ENGLISH CRICKET TEAM.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1026, 20 October 1903, Page 3

ENGLISH CRICKET TEAM.

A SOUND. COMBINATION,,

Once again a team of cricketers has set sail from Old England’s shores, en route for The Land of the Golden .Fleece, ” their mission being, as everyone knows, to attempt to regain the supremacy of the orifckqt field) jWrcjßited from them and so long retained by. those wonderful players, “ They ’Straylians/’ The team which is now speeding towards Australia in the Orontes, though not the best England could send, is a sound combination, and is admitted to be the strongest. bowling side England has yet sent out. The absence of Stanley, Jackson, A. C. Maclaren, and C. B. Fry is to be regretted, and everyone would have been glad to have seen these three great batsmen with the team. Still, live of the men Captain P s .Warner has with him represented All England against Australia, on the occasion of the Colonials’ last tour M

any. people consider that the test matches .will he much closer struggles this season than has been the caso for many; years on Australian grounds, and many, there he who believe that Warner’s team will take back with them “ the ashes ”• to the land from which the conquering Australians bore them 3 .The following brief critique on the individual members of the English team will be read with interest,- especially, as during the next few, m.onths we shall hear so much of their doings in the big matches in Australia : P 6 F. Warner, captain (Middlesex). —ls too well known to require any, lengthy notice. Captained the team which won the' English County championship last season, and was in splendid form with the bat, securing a hatting average of 39. G. 11, Hirst (Yorkshire).— A' fine all-round player. Ilis battirig 'average lor the season just closed was ■l7, while he captured 128 .wickets at a cost of 15 runs apiece. Has the knack of making the ball curl in the air. His fine stand with Jcssop won the last test match .for England A brilliant held, J. T a Tyldesley, (Lancashire),— A brilliant batsman, who secured an average of 11 last season. Was flut with iVlaclaren’s last team, and made some long scores. A fine field in the country. „ _ . , T. Hayward (Surrey. Quiet, genial, courteous Tom,” as he is described in Australia, lias so long I been one of England’s foremost players ' and has so frequently visited Australia and ran up long scores against the Colonials, that everyone knows him. His average in hatting last season was 35. B. J. T. Bosanquet (Middlesex).— Visited New Zealand and Australia last year with Warner’s team, and lias been doing well with both bat and ball for his County since returning to England. His batting average was 3-1, while he took 63 wickets at a cost of 21 runs apiece. L. C. Braund (Somerset).— Batting average, 32 ; bowling, 13-1 wickets for 21 runs each. A clever slow, tricky howler, who has frequently taken the field for Ehgland m .test matches against the Australians. A sound batsman, who never scores so well as when runs are badly, wanted by his side. , 10. Arnold (Surrey). - Batting 31 ; bowling, 1-13 wickett for an average of 171. A fine all-round player, who has the reputation or having clean-bowled such batsmen as Fry, Abel, and Ranjitsinhji on perfect wickets.- ... W. Rhodes (Yorkshire).— Batting, 27 : bowling, 193 wickets for an average of 111. For several seasons past England’s greatest bowler. His iinger-bicak is strong and quick, but he gets most ol his wickets by peculiarity ol flight. Likely at any time to make 50 runs with the hat. A. Lillcy (Warwickshire.— The Biackham ol England. Without ary flourish, he gathers the hall unerringly, and never fails to lift the hails if the batsman givijs hi,m a chance. His batting average last season was 25 -

R. 10. Foster (Worcestershire). Did not play a great deal last season, but three seasons ago was the most brilliant batsman in England. He has on no less than three occa-

sions performed the rare feat of scoring a century in each innings of a match—once ior the Gentlemen v. ■Players. A. E. Knight (Leicestershire). A brilliant batsman, who has played u number of exceptionally fine innings lately. He has a most graceful "style, and possesses a large variety of good scoring strokes. lie ran well into the second century with two or three of his scores for his County last season, and played a grand innings of 1-15 for the Players

against the Gentlemen in the last match. Fielder (Kent).—The fast bowfer of 'the team. Is admittedly, being brought out as an experiment. Last season he took 70 wickets for an average of 18£. : Relf (Sussex).—Batting, 21 ; bowling, 124 wickets for an average of ltsf. Is spoken of most highly as a 'first-class performer in all departments. id. Strudwick (Surrey).—The second wicketkeeper. Has no pretensions as a batsman, but has done most brilliant work with the gloves for his County. “No matter what the papers say,’’ writes Mr Warner to Major Wardill, “we shall have a good •side,” This opinion is borne out by “ Felix,” in the Australasian, than whom there is no better judge of the strength of Australian cricket in the Southern Hemisphere. He thinks if Hugh Trumble cannot he induced to play, it is not at ail unlikely, that the Englishmen will win the rubber in the test matches. The following are the principal matches of the tour ■

Nov, 7, Adelaide—v 3 South Aus tralia, Nov. I3j Melbourne—v. .Victoria Nov. 20, Sydney—v a N.S.W. Nov a 27, Brisbane—v, Queensland Dec. 2-s—Newcastle or Maitland Dec. 11, Sydney—No, 1 Test Dec. 18.—Vacant Dec/ 2 G, —B end igo Jan. 1, Melbourne —No. 2 Test Jan. B.—Ballarat Jan, 15, Adelaide}—No, 3 Test Jan. 22.—Tasmania Feb. 5, Melbourne—Victoria No 4 2 Feb.’ 12, Sydney—N.S.W. No, 2 Feb. 10. —Vacant Feb. 26, Sydney—No, 4 Tost March 4, Melbourne —No. 5 Test March 12, Adelaide—S.A. No, 2 March 24, ; Perth—W,A, .Goldfields