Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 120, 18 October 1902, Page 18

Cricket.

THE cricket season starts in earnest, as fair as Wellington is concerned, on Saturday. There were fine musters at the practice nets last week, and in the evenings during the present weekThe senior matches for Saturday and the following week are —Phoenix v Midland, No. 1, Wellington v. Old Boys No. 2. lam prepared to be disappointed—and, in fact, it would be a pleasing disappointment—but the Midland and Wellington teams should win their engagements. • • • The cricket season opened in Chnstchurch last Saturday. A. E. Ridley (50) Oalloway (49), Orchard (43) F. Wilding (36), Boxshall (15), Corby (lb, not out), Strange (46), Prebble (39), C. W. Garrard (22), Wheatley (28), Bromley (42), Whitta (11, not out). These were the double figure scorers in the senior games, and there are man" old and familiar names among them. Among the bowlers, Wigley (three for 36) was tihe most successful United bowler, McMurray (six for 62) doang good service for Sydenham. The latter, when play was ceased, had eicrht wickets down for 52, Calloway disnosing of five of them, and Wilding three. * • • A correspondent writes —"Your remarks in last week's Free Lance regarding a Cricket Umpires' Association are such as will meet with the approval of most of the followers of the srame, some responsible body to undertake the appointment of umpires to the different dhampionship matches bein^ greatly needed. It appears to me, though, that the matter is one that could well be vested in the Cricket Association itself, and if that body were supplied with the names of a number of gentlemen capable of acting as umpires, they could well allot the umpires for the different matches, with which, of course, the-*' are best acquainted. "From your remarks I gather tihat there is a difficulty in obtaining the services of siomeone willing to act as secretary to such an association as you suggest, if such were formed, and, although not anxious to put myself forward I have to inform you that I would be willing to act in such a capacity. Such, however, is only providing you receive no offers from anyone cis^, in which case kindly drop the matter as far as lam concerned. In any case, I am willing to become a member of the association, and to do anything in my power to forward its aims." The writer of the letter is not personally known to me, but the chances of forming an Umpires' Association are forward enough for me to invite the Cricket Association to convene a meeting to form an association of umpires. There is not sufficient time to call the meeting this week, but I will endeavour to bring it about for next week.

We in Wellington are not the only ones who find the need of an Umpires' Association an urgent one, as witness the following clipping from Queensland notes in the Sydney "Referee" — "Wanted, cricket umpires. — The fixtures of the season commence on Saturday next, and I am nif aimed that the only matches that will have umpires appointed for them are the three senior fixtures. This 1 is most unfortunate, for it is tihe lower grades of cricket where expert umpiring is needed badly. In some of the iunior fixtures one has seen some aitrocious decisions given, and it is a great pity that competent umpires cannot be found to taice charge of these fixtures. "Good umpiring is as essential as °"ood batting or bowling, yet it is extraordinary that such, an aversion should be held by retired players to the duties of am umpire. Personally, I prefer the amateur cricket umpire, but if he is an impossibility to get, let us have paid umpires, but, whether naid or amateur, they should be secured at once." ■* * ■* An association, has been formed m Palmerston North, and has received enthusiastic support. Draft rules have been prepared and adopted, a copy of which I would thank one of my readers in Palmerston to forward me at his earliest convenience. It would be esteemed a favour. • • » Referring toi the visit of Lord Haivke's team of English cricketers to New Zealand, "Felix," in the "Australasian," says — "The New Zealanders deserve very great credit for tihe enterprise therv have shown in bringing out an English team. The expenses will be heavy, and it is to be honed that the Maoiilanders will roll up in large numbers at all the matches, so that no loss may result to the enthusiastic cricketing bodies who have committed themselves to this 1 big undertaking They have done so solely for the nurpose of developing the game in New Zealand, and cricketers throughout Australia will wish them a full measurei of sucoess "When the early English teams visited Australia, and smiled at our lack of skill as they mowed down our eighteens and twenty-twos like grass before the scythe, the- T little dreamt that on the foundation then laid there would, in the course of years, be reared a superstructure of skill second to none in the world in all departments of the game. "They little dreamt that the time would come when the pupils would challenge the masters, and defeat them in a fair and square eleven-aside contest. Yet that time did come so far back as twenty-five_ yeans ago, and it was that victory which led to the formation of the first Australian team for England. "In these eleven Australian teams not a solitary Neiw Zealander has found a place. Yet. lam confident that if the cricketers of that grand and beautiful country had a; chance of playing frequently against representative cricketers of Australia they would have been heard of in the ranks of an Australian team. "They are as well built, strong, active, hardy, and sinewy as we are, and are as thoroughly imbued with the spirit of genuine enthusiasm in the cause of cricket as we are. What they have lacked is the opportunity of meeting, regularly, players better than themselves. In orioket, or indeed in anythinpr the only way to improve is by studying the best models. "It is true that the best English cricketers are not coming out with Lord Hawke, but, at all events, the team will be composed of sterling players, and so the benefit to rising players in

New Zealand should be considerable. In Chnstohuroh, Dunedm, Wellington, amd Auckland, the wickets, as a rule, are very good, and this is a bxg factor in making progress, for without good wickets little improvement can be made in batting, even with the aid of fine models to copy. "The old-time brilliant Sydney batsman Charlie Bannerman, is engaged as coach on the Ohnstohurch ground, and he was a model that you read about. In his days of coltdom in Sydney he was coached by tlhe famous English iplayer, Billy Oaffyn, and Bannerman always acknowledged his indebtedness to the instruction received from, the fine old Surrey craok. Let us hope that Charlie himself will do good work in bringing out young players on the Christchurcih ground." * * » As an illustration of the way in which cricket is played at Thornbury. I give you a stoiry (says L. 0. S. Poidevin, in liis letter to Sydney "Referee" 1 * as told by W. G. himself — "Once I was playing there," says the Old Man "when, a fieldsman caught me out on© hand by leaning up against the fence. All the fieldsmen suddenly became absurdly weary, and, apparently losing all interest in the game, they all sat down , indeed, I seemed tlhe only man on the field who was at all anxious to go on with the game. " 'You had better go out, you know,' said an elder brother of mine, who was playing against me. 'Not me ' said I • 'I am not gourag out for that. If E.M. had been there," continued the doctor, "it would have been all right, and even as it was so long as I could keep my eye on tlhe umpire, I knew I was safe. Some of the fieldsmen, however, wishing to argue the point with me, took my attention from the umpire, whereupon my big brother, grasping the umpire by the two shoulders, said to him 'Be a man. and give him out That settled it , I had to go." * • • Wairarapa are making an effort to' cret a match with Lord Hawke's team played in. tiheir district. Trumper first played against an Enelish team in December, 1894^— Clem Hill in November of the same year. McDonald, a Canterbury representative player of two seasons back, is an accession, to the Midlanders. Mahoney, an ex-member of the Glebe Club Sydney, and a first grade player, has joined the Wellington Club. "Trumper is the nearest approach to 'W.G. in the days of his youth. Need we say more?" — "Athletic News." Barclay has joined the Phoenix Club, and in practice has shown such good form as to please the supporters of that club. The Hawke's Bay Cricket Association intend' encouraging their junior players tihis season. They are selecting a team of colts to play under Albert Troitt in the senior championship. There are more clubs than ever in Sydney. According to the "Referee" there are hundreds of wickets of all sorts, vet some of the many junior clubs on a recent Saturday were unable to play owing to tiheir inability to procure a wicket. Halley remarked the other day that he first played representative cricket in 1881. "Well," said Niven, "I beat you tinere.^ I played against the Australians in 1879." The two then indulged m reminiscences which proved very interesting to those who were listening to them. Both players will appear a^ain this season among the Phoenicians. ~* (Continued on page 19.)

'"What shall we do with our boys?" is a question tihat is troubling the executive of some of the clubs. The Midland and Phoenix Clubs have each entered two teams for the third class championship. "Charlie" Bannerman has been engaged as coach to the Christ's College, Canterbury, and has now entered upon his duties. G-eorge Ulyett, one of England's greatest cricketers, said of Banr neiman on one occasion, "that he is the best bat that ever trod God's earth." The Old Boys' Club are putting plenty of life into their practising, but some of them still have a tired feeling occasionally. If they are to have their full measure of success, the keenness must be kept going right through the day's olay. To those who feel weary this hint is given. Here is something not generally known. Question Is the striker out if the wicketkeeper has his hands in front of the wicket at the tune the ball bowls down the wicket, the wicketkeeper not having touched the ball in its course ? Answer No, he is not out — Sydney "Referee." The winners of the senior averages m the Phoenix Club last season — Midlane and Hiekey — were both admitted by the club to free membership for having won school averages. Both won batting averages— the latter in 1894-1895, and Midlane in 1895-1896 and 1896-1897. Wallace', another member of the club, was admitted similarly in 1893-1894. Cricketers throughout the colony will regret to learn that R. W. Barry of the Midland Club, and late captain of the Canterbury representative team, has been senouslv ill, and at present he is staying at Hammer Springs for the good of 'his health. His many friends will join with me in wishing the menial "Bob" a speedy recovery. — "Dark Blue, in the 'Tress." "Experto Crede" writes once again. He complains — "The main point in my last letter you have set aside, and that is, the division of authority, and conflicting interests that have ever existed between the Cricket Association's ground-mian and the custodian of the Basin Reserve which will always remain until the Cricket Association have a ground of their own." W. G. G-arrard, the popular secretary of the Canterbury Rugby Union is a cricketer. I siay it this way, because it sun-prised me to notice that he was — I always knew his brother Charlie was a player, but I had doubts about "the Gun." However, in a third-class match at Christchuroh last Saturday he had the distinction of scoring the first century of the season — 117. More power to his bat! More Trumper. "Old Oxonian "in the "Sportsman" —"No other Australian batsman has ever batted so well in this country, and, though not unmindful of the names of W. L. Murdoch and Clement Hill I cannot but think that Trumper is the finest batsman Australia has ever produced. I have never seen a more attractive player to watch, and never a finer player on the on-side. But it is not only in his on-side play that Trumper excels, for he can out and drive on the off-side almost equally well. He seems to have a stroke for every ball." A good yarn has come to light in connection with one of the latest additions to Wellington cricket. He came from Sydney-side, and travelled across in company with a prominent supporter of one of the local clubs. He was a wicketkeeper first— at least, the supporter aforesaid thought so, and told him there was no chance of a place in his particular team, as they had a firstclass "keeper." Accordingly, he drifted to another club, and, in practice he has shown fine form with the bat. and says he is not particularly wedded to keeping the sticks, but any position close in would suit him — point, for instance. And there is trouble in that camp in consequence of the short-si edness of the supporter mentioned above.