NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 60

NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Mr G. C. Wilson, the ex-Melbourne cricketer and sole selector of Otego representative tea.ma, hae given up the game for fch*j season. The fact of cutting the expenses pretty fine for the Southland and Otago match last week insured a small profit to the local association, the sum of £2 3s being left over after all expenses had been paid. Ernest Howden, of Otago representative fame, is returning to Dunedin, having finished hie studies in London. The exCarisbrook player will bo welcomed back with much enthusiasm. The end of orioket in Dunedin is in sight, ajid the season will positively close this month. It has been a wonderfully good season as regards weather, but there are no compliments Hying as regards the standard, of cricket. The game at this end is languishing, and the matches for the most part are tame and uninteresting. Unless something is done to revive public interest cricketers will shortly have the grounds to themselves." Another season of what we have experienced this, year of sojilless cricket will see the game as defunct as J. Caesar. Even now it is only hanging on to the public's skirts, and soon that insecure hold will be dropped. IJast season there was a talk of bringing about a revial in the game by introducing the syetem of one-day matches, which prevails in certain parts of England, and which has proved a great success. The suggestion was thrown out with some emphasis, but the time has come to give it a trial instead of plodding along in the same old groove. It is not the weather that "kills" cricket, as we have so long deluded ourselves, but it is the cricketers

themselves,' who are letting the game die' a «iow death. It may not he generally known that D. Hamilton, who played such attractive cricket for Southland against Otago, is an «x-Henley player, in which, club he w*a generally recognised as the 'beet bat. Curious to relate, the top scorer on the Otago 6ide, A. Eckhold, owes a good deal of his -early cricket to the old Henley Club. Congratulations to the Grange Seniors on securing a three points victory over Dunedin on Saturday. The finish of this contest was close and exciting, and, what is strange to Otago cricket, produced a thrill. In their first innings Dunedin made a - poor showing, collapsing for the halfhearted total of 68. The second strike produced something better, Dunedin compiling 148 before the last man retired to the shelter of the pavilion. xv° f i. th , is - I * B , total five Players contributed the bulk of the runs, and are hereby commended for their performances. 'it is rather interesting to note that the six remammg batsmen only compiled the unlucky 13, with Mr Extras, who is sometimes a good run-contributor, 8. Cramond, who comes of a cricket family and knows how to make runs when in the mood, succumbed very early, being caught before he had got going. A batsman of ,good quality is J. Graham who has done good service for iDunedin on previous occasions. Saturday's contribution was a good effort of 35 compiled by «ohd cricket. To be clean bowled is to have one's defence penetrated. Graham got out in another way — a. victim to a splendid one-hand eatoh by Henderson. Bannernaan, who is probably the most aggressive batsman in tlhe Dunedin Eleven, showed some vigour in compiling the top score of 42 for his side. Bannerm&n is the delight of the spectators, for if his cricket ie not always correct by the book it is sufficiently aggressive to impart a. thrill, and his good strokes are always well and powerfully executed. 1 could wish we had more batsmen of the Bannem.an type. That always unsatisfactory method of dismissal, "leg before," was responsible for sending Mackersy back somewhat disconsolately to the, pavilion to take off his pads and ponder on the wiles of the Ibw. Not, however, before he had scored 25, in which he showed several good strokes round the wicket. Eckhold experienced a new sensation beinig dismissed early— a smart throw out by Henderson. Twelve in three hits was the manner of the cricket of Courtis and one needs little cricket emfliusiasm to appreciate this manner of scoring if again the style is unorthodox. Thanks to a reasonable stand under the circumstances, Grange only required 99 to secure a three-point win. These and znore were put on with a wicket to the good. Disaster happened early, Roberts being sent to the rightabout with the dreaded ~ "0" opposite his name. Downes fared little better, and the total was 9 for two wickets when the veteran bowler was caught by Bannerman off Mackersey. Matters were looking gloomy -when Ogig and ' 'C. Beal came -to the rescue. This pair lifted the cloud somewhat, but it became obscured again when C. Beal was dismissed. Henderson did not last long, but "when Brydone joined Ogg, what is termed in cricket . parlance a "useful" stand' was made. Both batsmen are lusty hitters, and the Dunedin bowlea's^ were feeding them on the spot. Og.g fell 'to the temptation, and after contributing- 24 was taken in the deep field, where Graham's safe pair of hands effected a good catoh. After W. Beal had been run out for 2 another good stand was made with the advent of Wright, who batted very freely for 19. Brydon was going well, and saw both Davis and Bond out before the required runs were knocked 1 off. Brydon. moreover, had the satisfaction of carrying his bat out to the finish, and was greeted with well-deserved applause on returning to the pavilion. For Grange, Downes, as usual, obtained ■ the bulk of the wickets, his figures readins: four for 52. The honours- on the Dunedin side were awarded to W. Maokersey, who came out with the average of 10 runs per wicket. Albion and Opoho re-started almost even t>n Saturday, the former having the advantage of but 1 run only on the .first inning's. It was a good batsman's wicket j on the North Ground when the contest was -resumed. The Albion 6howed their appreciation of the conditions by hitting •m> somewhat inconsistently, it must bo allowed, 139 before the last, wicket fell, Opoho, on the other hand, failed to rice to the occasion, and there was a dreadful collapse of batsmen the whole side — pood men and true, some of them — going under for 59 runs. When it is stated I&a+ two batsmen (J. Petersen 27, and M. Chad- • wick, who retired, 10) were responsible for 37 out of the total, the history of the remaining 1 batsmen is already written. F. Williams contributed the " unlucky " (why it should be co I pause for inquiry) 13 before being bowled by Chadwick. Hiddleston went under early a victim to a catch behnd the •wickffcs by Lear. Rtrang, too, who is •» promising batsman, failed to get aroing- to any extent, but M'Farland.. the Albion hero of the Southland match, came to his side's rescue with a s,plendidly-compiled 30, made by .food strokes round the wicket. With the «&sociation of the Cramond Bros., who had an unfortunate time the precious Saturday, a brighter aspect cameover the game, end mainly by their dsrorous batting took the score to 118. before N. Cramond was dismissed, having contributed 21 in good style. D. Cramonc> continued battinsr in aorsressive form, and had the satisfaction of "carrying Tt.is bat" at the finish for 27. Corbett. Dry. arvd Black .were easily disposed of, and the innings closed for 139. The bowling of Odolio was left in the - hands of two trundlers, and these two— Chadwick and Eckhoff — divided the hon- , ours, the former taking five for 68 and the latter five for 61. The- fielding of Opoho fell away^from cricket crace, and at times became loose and unreliable. The history of the Opoho batting (and indifferent history it makes) is soon writt&n. Here it is in a nutshell : Peterson 27. Jas: Timlin 0, Kih?our 5, Eokhoff 5, Jenkins X, Chadwick 10. M'Kar 8, and the procession -rJohn Timlin 0, Weibb 0, Sharp not out 0, and tear 1). Petersen batted really well, and was tho only katsman on the side, save M. Chadwick. who retired, to stand up to the onslaught of Corbett. Petersen batted really well, and is hereby congratulated on hffi

performance- Chadwick, too, is commended, but on the remaining batsmen sentence will be reserved. 'Ihere was only one bowler in it, and that on© Corbett, who secured six good wickets for 30 runs, four of which he went through in successive balls — a performance which bears as much merit as appears on the face of it. This notice would not be complete without a reference to the fielding of Albion, which was particularly clear, the picking up being smart and the throwing in accurate. There is much rejoicing in the sacred circles of Carisbrook Bat the eleven's victory over their rivals of the A, and there is a story — but that's history. It may be remembered that the A's on the previous Saturday had lost five good wickets for 46, but there were some good batsmen to go. They, however, did not prove as eerviceable as their reputations warranted, and *he whole side was out for the poor total of 87. Save in one or two individual instances, it was a deplorable exhibition. Bannerman, Johnston, and Watson went very early. The latter is so full of good cricket that hie dismissal without scoring •was -surprising. Johnston maintained a stolid defence, and was content to hold up his wicket while Fisher did the scoring. The left-hand bowler was responsible for 30 of the A's total of 87. Despite the fact that Fisher had given a "life" early in his career, he batted attractively for his runs, and was the only player on Saturday to 6tand up to the bowling of Auatin and Campbell, who were in merry mood. The result of the matoh was known early, ■but the Bs went in for a second strike, and, to show their appreciation of cricket in general, knocked up 199 for the loss of five wickets. Of this total Austin contributed 40, made by faultless cricket all round the wicket. • That hefty batsman Roberts, who is usually responsible for something sensational. failed to sret going, being clean bowled by Rutherford. Sied-eberg, too, of all batsmen, had his wickets scattered early by the A right-hander. J. R. Burt compiled 33, but it was left to We«t and Thomson to make the stand, this pair contributing 35 and 52 not out respectively. "Extras" was a good scoring medium for the B's, 36 being put down to its credit. For the B's Campbell (four for 21) and Austin (five for 53) bowled particularly well, while for the A Rutherford, with three for 19, usurped the honours. Some gocd Second Grade figures on Saturday were: Chadwick (Grange) 46, Dry (Albion) 42 not out, Shepherd (Albion) 33 not out. Kavanagh (Roslyn) 33 not out, and Brinslev (Albion) 32. Bowling figures : Robinson (Grange) four for 17. Davidson (Grange) two for 10, Anderson (Roslyn) four for 17. Spong (Roslyn) four for 24, aJid Vorreth (Albion) seven for 24. In Third Grade cricket on Saturday Boys' High School put together fine figures egainst Star No. 2, with 234 (Alloo 85, Slater 61). The best performance, however, in Third Grade on Saturday w r as the all-conquering Star No. 1, 318 for six wiekete ! There were two centurions at the back of this (H. Aspinall 105 retired and W. Dow 100 not out). The following members of the Star Club have compiled centuries this season: — J. SM'Neill. 100 not out: L. Ahlfeld, 173 not out: H. Aspinall. 158 and 105 ffetired) : W. Higgins, 158 not out; W. Dow, 100 not Out. Dear "Loner Slip." — On behalf of the Umpires' Association I beg to state that the gentleman who officiated in the match Opoho v. Albion, last Saturday, is not a member of our association. — I remain, yours foithfully, D. Hon. Sec. Otago Umpires Association". , "Firm's" matches, which always por- • tend the closing of the season, are now in full swing (writes my Christchurch correspondent), and the main difficulty, even in this flat and duety city of cyclists, is space to pitch the wickets. On the recognised grounds wickets are pitched as close as possible, and strangers to the town express astonishment of the risks palyers run. But one never hears of an accident occurring through contact with the ball from an adjoining wicket. Hagley Patk ground regu- J

larly provides six wickets; Lancaster Park proper six. and the " Frog Pond " from four to six ; Sydenham Park generally about six. Then there is the Christ's College Ground, adjoining Hagley Park, with half-a-dozen wickets;. St. Al ban's i'ark (in the making), with room ju«t now for about four wickets, which will be increased by next season ; Linwood Park, which has only two wickets just now, but will hold half-a-dozen when put in older by the authorities ; High School Ground, and many other wickets all round the city. All this goes to show what a cricket-loving population the males of Christchurch are. Then many of the wickets are used on Thursdays as well as Saturdays, while the outer suburbs each has its ground. There are a few ladies' clubs, too. about the Plains. It is unusual for a ladies' team to amass a three-figure score. It is surprising, in view of the hundreds who play cricket here, that more top-notchers are not discovered worthy of upholding the prestige of Canterbury in her contests with sister provinces. The members of J. C. Williamson's Musical Comedy Compa.ny are enthusiastic cricketers, and several matches have been played or are pending with local ' " scratch " teams. Even if the quality of the play 16 not of the highest, the games are none the less enjoyable and amusing. Old patrons of the game will remember what a hot team was included in the caste of one of Williamson and Musgrove's eai-lier combinations. " The one and only ' X.' " (K. M. Ollivier, ex-United and ex-St. Albans cricketer, and Avell known throughout the Dominion) has Deon giving the Coasters a taste of his ability as a cricketer this season, whither his superiors shifted him to a branch bank, causing much regret in ' Canterbury cricket circles. Some of his bowling figures are extraordinary: — Three for 2, six for 8, six for 15, seven for 22, and nine for 19 ! In the latter case (llawhera a. Grey) " K." accounted for all 10 Mawhera wickets, and the total was only 35. lie clean-bowled seven, had two caught in the slips, and threw-out the last man ! As a " trier," especially when at the bowling crease. " K." has no compeer in the Dominion. It was nothing unusual for him to catch a man at 6quarc-leg or , cover off his own bowling while playing j first-class cricket in Canterbury. "''The only thing ' X.' can't do on a cricket field is keep wickets to his own bowling" is an a-xiom in Christ-church cricket circles. To while away the time between cricket days in Greymouth, Ollivier plays golf, tennis, and croquet, at each of which he is proficient. " K." was badly missed from Canterbury rep. cricket this season. It is very probable that a Canterbury team will carry a receptacle for the Plunket Shield to Auckland ea.rly next season. In any case, it is about Canterbury's turn to tour, but that shield is coveted. j '"Da-vie-"' Thompson, well known in Dun- I edin. and the genial secretary of the Canterbury Cricket Association, has been granted a well-desorved holiday, -which he intends to spend in the North Island. , Tiie brothers Orchard (Sid and the doctor) ' were the mainstays of their respective team 6in the bowling department on Satur- - day— a practice, until recently, to which neither would plead guilty. Ongley. playing for Feilding Seniors, against the United of Palmereton, put up ' . a fine bowling performance. In the fiist innings he secured six wickets for 33 runs. 1 and in the second he took a similar num- ; ber for 15 runs. Twelve wickets for 48 runs reaxte well. It will be remembered that Ongley performed well against Lord Hawke's team on the West Coast of the { South Island. A remarkable bowling- feat was per- ' formed by A. Griffiths in Australia the other day. Going on first change before lunch with the score at 69 for two wickets, his two overs resulted in 8 runs for one , wicket. After lunch, with the score four 1 for 169, he was again put on. With his firefc three deliveries he took wickets, the , fourth just missed the bails, with the fifth i and 6ixth ball* he accounted for wickets, ; making five wickets in one over, hia 1 analysis being- cix foj 13. Griffiths bowls t ]

left hand, with plenty of pace, an-d breaks both ways. The partnership of 315 between M. A. Noble and S. E. Gregory in the interState match being- played fn Sydney is the biggest ever recorded in these games (rema.iks the Australasian). The following are the previous partnership scores of over 200 between Victoria and New South Wales : 313— M. A. Nob'e and S. E. Gregory, fourth i wicket, Sydney, 1908. 26S— M. A. Nob!e and J. R. M. Mackay. second wicket, Melbourne, December, I 1905. 2G7— R A Duff and V. Tiuinpei. first wicket Sydney, 1903. 215 — Y\*. Lf Murdoch and S. P Jones, fourth vicket, Sydney, 1882. 225— M. A. Noble and C. Oregon*, third wicket, Melbourne. Decembei. 1905. 210— A Diamond and C G. Macartney. Sydney. January. 1907. In the fourth te«t match W. W \rm- , strong completed 1000 runs for Australia i i. lvigland in his twenty-first match, the f-coros aggregating- 1008 runs at an average of 32| runs per innings. He is the only \ icro lan who has e\cr made 1000 in these matches In the palmy days of T. Horan \\ . Bruce, ami P. S. M'Donnell runs werp no) so consistently made nor so many te«t matches, played. fteorg>> Giffon and A. r. Baiinennan at c the on'y members of the 18S2 team who have each made 1000 runs. \\ . L Murdoch made 892 and averaged 32. F. A. Iredale made 807 at an average of 06.60. H. C4raham played only in six tesr, matches. W. Brucs was a very fine performer in these classic games) but finishen with 700 runs at an average of a shade less than 30 runs. P. S. M'Donneil made 953 and J. J. Lyons 731, the former averaging about 29 and the latter 27 runs. In a First Grade match at Sydney on February 8 Johnston, playing for Burwood against Middle Harbour, was bowled by the eighth ball of an over. Referring to the circumstance. "Not Out" writes in theReferee: "Pi-entice was caught and bowled by Gee from the sixth ball. The umpire allowed two more, the second bowling Johnston for nothing. It reminds one of an incident in a representative match a few years ago. Eleven balls were given in one over in the Sheffield Shield match. , New South Wales v. South Australia, on ■ th«. &s<?noy Cricket Ground in February, j 1893 Ir is one of those sma'l occurrence* j which show that however careful an umpire ) may be he is liable to the simplest of mistakes. The late Mr Sidney Cohen, who scored in the match, recorded the curiosity in these words: 'In Howell's tenth ovor, after bowling five balls, Evers, wicketkeeper, got hurt, and the game was stopped for some time. When the game was started again Umpire J. Thomson gave him another six balls, foraetting he had bowled five tails previously.' " The death is reported of one rather famous Derbyshire amateur cricketer in G. G. Walker — no member of the celebrated '•'I. D.,' - "R. D.," and "V. E." Walker family, — who for several years captained the Derby Eleven. He was a good bat. buf; rather hasty in his methods, and seldom stayed in long enough to make a big score. As a bowled, however, he did exceedingly well, and mainly for that form he was chosen in 1894 for the Gentlemen against the Players at the Oval, when he took seven wickets for no more than 108 runs. About 10 years ago he retired from actne play, beiner a farmer busily engaered on the Welbeck Estate of the Duke of Portland. Mr Walker was only 47 years old at the time of his death.