CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1575, 19 October 1912, Page 12

CRICKET.

[By the Breaker.]

All Love 'Jack'." the passengers who left by the SVancy boat yesterday was "Jack" Jfahony, the weil-known East Club player, and Wellington representative. The announcement of Mahony's departure came at a Tathor awkward time as far as his fellow cricketers were concerned for the various clubs have hardly yet pulled their ' forces together, and there was not time s to do anything in the way of making a suitably'recognition to this sterling bat. So, as it happened, "Jack" lias wended his way. "out into the Golden West" sans ceremonie, sans presentation. But the East Club members, it is understood, do not intend to let things remain at that. ' The idea is to send soma memento "across the water" and a move in that ■ direction will be made at once. lTho New East "Back-stop," ■ . East's, new "back-stop" is to be Cullen, late of /Auckland. His all-round form at the nets this week has created a very favourable impression. The Eust men say that, with the bat, he has a good assortment of strokes and, with the ball, he can wheel up something'which is said to bear a very fair, resepiblance to the Teal "googlie." His forte, however, is the gloves. ■ He ranged next to Harry Ellis as Auckland's wicket-keeper year end, but for the indisputable claim of -: ; Ellis to the position, would have accompanied tho Auckland team which toured .south last season. A Little Honour Well Deserved. There' are, apparently, more than a few genuine-' cricket.enthusiasts in Wellington, and some',of this i enthusiasm lives, moves, and has its being in the Government Printing Office. A few days ago a few friends and admirers of W. A. . Baker—the well-known East colt—presented him with a bat .in recognition of his feat in topping tho Wellington averages last year.' . One can, possibly,-be permitted to add that it-is hoped'by other .admirers (out- ' side the Government Printing; Office) that when "W.A." marches out to the wickets .with the. .new bat''he will contrive to' let the bowlers know that "lie is there." / . ■■■■•■; The Rejuvenated North. Ono is certainly inclined to think that North will be quite a strong batting side . this season, though doubts are expressed as to the effect ofi its attack with the ball. V .' Lambert, the well-known North player, is at present "touring" somewhere down i. the West Coast but,.'it is stated, will be back in time for'next. One of the pleasant features about North's'doings is the accession to their ranks of C. /R. Smith. The waiter does not know whether his arm still retains the ancient winning which used to send up a wonderful, slow ball and get wickets by the bagful.. To the spectators it ■ used to look the most harmless of balls, but—well, tho batsmen knew different. Besides his accomplishments as an actual cricketer, Mr. Smith is, generally speaking, an acquisition to any club or game. , In 'the control and legislative line he is • temperate, but very far-seeing. Hutt Club-Notes. The ground at Lower Hutt' has been worked well all this week, and by" today, if the weather beeps fine, the wicket will be in perfect order for the opening. Eodgers will play for his club and should considerably strengthen the bowling. As a slow off-break bowler, Eodgers has bagged many wickets during his career, and opponents will have to keep ail eye -5...; i;.,,,,.Although Hutt have no fast bowler they have some good medium-pace men. G. P. Judd, Pringle, and Aldersley were all good last year. Paton, a new arrival, appears to bo a very good all-round man, but more especially distinguishes himself with the . bat. ■ . .

• Mr. D.■ N. Teals, tv-ho was bo prominent a figure in umpiring on the Hutt ground,. is slowly recovering from a recent illness, and expects to be "counting overs" again , after Christmas. In- all probability ft team from the Hutt Club will tour to Auckland, play- . ing 'various clubs cn route during the .Christmas' holidays. V Petone Club Happenings. ' "Stan" Brice, tho express bowler, has not" sufficiently recovered from his operation ''during''.the winter, to allow him to "send up hot stuff," so will content himself witn slow breaks, till after Christmas, and then, if all is well, will begin to "rock 'em in." v . ; "Alf" Cats, the nippy "keeper," will not :be playing this season,' acting on medical advice. Although he has been selected, ho states, ho. will not don. the flannels. Rowley, the new member from England, has been a constant visitor to the nets this week, and besides being a good bat he has good bowling averages standing against his name. . The football combination of M'Kenzio Und Ramsdeti, will be seen playing the summer game, and it is,expected that the great understanding between these two at football will possibly be made manifest in running between the wickets.'"Well, eveni that is an art." Generally speaking Petone will have a strong eleven that should give the best in Wellington. a shake. The oval. at present is perfect. Some Stray Net Gossip'. Tlie East Club's B. team seems a good deal "less strong" than- was the case last year. ■ _ A very promising, junior player—H. M'Cardell—who played for East last year has been elevated to senior rank bv the wise disoernment of the Central Club's match committee. Whether lie succeeds in his first venture in senior cricket or not is, of course, beyond stating, but it is certain that lie is a coming cricketer Jf ho sticks to tho in batting, bowling, and fielding.

Cricket Chatter from Auckland. _ Colin L. Nesbit, lato of the Auckland Churches Cricket Association, has rejoined the Ponsonby Club. ' ■ W. Hill, lato of Wellington, has joined the 'Ponsonby, Club. Constable W. Mackrell, of the Auckland police force, has been elected a member of the Ponsonby Club. He is a good left-hand batsman and bowler. Sauverin, an ex-AVellingtou Wednesday afternoon cricketer, has taken up his residence in Auckland, and has loined the Grafton Club. • Bragge, an ex-Wellington player, has joined the Grafton Cricket Club. He created a favourable impression on his first appearance at the nets, though (says an Auckland paper) "his length was a littlo bit on the short side. It used to be so here. The' -Parnell Club probably will have the assistance this year of N. Grenier, lato ofVllulia, and England. Grenier, who is at'present residing in the country, is a very keen cricketer, and has written ! to the Parnell Club with a view to joining it. He.' has 'played in senior cricket in the English counties, and also in India, and is said to bo a good all-round man. C. G. Clarke, a fast bowler, Who played in Taranaki • last year, has joined tho Ponsonby Club. W. Morme, another new arrival'in Auckland, and a fast bowler, las also thrown in his lot with this club. Among the new members who have joined tno North Shore Club is a player named Harpor. He hails from the Old Country,, and is said to be a very hard and powerful hitter. High Praise for Charles Kelleway. Thus a writer in "Cricket" of August 81:—"Who .is tho man to whom the tournamont htis brought tho greatest access of .. famfc? I should say, without a moment's hesitation, Charles ICelloway. Bardsley did aplendidlyi' so did Hobbs, Barnes, and Wooiley. But of theso great things were expected. Others did well, but scarcely well enough to increase their reputations. Kelleway stands to-day far higher than he did when he landed in England. Slow? I grant you that. litis tho ball hit the bat too often? True. Has fow strokes? Right again! There aro rnoro criticisms that can-easily be made; and yot, "when,

all that can be said against the tall Glebe nian is said, it must bo granted that he is a great player in his own special style. Cool, plucky, level-headed, unruffled by jeering, ho reminds ono somewhat of John Douglas, somewhat of Alec Bannerman, somewhat of Joo.Vine, yet is different from all of them." When the Umpire Decides. The final Test match, England v. Australia, did not pass off without unpleasantness, the Australians contending that Bardsley was not out when Hobbs threw his wicket down on the Thursday afternoon. Sevoral members of the England team, interviewed on the matter when the match was over, expressed a positive opinion that Bardsley was out a yard, and they were in a far better position to see than those in the pavilion and the Press box, who, with an end-on view of the game, thought the batsman had got home. Two or threo famous cricketers were much upset, and did not hesitate to say that they felt sure a mistake had been made. Moss, who gave the decision, and lias the' reputation of being one of the very best umpires in England, said, so I am told, that if he had had the slightest doubt on tho matter ho would have given Bardsley in. ,' There the matter must rest, but it was very unfortunate indeed that the Australians should havo finished the match with a grievance. They have a way of cherishing these things, and those of us who have lived so long will, ten, or even twenty years hence hear of Bardsley runout at the Oval in 1012. There was another matter about which the Australians were aggrieved on Thursday, as they thought that Fry was out hit-wicket. Tho wicket was broken, but Pry got the decision on the ground that he had completed his stroke "before his foot touched the stumps and dislodged the' bail. ' As a rule, I carefully avoid making any reference to umpires' decisions, and it must be understood that I do not in either of these cases offer any opinion of my own as to what happened. There has, however, since been so much talk, especially about Bardsley's run-out, that I could not well let the matter pass without notice.—'"Balin," in the London "Referee.