CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1569, 12 October 1912, Page 12

CRICKET.

[Br the Bkeakee.]

Next Saturday I

it last wo havehavo something definite. The season is to bo opened next Saturday. Owing to tho.muddlo over tho Basin Reserve, there; were fears that this year's opening would be an unduly late one. Eractices will be Iheld this afternoon.' ,The eastern side of tho Basin has been prepared, and will.be used, and it is said ■ that the wickets available at Kelburne Park are in very satisfactory condition. ■ : . .

What the season holds for -Wellington cricket the season alono will sbxra\ How"ever, all,,the clubs are hopeful, and every club seems to think that it will be stronger.than,it was.last year. Most of the clubs are doubtful as to their real strength, and will not know their position quite definitely until tho .very, eve of theopening!" .;v .'-' ' North Among the Hopeful Ones. Among the most nopeful of the clubs is North; One of North's greatest gains is C. Q. Wilson, the well-known Otago representative batsman, 1 who played one match for North, at tho end, of last season. Two other Otago representative . players which the club' takes into its ranks aTe Hiddlestone and Casey. ■ , Wilkinson," who played for Central seniors last year, willi play for North, into, whose district ho has moved. Quin, who-played for. North a couple of seasons, ago, but was off tho scene last eeason, is to appear aflain as a representative of ■ his' old club. .. .i . ..'. " - But, while North has had acquisitions, it .ha? encountered losses. They have lost Knlay, who : is . now in England, ■ and Sheridan, who, also,'"is"away from Wellington. Tinlayson, too;' , may play for one of tho Hutt Valley teams. In all probability tho Karori team will play as a'North third-class team. This .will .mean, that North will put .in. four teams—one first-class, one second-class, and two'third-class. ■■ • "Everything," says a North enthusiast, ''is ■ shaping better than things looked last year—financially and othorwise. Our annual meeting this year was'the most promising we have had! Already we have gained- over a dozen now members." '. Mr. C. A. Richardson has practically retired from any nctivo'part in the, management of the North, Club; Gains to College. College supporters declare that the seat' of learning will produce a stronger-eleven thi3 % season than the one which repreeented it last season. :

Among the acquisitions is M'lntosh; a : bowler who played first-grade cricket in Sydney. . ■■ Birch, formerly of : Central, who is "taking lectures, will bo among the Collegians, and the same applies to Howe, who kept "wickets for East last season. .•' Aiother addition to the College Club is Burns, who played for the club two 'seasons ngo. ■ ;.-;;/ ■ . ■jThe Champions, ■'~..■: I The holders of the championship, Cen- ' tral, expect, to do. credit to themselves ■ i and to the Wellington, district again this I season. Harmony.within their ranks, they say, was one of the, greatest factors in their past successes, so they sincerely . hojje that nothing shall disturb their in- , teribr . calm. Nauglton, C. Hickson, jßeeqhey, C. Bobinson, and Patterson will be out agnin to play for the club. ■■' Mitchell, who was not in the senior gride,last season, will play for the first eleven this year. . . ' . , Kinvig is back with the club again. KinVig lias played representative cricket, and he is looked upon as a very,useful all-round man/ , Particularly, he. is ; a lefthand bowler. . •■ ' . '

Jackson and Cook will not be'playing for ..Central at -the beginning of the season, and it is uncertain whether or riot Mttle will play at all. Players lost to Central will be Wilkinson, who has gone over to North, , Birch, ,who will play for College; and Bragge, who was used, a great deal last year as a bowler.. : ;.' .1 ■■'.■■■• As far as- can. be judged at present, the Central sonior eleven will be about equal in.all essential requirements-to last year's team. ■ . ; . . ' : . The Hutt,Valley. The grounds in. the Hutt Valley; are in very fine condition.. , ■/.■,; .' J. Kodgers, who did not play last year, will wield tho willow for Hutt ngain. Pasting from Timaru, has joined the club. Finlayson, who. played for IScith. last year/will probably play for Petone.

;i The Mid-Week Flayers. i Wednesday cricket' should be veij; ia- ■• iterating. '. ' Post and Telegraph, will probably cease j' to exist, as seniors, , and Y.M.C.A. will ■move upland' fill Hho gap. ; A St: .College team is expected ito enter the junior competition.i ■ I On the.whole tho prospects for the Mid- ' , week Association are excellent.

or Penalty!

■ An effort may bo made this season to have games started punctually to appoint,ed time. .

Members of the association, regret that matches were late in starting on many Saturdays last year. One inembor is in favour of making a hard-and-fast rule that a club ehould either take the field at the right time or forfeit the match. Hβ soys:—"Ton would only need to take that course once." He is right. 'Told of Lord Dudley. It is 6aid that lord Liverpool, our next iGovernor, is a cricket enthusiast.. When ', the fact was mentioned at a cricket assoi ciation meeting the othor evening, the enthusiasm of Lord Dudley, ex-Governor-i General of Australia,' was referred to.

Lord Dudley, it appears, had a habit of lending a hand to roll the wicket, and of doing other' practical things. He was playing in a match in Sydney one day, and a Catholic School boy was also engaged in the contest. The Governor offered .the lad the choice of his bats to go in with. The lad critically overlooked the willows, declined them all, and went to the crcaso with his 'own bat.

JEast- Club Motes

Wellington East will practically be about the samo as last year, with the exception of , one ■Oγ two. Members, however, ore all extremely sorry at losing Buch valuable men as J. Mahony, P. Bowles, and G. Howo. Mahony is going to Australia this month, and all will •wish him every success over thoro. Bowles is now in the Wellington South [district.

On the other band, the club has received some new mon. Cullen, from Auckland, is a. firstclasa wicket-keeper, who "kept l " for Grafton, and who had a batting average of 35. There is also another new man from tihe Argentine, who is a good bowler and a fair bat. Most of the? old players _»ro still available, and also all the promising colts which East had last season. Altogether, members and management are hopeful of having a ,very successful season. '■Bright and Early." ; As usual, Canterbury got in "bright and early" with the opening of its seaeon, same having happened last Saturday. Somo think that the Cathedral City is not-as "live" and alert as it might bo in some things, but it is certainly not slow in the matter of cricket. About the Oldest Club. One of the oldest clubs in New Zealand ia the Albion C.C. of Dunedin, which has just celebrated its jubilee. It is interesting to note that two of its earliest members Were the Hon. T. Mackenzie, now High Commissioner, and Mr. Hark Cohen, editor of the Dunedin "Evening Star." ■■..•'• '■ . Coming Melbournians. 'Regarding the proposed visit of a South Melbourne team to Now Zoaland this_

season, the Canterbury Association has decided to offer tho Wednesday Cricket Association (under whoso auspices tho Victorians will tour Now Zealand) tho sum of £iO for a match to be played on January 17, 18, and 19. The Blackham Testimonial. Tho John McCarthy Blnckham testimonial fund closed at £1361 18s. Id., the expenses being only .£5 15s. 2d. Of this the.sum of .£IOO 2s. lid. has been placed to tie beneficiare's credit in the bank, and the remaining d£1250 has been invested in a life annuity for him. The Victorian Cricket Association, in arranging arid carrying but "this Blackham benefit, has done a noble act. . Blackham is not a contemporary cricketer! of many of the present members, of the V.C.A., and the fact adds much to their credit. Player Killed at the Nets. Fatal accidents at cricket are very rare in Sydney or anywhere else. But the 1912-13 season has been started with a sad event. While the Burwocd District Club was practising for the opening campaign, at the new ground on Pratten Park, Ashneld, the other day, one of the new members, William Joyce, was killed. He yas bowling at the net, and the ball, driven hard back, struck him over the heart, and he at once succumbed. The. members of the club at once abandoned practice. The "deceased was about 30 years old, and leave's a wife and two children.