CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1931, 13 December 1913, Page 16

CRICKET.

[By The Breaker.] Chief interest just now will centro in tho\New-Zealand team, r which com"ineliccdHhe first match of its Australian tour at jSlaitland,. against tlio Northern "Districts,, No. '1- .team, yestorday. It is '■■satisfactory that. tho team arrived in good condition," and, no doubt, it will i soon catch, tip the day's practice lost through the delay of the steamer. ,Wty> Will tho Australians Be? . This season should be. ail unusually interesting one:. Wo have a team in ° Australianju3t> now, and in a very little wliilo wo .will be welcoming 0110 from the land of tho kangaroo. Tho composition !of tho Australian team is not yet known, nor :oycn hinted' at, but in a \week or jao {-.(perhaps less) wo should know tho 'personnel. This is ono of tho pieces of information wo on this side of. tho Tasmau are looking for at tho moment. It is almost certain to bo a strong team, and tho wo can hope for is that it will contain the cream of Australian cricket. .Wellington Team's Tour. Tho Wellington team's engagements .on tour this season are: — December 25 and 2G —Mqrlborough, at •I'lenheim. - : . January'l, \2, and at Christchurch. ' January 6 and 7—Southland, at In■Yercargill. . January 9, 10, and at Dmiedin. Among tlio' chief matches to be played in Wellington this season aro tho following:—December 25, 2G, and 27- — Auckland. li'obruary—D. Reese's team. ■' February or March—Australian team. \ HOW' 'Tv/as Dane. N Writing of liow New Soutli Wales and Victoria built up the game, the • "Boforeo" says: —"Tho position to-day held by New South AVales and Victoria was was not gained by asking assistance from other people. It was won by independent efiort, by men devoted to crioket in tho earlier days putting their'hands into their own pockets, by organising entertainments.and l by other means, which entailed labour, industry, and self-sacrifice, getting in tho money required for carrying on their intercolonial matches. Tho time came when the contests with Victoria paid all expenses of .the return match, and later left a substantial profit for use in other ' directions in cricket'. This period in tho : liistory of tho gnmo in New. South ' Wales and Victoria, and likewise in ■South Australia, ought to.be reached .now in the other States. In Queensland they must bo very closo'to it; but •in Tasmania they seeni to be a good distance behind."

; Stray Singles. It is stated definitely that G. A. . Faulkner, : tlio famous South , African 'cricketer, will play in tho Test matches cand for •tlio . Transvaal .against the M;C.C,\team. '" Without looking Tip /-records (says a Christchurch' "Press" writer), I think ; it; will bo safe to say that AVliitta's : batting record so far this Reason has '•.jlciver been equalled in Cliristchurch. J His scores are 53, 65, 207 no.t. out, 99, ;• riiid G4. This gives liira an. average or ;t']22. AATiitta's 99'gavo Mm' an aggro*>gato for three matches of '124 mils in ' ,th'reo completed innings, .with '.an averof 141.33. This; should give him a : /'cjjance -of topping AV:'Carlton's■'•record • ' aggregate of 524 ;for;'tho season, mado in 1911-12. At.aiiv rate ho : should -mako. .'a ;bold hid for" of place in' ; .tlie '.Christchiiroh batting- averages.

'v'Ctem Hill-Standout;,. : Clem Hill, oiie'-of'4he world's most - famous batsmen) is standing out of tho '. South Australian .ranks this season. ' " Business is said' to' bo. interfering -with sport. One Australian' sajrs:— ■ '•'Clem Hill's absence,'of course, is a ~severe loss to. tho .side, but it- must bo .remembered that tlio lef Miander' cannot retain his\wohderfid' ; forni, for..ever, and ."■iio'tv that tho claims.-of business need . Abis attrition itiis : necessary to'look for ' another champion.' 1 ■ , . •

iTrumper Still Prolific. .Sydney is talking Trumper as hard as, ever., . The world-beating batsman has ■ been doing great things for tho Gordon ,'Ctab this season. Gordon had not been l defeated, , and Sydney had not won a i match, prior to- Saturday, when Sydi iieyV dofe'atcd Gordon.at Chatswood by TSh'tuns 011 the lirst innings. A fine day, .good wicket, excellent attendance, and a.closo finish, with a century, from the ,bat> of Tmmper, made a very agreeablo combination of circumstances. In ' Ill's fine innings of 122, Victor Trumper gavo two chances, 0110 in the forties and ; one, after reaching tho century. Ho hit 12 tours and a six, and showed excelilent form. Watching them closely, and '.playing very soundly, ho took 110 un- ; duo risks, \the prospects of the side dei pending in no small measure on his own [efforts. His batting for Gordon so far ihas been vory'fine, the scores being: 84, •32, 36, 157, and 122.

Gricket and Military Drill. Tlio following from tho Sydney "Referee" indicates that Australia has not ; arrived at as satisfactory an arrangeUnont as New Zealand has made to avoid [a clashing between military training and week-end sport:—''Tlio Commonwealth Office has circulated a pamphlet in England describing tlio experience of Aus-tralia-under the compulsory training system, and also tho latest amendments suggested by. that experience. That compulsory training "is "having, a-line influ'eiice;" in ; disciplining - Australian- youth is true, -but" it' is" interfering so much ,- with the games on Saturdays that many i who heartily believe in tlio principle and ,tho practice, of compulsory training think that it should bo carricd out without unduly interfering with such games as cricket, .football, swimming, hockey, lacrosso, and baseball 011 Saturdays. It is a matter that might easily bo arranged botweon the military authorities and tlio leaders in the sports."

Hcathcote-Wllliams Shield. Tho following by an Auckland writer is interesting: "The Grammar School team intend journeying south this month in quest of. the Heathcote-'Williams Shield, which was taken from them last year by tlio boys of tho Cliristcluircli High School. Tho team is practising hard under the tuition of F. Ward and as tho whole .of last year's players aro available, they should put up a good .iiiilxt for tho possession of tho trophy.