuts a good deal of ico" in tho great game that always needs a master hand, '~ > An American Citizen", Sir! But Kortlang is not an Australian cricketer nor is he an Australian. No, sirree! 110 fa an American citizen, who always feels like waving "Old Glory" on tho Fourth of July. "I had been playing cricket nine years before I came to Australia," said the newcomer to a Dominion interviewer, "mostly in Philadelphia and New York, but really 'all over the world-India, China, England, and Australia. His Strangest Game. "The most remarkable game I played was on an ice-pack away up off tho Alaskan coast. We were going up to Nome, in 1901, when tho steamer I was on—the Jeanie—and another—the City of Nomegot caught in the ice, quite close to one another. As we soon found that tho passengers of both vessels, included a number of cricketers, we had a game on the ice-pack with bits ,of shaped wood and a ball of spun/ yarn. Good fun it was, too! Some of tho World's Best Cricketers In America. "I played for All America in the match against; England at Philadelphia in, 1907-8," continued Mr. Kortlang. "People out here don't seem to realise that quito a. lot of good cricket is played in America, I and, ns for grounds, we've ■ got some of the finest in tho world. Australian Visit to the States, . It is • interesting, too, at tho prejeni time, as the Australians aro on tho point of leaving England.ior .America, wliero they are to play several games on their way home. They will probably play their first match at tho Livingstone Club, grounds, Statcn Island, New York, against tho cream of tho Livingstone, Brooklyn, and Columbia Oval Clubs—fine Clubs they are, too. Then, in tho ordinary courso, they should Jo on (.o Philadelphia, which city has tho. prettiest orickot ground iu the whole world—that at Gcrmantown. The club-house, too, has no equal that I know of in tho world. There the Australians should play All America, and probably gomes against the Govmantown,'Merrion, and Belmont Clubs. From Philadelphia they would most probably g<; on to Chicago, where thero is a flno ground just off Michigan Drive. At Denver they would play tho representatives of the Western League, and at San Francisco the Combined Pacific team." . Some Splendid Americans. "American cricket should not bo underrated—though I would not say that America has won as many games as England in matches played in.tho States, there is not much • between them—they'ro on the same break, I guess. Hordorn, you know, learned his cricket in America, and they have Such men as J- B. King (one of tho finest cricketers in" the world), Cregar, Seattergoods, of Philadelphia (second wic-ket-keeper.in tho world to Percy Sherwoll), and Phil O'Neil. They've Rot men quid , as good, if jiot better- than Hordorn and myself in the States, who could give them a good game; The game reaches its highest standard in Philadelphia, is good in New. York, fair in Chicago, poor in. Denver, but thero aro some good men on tho Pacific. Slops. Tho Australians can rely on being treated liko kings, ns the American cannot do enough in tho way of- hospitality."' Mr. Kortlang went on to say that in Australia he was always a loyal supporter Of the Board of Control, as he considered it the proper authority to run tho nrtangemehts for'a big international tour.