Cricket. Out Door Sports And Pastimes

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 178, 28 November 1903, Page 20

Cricket.

Out Door Sports And Pastimes

By Touchline.

DULL and uninteresting was the cricket on the Basin Reseive last Saturda\. Both matches were foregone conclusions at the end of the previous day's play, and the ram that had fallen during the week improved still further the chances of the Phoenix and Midland teams in their respective engagements. * * * The Phoenix-Wellington match engaged the most attention, but the big score made by the former team — 330 — seemed to paralyse their opponents Granted that the wicket was dead, and helped the bow lers to a considerable extent, yet the Wellington players were worth more than the 184 runs theiy obtained for the loss of seventeen wickets. There was such an amount of hang in tho bowling that the batsman who attempted to play the bowling in orthodox fashion gene-rally succeeded in placing an uppish stroke in the way of the several fieldsmen. By the w ay, the work of the Phcenix players in the field was marked with a deal of thoroughness, although occasionally one with a tired feeling, perhaps, w ould be seen getting ouu of the way of an extra hard drive along the grass. To my idea, the game the Wellington players should have adopted w 7 as to hit hard and as often as possible. They might have lest their w lckets earlier than they did by this method of play, but the inference is the other way. At any rate, they would have put many more runs on the score-sheet than they did When stumps w ere draw n, the Wellington team had &till to make 147 runs to save an innings defeat, and they had only three wickets in hand to do it with. * ■+ * The game was concluded on Monday night Phcenix winning by an innings, and with many runs besides. * * * Brice increased his previous score to 57 (not out) for Phcenix. On the Wellington side, Fish (27 not out, and 21), Hiokson (23 and 14), Mahony (10), C. Gore (10), and Weybourne 21 (not out) w ere the two-figure scorers. Richardson and Taylor got a pair of specs each as their contributions. * * * The best batting display on the Wellington side was Barney Weybourne's, in the second innings. He hit with plenty of vigour, his drives finding the boundary almost every time. Methanks, had the w hole team adopted similar tactics, the total score of the side* would have been considerably improved. But per contra, Fish, w r ho did none too well in the Wellington's first match, proved that the bow ling could be played if the batsmen took the trouble to do so. His tallies were 27 (not out) and 21 (run out), and, although he was slow in getting them in his first journey to the wickets, there was no question about the soundness of his display. His defence was as solid asi a rock, every ball being w ell met. I congratulate him on his good showing, and trust it is only the beginning of better things. Hickson's two double-figure scores were made in his usual aggressive style, but not getting them far enough ■a,way he was caught out m both his journeys to the w ickets. Mahony was very slow in getting his two-figure score in the first innings, and was fairly and squarely beaten by the balls he was bowled with, in both innings. C. Goie was going nicely in the second innings, when he did not get hard enough down on to a straight ball from Hickev, the ball continuing its course to the wicke+s. Arthur Gore was in some time for his second innings' tdly, but the bowling was not kind to him He likes a few outside the off stump occasionally, buti the balls on that side of the wicket during his stay were few and far between. • ■* * Redgrave was the most successful Phcenix bowler. He was sending down some rare "googly" ones, breaking in from leg, w hich made very simple

encketeis at tamos of the flower of the Wellington Club The. wicket helped him, ot couiso, and the s>tvle of ball delnered was new to most of the batsmen, "and theieau lay niucli of Redgi a\ e'b success. Redgiavo does not consider the bowling ciease as of much consequence, and occasionally wandeis down the pitch before ho delivers the ball. This accounts for the number of "no ba.lls" given against him. However, the Phoenix success m this match is maanJy due to his pei foi mances both with bat and ball, and that fuither successes may come Ins way is only in the order of things. Bnce, Hickcy, Waters Huiley, and Day all 'had a turn with the ball, and did well Wateis got a couple of beautiful, balls past Mahonv and Richardson in the second innings The Old Beys had to submit to the inevitable— an innings defeat. — in then engagement with the Midland team. The latter, batting two short, aggregated 158 runs — the Old Boys m their ho strikes mustering 109. The only double-figure scoier in the second innings was Tucker, who got 13. A suggestion in these notes a fortnight ago was followed bv the Old Boys skipper. He opened the innings with Tucker, and a piomismg stait was made, Kirkcaldie being unfortunate in beiixs given out lbw iust when things were £omg nicely. He tells me Staples declines to open the innings with him, but the latter should study the common weal. The best chance the Old Boys team at present have of putting a bold front forw ard is to open w ith Kirkcaldie and Staples, Tucker following first wicket down. Hutchings (five for 17) and Stephenson (four for 26) indicate how the cxC'cHep'ians were d-sposed of In Upham's absence, Arnold Williams led the MidJanders. * * * The Knghsh team of cricketers, under Mr. Warner, pursue the even tenor of their way right through all the Commonv, ealth cricketers. The general remark was, "Wait till they meet New South Wales, then we'll find out thenfull strength." Well, they have done so, and routed them by over an innings. Warner's remark "that he has a strong side with him. " will now be believed, if it wasn't before, and the follow eis of the pame the wcrld around are keenly looking forw ard to the playing of tho test matches. A significant note shows what the Australian cricket authorities think of the strength of the English team. 'It is likely tha/t Trumble w ill play in at least two of the test matches." We, in this part of the world, hope tha.t he will be prevailed upon to play in the whole of tne series. Australia's full strength is wa,nted, and she cannot get it without Hugh Trumble ■x * * Joe Darhnc, the Australian cricketer, was thirty-three years of age on the 21st instant. The colours of the Australian team m the test matches are to be dark blue and gold. The committee to select the Australian teams for the test matches is M. A. Noble, C. Hill, and A. E. Johns. A comment in ' Not Out's " notes — "Marsh is classed by senior club cricketers as the greatest bow ler in New South Wales. . . Meanwhile, the public wondeis whether Marsh will ever be gi\en another tnal in high-class cricket." North Sydney Club, playing against Central Cumberland, in Sydney, scored 494 runs in 3J hours.. Hopkins (183) and Hickson (93) put on 234 runs for the second wicket in, something like an hour and a-half. Other contributes to the total were — Deaue 57, Haddon 71, and Hartigan 53. I am assured that, m the excitement a.t the conclusion of the WelhngtonGasuorks junior match, a batsman was given out by one of the umpires before he was appealed to by the fielding side. If this is correct, an appeal to tho Cricket Association should result in the match beimg ordered to be played over again, as the umpire's action is in opposition to the rules of the game. This is hardly a cricket item, but still I must crow dit in here. On Wednesday of this week "Off-side Mac" took to himself a bride, and is now a married man. Good luck to him ' lam sure every follower of the winter pastime that Mr. W. McKenaie made himself so famous at in this fasr land of ours — and, for the matter of that, cricketers as well who may have come in contact with him — will re-echo my congratulations to the long fellow. He was ever a good sort, and. although for many years he had to fight against a severe attack of rheumatism, of late years he has banished the complaint from his system, and is now strong and lusty as of yore. May long life and happiness be his ! Continued on page 31.

The Wellington-Midland senior match wa finished on Monday night. lne Midlanders won. Auckland and Wellington play a lepresentative match at Auckland on December 25, 26, and 28. An eulogy of Victor Trumper —'A perfect batsman and held, a non-smok-er and teetotaler, he is a model for young cricketers with aspirations. The dates of the test matches between England and Australia are as follow —December 11th, a* Sydney, January Ist, at Melbourne, January loth, at Adelaide, February 26th. at Sydney, March 4th, at Melbourne. Contrary to expectations, the thntyfive runs required by the Gas Company, with five wickets to fall, to win their match against the Wellington lumors, proved too much for that team, Wellington winning by the small margin of eulght runs. Ernest Upham was absent from his place in the Midland team last Saturday as the result of an attack of sciatica. It is to be hoped that, he will be fully recovered by the time these notes are readable, for his team will want him in the match with Phoenix. The meeting of the Phoenix and Midland senior teams next Saturday should provide an interesting game. Both teams have won their two first games, and the result of the match started this week should have a big bearing on the ultimate resting-place of the championship. C. B. Fry, in a farewell letter in the "Daily Express" to Warner says — "PelTiam, yours is a powerful team, and should do well if it plays as a team of brothers, and if you can, persuade your men to scorn delight® — minor delights — and to live laborious—pleasantly laborious — days throughout the tour." An Adelaide writer's opinion — 'To sum up the Englishmen — and it must only be a rough summing-up — I should say that, with one bowler on the Australian side with any approach to greatness, Australia should win the rubber, but if Trumble does not play, one does not know where the 'great' bowler is coming from, and the Englishmen have the best chance of winning the rubber that an English team has had out here for many years." I was wctchirg the Wellington-Mid-land junior match for a while on Saturday. At that tune the former was fielding, and both bow lers were bow ling left-hand round the wicket. The amount of appe^s for leg-beforc-w lcket during the short space of time referred to were surpnsing, and eventually a batsman had, to retire with the umpire's decision against him. He may have been out, but a-lL the same, the effoits made to secure the umpire's decision by the fielding team were very pronounced. A good story is told of the new Colonial Secretary. All the Lytteltons, a 9 most people know , are devoted to cricket with a passion that throws most others into the shade. Out of this devotion grew a tragic scene', that was witnessed one day in the family drawing-room. One of the younger boys entered the room in the deepe&t distress and grief , and overw helmed with shame, and solemnly exclaimed, ''What do you think Alfred has done p " "What is it?" exclaimed his mother. "Tell me'" "I never should have thoueht it of him l " sorrowfully joined the boy. "Why, what has he done? Tell me ouickly l " demanded the mother, thoroughly alarmed. "Done' Why he ran out to a beastly slow , and got stumped l "