Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 286, 23 December 1905, Page 20

Cricket.

THERE was a splendid muster of spectators at the Basin Reserve on Saturday last, and they were rewarded for their trouble in journeying thither by seeing some good! displays of batting. The weather was fine, and the wickets were in good order, with the exception, perhaps, of No. 3, on which there were many holes. This wicket, however, was put in the position it occupied last year, amd, as a consequence, the fieldsmen in the various matches were permitted to occupy their positions without overlapping the aid joining grounds. The want of a telegraph-board on, the pavilion sidle is an urgent necessity for No. 3 wicket, however. It would cost a few shillings, perhaps, to have this matter attended! to, yet tfhe Cricket Association will not issue the necessary insbructionis. Will some energetic member of the committee move- in the matter, so that the grievance may be abated when matches acne resumed after the holidays P Another trouble with this wicket is the fielding area on the fountain, side. It is rough, but that can't be helped' — the Cricket Association have no control over that portion of the ground. But, it is the small 1-boy matches that worry me. Last Saturday there were about six of these games mi progress on the fountain side of the Basin Reserve. While they hamper the fieldsmen m the matches on No. 3 andl No. 4 wickets, the boys at the same time are practically running the risk of receiving from the flying balls a knock that may do them incalculable injury. In one instance last week a lad got struck on the head by a ball that was driven hard by -a batsman, and it is within the bounds of possibility for that boy to have been, permanently injured thereby. There is room for about three of these games. Cannot the Cricket Association send a deputation to the Reserves Committee of the City Council, with the request that a certain control be exercised over these games? Three definite pitches could be laid out, amd the right to play on them each succeeding Saturday could be decided by the custodian of thhe Basin Reserve. Something should be done in the matter at once. * • * The beet batting display on Saturday was given by "Jack" Hutohings, of the Midland team. As a batsman I hare a deal of respect for the young Midlander, as he is one of the beet and most promising we have in the city. He has strokes all round the wicket, and has a fine knowledge of the game. While he is at the wickets, Hutchings is busy all the time, and his total of 122 (the biggest scare he has yeb made in senior cricket, andl the highest in Wellington for the season) was made in good time. All the strokes were there, too, in truly correct style, whether it was the cut, the drive, the legbit or gjance, and the pull. Hutchings is an. adept at placing the ball just where there is no fieldsman to field the ball. I congratulate him on his success, and trust that it may be but the forerunner of many more good displays from him. • • • It came as a surprise to me when I heard the clapping that signalised the fact that Stanley Brice, the fast bowler of the Phoenix team, had! gathered together his first century in senior cricket in Wellington. When Brice came first irifSb town cricket, he had made a name for himself in the Hutt Valley as a batsman above the ordinary, where, if I mista-ke not, he had made more than one three-figure score off his own bat. Brice gives you the impression when toe is ready to play the ball that he is lazy, and the fieldsmeni in consequence, come in a bit. closer than they were before he took tip his position. But they soon discover their error when he begins to drive, for the ball goes from his bat with a swish to the boundary which he is facing when he makes has stroke. Three out of every four of his scoring strokes on Saturday against the Newtown team were off-drives, the ball being placed clear pf the fieldsmen on that side of the wicket very prettily. There was an occasional square cut,

and a swing to leg, but they were few ia compaiison to the drives. I extend my coiigiatulatioiis to Bxice, whose full score was 113. • • * Good old reliable Claude Hickson will take a lot of displacing from the top of the, batting averages for the season if be keeps on going as he has commenced. His century score in the Newtown match was followed with 74 against the Wellington, last week. Hick&on is not a fast scorer, but his strokes are all well made, and! the straight bat he meets the ball with is the admiration of all those enthusiasts who like to see strokes made correctly. Another good display of fine defensive cricket was given by Pearson Biaoklock, of the Old Boys, against the Gasworks. The "big fellow" has curbed hi*, desire to make runs quickly, and, as a result, he is making them all th» same. There were some very bright pieces of batting in his innings last week, his punishing of loose balls being marked. His total was 64. William Redgrave was treated very well by the Old Boys' fieldsmen, but still there were many snappy strokes made by h-m in gathering together his tally of 73 (not out). The ex-Sydney-sider is not particular whether he hits the ball up in; the air or not as long as he makes runs — th© fieldsmen; drop catches, occasionally. He was very severe on anything, that was on the leg, the boundary fence on tho pavilion side receiving a lot of attention from him. One stroke he madie was a real beauty, the ball sailing merrily in the air almost into Dock-sjbreet. The captain of the Gasworks team — Fred Laws, to wit — k a veiry quiet ba sman to watch, but he makes his ran* with approved strokes. His score of 50 against the Old Boys was made with strokes all round the wicket, the cut and the drive being the most pronounced. • • • The Gasworks and the Old Boys match is in an interesting position, the advantage of the game being with the "smoke-wheelers" at tho present stage. Old Boys ~ot 189 in their innings — Blacklock 64, Tucker 23, Dixon 19, Jacobs 17 (not out), Cleland 17, Beechey 12, C. P. Blacklook 11. Thte Gasworks have made 133 for two wickets — Redgrave 73 (not out), Laws 50. The Wellingtons have- a steep contract in hand to make a decent fight with their oldi antagonists, the Midlanders. The latter had 1 first strike, and they put 303 runs on the scoresheet before the tenth man was. retired to their dressing-shed. Those responsible for the majority of the runs were- — Hutchings. 122, C. Hickson 74. TJpham 23, Mow&tt 15, Murphy 13, and Williams 12. Appearances point at present to the Newtown eleven being defeated by an innings by the Phoenix players. The youneer club's journey to the batting crease* resulted in but 82 runs being placed to their credit. Sisson (20) and Frank Alpe (11) were the only ones to notch a double-fierurei score. Phoenix responded with 200 for eight wickets — Brioe 113, Gibbes 32, Coboroft 18. McLennan 13, and Barton 11. • * * Gibbes (Phoenix) was the most successful bowler of the day, his five wickets costing but 9 rums. He got the majority of his wickets with a nice "yorker" — a ball that it would pay him to bowl frequently. It seems to me that the captain of tEe Phoenix team would not make a mistake if he made Gibbes his opening bowler at one end, instead of the first change . Luckie's (Wellington) average was knocked all to smithereens on Saturday by Hutchings, Hickson, and company, the one wicket he got costing 78 runs. Other bowlers to get wickets on Saturday were : — Gasworks : Rodgers, four for 32, Burke, two for 30; McKay, one for 29 ; Lingard, on© for 5 ; Redgrave, one for 58 ; Hawtfoorne, one for 25. Old Boys: Monaghan and Tucker, one each. Wellington: Hales, four for 80; Hickson, four for 34; O ; Shea, one for 45. Phoenix: Brice, three for 34 ; Hiekey, two for 29. Midland: TTpham, one. Newtown ; Percy Smith,, sax for 63. I was pleased to see the Wellington captain give Stan Hickson a turn with the ball, and I hope the success he met with will see hikm oftener trundling for his side. I have before now eulogised Hickson as a bowler, and am satisfied it wouldi be to the advantage of the Wellington team if he was tried more than he is. • • * There is not a better judge of a run nor one keener on getting the singles than the Midland l team's skipper — TJpham. While Hutchings and! Ms captain were together they ran many snort runs, but they got safely home every time. There axie many runs lost each week by the batsmen, and it is pleasing to see a player trying to get every one that is scored by his side. But there should be a definite ■understanding; between the batsmen before short runs are attempted. Upham

and Hu tellings did not hesitate when the call was made; thehrefore the run wa& got, and the wicket was intact. "Dan" Hay, the captain of the Wellington College team this season, has left College, and) on Saturday took his place in the Old Boys' team. Though ms» first e^say in senior cricket only produced 1 9 runs, there was abundant evidence that he will yet be a source of strength to the ex-Collegians. In this> connection, it was hoped that Collins, the promising son, of the "Dx." of that ilk, would be an, Old Boy at the emd of the College term just concluded, but, as it is his intention to return to College after the vacation, the hope will not be fulfilled. I had the opportunity of watching him batting cue other day, and was very pleased with the way he shaped with the bat. He has a beautiful style at the wickets, and makes his strokes with telling effect. It is probable that befewe he settles down young Collins may have some experience in bigger cricket circles than a course of education in Wellington offers, but I hop© Wellington will have the benefit of his services when his college course is finished. After his brilliant display against Midland, it was expected that Oonyngham would make much headway against Phoenix. But Brice got a beauty past ham early — a good-length ball which came across from outside Conyngham's leg stumps to the centre one. Cobcroft was batting nieeily last week when Lax got him with a ball that never rose an inch from the time it pitched. It was a short-pitched one, and Oobcroft was waiting for the bounce to bang it to the fence. The bounce never came, however, and l the ball was straight. The batsman made a good effort to stop it, but he was too late. • • • The fielding by most of the players in the matches oil Saturday was execrable. Many batsmen had two innings, ,and in some cases three. The worst offenders were the Old! Boys and Newtown teams, but Phoenix, Gasworks, and Wellington all had 1 "butfcerfrngevs" in their teams. Some batsmen make a few runs, but they drop an opponent who makes considerably more than they did. What value are they to their team? In this 1 connection the lead! of the Midland Club could be well followed by the others. A man who is a good fieldsman and a fair bat is given the preference every time to one who is a good, bat but an indifferent fieldsman. • • * To let Watson, who has an Engjish reputation, into the team, the Phoenix Selection Committee dropped 1 "General" White. He is a long way from the worst bat in the eleven, and le can give points in fielding to many of those left in. Why was he given the go-bye P (Continued on page 21.)