CRICKET.

NZ Truth, Issue 132, 28 December 1907, Page 3

CRICKET.

'.■■-;■■■ ■' — -~+> 1 ;.-■■ ."-■>.: -='--". .■ ' , , , _ V. . _ .I--'. •■■'i; ;'.■-... ;;^' ' (By ■ Scout) < ; ": , . ■Glcni; -HilKs "frequent -failure, tb reaclt : the>>eentury ; ; after getting mtp ■;the nineties^ i-s ; one of the inob't .astonishing ,on:i^ecord m •first-class ■matches.-'" 1 H\ a accent instance, he scored 92' and ; 94.: ■.; -In 1897, m "the test match' against HStoddart's- team, •fie°'made 96. r ;rn^,l9o2, m the' test match on the Melbourne Ground, <he made 99, caught 1 \\by- A. O.^Jones^ b'aw:led : Barnes. In thje next game of I>he i'saine series, flayed on; the Adelaide,Ov;a].,^e"ma^e: 98 arid~ ; ,?7, V and m the same season,' prior to this,;\he i made 95 ! a'gain$tf //Victoria, v.against which, m March'/: 1897, he; ,had al^ ready made' 95.' ■'■ In 'England' he';' Mso got'into the nineties. .' '\ . "'; •.■There' is no littie' luck m cricket; ' c-yeri m the selection of teams; 'They say that if Arm'sferong had played against the Englishmen, the' ; man who would' have had to stand ! out for him is.'Ransfo'rd^ This does ndt^say much for the discernment -or judgment of >the Victbrtan Selection' Com- ■ mittee. • ■*#/. •.:".'■:■• , ' ; - 1 - ■[■ ; -Last season. Diamond and Hopkins ' .would have' been certain f or places m Australia's^ best eleven, and at'i.'the end of vlrfter^State campaign Bansf or-d. would ribt have been thoug"ht of. Now, two -, matches this -season put.tk* former pair, out of ning- for the first test match,.:;: >j and: •itßade Ransloird a certainty. ,;,,,.;*.:: , ' J= At the present,, time, Sydney^ is .suiri Spring from a plethora of firs,t-class ; Jcjicket^ and ? JjefQre-.iefnK.;bpth tho:piib^; 'lie arid the players are bound to 'get' iullj of it: -One, can 1 have .too.^much of a gopd^thing, vand that is : ;W'hif i, s iiap^ening .-to the Sydney foll^ just, llOWi ;.-. . X : ■■■ '■';>■■ ''■■.■:■/■ Vsi.;. ...-:; '. 'Horse racing As^ sport:' of Kings but. ; cricket is the -people's sport: All classes of the community, .evince a lively interest . m the. tests *of skill . between Erigiaii'd an;d: Austra.lia m their. fights for- the ashes. . The as played m this hemisphere: the greatest tendency to, . \ 'level; class distinctionSi arid for , the time ' beiri.e, at aiiy rate,; Jack is a.s good; ds his master. Cynics sneer as •'tliey please at ;the love of ' sport ■ 'which is engendered in' the Australas-, dan character; but; after all, is it not iriiore' philosophical 'to , enjoy a rational -'and healthy -recreation wMch af-.i ' fords some, relief, than the strenuous life we airi.ead indi-e or less than to .refrain from doing so ? What , mat---ters it : ,m:; , a . few years hence i iiyhW we .slumberY with that mighty j-liost, who have ■gone before ,us, whether we toiled.' a few hours less than f we should -have.- done during our flitt-; sang-existence- on . this planet. ; If the Rest of "Australia v. Eng? , Jand had riot beeri played at BrisMcAlis'ter * and Macartney would tpr'ftbably have been regarded 'by a big

majority of people as unqualified. for • the team. , „ , ■■,; ■. People, travelled all night to see the fdiirtli test lnatbhpiayed by the Vlus'tfalian teaih ; -bf 1839, at Manchester. Some' came from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublini; and . : DunVlee.' Crowds besieged the • gates ■ at "6 .30 a.m. The. gates were open °d ,at nine 6\clock, and ,by" eleven* th6racc.ommo- ({?, Lion: was> exhausted;" .■ fully 30,000 being present. • Before' the game ,, was begunrthe; crowd, J broke forth ' into son*:.' hymns being first . . suhg, the. opening one being, "Lead rbhpu me on, "and finishing with one ,':' which; contained the ■ line "By ' bur captain •led?' Ginger beer appeared to .be the favorite, beverage.- After 'the; game the' groundman secured A 50,000 ■•bpt^tles. Some OF the spectators" ' built ' up stands of ffinger^beer, bottles, ' The last five. test. « matches were played by Darling's, team, m England; m 1905/ and Jackson. 0 , the .English 'captain, won the /- whole.^ five tosses. 'The Englislimen won three were drawn. • The^ ; only Australian, to make a CGntury, was Duff, ■who compiled : 146 in 1 the fiftli game. i Oh ' the English ■ side : Jackson made 144* at Leeds, • 113 at Manchester ; i 'yldsley, "112* at' the OvalMOO at ;Leeds • C. B; Fry 144 - at: the^ Oval ; ■MiacLareri 140 at rCbttingham! y. There have now 'been 77 recognised •test games, of which the" Old. Dart has won 33, -lost 29; ; a-rid: dra#n' 15., The following-batsmen have made a century m their '■■■■ ivvd&G. iiß®r^mMkM&, iHaiijitsinhif 145*, W. G. Grace 152f Graham 107,' iDufi 104, Foster y . It' is rather surprising > 'find that '^Tpble, who has^ Vsubh; -magnificent; 'scores, to . ; his credit; :i'n; ■ inter-State matches, has * not kept up his . 'repiita-' tion ; m that respect;, -against the . Englishmen m: test games,-- for; his /best is only 133, madeU against Warner's , team. -.•-■-.•. ■./'".■..,.;... . : , . . A Cbmparison.— Ri E." Foster^'2B7 was- made m 7-i hours, 37 ;4's. v .l- S..Gregory's 201' in -four hours four mm-: utes. Dufi- made^ 2 71 ? against South Australia 'm 40 ; Noble made 230 against^^ South Australia m five hours— 24 4's/ ( ; r :? avThe illness of A. 6. Jones, is singularly unfortunate to the; English, team at tho present stage; inasmuch as ?: its sldpper .'has come to Australia with, what is known as a^young;team, and had, moreover, . himself, run into gpo-rt' form with the but. v --.vltaSi however, Qtie qf, those misfortunes which {.all travelling -teanis more or less experirace. • ' ; './. V- :_ :'r,(i.:- ,-■;.■ 'During the match between >, Victoria and "N.S.W., 1896, the .^agents > for; Wolfe's Schnapps^ ;offercd £1 .for Cyery batsman .scoring 50; and, 6!d per run' for' every 'one 6ver''so.. ) .,Tlitfpugh ■this, Noble"' ; received ;£5 faf: Donnan £1 17s, Iredale^£l ; 6s,r. Gregory ,'£l 45, ; Ma : ckeMie £1, Vrrpfb^£2 v7s, Layer; £5; 15s ■■ 6d; vM : ; : '.'ln the test matbh '^play edj 'recently, the same firm offered' £l 'for' '^ every ha^sman;''scoriiig 50/ aiid' ;> 6'd : r : per -run over. ' Also ! five s . 'extra •■ sby<sileigTig r for a ' Century, ■-, ten ; shillinKs>;.for : < each catch, vand'^fiS: to i ihel Australian. tooWr ler ■■; obtaining; the fit stvifive. -wicketsiineach'dnnings. t-Gunn scooped -in- a, few "itbick-'uns" by his batting; perform-, ances ,m ; eaoh innings.;, . . .|.,, : -„ •= '-ThclSr^W. tbitat 0f>, ';57.&;: against South Australia /is , a,7soi;W's : re|ord for the fourth innings o bf.i,a"first-cla.ss! match. . . Twice m . England a team has' gone '\"in at the .fourth indirigs wi^fch a total exQeeiiing 500; runs, to make and. won the. ,' match.. ;In 1896 University 'Msx E»P7 "■] to rilake ;> against" , ; the' ;.'. .M.^.C; f > ? nd Ground, and won by |iiree v /wickets. ,In 1900, also at^Lprd^.thp- Players iiaid 501 to make a^amst- the Gentlemen, and won .by two wick-ets, \, Trumper was the- .. first- viu'stralijaii batsman to make four' 'Hundreds ;; - ; in test' matches', viz. '•,-'■' 135 not Vput " at Lords, m! 1899 ,• 185:- not out, Sydney, 1903 .?■> 104: afr Manchester 1902 ; Jtl3-at: Adelaide } '.m 1904. -Sid; G"regory has ; also ■.■ '.made 201; 103, 117, and 112. r Jackson's -list is -made up oMo3>>llß, 128; J -144 mot- out, and 113, while Maclaren's record . stands as . follows : 109, ,124, 116 V , lip. '. In answer; to; ..a correspondent;" I rmay say , that,..' the .reW/d'cilibket attendance at the - Sydney Cricket Ground is '87, OO'd. at the test: ipatch played' tiy 1 Warner's /^eam'ih 1903. F.he gate takings were , £4250, Qf 'whiqh £1521 went, to theM.C.C., the same amount to iihe' N;S.W.. C.A., aM £1230 lls 6d tq the trustee? of the Cricket Grpundr";^^; - -In connection ; with?: the late 'test match m Sydney, ' Iredale," as'! rep resenting the selectors- of jri' the Australian team, submitted. the names of* six umnires- to Major Trevor; ' • who took the list to Jones: Two riatnes were struck out, and ' the- other . four put m a .hat, and two drawn, with 1 the result; that Hannah .; andA Cro'ck.ett were appoinited. .. Crockett is not a persona grata- with .Sydney,- people, ■^•ho took umbrage- at , liis selection. When m form Vw.i'fch' the >'■> bat, ' '> Carter's strokes- on,;; good C: wickets, . " are often daring (if 'riot .actually^clieeicy) and brilliant. He is' not afraid' to step out of his ground . and^let driv« with all the vim .'thaf.is'ini^iitny : ; McAlister, j MacarMeyX" ! Ransfptd, and Hazlett, jwho >; ; playe4- m. the ;recent test ihatch,, have never been^ to. England with' a> teami,;\ ■ : ; . . -. i-■ ;\ During the. progress bf. the; Sydney Fijian match,. A. ' J. Bbwdten'liit " a ball over the fence,,,, and, ,.; strangely enough, it struck -Mrs! Alien, v|h^.-%if c of the manager of' the ■Fiii|n i^eam, ,on. ; the tee, an 9 .; a ; very! ; paiiiful 7in- ; 'fixf was' the -result^ .t^ r^rr^ - :; ' ;: - ' Fame comes m various way^i' "A well-known musician; with, hair not too long, was on: a ; Mel)j;ourne * •tv&m ,-•; car the other day, W'heh-the-vGonduc-tor greeted him bf'^aTne: ' -He Was obvious-lv a little flattered;- and sfrUed with pi.'?" sure for the' second time when the conductor/^ ba:de; : hini • goodbye as he'iiimped- off.- The^c'ohclu' ii .tor also had the. ait, of ' sunning^.ji^rKlf m the glory of his ■,'apq'uaittt-incc. "Wh6 is' ; ?^ r r 'the 'asked; ' ' ? E^ the brother uy 'I?rahk Layer , the cricketer." thecoii'ductor said, ■proudly; .-_■•:•- vx:;;^ :i v : &'-y?'?" ■ r Tli,e. '■brothers Hill^^ bear "strong resenublanjpe. on - the, • cricket, field. Though Clem bats with the left 'and Roy with the right .nanifr; tlia/ latter •iia,|. a few of thejrnbre .celebra.ted balßman's • neculiaritif^> -% : - .**'■. -Albert- Trott's lienefit' -realised £POO. ...>•. ■ -• . Macartney is looked upon as one of the best all-round;ers m the Commonwealtji to-day. '■'':■ W. ! G. Grac^'s^Mih^lJ; '74; played 15 : of N^S.W. ,and Victoria, fand won by 2l'B ruiis; 4 The CbmMnf.d team, consisting of. N. Thompson, D.. :'&reffOrT, ■ (^ihsotil-O: Battnerman, ;B, B. Cooper, C. Lawrence, C. N... -. S, • .K^HLDniW" •-• -v-y :'-"- — i- • *Not out/: ! '

Oliver, Carr, 'J. Conway, Pocpck, Cosstick, Coates, Hewitt, Loughnan, and Tindall, made -98 and 40. ]nthe match J. Lilly white had the extraordinary average' of 18 wickets for 72 runs ! ;■ . . .... ! ' The next steam t whi6h, came out was Lillywhite's, m '7.6,' '77, and for. the, first time m the history of visiting teams, Australia , 'threw down the gauntlet to play an even-handed game, and this took place m March, 1877, on the Melbourne, the result being; a win for ; tihe local players by 45 runs.. For Australia B. Tannerman made. l6s, retired hurt; and Jupp made 63 for the visitors. • The return ; matoh was won.' by the Englishmen by four wickets, Ulyett' making 52. and 63, Emmett 48, Hill 49. For 'Australia Thompson made 18 and dl, C. fiannerman 19 and 30, Blackham 26, Kelly 19 : and 35, Midwinter 31, D. Gregory 43. Kendall was again the :best bowler, ' taking six for .106; as against Spofforth 4 for 111|.' Thus briefly told is the commencement of ;the buttles for the ashes. ■ . What was practically' the -first test match played m Sydney was 1 that which took place m ■ vApril, 1834. This game was played between 11 Europeans and 11 Australians, and ended m a decisive defeat of the former by : 64 runs. .The Australians, who were; nick-named Cornstalks, made 38 .and ;, :143, the Europeans 57 and 60. [ On the 17th January, 1862, the- jQrst ;.Ehglish team,. w\iioh visited Australia, under the ( ca<|^inship of- Step.-.; ■henson; met '-'a ■combined 22. of New' fSouth : Wales. >ainfl^ffitjpntft-' : The'-Cbm-. biried • batted' first/" scoring 153, and : in^their second inning^ 144. The Englishmen made ■ iiO-'and 10 for no wickets—the game being drawn. The return game took place at Sydr ney, and to the- astonishment of nearly everyone, the match was won by the Colotoials by the ample margin of 12 wickets. The Engfrshmen ; made 60 and 75;^ and the combined 101 and 35 for 'nine- wickets. ' For pure, ill-timed, and unadulterated fickleness commend, me to. the Australian. sporting crowd (says "Re-" corder". m, the". Sports•man"). One -Jias to be on top all the time to* gam the. plaudits... of, . the .multitude. Lei him fail but once,, down lie goes m. the. estimations of the man m the. fftrees, never to reappear. Past services ,are soon/ foxgotten, and theiierp of to-day is the derelict of to-morrow. In the" early days of the last century an anecdote was told of Mr James Henry Dark, the proprietor; of Lord's G-r-ounds, 1 ; the present r head- 1 quarters of tlie M;C.C, which tends to show that' what may be termed the 1 reign of thp lenipn was not /a' long one. Dark, -"so the stpry goes, was one day .batting at Lord's,' and, after beeh N :injlbr- about four hours for 31, a-..laidyvin the ir ing, m order -to ;S'how. her appreciation of his performance, bought a rbottle ; of oha'inpagne, and, securing ra. couple of glasses, walked to the middle of- -the ground,' where she and. the successful .bats-m-an unblushin^ly. ; shared the refreshment.v If.any leading cricketer to-day. took, part m a similar proceeding, what, a ., host of : , caricatures the . incideint would call forth.- •'..-. pfthe "Free Lance," shpws.his intimate acKjlva'ivJi'tance with the game' m the ...following sentence, pulled iroin. . last week's ; ) issue •.—"I have yet to learn that .there is a criciket ground in* the world which has an inner and an outer boundary," which shows that •;' Touch-line" >has yet a; lot to~~ learn regarding the game. "Tbuch-ljin'e!,' apparently neiVer heard of a six" being scored m >. a and just to drive the possibility home to him, Fielder consistently scored to sixes m the M.C.C.rVictoria match , a;t Melbourne tliis week. - '-. -iA HICICEYSON LAMENT. ; ! He ; Mtehed Ms" p.ahtSj : tucked up : his- ■;-;'- 'sleeves^ ;- i; ■ v ■ ■./-•' v■ •' And every ' bowler' scanned; ' ' Ho made much preparation with' The bat clutched tight' in -hand ;.• - The bowler came, he made a swipe, And then : "What ho !' she bumps." His preparations, were m- vain, Down came his •blessed stumps.