CRICKET

Evening Star, Issue 20137, 30 March 1929, Page 6

CRICKET

i; NOTES AMD COMMENTS > ENGLISHMEN'S./TOUR. To those who wish to keep a record o! -tliis season’s English visit to Australia ’the I'ollowing list should prove useful -a v. Western Australia.—England 4Uli and 20 for no wickets; Western Australia 257. Drawn. v. South Australia.—England 528 ?md 'S-ll for four wickets; South Australia 52-1. Drawn. g v. Victoria.—England -ISO; Victoria Itit and Ido for no wickets. Drawn. • v. N.S.W.— England 754 for seven wickets (declared); N.S.W, 3-1 U and 3(34 lor three wickets. Drawn, ji van Australian Eleven. England 557 suul 118 for two wickets; Australian Eleven 231 and 213, England won by eight wickeds. ‘v. Queensland. England 255; Queensland 11(3 and 1(30. England won by an innings and 17 runs. ■" Eirst Test.—England 521 aiyl 3-12 for eiglit wickets (declared); Australia 122 and 0(3. England won by (575 runs. v. Queensland Country Team.— Eughmd 510: Country ’ream 128 and 215. .England won by an innings ad hit) runs. Second Test --England bs(i ad Hi lor Iwo wickets; Australia 255 and 507. England won by eight wickets, v, Newcastle-! Inntcr River.— New-castle-M (inter River 550 tor nine wickets (declared); England 281. Drawn. Third Test.—England -117 and 552 for seven wickets; Australia 507 and 551. England von by three wickets. v. Geelong.— England 28!) for .six wickets (declared); Geelong 124 for six wicket-. Drawn. One day match. v. Bendigo Thirteen. England 505 anti 255 for nine wickets; Bendigo luS, Drawn. v. Tasmania.—England (82 for eight wickets (declared); Tasmania 220 and 15,. England won by an innings and i Jlli run-. ' | v. Tasmania.—England 225; Tasman a 00 ami 05. England won by an innings and 01 run-. v. South Australia,—-England 5112 and I -lib lor live wickets (declared); Smith ! Australia OS and 75 lor one wicket, j Drawn. I . I* on mb Test.—England 551 and 333 : ! Australia 501) ami 550, England umi ! by 12 runs. I v. Ballarat Thirteen. England 4!)5 j tor nine_wickets (declared); Ballarat I 77 and GO lor seven wicket--. Drawn. ■ .v. N.S.W.— England 114 tor tour vie- ; kels; N.S.W. 128. Drawn. Rain pro- J vented play on two out of the lour j days | v. Western District-. England 510;) Western Districts 127 and 81. England wan by an innings and 111 mu-7 I v. Southern Distrims Thirteen —Eng- j land 250 and 22u lor live wickets; I Southern Districts 155 and 155 tor tour i wickets. Drawn, j ■v. V ictoria,- \ icloria 5"2 lor nine I uick'ds (declared); England ■’ 0.) red I 508 for three wickets, Drawn I Eifih Te-fc. -An ij,i • ( and 2>7 1 for live wickers; England SRI and 257', An.-draba von by (ive wickets. v. Western Australia. - - \\-'stern Australia 5.1.0 and .180 lor three wicket-; England 2(1. Drawn.

■inns HER RV J IO [JUS. 1:m: LAND'S AJ ASTER RATSAIAN. ! 11 > jul: 1 1 his irillll111 1 1 w,i, at (In- exiHMiso cl; Anr-tialin. J. ]J. Hobbs's hiin (“io iiiujl fo.sC lm> v*rc ; uioat pleasure to Australian .sportsmen (wnlos •• Not Our," in tin- ‘ R; lem- ’) Hir-v real IS- t !;.-i t., while Hohhs helon-s to Iminland, lilvt* \ ictor TniniM' , i'. 1m V , f" n wider world, Hohhs to cEcku, it sell', Hum winch Uioi-e is nothin- more catholic in thecounties <>f the Hritish. .IL/ol;-, is forty-seven years u|’ a-o. or years older than Vt. 0. Draw was on his hist visit to Australia in l y !)|. On tins tour, hein- a more inorfal, alter all, he has played rather scdat.-lv, lor J-iobbs. on the iV. t wickets, thon-h thore was nothin- sedate about his saiperh caif-het on (ho had v.ickcl of the 3 bird lost in Melbourne. In the latest innin-s lu- was a brilliant batsman compared with bis you n- cl u Inn ato |). [> deii-dine.

W. Grace was Hie givate-t crickKngla m! or the wtjrld |■ rodu. cd, I’lit historians will have ;nnji|f• In snpl"»t tli,. contention (lint Hofibs was In. iwr will 1 i,o I,lit. Till' Hobbs „l vnalN >x ” t ' irlosi?—in. style inroinI’ and polished, master ot all tin- strokes, perIt'et in placing, and superior to anv of tho younger ones in the present team in nutting on ilie wood -seientilicallv -It is stated freely that Hobbs ‘will Jiever play ill another test against Australia; (nit, il he teds like doing so on the slower wickets, and in the more Mibclned light of England. [ believe he will do so. The manner in which he played in Melbourne in the first Test, and in Sydney in the second New ouuth U ales match, on wickets impaired by ram, was eye-open in" to ail l!e----t.wcon wickets lie is practically as good ns ever, and there is little deterioration, d any, in his fielding. lint Hobbs him.-dr alone know-, e:;nd ! y how (be physical strain Inis him. I he strain el r, 'IV.t in Kiigb, r ,d is le-s severe than it is in (his conn try. j l! ere is. to iny \ a■ v, , e ;i i \ une ginnnd in l.ie world on uliidi llobli, .'honhl play his (innl Test. That "round is Kennington Oral, (he (anions home d .“surrey County, with which his name has been linked so illnstriouslv . If hr feds like il. Hebhs .should keen ni led cricket mild the Oval match of dU), so t nit England imiv give him as luting a finale to this tvno of cricket ns it gave lo 0. Grace when 'the Kevintlian ami Ins rare deeds appealed to the great British sporting public- wim presented him with -CUI.UIHJ. This js the Inst Test nppearant‘o of Moons in Australia. .His lie,"innings in Mie game will interest young Australians ambitions to rise to the front. Ho had Jms earliest lessons on Parker's Piece at Cambridge, one of the finest omm playing fields in the world, with hc'antilnl turf intersected by pathways and studded with nets. I’atiji described t.ns field to the writer when he was out here m 1307. Ilanji practised the game in the summer afternoons ami evenings, with play possible until after 10 o'clock owing to the wonderful EngUsh twilight. There Hobbs did so. too. Two of cricket's wonders! On a visit to Cambridge in lOl’tl I -pent, two evenings looking at the cricket practices at Parker’s Piece. J. M. Hobbs -wrote ‘My Cricket Memories’ .some few years ago. In this book ho told 'a very human story of his earliest days in the game:— “Some prominent writer on cricket has said : ‘ If there had been no Tom Hayward there would have been no Jack Hobbs.’ This assertion has been widely repeated, and the impression has been conveyed that Tom Hayward coached me in my' early days. “ That is not so. How much Hayward meant to me in the early days of my cricket T shall relate in due course; but. as a matter of fact. I have neve had an hour’s coaching in my life. And the reason that f start mv reminiscences with this statement is .beenuse T want to make the point that there is hope for everybody in the .cricketing field, giv-ti. first, a certain amount of ability, and, next, unlimited perseverance and

determination. Ability and a seasoning of luck are good ingredients: but neither of these is any "ood without perseverance, and plenty of it. ■‘ft was at Cambridge v .that I was horn in Deeomher. 1882. and christened Tulin Berry Hohhs—.John after my father, and Berry aider my mother's maiden name. My father was a cricket professional. lie was on Iho ground -(all at Kenner's, that famous ground in the University city, where so many lir-i-class men have found their feet. One ot Ins duties was to how! at the nets at Kenner’s to the undergraduates, and ho was also a professional umpire, j “ (he love of cricket must have been horn in me at a very early age. The lli'-t match I ever saw. 1 hough I have no recollection of it. naturally, was between Cambridge University and the Australians - . I was a baby at the time, and my lather held me in his arms. It seems (hat everybody round about laughed al me. and one of the Australians, (lidding near the boundary, turned round and said; ‘ Better make a crick-j eter ol that kid. old man. 1 ' '•Only a jest, of course, but it I pleased my father no end, and he often repealed the story to mo later when, | as a lad, 1 began to show promise, j “ I was tlio eldest ol twelve children - six girls and ,-ix hoys. Only one of my brothers .seemed In inherit the cricket spirit. lie mi- a promising bonier, but the side of the .game that j appealed most to him was the pre.parn- | tion ol wickets, and he beiamc I groundsman to King's College School; ! at \\ inibledon. j 1 ‘‘.My lather was tremendously keen \ ; on ci'ickel, but ho was very reserved.! ! and never spoke very Ireely to me j i about his hopes. This I regret, but it ] ji- a family trait. I. my-elf, have a ; lannly ol three boy- ami a girl, and, j (hough I hope that Ihe hoys will be I fine cricketers, I admit that I. like my | lather, find difficulty in discussing it 1 with I hem. ' 1 | “ .My lather died in U)(i2, ami never I ! "aw me play in first ela.-s cricket.. In i I!)(11 he had the sat;slaction of seeing j j me play a- an amateur for Cambridge, j I I remember bow mortally afraid I was | jot the prole-donai-. Of course, they | ; aM know_ who 1 was, and i thought | | they might find, it strange that a son j | ol one of (heir comrades should turn! I out, as an amateur." I

May the name of Hobbs never la.de in cricket.

CRICKET MANNERISMS, iIEM A N SIDE OF CHEAT CAME. M bile nin-t people have mannerisms and peculiar -estim-s. there is m.i doubt that ihe mannerisins of cricketer.-- are more proiiouneed and noticeable than tlio-e ol other sportsmen. sa\s Arthur Alai'ey. the tamoiis -00-ly bowler. v ho E now on the stab nj a Sydney _ daily. It may he because cricket, Is so deliberate and methodical. 'J he peculiarities oi mnvement in other people appear' to he more or less -eneral, and are is-s not ieeable. Hut with the cricketer it is dili'erc-iit. Mi-, Mihconscious movements are so re-ultir that o-ie could almost sot one's watch to each mannerism. Take Phil Mead, the left-hand batsman who is now in Australia with ihe En-lisli team, lor instance-. He has a routine which is followed as devoutly as ;i Alo.-dem religions ceremony. Alter strikm- Ihe hall he hesitate.-- a second then walks in a circle round the bartin- erease. ’I a bin- up bis stance at the wicket he laces his hat up to the ''present arm-" position. lie then touches the peak el his cap to the umpire at his end. marks lime qnickh I’onr times, and is then ready for anythin- the iinwier mi-hi send ahm-. I watched Mead in Adelaide, and on no occasion did I see him depart Irom this remarkable routine. The En-lishmen's break-hack howler, Maurice Tate, also has (piite a number of mannerisms, althou-h most of them arc more or less -overned by incidents. For instance, after bowl in- the ball his hands and amis are drawn np above Id’s head in -eadiness for an appeal for le- be lore Another -rent manensni of Alanricc Tail is the confidential way in which he speaks to the batsman at the howler’s end or the umpire. He puts his hand to his mouth and whispers quietly as he walks by. Ho mi-ht la- speakin- about tbweather or his bruised tee. o>-a cat that '-omehody sent him, hut whatever' is said he savs it in slnci confidence.

Watch I lerhcrl. Snli-lifi'e hatting and Herbert Oldfield wieket-kcepinc.. Sniclifi'e s', anils <piie!ly writing lor the bonier to commcm-e hi- run. Half wav I hrough Inc l.owlor ■> run Snlclifie lilts hi- bat once and drop- p to the ground, almo-i -i mnlt a ncon-l v Oldfield, who has been standing nearly upright. Hop- down on In- haunches. These two movements are made to a fraction ol a second: and one Mould almost think licit SnU-litl'c i- signalling to Oldfield, telling him when to squat on his hcel>.

Perhaps the most common cricketing mannerism is the hi tehing-np ol trousers. 1 have never met a cricketer who docs not hitch up Ids trousers, excepting perhaps the native Eijian—ami even bo hitches up (ns Haxod skirl occasionally. This unnecessary habit is so common that even when the bowler's bands arc soiled with a mixture ot Ibdli soil and perspiration, he hitches his tronsers up with bis elbows. If be didn't do it Ids game would go to

pot. Some batsmen have a -cl, way of leaving the pavilion, and would not think of adjusting their gloves until they conic to a certain point. It may bo when leaving the dressing room ; it may he when passing through the lit He green gate on the way to the wicket, or he may start to adjust, his gloves when he arrives at, the wickel. Cricket is bristling with mannerisms and habits. On leaving the pavilion nearly every bat'inan will look back at the clock. Even when the same batsmen arc pjaying on sonic of the grounds in Scotland, where there arc no clock', they automatically look back at the roof of the pavilion, by force of habit. Even when a team files on to the field, you will Had certain members dropping into certain positions behind the captain. 1 remember an amusing incident during the tests of 11)21. Charlie Macartney always followed ,'v’arwic-k Armstrong through the gate on the way out. This was so apparent and so sure that several members used to bet on tho matter, and lay great odds on the possibility cf Macartney losing bis position.

One distressed bettor met me during a, lunch interval and asked me if Macartney could be influenced to come out last instead of behind W.W.A., and

aHo-.v this enthiisics' to -el some of his money hack. However. Alacarti—y was not, a oproaclnd ; huE wh-n the team was about to enter the held, somehodv slipped up ouiekly on the raiE and,Just “ pipped " Charlie Aiae-

arlnev lot - a second olaco. A mar of laughter from a -action . ! the members told ns that something unusual had In ken place. Voiteh Palsy ilendren walking to the wickets. Alter going fiirongli the gate he pulls (be peak of hi-, cap down over his eyes, then drags the cap down on the hack ol Ids head ."gain. Pcforo ho takes strike he turns his hat slowly in the air. Jack Hobbs, on the oilier hand, spins his I). 1 1, aromul in a t.-i- hion that is reminiscent of Charlie Hai-ainm y. Vidor Trumpcr used to shrug Ids .shoulders and adjust his leggings before taking strike. I remember a big fellow in New Zealand who - toad at the wickel with the hat over his shoulder like a woodehopper. One of onr bowler-, wim had not, seen (lie ha .Sinn n Ir-tm-c, hesitated licioi-.- bov.llm'. Ko on, .-aid the ii:cp:n-. ‘‘ I'o-.vi " lint." -aid the Imwicr, *• I don't IV. • Hit to bowl yet. Tin- [.cor rhap's not ready." "Oil. lie's ready, lie always stands like that." replied Mm umpire. Tin,- bowler howled, and that hat came down from its resting place like a Hash. I don't think they ever found the ball again. OTAGO CRICKET ASSOCIATION, Here is a complete table giving the results ot the year’s compel h ions in all grades playing under the (Pago Cricket A-.vicial him -

hirst Gra r‘ = - r IJ 11 n < ■( i i ■ “ ■— 1 i 01(1 Bovs ... 0 1 1 14 ( arisbrouk A . . ,s •» i i 1 AlMi'i 1 S I 7 Gram/e s 1 4 !» Colts, Q - (i 1 - ■ Second Grade 2 x.i:. Vidi.M ,s ;t 15 Gra ii”i' S 7, 3 1 1 Christian Bros. ... s 1 ‘t 111 Alhien 8 r-i 0 Carishroek i! s r, ;> 1 1 Dunedin s r, (i Old Bov., A 8 2 t; -1 Carisbrook 11 0 ■i 2 — 8 Second C rad : B . Dimi'di;, C lo s 7, 21 Albion B in 7 i 7> ID 01,1 Bov.- B id i 4 4 12 Valiev Ki 7, (5 G 15 Christian Bros. ... Ki 4 8 •t 12 Kaikorai 10 in 1 2 28 Boi'l Chalmers ... 10 4 ,8 i 12 Carisbrook C 10 7 i 7) 1!) Albion A 10 i 12 8 G Dunedin D 10 .1 7) 0 Ki i Bub School 10 $ 0 2 18 (jraii"i! 10 n 12 i. 7 • —Third Grade.- - Vall-v 15 0 !) 12 K Ki 7 :) 14 Old Bovs A ]0 0 :i i 13 Kaikorai A 10 7 8 i 15 Knox Church 10 8 g 3 10 ,\I ‘Glashan 1A 8 0 1 17 A lb in a 1 0 10 G 1 21 Cambroak F 10 1 13 . 2 4 Gr.u)o(10 10 3 23 Christian Pros. ... Ki 14 1 1 21) Dunedin K 15 10 G — 20 llitrli Schoo. 15 5 7 3 13 Old Bovs P 10 i 15 — 2 Kaikorai B 15 8 G 2 18 —Fourth Grade. Christian Bros ... 10 13 i 27 Dunedin 1' JO G ki i ii Rich School H ... in o n — 4 M‘Glashan KJ ;i i) — 0 Albion 13 10 0 — 20 Giane«.' 10 8 s — 10 Uin;h School A ... 12 7 G — 14 Techtucal 13 7 4 2 10