Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 138, 21 February 1903, Page 18

Cricket.

BUT little inteiest was taken in the matches a.t the Basin Reserve on Saturday last. Wellington played against Old Boys and Midland against Phoenix, and before play was started both games w ere reckoned to be foregone conclusions for the former team in each instance. The Midland-Phoenix match was played on. No. 2 wicket, and disaster for the Phoenicians came early. Naughton, the hero of the Phoenix team against Wellington, touched his first ball from Upham, and was caught. Brice, Lash, and Pearce followed each other out in quick succession, and a low score appeared very likely as the result of the journeys of the Phoenix players to the batting crease. Day and Waters, however, "ot together, and livened things up considerably, hits over the pavilion fence and on to the pavilion itself, being the order of the day. Day eot 20 and Waters 10. Later on in the innings, Chisholm and Hickey were associated, and defied the Midland bowling talent until they had increased their side's total by 83 runs, Hickey's tally being 46, and Chisholms 37. The innings closed for 148, which seemed highly improbable at one stage of the game. Williams and Hickson opened for Midland, the former being the first to go, with] 20 opposite his name. In his total Williams made one beautiful hit over the fence into Kent Terrace. When stumps were drawn, two wickets were down for 89 runs — Hickson 38 (not out), Weybourne 5, and Hold r worth 17 (not out). * * * The Wellington-Old Boys match was played on No. 1 w icket the latter takjn~ strike. In the absence of Richardson, who was on a business trip to New Plymouth, Ashbolt captained the Wellington team. After their fine batting displays against the Midland team, in their previous match, it was expected that the Old Boys w T ould make a decent show ing against, the Wellingtonians. But, Tucker (38), Ralph (12) and C. P. Blacklock (11) were the only doublefigure scorers in the total of 88 runs, and many were disappointed thereat. Wellington made 124 runs for seven wickets — Mahony 20, A. Gore 20, Ashbolt 18, Hickson 19, and C. Gore 11. * * » Tucker played a nice innings, although there was an easy chance early in his stay a.t the wickets debited against him. He made one or two sweet strokes on the off, one square cut being a particularly good one. Raloh showed a rare lot of defence, and I think he could cultivate his batting a lot more, with resultant credit to himself. He was dismissed by a beautiful ball from Latham. Kirkcaldie had hard luck in being run out just when he was settling down. Ingles was a disappointment, the first ball he got from Hales smashing into his timber-yard. Pery, who has been doing good work among the juniors, was given a lift to the Wellington senior team, and acquitted himself creditably. This is the player whose peculiar action when bow Img I have referred to before. His bowling had its usual peculiarity on, Saturday, and a barracker from the pavilion could not keep quiet, but plaintively asked the umpire "What about no-balls?" I have carefully watched Pery in Ins delivery, and it is but seldom that he bowls a doubtful ball. At the actual time of delivery, the back foot is on the ground within the bowling crease and the foot is not lifted till the ball has gone. Pery's best ball is one that comes in fiom the leg-side, with the swing of his arm, but occasionally he works too far acioss. His length varies a lot, but my prediction is that when he settles down to senior cricket he will be an acquisition. His average on Saturday was three w ickets for 41 runs. Hales got thiee wickets for 24 runs, and besides had a number of catches diopped off his bowling.

The Wellington batsmen knocked up a few catches, but in. the earlier stages of their innings there were no fieldsmen w here the ball dropped. Hickey, in his school days, was accredited with being a good bat — in f act, ( he secured the average at Mount Cook School during the tame he was learning other things there beside cricket. His display on Saturday was a good one. and should encourage him to give his batting more attention than he has hitherto done during his career in senior cricket. His bowling is good, we all know, but still a nlayeir is very handy who is good both with bat and baJ 1 . Chisholm was promoted from the Phoenix junior team to the seniors because of his batting, and his innings last Saturday seemed to justify the wisdom of hi& club's committee in promoting him. Though Chisholm puts a lot of energy into many of his strokes for little result, yet his defence is sound. Day cain bat, and so can Waters. Their displays on Saturday were very good and came just when they were needed most by their side. Moore is another promoted Phoenix junior. He is one of the Johnsonville family of that name, and bats< left-hand-ed. However, before he got fairly going he fell a victim to Stephenson, by putting his leg in front of a straight ball. Stephenson (six for 63), Upham (three for 46), and Holdsworth (one for 11) were the successful Midland bowlers. • • • One accidentally drops on news. It may or may not be known to many that the Wellington City Council levies 5 per cent, on the gross takings whenever a charge for admission is made at the Basin Keserve. In some cases, though, .£5 is accepted in lieu of the 5 per cent., but there is only one case within my knowledge where the levy has not been made. That, however, is not the news I have gleaned. I always believed, and many I know among the trade and labour organisations in the city, especially those who cry out against the Cricket Association's monopoly of the Reserve, believed with me, that that body received the said 5 per cent. But they don't do anything of the sort, and the City Council even charge the Association 5 per cent, when they collect money at the gates. This 5 per cent, levy was made by the City Council some few years ago now at the instance of the Cricket Association. That body pointed out, and justly, too, that whenever the Basin Reserve was let for a sports gathering the work put in by the groundman of the Association was nullified to a great extent by a crowd of people tramping across it backwards and forwards all day, and they considered a certain percentage of the gate receipts should be handed to them to recompense them for the extra work entailed on their groundman through the ground prepared for cricketing purposes by him being greatly knocked about because of the sports gatherings being held. The City Council of the day agreed to accede to the wishes of the Cricket Association and the 5 per cent, levy on the gate money was made. But, strange to say, the Cricket Association has not seen a sixpence from the City Council under this heading, although many 5 per cents. — or £5 in lieu thereof— have been collected by the Corporation. The Cricket Association have decidedly a grievance here and should thrash the matter out with the Corporation. It may be said, and said truly, that the money so collected has been spent in beautifying the reserves of the city, but I claim that it had no right to be so spent. The money so received morally belonged to the Cricket Association and ought to have been handed over to them. Memory fails me as to the exact year when this charge was first made, but the minutes of the Reserves Committee of the City Council and those of the Cricket Association should easily locate it, and my contention as above quoted will be found to be correct. I have done my duty in drawing attention to it ; it is now the duty of the Cricket Association to see that it gets its just dues in the matter. * • • We were jubilant in Wellington over the gate receipts at Lord Hawke's match, but Canterbury beats us easily. The takings there totalled £806— Friday, £•262; Saturday, £352; Monday, £117; and £75 from sale of half-crown tickets. Have you heard the reason given by Mr. Spencer, one of the umpires in the Canterbury-Lord Hawke's match as to why he did not see the happening that caused the hubbub ? Bosanquet bowled on the leg side, and Pearce banged at the ball. Thinking Pearce was going to hit it Mr. Spencer " ducked," with the result that when the bails fell off he was not looking at the wickets at all. (Continued on page 19.)

Mr. J. H. Vincent., of Ashhurst, has suggested to the Cricket Council a device whereby spectators will be made conversant with the names of batsmen and bowlers when at the wicket. His suggestion is to have a programme giving the names of the players of both Lord Ha,wke's and the New Zealand teams, and in front of each name to place a capital letter, commencing with the letter A, then to erect on vie ground, alongside the scoring-board, another board, to be called the key-board, on which will be shown the headings "Batting," "Bowling." As a nlayer goes in to bat, the letter opposite his name, in the programme wall be shown under the heading "Batting" on the keyboard, and on reference to the programme the public at once know his name. The same process will a* the same time give the bowler's name, and as a batsman retires, or a bowler is taken off, the letter corresponding with the name of his successor would be substituted on the key-boa.rd. This, Mr. Vincent maintains, would make the game fa,r more interesting from a spectator's point of view, as members of both teams.though known bv repute, are not in the main recognised on sight. [The Wellington Cricket Association, in the match against Lord Hawke's team posted the names of the visitors when they went in to bat, or as they were bow ling. Of course, a lot of the New Zealand players will not be known to many who attend the New Zealand match, and Mr. Vincent's suggestion would be an easy way out of an apparent difficulty.— Totjchline.] • • • Ongley, the West Coast cricketer who has been given a place in the South Island team to play against Lord Hawke's eleven, was a member of the Hawke's Bay team that played in Wellington last year. It will be remembered that Trott and Dent accounted for the Wellington eleven in the first innings, but in their second turn at the wickets Midlane and Richardson got going to such good purpose, that the Hawke's Bay captain was compelled to spell Trott and Dent. Ongley was amongst the bowlers tried, and was very nervous. His first ball landed almost at his own feet, but, all the same, in the first over he secured Midlane's wicket, " Tiddley " running out to a short one, and missing it, was stumped. Though he was persevered with for a few overs Ongley could not get a decent length, and the visitors were much disappointed thereby, as he, up to the time the team started its tour, had the best bowling average in Hawke's Bay senior cricket. By the way, somebody wanted to know on the Basin Reserve the other day who made the big stand in the second innings for Wellington against Canterbury last season. Midlane (57, not out) and Richardson (47) are credited with that performance — being practically a repetition of the Hawke's Bay match. • • • Another Trumper paragraph. In January. 1902, Trumper was dismissed for a "duck" at Melbourne. For his failure to score then he has avenged himself on his natural enemy, the bowler, to the following extent before he was dismissed again for a cypher on 29th January :—: — In Australia, 15 innings, 631 runs; England, 53 innings, 2,570 runs; Africa, 12 innings, 599 runs — total, 80 innings, twice not out, 3,800 runs, average 48-70. During that time he obtained 14 centuries—ll in England, 101, 121, 105, 128, 113, 104, 109, 119, 125, 127, and 120 ; two in Australia, 178 and 130 ; and one in South Africa, 218 (not out) • • The South Island match with Lord Hawke's team commences next Monday at Dunedin. The first New Zealand match will be played in Christchurch on February 27th and 28th (Friday and Saturday in next week), and March 2. The match in Wellington is to be played on March 4th, sth, and 6th. On the Basin Reserve last Saturday morning, a peculiar decision was given in one of the school matches. In these games the masters of the different schools act as umpires. One of the lads delivered a ball, and the umpire called "Wide." The batsman, however, grot across to the ball, and hit it back to the bowler, when he was promptly given out caught. The "out" decision was a correct one according to the law, yet, after having made a mistake in law himself, and perhaps misled the batsman thererby, the umpire could have let the lad continue hig innings. A wide is a ball that is beyond the reach of the batsman, no matter where it is delivered, and a wide cannot be called according to law until it has passed the batsman, and the stroke has proved that the ball is beyond his reach. If he plays it, it is manifestly not a wide.

Two gentlemen have sent me a suggested New Zealand team, but as the signatures are manifestly not their own, the suggestion cannot see the light of day in this column. The prophets are getting to work early. They say that in the absence of Darling Noble will be chosen to captain the next Australian team -which is looking very far ahead with a vengeance. Dan Reese had a good time in Christchurch last week. Top scorer against the Englishmen — a collection of .£25 and a bat being the net results to him of this performance. More power to the lad and may success be his in the old land when he gets there. There are some beautiful people in this world. The following is a paragraph from " Long Slip's " notes in the " Otago Witness":— "A dastardly trick was perpetrated by some individuals to the Albion's wicket on the North Ground some time during Friday night. Taking advantage of the absence ot any responsible person, the culprits dug their heels through the matting into the clay, which was soft owing to the recent rains. Fully 50 holes at each end just where the ball pitches were dug into the depth of threequarters of an inch. The marks were not noticed until well on in the day, when a ball which rose quickly struck Fisher on the chin. This led to an investigation of the wicket, with the result previously stated. It is a pity the offenders could not be caught and made an example of."