CRICKET.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1922, Page 4

CRICKET.

(By “Cover-Point”)

Heading tho “Lyttelton Times” of October 14th., I tame across the following linos contributed by that veteran cricketer and literary connoisseur, Mr Charles Wilson, Parliamentary Librarian : IF EVERY—(Lines suggested by the new entrance gates at .Hurd's, erected in memory of W. G. Grace.) If every ball you have to play Is dealt with in the finest way: Or hit for four or placed for one, But almost always yields a run; If every ball you howl is meant. To cause, the batsmen discontent. And fog their brain with sterile doubt Until they blunder and are out; If every ball that comes to you Is fielded clean and flung back true ; In every moment of the game Your kenness in it’s just the. same, No matter though good fortune dogs The other fellow’s wildest slogs. And in your comrades’ buttered fin-

gers The simplest sitter never lingers; If every hour that’s lost through wet Fills you with anguish and regret, And every interval for tea With scorn, disgust and misery; If every--but enough! Why then, If such you he 1 , some where, some when, Another pair of gates may rise. Your glorv to immortalise. K. V. LUCAS. June Ilth, 1922.

These lines written by a crack English cricketer, E. V. Lucas to commemorate the memory of the “King” of English cricketers, W. G. Grace, may be made to have a local appliea- ‘ tion at this season of the year, seeing that we have just organised a Cricket Club. The writer sincerely hopes that the new club is not going to he bowled out in the first over, whether it be six balls or eight balls to the- over, and that something more than n meeting, electing officers and an army of Vice-Presidents who are all veterans of the has been order, will eventuate. In order to put a little ‘pep” e>r “ginger” into the movement. 1 would suggest that the local Knights of the Willow, endeavour to have their opening match on Labour Pay, and invite the following country players to a friendly game on Cass Square:—A\ in Houston, (Three Mile), Morris Bros. (2) (Ivanieri), Wm. Owens, I!. Shaw, O. Phaflert, (Kanieri); Sam Knowles (Iliniu) Jim Jones, Jerry Mincham, Jack Roberts. George Mason, Charles Jones (Ross). This is just a dozen players against a town eleven. I am persuaded this country team would give the town -team a decent day’s leather “ ‘untin.’ ” as an old Vest Coast skipper who hailed from the Black Country used to term it, or what is known in tho colonial vernacular as

“a hot time.” But how can anyone play cricket on the present pitch in Cass Square. Granted that good cricket is impossible on either the infield or out-held, of the present pitch, it will take a lot of voluntary labour (by the cri: -keters ‘themsf-dves combined with the assistance of Caretaker Haile and the Beautifying Association and the local Borough Council), to put the grounds in anything like decent order. Hi member the dozen country cricketers given above learned to play the good old game on heaps of tailings, and litany of them in their bovliood davs started on the main streets of their respective townships with the uliiiiqitons kerosene tin for stumps. The gate* proceeds eif tins sugge.-tod match could not bo better spent than on the improvement of tho cricket pitch and flolei on Cass Square. Now Messrs Vice Presidents get to it,” let us see if we veterans cannot still show the' present ge.neration the way to play, the best of outdoor games, cricket.

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