Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 32, 9 February 1901, Page 19

Cricket.

The mail brings us the news that it is the captains of the first-class county teams who have placed the embargo on certain bowlers, and not the Marylebone Club. The captains have undertaken not to bowl Fry, Hedley, Bradford, Griffin, Mold, Roche, Davidson, W. G. Quaife, and Geeson during the incoming season, because of a tendency to throwing in their deliveries. In coming to the decision they did, the captains were of the opinion that the umpires did not satisfactorily exercise the powers given them by the laws in relation to no-balling. "The Sportsman" agrees with the captains that the umpires have been lax in using their powers, and it appears to me that the real cause of the trouble is the weakness of the umpires. It would, perhaps, have been better to have made a clean sweep of the umpires instead of the course that has been taken. Great dissatisfaction has been expressed in many quarters at Home at the decision, and in several cases it is announced that it will be disregarded, the most noticeable one being that Ranjitsinghji intends to 'put Fry on to bowl, in Surrey's engagements, if necessary. A few stands like this will naturally make the decision of no effect. T\\e "Bulletin's" London 'correspondent says that Jones, the Australian bowler, is the cause of the move by the county captains, in view of the next visit of the Australian team. The "Sporting Life" has it that the laxity of the umpires led the Australians — for many ,>cjxs the very model and standard of strictly f<dr bowling— to send Home such dubious performers as Jones, McKibbm, and Noble. The reports of the incoming season's cricket at Home will be keenly watched, I have no doubt, at this side of the world, to see how the resolution will work. To me it appears &uch a remarkable affair that what will be done next to give the batsman a better hand over the bowler can only be imagined- — i*- cannot bo foretold.

After a long inteival senior championship matches will he lesumed on Saturday Wellington and Midland meet on No 1, and Phceinx: and Old Boys on No 2. The bad weather lately has limited the or -01 1 unities for practice hut m spite of that both matches should pio^e mtuestng The Cricket Association is hadlv m need of funds, and permission lias been obtained to take a collection at the gates. The match between Yictona and New South Wales came to an exciting finish, Trumble and Co winning by the narrow margin of ovo wicket The Cornstalks were hopelessh m the real in the first miunp-s but a icmarkab'e innings of 230 bv Tiumpei in the second nearh atoned foi all deficiencies, and lust missed tmmn" a loss into a win Victon has won all her matches, and now holds the Sheffield shield for the onsumc tweh c months Tianjitsinhn headed the batting a\ erages in Enerland last season, with an average of 87 o?, his aggregate being 3065 runs. He has recently undergone a successful operation to his light •eye. The Refeiee sajs — "If eleven players were now to be selected to represent Australia against England, four or five ■n ho were not members of the last Australian XI. would probably get a place." On this season's performances Stuckev •would certainly be one of these. At a cricket match in New South Wales the wicketkeeper, who was captain of the team, left his place behind the stumps and went into the slips, putting another player m his place. He still retained the gloves, and while in the slips eiught an opponent. When appealed to, the umpire gave the batsman not out on the ground that no fieldsman should have gloves on, and the •'Referee," in reply to a question, says the umpire gave a wrong decision 'This is worth bearing in mind. The "BulJetin" has it — When the South Australian cricketers returned to Adelaide the- were pestered with inquiries as to the record score of 918 runs made against them. All questioners received the same answer, however "The illuminations were grand'" "Couldn't you fellows bowl a straight ball?" "Don't know, but you should have seen the illuminations. They were grand'" "Harrier" suggests, in view of the poor showing made by the Auckland representatives on their Southern tour,

that the cricketers should work together and get a reserve of their own, which they could have for their own exclusive use. A further suggestion is that the services of a good bowler coach should be obtained. If their reverses stimulate our Northern friends to some such action as suggested by my confrere they would prove to have been blessings in disguise.