Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 278, 28 October 1905, Page 19

Cricket.

CHAMPIONSHIP matches m all grades under the auspices of the Wellington Cricket Assocdatiwwi commence to-morrow (Saturday). That is, provided Captain Edwin can be prevailed upon to keep good* weather on tap during the week — ox for a sufficient portion of it to ensure the grounds nob being too sloppy. Practace commenced last week, but Monday was the only day on which tihe weather would permit of cricketers getting fit for the season's games. On Monday of this week there was a great gathering of cricketers of all descriptions on the Basin Reserve. ♦ ♦ « The senior matches for Saturday are : — Wellington v. Phoenix, No. 1, Basin Reserve, Old Boys v. Midland, No. 2 Basin Reserve ; Gasworks v. Newtown, No. 3 Basin Reserve, or No. 1, Athletic Park. It has been found practically impossible to arrange for the three senior matches on the Reserve, the fielding area being much restricted on the No. 3 wicket, because of the many "scrap" matches being played) on the Fountain side. * « • The trouble between the Wellington and the Wednesday Cricket Associations has been amicably settled, the Wednesday cricketers being accommodated with the practice wickets used by ijhe St. Patrick's College teams on the Basin Reserve last season. So things in the cricket world of Wellington are now running smoothly. * * * In the recent discussion re the (rights of the cricketers and! other sports bodies on the Basm Reserve, somebody stated that objection had been taken to athletes training on the portion kept in order by the cricketers. The running itself is not objected to by the Ouoket Association — why should! it be? It was correctly pointed out that the cricketers themselves do more damage to the ground with the spikes in their shoes than the running men. But it is the holes mad© in the ground by the sprinters that the Cricket Association object to. And, considering that last season Duffey visited us, and did many things that are likely to be copied by local runners, it behoves 1 the Cricket Association to be even more vigilant than in the past. Duffey used to carry a big clasp knife with him when he was going on the mark to start, and would cut great squares out of the turf to accommodate each of his feet. It is these big holes that are objected) to, and if the athletes wish to work amicably with the cricketers, it behoves them to treat the ground decently, and 1 if they must make holes let them be sure they don't make them either on the practice wickets or on the ground which is prepared! to play the weekly matches on. • • • Championship matches commence in Auckland to-morrow (Saturday). As far as I pan gather from newspaper files, Fred Midlane is not a player this season in Sydney. Matches commence in Dunedin tomorrow (Saturday), wet weather causing a postponement from last week. In Christchurch the senior championship is now known as the first grade. We are getting more like Australia every day. Victor Trumper was expectedl to airive in Sydney on his return from the tour of the Australian cricketers on Tuesday last. Carpenter, the Essex professional, who has had an excellent season, has again accepted an engagement as coach at Melbourne. "Bob" Read, who has recently returned to Wellington from Wanganui, intends playing again if he gets an opporunity of practice. A Napier item : — "Bowlers and batsmen alike are rapidly getting into the form necessary for club cricket, which starts in earnest next Saturday." The following are considered probable members of the next English team to visit Australia : —A. C. Maclaren, R. H. Spooner, C. McGahey, A. 0. Jones, P Perrin, and H. Martyn or Humphries, with Quaife, Kinneir, Jayes, Blythe, Bratmd, and G. and J. Gunn.

The Auckland 1 Cricket Association, has decided to engage coaches to coach the schoolboys at the various institute® or learning there during the incoming season. "Ken" Tucker bad a slight misfortune at the seaside at the latter end of last week, which may keep him out or crickeit to-morrow. "Ken" slipped on the rocks, and gashed 1 his leg pretty severely. Some Sydney first-grade bowling performances : — Robson, eight for 20; Whittling, two for 14; White, two for 34- Hordern, two for 7. Newell, five for 35 ; Meagher, four for 16 , Oonan, six for 46. Darling, Gregory, Howell, and Kelly have wandtered back to Australia from England. Darling states that it is most likely an English team, with Jackson as captain, will visit Australia next summer. Mr. R. W. Barry, the Canterbury representative criokeiter, was in, town at the latter end of last week. "Bob" assists in running the "double" totalisator at the meetings of the Wellington Racing Club. The weather so far in Sydney this season has not been of the bast for cricket. The fallowing are some or the best scores m the later matches • — Bubb 69 (not. out), Bowden 56, W. A. Richardson 71, and Newton 55. Leevers, who used to figure in the Wellington Club's senior eleven some seasons back, was m attendance at that club's practice nets during the week. He may be a player this season, if one can judge from this circumstance. The Wellington Cricket Association have had printed' forms: circulated amongst clubs, so that, th© results of each match may be forwarded direct to the secretary of that body. This is a good move, and should) prove effective. An Auckland -writer has a remark to make: — '"As is usual at this season of the year, there are several English county cricketers in the town. I didn't see many of them on tihe Domain on Saturday, and seem to recollect some talk of the same kind last year." I have been informed! that a prominent Midland Club .supporter, who has been practically an institution on the Basin Reserve in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, is giving the game best, and will be found in future "kissing kitty om one of the bowling greens of Wellington. Mr. "Tim" Raphael has been re-elect-ed secretary of th© New Zealand Cricket Council. At the annual meeting of that body an honorarium of £20 was voted to him, the chairman, in moving the resolution, remarking that mo one in New Zealand had done more valuable service to ori'ckeit than Mr. Raphael. The following proposition was miadte in all seriousness at the annual meeting of a country club: — "That previous season's defaulting members who intend to play this year be oonsidlered as having paid their arrears, and all those who do not intend l to play be posted." The motion was withdrawn after being discussed. The Umpires' Association is urgently in need of more members. The work done last year was. much appreciated by cricketers, and it behoves all old players and well-wishers of the game to keep the ball rolling, so that the job of finding umpires far the various matches may be removed from the respective captains. Christchurch bowling figures for the first day's play. — R. Ridley, six wickets for 32 runs ; Olkvier, six for 26 ; Greenwood, three for 14; Call away, five for 30; Maitland, three for 23; Wells, five for 26 ; West, three for 10 ; MoMurray, six for 31 ; Frankisih, two for 13 : Lawrence, two for 11 ; Duddteng, five for 22. "The system of awarding three points for a win in a completed match, and only two for a victory on the first innings, will have a very beneficial effect on first-grade cricket," says a Sydney writer. This should! answer some of the objectors of "Ranji" Wilson's motion at the annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association. There was no practice last Saturday on the Basin Reserve — that is, regular practice. But some players got to work on the rough side of the Reserve, and I am told that one official of the Association allowed his zeal to so far outrun his discretion as to order the said players to cease their practice. As the CricVet Association have no control over the portion where they were exercising, the command was not obeyed. Holdship, who, in recent years, has been located in Wanganui, was a prominent figure in Wellington cricket before he went there. He has returned to the Empire Oity. and! is hanging out his shingle in Feathenston-street as a barrister and solicitor. There are many of us who would Tikei to see the genial "Coster" •making rums as of yore, but, although he was practising on Monday, it is unlikely that he will don the flannels regularly during the incoming season.

In the second innings of East Christcixurch against Ricoarton last Saturday Callaway had 1 some remarkable bowkng figures. From the first two overs three singles were scored, and then there followed seven maidens in succession in which Callaway took three wickets, making a record of tihree wickets for three runs. The championship matches commenced m. Christchurch last Satuirdlay. Low searing was the order of the. day, taie wiokets being very heavy. Doublefigure scoieib, included: — Gerrard 11, Wigley 33 (not out), Weston 14, Ollivier 22 (not out), O'Farrell 19 (not out), Blunden 12, North 10, Whitta 52, Wilson 11, Robson 13, Gray 10, Egan 10. News is to hand that the famous cricketer, K. S. Ranjitsinghi, has been ill with malarial fever and asthma, which, with other circumstances, prevented his return to England for the latter part of th© cricket season. He intendis to rest for some time at his home at Jamnagar, but expresses the hope that he may be m England for the season of 1906. The feature of the games played in Sydney on October 7th was the mnamigs. of 204 by J. R. Maokay, fox Burwood against Glebe. Mackiay, who was batting for two hours and) forty minutes, gave three chances before he had madle his first hundired. A. E. Johnson scored 107 in the same- gam©, and, in partnership with Mackay, put on 290 for the first wicket. The Thorndon Club's players should be in good farm for the opening games. By reason of their asphalt wicket on the Manawatu Company's ground they have been enabled 1 to get in three Saturday afternoons' practice. This club is in a healthy state, the number of members offering being more than sufficient to fill the teams that are being entered for the various competitions. "Long Slip" says: — "It as quite evident that all the enthusiasm for the summer game is not confined' to Australia. I know of three members of a senior club in town who turn out at 6 a.m. each day for a strike." Reminds me that one of our local senior oluibs wanted to try a man who was engaged on nigiht duty. Several of them turned out in the early morning to do so. A coincidence noted by the Sydney "Referee" writer : — Batting for University against North Sydney, F. C. Rogers and R. Harvey started! the innings with this result : — Harvey, c Hordern, b White 31 Rogers, c Hordern, b White : 31 In addition, each man hit five fours. University total of 91 was comprised of the figures 3, 1, 9, 5 only. Poidevin headed the batting averages for Lancashire. He scored! 1376 runs, his average being 44.38 runs per wicket. He scored five centuries, viz., 122, 168 (not out), 133, 121, and! 102. Lower down on the list were the names of MaoLaren, Tyldesley, and Spoonenr, all of whom had played for England! in the test matches. "Yet," says "Substitute," "PoicTevin could not gain a place in the first eleven, of New South Wales." (Continued on page 20.)

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