THE CRICKET CRITIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 611, 13 March 1929, Page 13

THE CRICKET CRITIC

Season Nears Close The departure of the coaches for Home again yesterday comes as a reminder that the 1928-29 cricket season is now nearing a close. There are only three more playing Saturdays left for the senior competition, which will be suspended on Easter Saturday. On that dav a match between teams of the Auckland Girls’ Cricket Association will be staged on Eden Park, and also the annual match between the Y'ictoria (Wellington) and Auckland University Colleges. Work of the Coaches Tlie coaches leave Auckland with a fine record of achievement behind them, and a retrospective glance over the past three years since the arrival of Bowley, reveals a big advance in Auckland cricket, culminating in the regaining of the Plunket Shield this season. Bowley himself practically won tlie shield in 1926. This year it was tlie colts he has coached who bore the brunt of the work. Bowley has had a very successful season here with the bat, having scored 820 runs in club games at an average of 91.11, besides taking 20 wickets at a cost of 19.30 runs apiece. Langridge’s Performances Lang ridge did not get a chance to show his ability in big cricket, owing to tlie fact that only one professional could be played in Plunket Shield games. In club cricket he did not perform very consistently, his scores for the season being 70, 37, 91, 11, 18, 21, 11, 0, .128—a total of 387 and averaging 43.00. His century of Saturday, however, revealed some of tli© qualities of the man ■who is regarded as one of the Old Country’s most promising young left-hand batsmen. As a playfft, Langridge, like Bowley, is very popular.

Hobb’s Retirement Tlie cableman suggested in his description of Jack Hobb’s fine first inning’s effort in the fifth test at Melbourne that this was probably the great Surrey man’s last test match. He must have had some authority for making that statement, but it has been hinted in other quarters that Hobbs will be on deck again when the Australians visit England next year. It has also been pointed out that he is likely, nay, almost sure to come off better on the slower wickets of the Old Land than on the fiery Australian wickets now that age is taking its toll. Next year Hobbs will be 47, and if his own modesty does not keep him from playing there is every reason to expect that he will break more records yet before he says farewell to international cricket, and closes one of the most illustrious pages in the history of the grand old game.

“Finest Batsman On All Wickets’ 1 It is interesting: now that Hobbs’s retirement is being talked of, to recall the tribute Herbert Strudwick pays him in his book, “Twenty-Five Years Behind the Stumps-.” Strudwick says: “My opinion is that Hobbs is the tinest batsman on all wickets that ever lived ... I don’t know of one stroke that he has not got and does not put into practice when the right ball comes along . . . The fast wickets of Australia, the matting wickets of Africa, the sticky wickets of Old England, all come alike to Jack. I have seen him on them all. and those who have not can look up liis records and compare them with the other giicat batsmen. They say that comparisons are odious, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating after all.”

Sydney’s Youngest Captain A new honour was heaped on Archie Jackson, the brilliant New South Wales colt recently. hie was appointed captain of tlic Balmain first grade team, thus following in the footsteps of that other great international. A. A. Mailey, who previously led the eleven. Jackson, who is 19 years old, is believed to be the youngest captain in the history of grade cricket in Sydney. Dunning In Otago Reports are coining to hand of the performances of J. A. Running in Otago, lie is now back with his old club, Carisbrook, and in a recent match with Old Boys, came to light with a sterling bowling performance. He sent down 43 overs, 15 of which were maidens, for 76 runs and four wickets. Running played for the Auckland University team earlier this season, and did well in the Auckland-Wellington JPlunkct Shield game. * « * Here and There G. R. Gregory, the Christchurch representative player, has left for Sydney. He came to Auckland last season with the Canterbury team. A correspondent to an Australian paper makes the suggestion that three fresh selectors should be chosen to pick Australia’s 1930 team for England. He mentions the names of M. A. Noble, Clem Hill and Hugh Truruble as suitable men. The scoring system which applies to the Sheffield series in Australia is as follows: —Win, five points; win on first innings, three points; loss on first innings, one point. There seems to be no reason why this system could not be used in the Plunket Shield competition. Dunedin Cricketers Surprised The news that L. C. Eastman was not to be invited to return to Runedin next season caused some surprise among cricketers and followers of the game in the Otago capital. says a Southern exchange. Eastman, and consequently the association, has had bad luck in New Zealand in respect, to injuries. Last season, it will be remembered, he met with an accident in the match New Zealand v. The Rest at Wellington, and was out of the gamv> and practically useless as a coach for the rest of the period. This year also he brol*? down \# the Canterbury matcli. Presumabp it was this disappointing experience which decided the Otago Cricket Association not to bring Eastman out again. It is unfortunate for both parties, thus petering out an engagement that promised so well. Out For Exercise ' When Tate was laying about him j lustily in England’s second innings in ! Adelaide a Melbourne Pressman ran j into Chapman and Mendren with | rackets in their hands making for the tennis courts at the rear of the pavill ion, says a Melbourne paper. Being ■ amazed at the proceedings he said, "Why are you not watching Tate? Aren’t you interested in the game?’’ "Of course, we are,” replied Chapman,

"but it is exercise we want, and we cannot get it out there”—pointing to the playing field —"we must get it somewhere. Come on, Patsy,” he added, and off they went. A glance at the scoring board showed that Hendren had done but little and Chapman less. Cricket at Papatoetoe Eden’s opening batsmen, Philpotts and Bennett, gave the side a good start against Papatoetoe on Saturday before Bennett went to a leg snick, which was brilliantly taken by the Papatoetoe wicketkeeper. Then Lawrie and Philpotts were associated in a bright partnership, till the latter

gave Kprr an easy catch. Lawrio was clean-bowled at 76, and after this the remaining batsmen offered little resistance, three of them falling in one over of Burnside’s. It was evident that the Eden batsmen did not relish the concrete wicket, and the Papatoetoe bowlers reaped a harvest, all ending with good figures. The Papatoetoe innings was a bright one, 324 runs being scored in one and a-half hours. Henderson made 39 with his customary vigour, and Rankin and Winks both contributed a useful 24. With five down for 124, Papatoetoe has a handy first innings lead, and should have a good chance next Saturday of notching a four-pointer. Tate and Hendren The Auckland Cricket Association has not yet been communicated with regarding the reported desire of Maurice Tate and Patsy Hendren to take up coaching appointments in New Zealand next summer, as a Christchurch message last week intimated. Bowley thinks it unlikely that the famous test players want to come to New Zealand, and points out that there has been no termination yet of Hendren’s Adelaide agreement, which was waived for one season to allow him to play for England during the present tour. The Management Committee of the Auckland Cricket Association has not yet determined its future coaching policy. This will be discussed at a special meeting later in the year. When Great Batsmen Fail Even the greatest of batsmen have their lean years. C. G. Macartney was no exception to the rule. Pew will believe that these were his figures for the three tests for Australia against South Africa in 1911:—Batting: 1,7, 5. 2.0; average, 3. Bowling: 0-11, 0-12, 0-34, 0-51, 1-26; average, 1-134.