Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 118, 4 October 1902, Page 19

Cricket.

The Sydne- "Referee," in discussing the Australian tour, has the following ''Trumper the Colossus — Trumpei'smagnaficent cricket lifted the team from an ordinary to a very high plane. He has been the Colossus of the side, for in fair weather or foul his eye and arm have worked in unison, to the distraction of English bowlers. He has nrcvided the cricketers and public in the Old Country with many of those wonderful displays which have so often given unutterable delight to Sydney people. In 1899, Trumper's batting was one of the features of the tour, yet this year he has done very little more than one thought he \\ ould accomplish three years ago. Now, however, he has realised all one's expectations. We have seen Ranji and Jessop, and we recall McDonnell, Massie Charles Bannerman, Lyons, and Bonnor, the great hitters of times past. Yet, Trumper is the most entertaining batsman of them all. He combines with peerless grace and execution such variety and brilliance as we have seen here in no other essentially sound batsman. "Whether he will keep ahead of Clem Hill as a run-getter on the faster and truer wickets of Australia is something for the future to solve. It is clear that his judgment has become perfected, and if it prove so on greased-liehtning wickets, there will be a right-hand champion as well as a left-hand champion in Australia." » * • "Weeping Willow," whoever he may be but I think I am safe in saying he has no connection whatever with the Cricket Association— had a weep in the

"Post" the othei night, a& follows — •It i.s hoped our Civic Fatheis will have the cricket pitches duly protected and preseived fiom injury, attcr the Council and the peise\ eniig Cricket Association ha\e so assiduously and diligently, at considerable expense, premied this delightful oasis amidst our congested, slushy thoroughfares for the coming season, which opens next month. Any damage done should be made good by the Eight Hours Federated Union." It might be just as well to tell "Weepmg Willow" that the City Council have nothing whatever to do with the preparation of the Basin Reserve, over which the Cricket As&ociataon have control And, further, that the Association's DTo-und man is a gentleman by the name of Twist, who is also engaged bv the Eight Hours Union to prepare its track. And, further, that the secretary of that union is an ardent supporter of cricket If he made any inquiries at all Defore writing his letter he> would have found all these t nines out very easily, and would have been satisfied that the interests of the cricketers will not suffer at the forthcoming sports meeting. Some neople have a penchant for writing to newspapers and the language used by "Weeping Willow 7 " convinces me that generally his writings aie over a duotation from a foreign language, and in previous seasons many waters could not nuench the flow of his nen * * * It was "hoped to open the practice wickets on Sartuiday, but the weather we have experienced lately precludes a*ny possibility of that There is a probability of an English player settling m Wellington this season — Barclay I think the name is. Interested parties are moving in finding him suitable employment The Wellington Cricket Association is moving in the matter of having two lepresentative New Zealand matches with Lord Hawke's team — one in Wellington, and the othei in Chnstchurch Mi. C. H. Manson was re-elected secletarv He is expected back m Wellington on the 19th of this month and it is hoped he will be then fully recovered from liis lamentable accident The New South Wales Cricket Association has arranged by cablegram a match, the Australian Eleven v. Rest of Australia, on the Sydney Cricket Ground, commencing Friday, December 12th. This should prove a strong draw r ca-rd. The annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association last week put up a bit of a record. The whole of the business of the ordinary and of a special meeting was put through in an hour, and m only one case was there a competition for office, the whole of last year's officers being re-elected R. W. Barry, jun., a piominent Chnstchurch cricketer of last season, is at present m Auckland, and is joining the United Club there. The junior was used to distinguish him in the Cathedral City from "Cherry" of that ilk, so I presume it will be dropped in Auckland. Many enthusiasts are of opinion that the New Zealand Cricket Council would have been better advised had they arranged for matches with the Australian Eleven instead of negotiating the visit of Lord Hawke's English amateur team. Those holding this view say that everybody would have gone to see the greatest batsman of the year — Victor Trumper. — A possible apology from Auckland in re the action of the Cricket Association there in relation to Lord Hawke's team.