Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 69, 26 October 1901, Page 20

Cricket.

THK weather, though fine, was none too pleasant for the opening of the season on Saturday last, as the clay wore on the wind, which was blowing, becoming very keen, and making things unpleasant for the fielding teams '[he rain that had fallen on Wednesday and Thursday had affected the turf to the extent of making the wickets play very dead, so much so that a lot of tho sting was taken out of the bowling The wickets, however, showed that a lot of care had been taken in their preparation. • * ♦ There was an attendance of about a couple of hundred people. The Association, having obtained peimission to make a charge, took full advantage of the concession granted them bv asking those attending to pay a shilling a,t the gates In mv opinion this was unwise, and, as far as we locally are concerned, was an innovation The opening matches arc seldom anything but uninteresting, and are never worth a shilling to watch Another thing, bai 1 me: a notice in Saturday morning's "Times," no intimation was given that an admission fee to the Rescue would be demanded, and mam went to the ground not awaie that the.v would haye 1 to pa\ to see tlie games, and they could not be blamed if tliev considered a mine had been sprung on them. As a matter of fact, I believe, the permission to charge was not given b\ the City Council to the Association till Fndav night which accounts for no notice having been given that a shilling would be demanded of those wjshine; to watch tli-e games — still, I cannot help saying that the Association made a false move in the interests of the game they aro banded together to foster bv even asking foi the pel mission to make the charge. * * * However, to deal with the nhn Tlie greater pait of those present weie in-

tertsted in the Wellington — Phoenix match, which was played on No. 2 wicke* C'larko liad been elected captain of tho latter team, and, having won the toss, elected to take the field At the end of the play Phoenix had much the bettei of the deal— their sheet showing H9 nins for two wickets (Wateis ()0, Midlane oO not out), as against a total of 81 by the Wellington team (('iambic 22, and Hickson 21). On No 1 wicket the Midland team occupied the crease practically all the afternoon- their total reaching 214 before tho last man was dismissed Holdsworth ."31, Quee 20, Williams 28, Tucker 27, Hickson 23, Upham 19, and Robeit«.on 12 all getting two-figure score*, The Old Boys, at call of time, had made 19 runs for one wicket. • * * Benbow accounted for O'Sulhvan's and Taylors wickets — both bv catches off Hickey's bowling, the latter player accepting an easy return from Redmond Ciombie put a lot of power into his strokes, but now and again he timed his hits very badly, an excusable fault «-o early in the season. He appealed to be fairly going w hen Hickev got one pa.st him HaJes bowled splendidly, with no luck. He got a fine length, and invariably kept the ball well on the wicket Once or twice he beat Waters, but, at the same time, iust managed to mi<-s the sticks. Hickoy bowled well for Phoenix, vaning his pace and length a lot. His analysis o-f seven wickets for 41 ninswas really good, and it would ha\c been much better if he had kept the loo^e ones oft the leg-side Miller only had four oveis but lie accounted foi two wickets — Connell and Gore- at a cost of six runs The ball that took the former was a leal good one, low down on the off-side _iust grazing the outside of the wicket. Richardson started in his usual cautious style, and seemed likely to stay any length of time. A trimmer from Pope, however, which broke back from the centre to the off stump sent him back to the pavilion earlier than 1 expected to sco him go Waters has seldom batted so well as he did on Saturday. Barring a return to Connell early in his innings, there was not a blemish in his display. The good balls were met with the face of the bat, and anything loose met its ni'-t deserts. His .success is pleasuiable

Taylor, late of the Kilbirnies, was given a place in the Wellington team, but it will take him all his time to keep it Pope's bowling was a bit erratic, and did not srcm to have a& much pace in it as lafet season His best ball was the ono that got Richardson. Midland added to Ins already great leputation in Wellington by a masterly display of patient cricket. A chance to Richardson in the .slips, off Hales, was the only bad mark against him, and it wont very fast off the bat With half a, century in hand, it should go hard with him if he does not record the first 100 in Wellington cricket this season. Connell had had no practice, and aftei the fir&t half-dozen overs he could not even get a decent length. Generally, though, when on first Midlane wa*> opposite him, and the ball breaking away the lad generally left alone, to his ow n satisfaction and to the disappointment of the- bowler. Connell can be expected to do much better, though, as the season advances. Gore and Wilson were dismissed b> two fine catches by Clarke. The former was a hard drive to mid-on, held after a fumble, and the latter appeared perfectly brafe at one time. There was no one at long-off where the ball was hit to, but Clarke, at mid-on, quickly noticing this, set off at top after it, with the result that he got to it just in time, and obtained a well-merited round of applause when he held the ball. Hickson was unfortunate in being given out Ibw to a ball that he played. He showed all his old form, his defence being sounder perhaps than usual. This is his correct game — if he keeps his w lcket up he is bound to make runs, for ho tieats the loose stuff with but scanty lespect. By the performance of his team when batting last week, it would appear that a lot of the run-getting will fall to Hickson's share, so my advice to him right away is — "Don't be too eager to get runs , play the good balls on the wicket with the face of the bat. — the loose ones are bound to come, and the runs can be made off them." The manner of Hickson's dismissal brings forcibly to me the number of times the bowlers 1 appealed for Ibw — one case paiticularly I remember being that far to leg that the wicketkeeper would ha\o had no hope of stopping it if the batsman's legs had not got in the way — it was going so far to leg. The proper place for the ball to have gone should have been over the leg boundary, vet the bowler appealed for Ibw. Ap-

pealing at all times is bad, so a hint should be sufficient. » • • Quee re&umed his old place in the Midland team — going in first. He stayed a long while for his contribution, and exhibited plenty of patience. C. Hickson, Tucker, and Upham made their contributions in their own peculiar styles. The two former played cautiously, and seemed like staying in all day. Williams made things merry while he was in , one hit over into the plantaiion being a particularly fine one. The Vail was a nice one to bang, although it Mas pitched fairly on the centre stump. Eight bowlers were tried by the Old Boys' captain in disposing of the Midland team — McKenzie three for 28, Staples two for 42, McGowan one for 29, Ralph two for 26, getting the wickete. Robertson was eager to get back to the dressing-room — why, I know not. Two or three narrow attempts of being run out did not do him the good they should have done, as he was run out in the end. Sanderson re&umed his position of i w o seasons back as captain of the Old Boy V team. In the meantime, he has been to the South African war and back again . He was unfortunate to he beaten by a trimmer from Upham without scoring. Ten of the eleven that took the field for Midland last Saturday played for that team last season. Up ham's instructions to "take the places you fielded in last year" sounded peculiar, if nothing else, but undoubtedly saved him a lot of trouble. Holdsw orth can still open his shoulders, and he did so to advantage on Saturday. The first individual halfcentury in local cricket this season was got off his bat, and a lively innings it was, too. The long fellow hits hard and often, and albeit plays good cricket at the same time. ♦ * ♦ "I must say that Maclaren has got together a rattling good side that will take a lot of beating on Australian wickets, and time will tell." — Darling on the English team. This clipping re Albert Trott should be interesting — "After an absence of a few weeks, aj» the result of an accident, Trott made his re-appearance in the Middlesex team against Lancashire. He scored 40 not out in his only innings, and took four wickets for 138 runs."

It is more than probable thai tho annual match between the repiesentativos of Wellington and Canterbury will be plavedheie on Boxing Day and succeeding days The Noith and South Island mate 1 ' is beng ananged foi the New Yeai w eek Ham Daws had a da\ out against the Old T?o\ s II In their innings be took tho nine wickets that tell for a total of 10 runs and scored 81 ninsoff hits own bat Tlus performance ouglit to bung him back into the first olc\en, a,s theie appeals to be a vacancy theie tliat lie can fill * » * It seems a, pity for the opening matches that the treasurer of the Association should be away fiom Wollincri t>n on lea\e, especially in view of the fact that a new secretary had taken over the duties of that office I feel certain had Mr Hyams been in town a greater charge than sixpence would not ha\e been made at the gates, and the bungle over the matches on the Athletic Parkwould have- been avoided also Two tilings T noticed on Saturday T would like to diaw attention to The first was the dilatonness m stai ting the games. This should not happen in future 1 , as the afternoons aie none too long inst now The otliei ieatuie was the amount of phneis who weie plavmg in ordinar\ clothe** the eemial effect being spoiled theieln Tn both of these instances the 1 tiles of tin A--MKiation should be enfoioed • * * Theie aio a ceitaiu lew who watch the Midland team playing who aie net spoits, and if their voices uiic not heaid at all on the Resei\e that club's mombeib themselves would be mou than pleased This coterie cannot s<< nnv good excepting in tho pla\ of then favourites This is w ntten because ol an unkind lemark made when Connell lost his wicket, winch was made simply because that player had transfened his services from the Midland Club. Partisans like the one under review do then particular club more harm than good, and would be better employed, as far as cricket is concerned, yachting or rowing on a Saturday afternoon # • * This paiagraph deals with some lecent Sydney ciickct — The partnership of the two Giegorys for Waverley x Redfcrn produced in 100 minutes 223 runs. They became associated at 51 and the association v\ as dissolved at 24. The figuies were — C. Gregory, 2 1211114411412411111141144214124412441 212541141411141144113 1 114441111142 14 - 150 S X Gregoiv, 144114122111H21 141 2221 -)1 14442124112 1 11144 1424241 "> 1 1 —123 Dai ling eapt«un of the last Austiahan team, w nte,s thusly to Maior Waidell "Aftei due consideiation I am prepared to pla> in the first thiee test matches if lecjuned, and will see about the other two later on Owing to sheanng not being finished until dioiu November 20, it will not be possible ioi me to play in Adelaide on November 9 against the Knghshmen All being well. T could arrue in Melbourne h\ December 1, and bo ha\e a foitnight's haid practice to get in foim foi the* fust test match in S\dney