CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 12

CRICKET.

[BY thh Bbeaxbr.]

Jupiter Pluvlub Again, Once more Jupiter Pluvius intervened, so that to-day's attempt to open the.cricket season, should it bo successful will be the third one. The association has found it necessary Walter tho second round,- and • instead of deleting : it, has arranged for the four leading teams and the four remaining ones to play short further competitions. This it is thought, will keep interest from "flagging."- . ■, A Strong North Club. The North Club-intends to make itself "felt" this season, and besides having in (i strong-junior-team, they have seoured for their senior eleven a good all-round man in the person of P. R. Barker. Barker has been a Hkwko's Bay representative, and his work at the nets points to tie fact that North have seoured a good man, and one who oan bowl somewhat. Petone Club Notes. In view of the fact that the Orioket 'A-ssooiivtdon defcided tt> oototfc.ua .tlhe match Hutt v. Petone, on Labour Day, at Hutt, something like a complication has arisen regarding Petone players. Tho Hutt Valley Carnival is to be held at Potono on Labour Day, and three of the Petone team (possibly more) are interested in tho function. Hardham is starter. Brice (who can ill bo spared) is chairman of the Sports Committee, Tregear (who is a workshops fireman) is.competing in the fire brigade events, and Bennett is an energotio member of the Carnival Committee. As the juniors have a bye, Petone will thus ' be compelled to draw from their ranks to make the team up both for Saturday and Monday. Thus they are hit hard. ! A team will probably be taken from the following players:—Gate 3, O'Donoghne, Barber, Bowman, Smith, Wynyard, Powell, Smyrk, Hardham, Pointon. Tregear, Bennett, and Brice. The Petone wickot is in excellent or'der. 'All players' agreo that a better ■crop of grass has never been seen on it before. Groat pains have boen taken over the top-dressing, whioli is done at the beginning and end of each season. Good practice has been put in in all grades, and one can hear the voice' of Mr. Dalgleish (third-class coach) advising'the' lads f "You may risk a run, iut don't run a risk." % Satisfied Juniors. The. Boys' League is quite satisfied now 'as regards' the wiokets allotted to ' them, and besides the pitches they al-ready-have, they are to have one prepared for them-on the Basin Reserve. The necessary "agitating influence" to gain. this, end, is,, of course, not needed treated reasonably, and that's all they want. Initial Mid-Week Games. A commencement: was ' made with the .Wednesday games this week. The wickets were on the soft side, and; it was almost impossible for any class of bowler to get any work on the ball. •A' good exhibition of fielding was given by the Oriental team, and only one chance was allowed to -slip by. Tho Rivals wero not so good in this line, and; several, balls eluded them, while the Artillery eleven were hardly up to standard. A fine display of batting was made by M'Girr, and no fewer than nine of his hits went ontsiclo the playing ground. One ball ho propelled with terriffic force up Adelaide Read. In making his 45 Warno was seen to advantage, while Deinpsey, with tho handicap of a. bad light, gave a good display. Major Hume, with ■ good clean batting, totted up, his - ac- ] count in. good time. Wilson's 29, too, i was won by a good bat. . Tho honour ■fell to Kinvig of taking the first wick- i et—that of M'Mahon's—with his second ; ball. '

iTho N.Z. Australian Tour. Tho fixtures for the New Zealand • team in their Australian tour are as follow: — Deo. 12, 18—v. Northern District No. 1, at Maitland, Dec. 16, 17—v. Northern District No. 2, at Glen Lines. Deo. 19, 20, 22—v. Queensland', at Bris- ' bane. . ■ , _ , Deo. 26, 27, 20—v.'New South Walea, at Sydney. • (Deo. 31, Jan. I—v. Southern Districts No. 1, at Goulburri. ' 'Jan. 3 and o—v. Albury.and l Border, at Albury. . 'Jan 8, 9,12—v. Victoria, at Melbourne, thm . 16, 17, 19—v. South Australia, at Adelaide. (Jan. 21, 22—v. Melbourne C.C., at Melbourne. • As Others Beo Us. • An interesting artiolo. "New Zealand Cricket and Cricketers," is given in tlie latest issue of "Cricket" to hand. The following is the introductory excerpt :— "Australia, South Africa, India t Canada, the West Indies, Philadelphia, all have .sent cricket teams to England. A [Fijian tour was projected, and a visit , iby coloured West African cricketers is said to bo a likely event of the near future'. Tho first overseas touring /team in England-was one of Australian • aborigines. Thus far Now Zealand has not sent us a team', and because of that people in this country are apt to imagine that the game is in a.Dackward state in the. far, fair islands of. tho South Pacific. This is not tho case. Admittedly! New Zealand criokct is scarcely on the same piano with English, Australian, or South African. But given equal conditions, a representative Now Zealand team would probably ' prove itself stronger than a representative team of any of tho other cricket communities. New Zealand v. United Statos, New Zealand'v. All India, Now •Zealand v. Canada, New Zealand v. the iWest. Indies, • New; Zealand v. the Argentine—if any of these, imaginary' matches wero to be played, I should ■back the Maorilanders every time. Barton, King might astonish them, J. S. [Warden or R; P. Mdhorhomji take a century against them, Georgo Challenor. P. H. Tarilton, or 11. G. Garnett do likewise; but I think Dan Rceso and Jiis men would pull through.

"A representative h .New.: - Zealand (team at tile present date would have ißeoso as captain, beyond doubt. The others likeliest on recent form would be L. G. Hemus ; and C. OllifF, of Auckland; J. 11. Bennett, R. G. Ilickmott, H. B. Lusk, and D. Sandman, of Can •■terbury; T. M'Farlano, of Ofcago; and C. Robinson, of Wellington. The la3tjinmed province has many pood cricketers; but most of: thorn failed to show their true form last season. J. P, Blackloek, F. A. Midlano, W. S. Brioo, C. 0. Wilson, F. R. Southall, E. M. Beechey, and tho Rev. E. 0. Blamires (now, however, in Taranaki, I believo) nre among, her players who would have in bo considered. Then there aro E. V. Sale, W. Brook-Smith, N. C. Sneddon. F. Taylor, and others in Auckland : W. R- Patrick, W. Hayes, and A. Sims (if lie is not still over hero) in Cnnterburv: Iff. "ft. Siedeberg, C. C. JTooltins (like Wilson, an Australian), B. '.7. Ttiekwoll (another Australian), and mow; in Otago;;and Hawke's Bay nn''] tho minor associations doubt p/.K.sosi players worth considering, •tli'ii::;!' information concerning them ip sanity.'"