General Gossipy

NZ Truth, Issue 141, 29 February 1908, Page 3

General Gossipy

Man proposes and God disposes m most things, but Jupiter Pluyhis has a big say where Teat matches are concerned, judging by the collapse of the Australian batsmen m their first innings' exhibition m the last . Tes~t game. ■ . , "Query" (Stratford)— The following par from the "Sportsman" will ;give you all the information you ask and more : "The first Test match ever played between Australia and Eleven of England took place on the Melbourne Ground m March, 1877. In this game C. Baniierman made IGS (retired hurt) out of 245. This feat is well known to most followers of the game, but I have never heard anyone refer to the marvellous bowling of Kendall, who took eieht wickets for 109 runs, He. was one of the greatest bowlers of his "day, but circumstances, lost his services to Australia, though he toured with the Australian team of 1878 m their tour through the colonies before leaving for Home." ' 'Wager (Westport) .—No record has been kept so I understand of ,lhe wickets bagged by Alick Downes, the Du^cidin player, m club and representative matches during his 'cricketing career, and I should think that it was quite likely that the number has r<"\ched four figures. No, Downss has never played "against Wellington on the latter's ground. , "Dissatisfied" (Masterton).—Fiddlssticks. We have junior players here better qualified for a place m the New Zealand team than the "moJio critv' 1 you refer to. Keep on be lieving and you iwill knock Job's patience into a cocked hat. There are some who believe J. R

Mack-ay will he able to appear m. first-class cricket next season. There are others who believe the Capetown accident has so severely shaken him and affected tois sight that' he will never regain his power with the bat on the true, fast wickets of Australia. He was, m the opinion of one. leading expert, the greatest bat one has ever looked at-^Trumper and Ranji thrown m. At a Sydney suburban match a fat batsman caused much merriment by marching to the crease with a shinprotector strapped across his little Mary. Some. men are always thinking of their ,tummy. In the recent drawn match, Fiji v. Tasmania, Fuzzy Wuzzy Pope, one of the Banana Island willow wieiders, hit up 127 m his first- knock. A few more scores like that from the darkie batsmen and Premier Evans of Tasmania will be thinking out a pfoposition to draw the color line. This is what a Melbourne paper says : "The Test match selectors are not a happy family. One of the trio states that he has nothing to complain of. His views are respectfully listened to, and Ms ' suggestions are gravely analysed, bait he says, 'They are never adopted, because the others have put their heads together beforehand. V" * . ' ; Albert Cotter's, record with the ball for Ms club this season" makes..;-/ a strange comparison; with his achievements-; against the Englishmen and Victorians. For the club tris six wickets have cost 341 runs. "The only easy time we cricketers really, •have/ says, A. C. McLaren, "is the time, spent m bed.". The Lancastrian is dead lucky m being quit of a nagging wife. "A cricket trip m New Zealand must' never be looked upon entirely m the light of a cricket picnic" is the comment of Capt. Wynward of the M.C'G. team, round these parts ; last year, m an introduction to Hop-skiD-andrjump bowler May's boole, "With the M.C.C. team to New Kea-' land.'? • : The Victorian Cricket Association has decided to present F. Tan ant with a gold watch and chain m recognition of his performances for Victoria this season. lie has scored 757 runs m eight innings, an average of 94.62. English batsmen up to the end of the fourth Test match had been stumped only three times con this tour — Humphries once and Hobbs twice. But they have been out l.b-w. 18. times, and run out eight times. m the first four Test matches, H. Carter caught eight anft stumped one; j the Fn^lish wicket-keepers m the sauie matches having a similar record. ..-..:: Mr Charles Absolom, . who died recently at the ripe old age of 91, between the ages of 50 and SO (he tfid not retire on-til .he bad completed his four-score*) made 26,000.. runs and took, 85,00"0 wickets. In ,1893, when he was 76 years ; he took with his j lob bowling 209. wickets m club cricket— a marvellous performance for an , old man of ■ . ? ; " age. Once, when he played • for A Twelve against Three of All England,: he dismLsed thb three, W. G. Grace, W. R. Gilbert, and H. Charlwood (a truly formi-daft'le trdo m 1873) for six runs. .■■■.■...■.•■ ~r There was only one maiden bowled m the Midland— Old Boys'., jnatch last Saturday, cill:6i«^ 82 overs were bowled, and zrii^SA. got the ladyname unknown. LiiLohell tried hard with Ms 21 -overs for two wickets and 6 6 -runs, and was ; doing roc 4 work without any luck. Noticed Connolly having a go, for Petone against Phocniy, but didn't strike anyone as being, anything so j brilliant that he should have scared Old Boys, who wouldn't allow Mm' to I play. Twenty overs for three wickets and 69 runs against Phoenix isn't much to be scared about. Don't know what his batting is like, but if it's on a par with his fielding it's pretty poor stuff. He'll have to do a heap better than his initial performance to convince people that he's a top-notcher.. : Friend Hickey. was out after Petone scalps, and got two for 30, but actually caught, a man, no, I mean A. House. He wants the side of a house though, or a bag, or a net, to assist him with his fielding, but perhaps he is only out of practice — anyhow, he isn't much worse than the ' majority of the team. . ! Laws, 121 not out, touches up his average a bit. There were a couple of chances m it, but it wasn't a bad go at all. He let a lot of stuff alone that he should have dealt severely with after lie had made half a century. Wellington.— Gasworks game was a dreary affair from end to end. Hodge wielded the hat with a degree of expertness for the Gasworkers, but the display /of his colleagues, excepting Tom), calls for no mention. Martin Luckie haid first call m Wellington's bowling averages. Relf will, so it is said, return to Auckland next Reason under engage-, inent to the Eden Club, the Cricket Association* giving what assistance is possible. During the winter a programme will be drawn up to enafole the best use to be made of his services. ~ Until Beechey did the trick on Saturday no batsman had achieved the distinction of knocking up a century at the expense of Midland seniors for many, many years. Harry Moorhouse,' playing for Phoenix, is credited with the coveted three figures on tho Mids'. score sheet, but m what year I am unable to say positively... The man who could tell us with authority one individual century making against Midland is absent from the city just now. "Gun." Garrard, who is ibest kn(own m, Dominibnland as a Rugby devotee, has put up a great performance with the bat so far this season, having compiled 984 runs for St. Alban s third-grade team. As the "Gun" has another month's play ahead of him, the coveted 1000 should easily be his. The Englislimen went off with a very feeble pop m their second innings m the fourth Test match. The immense score of 495 which they had to face no doubt disheartened them —hence their inglorious display. Impartial critics must admit that the winning of the toss practically decided the result of the game. To dismiss the Australians, on a perfect wicket, for 214, was a splendid peri formance, and it must have been a very bitter disappointment, indeed, for the visitors to find their efforts rendered futile by the old gent with ■ the watering pot. It is true that • even as matters stood they might have done better, but under the dreumstanoes a victory seemed out . of the question.