CRICKET NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 65, 21 March 1904, Page 4

CRICKET NOTES.

(By Cover-point.) The All England team, alias the 51.C.C. team, alias Warner's team wound up its trip with a glorious victory over South Australia by nine wickets. The visitors thus lost only two matches, both tests. The home team had a substubtiui lead on the lirst innings, but llraund, the Somerset wonder, in the second innings, on a perfect wicket (vide cable) electritied thom with his leg breaks, and 77 was the meagre total on (lie finish. llain falling at night made the wicket slow, and this eminently suiting the visitors, enabling them to knock oil the necessary runs for the loss of one wicket.

All things considered, Hie visiting loam have done wonderfully well. Starting with a victory over ' South Australia, they finished their tour with the victory over the same team. Ihe last team—MacLaren's—had a very cheqtietvd career, as out of 2'2 matches played, they lost 0, won 8, and drew 8.

Whatever may be the opinion of experts, I give it as my humble opinion—fortified by two letters from the captain of the team—that splendid organisation has brought about Mich a grand result. Visiting teams hitherto have been on u vastly different footing from this one. ' .Both Stoddart's and MacLaren's teams Were domiciled in different hotels, t.hu amateurs al first-class hotels, the professionals at second-rate hotels Hero worship is more pronounced in Australia than in England, ergo, everyone who had handled a bat or ball thought it a great honour .to "shout" for i'cel, JJriggs, Richardson and Co. Wann-r, who. in Lis

early days, had .vrious thoughts of turning proteSHioiuil. adopted the sensible idea of making all equal in the matter of hotel accommodation, all slaying at the same hotel, the best oi its kind, .you may be sun'. It was agi'eed amount he members of the team, and made a sine qua non, that all should retire to lvst at and a permit had lo be obtained from the captain if one wished to be out later. As this is not a temperance lecture, I had better not. say more on this point.

1 have to acknowledge receipt of Wisdens Cricketers' Almanac from Sam llargreave. who was a member of Lord llawke's tenia.

A wry interesting match was played on the South. Uoad ground between tiie West End Club and eleven plumbers, on Thursday las!. The Jormer club had first innings. and ii-'t.t i!i the .start, and it was not uui.il Jhiliock was j>ut on that the rapid rate of scoring was checked, ijyland and ltullock scored over GO for tho flj'st wicket, when Ijyland was foolishly run out. and un exciting game ended in favour of West End by two runs. Both llyland and Mullock should be set_-n in better cricket next season. AXSWEIiS.

Ito.—L. Braund is, J think, equal to Xoble as an all round player. Jle was discarded by Surrey previous to qualifying for Somerset. V ('.—Merely a self-glorification. He had no more io do with the visit of the team than Oliver Cromwell

A KNOTTY POINT FOR UMPIHES

The Star records a curious incident | that occurred during the llnwwuJ'atea match on Thursday. Jlobson, batting played n ball into the top of his pad. JJe at once commenced swiking the pad to get the ball out, and Campbell, the wicket-keeper, rutin-'? round to the ball before it touched the ground. WickH-ktvp-er and batsman danced round for some seconds, and eventually (Ik; ball fell to u ground : during the slrue'Lfii' the wicket was broken. The problem for t:;e umpire was whether Jlobson was out. and his leply was in Ihe negai ive. The opposing side hold that Hnhson had touclud Lhe ball, and was out for handling fhe haiJ or obstruriing the Jiehl. ami for having knocked his wicket down. IP-bson alleges that Campbell had illegally taken Jioltl of him and Iwl'M his hand to prevent him shaking the. ball nut of his pad : and thai the v.jcket van broken by Campbell in a struggle he had illegally commenced. E;<pcnerced cricketers on and off the field paid it was they first 1 imo they had seen such nn incident, with so aiaoy lino points arising out of it.*