CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 3051, 28 November 1872, Page 2

CRICKET.

B\f “ Looker On". A public meeting has bee*; called for Friday evening next, to make arrangements for the forthcoming Intovprovincial cricket match. The general public arc invited, but whether they will respond remains to be seen. All cricketers will of course make it a point of attending. The most important business of the evening will no doubt be the election of a committee, to choose an eighteen or twenty from which the final selection of the team will be made ; to appoint days for practice. ; to arrange for the preparation of suitable'wickets ; and, in conjunction with the Canterbury cricketers, to fix the dates tor the great event, In view of the approaching contest, it may not be unprofitable to endeavor to ascertain in what departments of tiro game we are weak and defective. And here it may be stated, once for all, that any remarks and criticism that may appear from time to time in these columns, are offered in no captious, carping, or unfriendly spirit, but are promoted by a regard for the true interests of cricket ; their object being to give prominence to the fine old English game, and encourage a manly pastime, which tends to foster and promote vigorous physical development, The true cricketer loves the game for its own sake, for the invigorating and healthful exercise it affords, and for the means it gives of renovating and recruiting his physical energies. The pseudo-crieketer covets notoriety, and indulges in self-glorifi-cation, and is never happy either on or off the field, unle'-s he is attracting the attention of some wondering on-lookers. The play of the season so far has been most unequal and unsteady. I ooseness has mimed supreme in every department of the game, The steady, ch)ck-li|;e precision with a llrst-dftss and well-trained eleven go to work is never observed. Our strongest point is undoubtedly batting. We Lave some dangerous bats'among us--men who can go in and score against any bowling ; but even here want of steadiness is a noticeable fault. How often do we see a really good bat lunging -wildly out to a bailer, and paying the penalty of bis rashness. Some batsmen arc all stylo. This stylish play is well taken pff |jj oqq of ouf ‘Cricketing Guides

“ What a splendid style Mr So-and-So has ; what a pity he never makes any runs.” Style is all very well where it is effective as well as pretty, like Kettle’s or Macfarlan’s ; but all style ami no runs does not pay. In bowling we have plenty as to quantity, but the quality, with a few exceptions, is very inferior. Speed is not every, thing in bowling. Fast bowling is far easier to play and less dangerous than the medium pace, and this fact most young bowlers entirely ignore. They attempt to bowl beyond their strength, and spoil their chances of ever excelling. Several additions have been made to our bowlers this season, and among them some good performers ; hut there is an ardent reluctance on the part of some to admit them into the charmed circle of the first eleven of the leading club. The Citizens have two capital bowlers who will appeal* to advantage during the season. Our fielding is simply disgraceful : we are sadly deficient in this department of the game. There are exceptions ; Kettle and Macfarlan, for instance, are good enough for any eleven. A good fieldsman is invaluable in any team. A good bat may fail to score ; but a smart, active man in the field stops and saves runs, and ably seconds the efforts of the bowler to dispose of the batsmen. There is »n ultra-brilliancy of style in fielding, too, affected by some of our would-be cracks—the objectionable practice of catching, or rather attempting to catch everything, no matter how difficult, with one hand, e.g , someday, no doubt, a splendid catch will be duly chronicled; but iu the mean time the score mounts up, and the bowler’s average is unfairly reduced. Bome, again, will haidly deign to stoop so low as to roach the ball, and often miss jt from shpep laziness. Another objectionable practice is rife among us, viz., throwing the ball at the wicket without waiting to give the field time to back up, A good wicket-keeper steadies the field, and a good long-stop is a tower of strength, and fills one of the most important positions iu the field, although it is generally looked upon with disfavor. In both of these respects the leading club is deficient, and should endeavor as soon as possible to supply the want.