CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2110, 8 February 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

WANDERERS v. TARUIJERU. (Notes by “Short-slip.”) Wanderers journeyed out- to Taruhoru on Saturday last, and engaged the tea-in from -Nelson Bros.’ Freezing Works for the second time this season. Wanderers won the tons and took first strike, Babb and Burke opening the innings to the howling of A. Young and JO. Sharp. The latter is a recent arrival from Home, and hails front that strong cricketing county, Yorkshire. He proved himself a capable bowler by clean bowling Burke with a good one straight away with the total at four. -Babb was batting belter than lie has yet done this season, displaying more freedom thou usual and getting some tine strokes. With his score at 17, Babb was caught napping by the wily Young to the discomfiture of the batsman-and the intense amusement, of the spectators. Babb has a habit of backing-up over-zealonsly, and Young detected this weakness. The bowler ran up to the crease to deliver the ball; over went bis arm; the batsman hacked up with his custom-try zeal. Alas for poor Babb! The wily Young never delivered the ball, but quickly removed tlie bails, and queried: “How’s that?” There was only one reply to so obvious a clean run-out, as Babb -was feet out of his ground. The batsman sadly wended his way to tlie pavilion, deeply pondering over the multifarious ways there are of losing one’s wicket at cricket. Young and E. Sharp bowled so well that eight wickets were down tor 6-1, when Adamson and Maude became associated, and made a capital stand for the ninth wicket, putting on to for the partnership. Both batsmen were leniently treated by the field, but the wicket was kicking and Young and Sharp took a lot of playing. Adamson and Maude are to be complimented under the circumstances for the-p! t-kv manner m which they redeemed the failure of the earlier batsmen, and raised the total to respectable dimensions. The innings closed for 1.1.7, there being IS extras.

E. Sharp, the Yorhshirenian, came out with the beM howling figures. He mixed his pace and length in a manner that proved lie knew the art of bowling, and captured live wickets for 51 runs off 78 balls. His victims included Burke, Marker, Judge, and Barry; all clean ed-bowled. too. On Taruherii going to tlie wickets A. Young opened in bis characteristic manner, and hanged Babb’s first ball I > the square-leg boundary. He had E. Sharp as partner, and the pair scored a dozen off the opening over. The brilliant start was not sustained, however, and the whole side were dismissed for the moderate total of 68, exactly the same total as To Ran 'scored against United on the same afternoon at Victoria Domain. , Young (16). Lasker (16), T. Sharp (11), E. Sharp (8), and Wolfe (7), did best with the hat. t Bab. Harker. and Adamson the bowling, ami each clime out with good figures. '] must give Sam McConnell a pat on the hack for his performance with the gloves in Taruheru’s first inning::. His work throughout was clean "ml smart, and a glance at the scoresheet will show that lie did not allow a single extra. Hallamore will have to look to his laurels if Sam continues to come on as he lias been doing ■this season. , At the call of time A\ anderecs had one wicket down for -35 runs: -Judge, b Lasker, 11 ; 'O'Donnell, not out, S; extras, 16. Tho wicket was by no means good' and Young’s fast ones reared up m a alarming manner at times. George Harker received some, nasty knocks while at tho wickets when standing ini to Young. One ball struck him on the back of. the left hand and caused him to promenade round the stumps for sonic 1 minutes; the next ball caught the hapless batsman a resounding thud on tlie ribs: while still another reared straight up from the pitch, and developed pugilistic tendencies, and before the unfortunate batsman could get out of the way, caught him a beaut dm. clean upper-cut under the chin. The crack Wanderer batsman only got a •baker’s dozen.’ but 1 am firmly convinced that he-was not sorry when lie was dismissed. Standing up to fast bowling on a fiery wicket is not the-game it is cracked up to be, ami recalls the story of the batsman who was facing E. Jones, the Australian express. A ball struck hnn a tariffs clout on the pad, and the bowlci appealed in a loud voice for 1-b.w. “Not oiit.” replied the umpire, lu the-surprise of everyone the batsman started*to limp towards the pavilion, stopping every yard or so to massage the in in rod limb. “Conic back, t) cried his partner; “you re not out. The batsman took not the- slightest notice but continued to bobble towards the pavilion. Inst one fieldsman ami then another tiled to make the -departing batsman umleista.ul that he had been given not out. At length, when all else had failed, the umpire went over, W said “I gave you not out. IM injured batsman turned in exa.,pu.ition, and while he continued to gentle rub -the damaged shin, answered: “I know, but, by George, I m going out.” George Harker must have felt in a somewhat similar frame, or mind' after he got the crack on the chin from Young on Saturday. The following are the scores:

WANDERERS (Ist innings). _ Babb, run out, Burke, -b E. Sharpe - : r ••• Glennie, b Voting •>* ■" , Harker, b Sharp O’Donnell, run out ••• ••• AlcColl. b Young “ AloComiell, b Young ° Judge, b Sharp ... ••• Alaude, c Rulie, b Sharp Adamson, not out ••• ••• •" ■Barry, b Sharp, ••• •••• "’ Extras i.. •••

Total' ••* 417 Bowling aaialpisr-A. Young; Jf overs, 33 runs, J w wkeU , “ jj ]j- ( ,. 13 overs, 51 runs, o wickets, R ■> hi.. 2 overs, 0 runs; W Shain. 1 o>ei, 6 runs. TARUHERU (Ist iniunsO Young, b Babb .... VY , E. Sbarne.’C Glenii'e, b Hutu 8 AV. Sharp, b Harker ••• ••• “ Lasker, c AlcColl, b Harker ... 16 Rolfe, b Babb - "' ,j T Sharp, c Alaude, b Harkei ... SunTcy, : e Glnnnie, b Babb. L Clark c McConnell, b Harker... 2 Osboriie, c ißurko, b Adamson ... ■> Alathieson. not out ••• Extras ■■■ >" Total 68 Bowling analysis.-Babb: 10 overs, 97 runs, 4 wickets; LitM*;,- l l *»' £r 3 . kA ; n,n/'5 wickets; Adamson. 2 overs, 2 runs, 1 wicket, AYANDERERS (2ml imiings) .Judge, b Lasker •" O'Donnell, not- out ••• • ' j' (j Extras ••• __ Total for one wicket 6°

UNITED v. TE RAU. 'JU.o meeting l.etayeeu jiieso elevens at Vietoria Domain Oil .Satili-day p > vided an object-lesson oi what 1 1 pens when iorni is pitted -‘o* reputation. On a 1 sides 4b.. ugh out the season one hears lemaiks as to what a strong batting salel tc has. The Mult iimlqubtedly > • fine ariav of batsmen on -pa)."' . but none'of them are in form, and take no practice to get UiemseU.o into form. The reputedly strong United flatting side have failed this season time and again, and culminated tliur succession of weak displays by going / ..

under against llie To Ran bowling on Saturday for tho ludicrous total ol 23 rums. Am 1 pointed out in my notes last week, R. W. Cary deserves to lead liis side- to victorv in this match. He returned from Auckland in tlie middle of liis holiday in order that ho might lie able to take the field aginst United avith liis side in form. Tho To Ran captain bad liis men going strong at the. nets on tho evenings immediately boloro the match, and tlie result of Saturday's play must have more than compensated him for liis sell’-s'aorifice in foregoing liis holiday. It was tlie old story over again. On the one side, a team ol young players, led by u seasoned veteran, diligently practising to perlect themselves in all departments of the game; and on the ether hand a team of reputation men, who are so self-satis-lied with till' halo that surrounds them, albeit with the light of other days, that they consider they do not require practice at all. On Saturday the wicket was not of the best, but it was not had enough to account for the poor batting display of either United or TeRau

In Schofield, Monk and DmKield, Te Ran have three very reliable bowlers. They can always be depended upon for -a- length, and do net tire easily.

1 was greatly taken with Schofield, lie has a good command of the ball, and sent down a couple of very lino overs at: tlio opening of the United’s first innings. Unlike most of our local truncllers, he places liis field and howls to it. it is not an uncommon sight to sec a howler place liis field for the oil-theory, and send down three short-pitched deliveries on the leg side. Schofield has a natural delivery and easy swing, and 1 class him about the best mediumpace bowler in the competition. Joo Monk deserved the success ho met with, as there is no mere keen or enthusiastic player in tlie district. For several seasons past Monk has been looked upon as a reliable trundlor who could be depended upto to maintain a fine length, and keep the runs down. liis success on Saturday lias raised him to the front rank. He is a little chap, and lias a peculiar body action in delivering the hall, which causes it to come last off the pitch, and come with his arm at times. It was like an export slaughtering tame ducks while Joe was mowing down the United batsmen on Saturday. Dudfiold bowls a much slower ball than cither Schofield or Monk, and lent a useful variety to tho attack. The tall man kept a good length, and was not afraid to pitch them well up. He caught and howled Gorman in brilliant- fashion in the second innings. The ball was driven high with, a lot of pace straight back to tlie bowler. The young giant stretched a long arm somewhere about ten feet up in the air and stopped tlie drive, and the ball came down gently into his hands. It was a lino catch. 1 could not help admiring tho way in which Cary worked his men. .['ho bowlers apparently leave the placing of the field to their captain. Bob bad his eye. on every man while in the field, and if he strayed one foot from his proper place the skinner’s watchful eye detected it, and promptly had him ill place again. Another bit of good generalship was the manner in which lie strengthened the off side while Hallamore was batting. It was almost impossible to get tlie ball through the strong phalanx of fieldsmen on the off side, and this wise precaution on the Tc Rail captain’s part must have robbed Hallamore of-* fully 20 runs, as be made many powerful late cuts and forwardcover drives, which were rendered abortive by tlie manner in which the field was placed deep on the off. Hallamore, Yeats, and Jeffries have to keep the bridge for United to-day. They have only 35 runs on, and there are but two wickets to this trio can add 50 runs, I should not surprised to see United win. Te Ran have not a strong hatting side, and few of their men are in good batting form, judging by their weak display last Saturday. Great interest centres in tlie result of this match. If To Ran win they will have a commanding lead lor the championship, white it United can snatch a victory from the ashes of last Saturday’s failure, Te Ran Wanderers, and United will all bo about level.

SATURDA Y COAIBETJ.TIO N. The following is the position of the various clubs in the competition;

A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE. A point occult'd in the course ol the Wanderers and T'aruheru match at Tanilmru last Saturday, which has caused heated discussion on cricket fields the wide world over. 1 refer to Young’s disposal of Babb by running him out while the latter was backing up. I thought that all likelihood of controversy on this point had been relegated to the limbo of oblivion what time W. G. Grace was in pinafores. Some old fogeys hold that it is an unsportsmanlike action to run a man out when he is backin<r up. A run is scored by the batsman running 08 feet between popping-crease and pOpping-crease. Now 1 hold tlmt is is a most unfair act for a man to get a run by only travelling, cay 30 feet, which he can do easily if he goes hall wa\ when backing lip. But a batsman can only shorten the distance between the creases when he is playing against blind men or old ladies. If he attempts to do so when playing n E ! U llf w keen aiu| alert players he is pl-om tlv run put, and tins is exactly ' hat happened to .Babb on Saturday listTo stigmatise Youugs’s action as unsportsmanlike is only to betra- utter ignorance of the laws of the ga*i)Cj Exactly the same thing happened when Otago and Canterbury nue 'laying a close finish about six years By raises,* to'U,,, and bad a couple ol yckets t° tai Tommy lteese was one ol the bat. men and they were stealing evu> run they could* and backing Ml •ill they were worth. That nlfl hero $ KfniiWed '.iglifs, Abek I). = Was howling lor Utago, and have known better than to to he lis'ks with Mick so close to lum. But, like Babb in tlio P*« hacking up bo forgot the ouiu fellow Aliek came up to the crease, wild, hvstcrksl outcry was raised by the Christchurch public and press, who demanded that Downes should attempting to take an unfair advantage of his opponents.

Club P!,y ( l. Won Lost l)r\vn l’ts To lliui -1 -1 0 0 9 United -1 2 2 0 0 Wanderers -1 2 2 0 0 Taruheru i 0 •1 U U