General Gossip.

NZ Truth, Issue 127, 23 November 1907, Page 3

General Gossip.

Old Boys had a day on the job. Their fielding was an improvement all round. Tucker bowled well, and Blacklock was a bit of his old self behind the sticks. He woke up to some true stumping, too, catching one, and only two byes. 'Petone did well against Midland. It's fielding is going to make itself felt, and the teani that fancies it can steal runs against them is looking for trouble. It Was pleasing- to see them go at the ball, instead of waiting for the ball to come along to them.

Oobcroft must have been telling the subordinates thongs m this line, as it's one of his solid habits that makes him good m tihe field.

Brice wasn't having much of a go with the ball, or did Williams dishearten 'him by bashing his only over for a baker's dozen.

Cobcroft reckons that Upham can't bowl him m a blue moon. The blue moon hasn't arrived, but Upham bowled him on Saturday.

Gas Co. tried only eight bowlers. 'What was wrong with trying the other three. Phoenix might do bet.ter. It has only tried six up to the fall of three wickets. There's plenty of time to try the other five by the look of things.

Claud Hickson is apparently after big figures this season. What was wrong with Williams' short-stopping.. Was No. .3 a crook wicket ?

Jack Mahoney scored 55 nicely against G-as, and it included a split finger which doesn't go down on the score-sheet. He was unable to keep wickets.

Glad to see Stephenson getting a few wickets. He makes things awkward when he find? the spot, and he does use Ms top-piece, which can't be said about all our howlers.

Ishecwood should have allowed one run to be scored off him, then his average would have read one over, one maiden, one run, one wicket. That would have been unique. Wonder how many would have noticed the discrepancy. However, all the ones are all right, excepting the run, and that's a duck, and this par is a trifle Hibernian.

Rumor had it that no more senior games were to be played on No. 3 but they are still at it. Someone will get slaughtered some Saturday, and the Association will be satisfied, perhaps. Smyrke of Petone is one of the finest fieldsmen m the senior competition. He covers a lot of territory and returns the ball with great accuracy. It is a great pity the Association does not make some attempt to pitch the wickets so that the fieldsmen do not get m one another's way. and the batsman can see where he should, or should not, hit the ball. As a. suggestion, why not play the junior match on the Athletic Park, and so. enable public and players to enjoy a Saturday afternoon's cricket ?

The luck of cricket. Fryer, -the Oamteafoiury oriclceter-tfootbaillef who made a big century a few weeks ago earned a pair of specs m- the Riccar-ton-Svdenham match/

•i. "A.M.," m reminiscences of old times of cricket m all parts of tye world, ■describes his experiences m New Zealand m dticket. "We took the field m New Zealand, where, owing to» Sir George G-rey having lost the toss, the Maori innings lasted some years. Our wickets were very different from those of to-day, being usually pitched on a track through the fern, which was more or less cut down for some distance around, not o»Iy to prevent the ball

travelling, but also to prevent the crowd, represented by hostile Maoris, encroaching too closely .on the game. It used to be said that the umpires always carried revolvers,"

Earl Soiides, who passed to the great majority a couple of weeks ago, was a pillar of Kent cricket when he was Lord Thrctwley. Whenever a scratch match was played on the fine ground laid out m front of his estates, the old gent used to promise a present: to anyone who would break one of his windows. This was done with the object of encouraging forceful, hitting, but the only player who was known to send the leather crashing through the panes was Lord .Thirowley himself.

The North Shore Club (Auckland) has engaged a new groundsman, Mr Sanderson, who has acted as caretaker of the Caledonian Ground m Dunedin. He will arrive there m the beginning of December. It is intended to make the Shore ground one of the finest m the district. The Wai'temata Golf Club have joined m with the cricket authorities, and will have Mr Sanderson's services during the winter months.

The only spectacle makers for the past season included m the M.C.C, team are Humphries and Rhodes, the former failing to notch a run m either innings m the Derbyshire v. Northampton* match m July, whilst "Wilfrid" did likewise m the Yorkshire's May match versus the M.C.C,

Tom Hoar, the old Melrose footballer, was m fine trim with the leather ■at Master-ton on Saturday. Bowling for ' Carlton A against Carlton B m a senior championship contest, Tom nabjbed six wickets at a cost of only 14 rims'.'

A. O. . Jones's statement to a press interviewer that the English team now m Australia is the best fielding 'one that has ever been sent out ,-to these parts, is a pretty tall order when ope remembers that it is 45 years since the, first, combination made its appearance there,

H. B. Lusk scored his second century of the season* (102) for West Christchuroh against , Linwood on Saturday. It was his 'best innfegs so far m tbe Cathedral City, Dan Reese, by attractive, free cricket, knocked up 160 for the Westerners. One fierce drive of Iran's sent the leather ons lop of the old pavilion.

It is said that two or three of the professionals who declined to join, the English team skippered by the man with the popular name of Jomes, without higher . remuneration, repented of their action, but the M.C.C. stood on its .•; dignity and would not renew the iuvi'tation.'.

Bluemantle m . the , "Daily Mail 1 ' prophesies that both England and Australia will be surprised by the performance of the English team. They are a far stronger team than is generally supposed, and ; possess the greatest and biightest' possibilities. Their batting and bowling are certainly adeofuate, " and, as to the fielding, he says that, not only are the majority of the team individually very fine fielders, but they^ have the advantage of a captain with whose example and direction they are bound to field well. They are a youn-g side, and this may just conceivably lead to nerves, and thus to a terrible series 'of disasters. In spite of this, if the team plays up to its. true farpi, it ,ds .. decidedly powerful, and will, "test Australia's strength to the uttermost.

The same writer shows that this quality of youth is essential if a team. for the future is to be provided, wherefore m 'this instance, as m others, he considers that the selection committee has exercised wonderful judgment. ' At Meadow. Creek, near Orange, New South Wales,- a few Satturdays ago, :E. -Barnes, the well-known Western District cricketer, scored 3.6 from one over,' viz., six 6"s, afid 28 from another over. He scored 251, the' first 125 being got m 35 minutes. This out-Trum-per's recent record.

"A. O. Jones at Adelaide :— Of course, old faces like Hayward's and Tvklesley's 1 . were missed, but "there were as 'good fish m the sea as ever came out," and he could only hope so with regard to hife team, Heaps and heaps of cricketers m England were fit to. come to Australia. Three teams could be picked, who would not disgrace themselves. The M.C.C. had sent out a team of youngsters, though th»V' : had won- thear laurels m county cricket. He hoped the matches would not be "influenced by the weather, and fchatfpre better side would win. .

Report says that most of the Westralian team were* absolutely frightened of the reputation of the English team, and this .. fact, accounted for their sad discomfiture. '

Much has been' said about the youth of the members of the English team.' But it is mere moonshine. Jones .is m his 35th 'year, Rhodes m his 31st, Humphries, Hayes,. and Barnes. each m his 32nd, and Fane and BraMtf each m his 33rd. Hence tbere^aiV ■•«-—, over 30 years of 'age. Hobbs. is m his 26th year, Young; m his 23rd, Blythe m his 29th, . Hardstuff m his 26th: Crawford m his 21st, and Hutchings m his 25th.

Ernest Jones, tfye 'o;sce dreaded fast bowler, was a fr6st, 'failing to obtain a wicket against A. O. Jones' team 1 . Jones, m his palmy days, was known as the Barrier Catapult, or the Lightning Boy, and received as much as £4. a week to play m South Australia.

Some people have expressed surprise that Warner was not deputed to captain John Bull's combination now m Australia. For his own side, •he was a skipper hard to beat. His batting this season has been even better than when he visited us before. He finished up the English season by making 116 and 113- not out for England v. Notts. The first century was out of a total of 297 for his side.

It is just possible that three or four of the English team will pay a visit to the Rotorua wonderland before making tracks back for the Old Country, It is peculiar that F. L. Fane, the only batsman of note m the present English team who dm not play a three-figure innings m English first-class cricket this year, was the first to make a century m Australia. ■-.-... As Australians will soon see South Africa m the running for the cricket supremacy of the world, for no doubt m the near future they will have a cut at the Commonwealth representives'for the revered ashes, if the latter succeed m defeating the team now led by A. O. Jones, a few figures regarding the Africanders re-

cent tour m England ought to he interesting. They played 31 matches, won 21, lost four, drew six. Quite up to Australian form this. They compiled no less than 15 centuries as against only four by the Englishmen, a remarkable difference.

W. G. Grace's team of 1874 was the first English eleven to play against South. .Australia, a 22 being pitted against them. The Englishmen made 108 and 38 (Oscroft 20), and the 22 scored 63 and 82, and were defeated by seven wickets.

George Giffen made his first appearance against an English eleven m December, 1878, and, like Alec Bannerman,, he made a pair of duck's eggs, and ' bowled unsuccessfully, Lord Harris's team winning byi three wickets. It is rather curious that two batsmen who afterwards proved' so difficult to dislodge, should open their first-class career by failing to score a run m either innings.

Charles Macartney, the N.S.W. cricketer, is said to be m the habit of getting up at five o'clock every morning, all the year round, to train for cricket. Nothing is more injudicious to the system than systematic exercise. The healthy man is the man who could not run twenty yards to catch a tram, but who «pukl go m and compile fifty as naturally as eating his breakfast. It is manifestly better .to conserve one?s strength than waste it over dumbbell exercises.

Something of a record m. run-get-ting was put up by the members of the Albion Club last week. For mr stance, the senior team compiled 287, the senior grade 113, third 194, and fourth 250— a grand total of 844.

A Christchurch writer says that m the representative trial matches neither Harry i nor Patrick (who played a game or two for Petonc before returning to the Cathedral City) are by no means yet m form.

Dame Fortune is said to have a special regard for H. B. Lusk. No matter where Lusk pops 'em up m the field, the opportunity is declined ; by the obliging scouter.

" Frank Williams is still the best of Otago's stumpers. Captain Jones, of the English team, is accompanied on his travels by bis wife. A fortnight ago they were advised by cable of the death of Mrs Jones's mother.

The number of members on the roll of the Melbourne Cricket Club last season was 4830.

G. A. Faulkner, the South Africancricketer, has been severely criticising the umpiring of the recent second Test Match m England. In an article m the Johannesburg "Sunday Times" he stated that when Sinclair was given out stumped, Lilley himself admitted that the batsman was six inches wat-bin his crease. On his attention being directed to this article, Lilley '(according to the "Sporting Life"), confirmed the statement that Sinclair was : wrongly given out, but said his opinion as to the margin had been exagerated. He was of the opinion that on the whole umpiring favored neither side.