Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 72, 16 November 1901, Page 14

Cricket.

Good old George Giffen ' How it thnlled one to read that in the first innings played by the English team in the colonies he was the hero of the da" capturing seven wickets with the ball at a cost of only 4G runs, while his analysis in the second innings of six wickets for 47 runs showed that it was no mere flash in the pan. In common with many other ardent admirers of Giffen in his palmy days, I thought he had become one of the pood old have-beens, but his feats with the ball at Adelaide on Monday and Tuesday would seem to warrant the conclusion that he has entered on a new T lease of life on the cricket field. It is also more than likely that he has got the upperhand of the sciatica that used to take a lot of the suppleness out of his "understandings." Giffen first played against an English cricket team in 1878. Only the other day Giffen was congratulated on securing the unique record of having scored 10,000 runs and taken 1000 wickets in matches played in Australia and England. That his latest performance may only be the beginning of many more mighty deeds is the pious wish of those of us who were not so many years ago hero-worshippers of the apreat South Australian. # * • The English cricketers cannot be complimented on their first performance on Australian wickets — the small total of 118 being the result of their efforts. Jessop, with 38, was the top scorer, but even that was a very small innings for him Gunn (21) and Quaife (28) were the only other double-figure scorers, the remaining eight batsmen making: 25 between them, extras amounting to six. Wet w eat her made the wicket soft for the Englishmen's second innings, and the small total of 86 runs was the result of their batting. Lilley (23), Tvdesley (14>, and Quaife (12) being the only twofigure scorers.

Clem Hill, with totals of 107 and 80, gives the impression that he is in his best form, and that is good news in view of the test matches. Blythe (five wickets for 45 runs) was the most successful bowler on the side of the visitors. The match resulted in an easy win for the South Australians by 233 runs — the respective totals being South Australia, 207, 230 — 437. Englishmen, 118, 8(5—204. Jones accounted for two of the English wickets, but the fact that he was the opening bowler for the South Australian side carries with it the conviction that he is n form. Hack is another South Australian of whom great things have been written and expected, and he batted up to his reputation. The Adelaide wicket has the reputation of being one of the finest in the world, playing as true as a ' billiard table. In the first innings of the Englishmen the cableman described it as having puzzled them, because it played fast. In the second innings it was wet and was badly cut up. Two different conditions, and the visitors failed under both. It is to be hoped the happy medium will be found for the test matches. * • • C. B. Fry, who is one of the acknowledged cricket authorities in the Old Country, has the following to say of Albert Trott, under the heading of "The Best Bowler in the World" —"Albert Trott has not, I should say, shown better form with the ball all the season than he did in the Yardley match. I hold him to be the most accomplished bowler now playing in England, and probably m the world. Leaving statistics out. of the question, and, excepting George Hirst on his "swerving" days, I put Albert Trott down as the best bowler, on all sorts of wickets, in the country. If I were picking a side he would be picked first among the bowlers. "His average does not read so well as that of some others , indeed, he may be criticised as expensive, but he gives away runs in order to get wiokets and l \ must be remembered that in his case all the runs go down against his own wickets, whereas in the case of some bowlers the runs ero down to the credit of other bowlers. What I mean is that Albert Trott stands his own racket, whereas there are bowlers who want to come off directly two batsmen get the (Continued on Page 19.)

upper hand, and who are. content to see the runs knocked oft the other bowlers till a separation is secured, and a new and more fa\ourable chance of success occurs. 'Albert Trott never wdJit*> to oomv off. he will bowl on and on. no mattei how the batsman is. performing, for he hopes always to get a wicket next ball That is the .sort of bowler one wants on a side " [In the Yardley Benefit match A. K. Trott captured fi\e for B<> and eight for 84 ] • • • The following paragraphs clipped from the "Canterbur\ Times." are refreshing reading — "It ls j>atisfaotor> to learn that all the clubs engaged m the Canterbury Cricket Association competitions have paid theii subscriptions a.sd entrance fexvs ' "The treasurer of the Lancaster Park Club must be a happ\ man. In all the teams which the club placed in the field on the first day of the season there was root a man who had not paid his subscription. A new rule which the club has recently brought in on the subject of subscriptions is evident l\ working splendidly " • • • Mr J Whea.tley has been re-appoint-ed selector of Canterbury's representative team. The South Australian selection committee is composed of George Giffen Clem Hill, and J. Reedman On the 2th November New South Wales and South Australia commence their first match this season Victor Trumper was twent>-toui years of ace on the 2nd instant and L 0. S. Poidevin twenty-five on the sth Worrall has it that Harr\ Trott is keeping up his form He took five wickets the other Satuidaj for 42 runs Hawke's Bay tour South as far as Dunedin this season, but the Association at the present time cannot give am definite promise to visit Auckland The English cricketing team commence their match with Victoria to-da^ (Friday)— four days being set apart foi the game The 22nd is the date of the New South Wales match Abel has aggregated over 3000 runs off the bat this season, and it would appear m his case that the advance of years ha.** apparently brought an advance of .skill Since 189") Abel has topped 2000 runs every j'ear. Lillet, the wicket-keeper in Maclaren's combination, is of the opinion that the team is a good one, and states that he will return to England the happiest of men it the> manage to win three ot the test matches "Goff ' Warren had his annual cricket match on Saturda-v . He arranged for the Karon Club to father a team^ to LeMn on the holida-s and with Goff maJung all arrangements a pleasant outing was enjo-sed Howell, the New South Wales cricketer, bats left hand. and| bowls right hand ' Tom" Hales the Wellington player bowls left and bats right hand Bruce ,\n old-time Hawke'.s Ba\ placer—l am speaking of the eurlv mnetiesu^ed to bat neht hand and bowl both left and richt

Hawke's Ba% want a. lepresentative on the selection committee to select the team tor the North Island m the North \ South match Playing against Kent, just previous to the last mail leaving Home, .Rhodes secured his two hundredth wicket tor the season. Hitherto Peate held the record for Yoikshire, but his l(io wickets in 1882 have now been left far in the rear. Local cricket last Saturday was not ol sufficient interest to keep me in town the match between the Wellington and Waiwetu teams ending, as was ex. pected, in a simple wm for the town team Stan Hickson was successful in notching a three-figure score, retiring when he had made it. In Victorian cricket, Melbourne had a.ii easy victory over East Melbourne, owing principally to the fine trundling of Trumble, who for once m a way bowled up to his big cricket form. All the other bowlers came along straight, and were not too sure in their length, but frumble kept an excellent pitch, came back at times quite sharply, and, with the exception of Wright, had the Johmonteirs anyhow "- -Worrall, in theReferee •'Whe.ro are our bowlers ooming from this year?" is the query an old cricketer put to "Not Out," of the "Sydney Referee," the other day, and that writer is of the opinion that the look-out is not too promising. So far I have seen onlj three bowlers exhibit first-rate form on a good waeket. They are M A NobLe, Trumper, and Howard. Newell seems to have returned from the North with his olid bowling energy I have not yet seen him perform, but his figures are good enough for anything, and I am told his form is good. Some of the other bowlers are likely to come on a bit before the big matches take place. There is some consolation m knowing; that some, at least of them cannot bowl in anj worse form than the\ have already shown " Jack" Worrall, writing m 'The Referee," says of Victorian cricket — The first round of championship matches furnished some splendid individual performances. W. Carlton's grand innings of 212 not out for North against Fitznn will, in all probability <,tand as a record for the year Through Fitzroy's noor effort with the bat North had practicalK all the batting on the second day and Carlton made full use of it The finest performance-, however fell to the lot of McCormick, the youthful South Melbourne who with a double first in batting and bowline, won a game for his side that seemed practically hopeless after the first da\ It was in ever% wa\ a distincth fine pei formanee Trumble and Sautxieis also performed up to then reputanon both bowline orandK