CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 194, 21 September 1909, Page 4

CRICKET.

THE AUSTRALIANS IN ENGLAND. THE FIGURES OF THE TOUR. The following are the exact averages of the Australian eleven for the tour (exclusive of the match now being played)

BATTING. Not Inn. out. Rims. Av'g. V. Ransford .. 43 4 177!) 45.61 W. Armstrong.. 41 9 1430 44.06 W. Bardsley .. 4!> 3 2023 43.07 V. Trumper ..45 2 1435 33.37 P. A. McAlister 31 5 700 20.57 M. A. Noble .. 46 5 1001 2G.WJ R. llartigan ..31 1 597 10.90 S. E. Gregory .. 42 7 084 10.54 C.G. Macartney 40 7 638 10.51 A. J. Hopkins .. 29 3 422 16.23 H. Carter .. 33 7 400 15.73 J. A. O'Connor.. 27 7 250 12.05 F. Laver ..10 4 162 10.80 A. Cotter .. 30 0 320 10.66 W. Carkeek .. 15 3 102 8.50 W. J. Whitty .. 24 8 114 7.i2 Australia has scored off the bat 12,243 runs. The sundries allowed by their opponents total 677, which balances the aggregate totals of 12,020.

BOWLING. | Wkts. Runs. Av'g. F. Laver .. 70 1038 14.82 W. Armstrong 120 1082 IG.oO C. G. Macartnev 71 1240 17.46 J. A. O'Connor 83 1580 10.03 W. J. Whitty 74 1438 10.43 A. J. Hopkins 57 1138 20.31 V. Ransford .. 1 27 27.00 A. Cotter .. 03 1820 20.03 M. A. Noble .. 24 885 36.87 S. E. Gregory 1 84 84.00 V. Trumper .. 1 151 151.00 P. A. McAlister 1 0 R. liartigan ..0 4 W. Bardsley ..0 7

The runs hit off the Australian bowlers total 11,423, which represeits England's scores with the bat. The figures arc arrived at on the assumption that the South of England score in the second innings was 142, according to the bowling analysis—and not 132, as I cabled. The sundries presented to tin Englishmen amount to 770.

SOME NOTES. (By "Third Slip.") As the reign of King Willow is rapidly approaching, one constantly hears of the oily treatment of bats, sees ardent 11thusiasts playfully practising pet strokes with whatever happens to be at hand—be it umbrella, walking-stick, billiard-cue, or spade—and the probable •strength and personnel of the various clubs becomes the all-absorbing topic of conversation.

The Waitara and New Plymouth Clulw have already held' their annual meetings, and, from the information available, both these clubs will be well up to last season's strength. As a matter of fact, the latter club should be I materially strengthened by the addition to their ranks of Austin Bewley, Saunders, and Clarke, the two latter beng secessionists from the Carrington Road Club. Clarke I consider a decided acquisition to the club, as he was undoubtedly the most promising "colt" in New Plymouth 011 last season's form and with good solid practice and coaching should turn out a really first-class cricketer. Braund, I understand, has retired from active seryice, and a lefthanded bowler of his calibre will be greatly missed. I am not aware of any new members of any note to the Waitara Club, nut even last season's team, with 110 new blood infused, should, under the cap tainey and vice-captaincy of two alien able cricketers as the Rev. Brocklehurst and Eggleston, have a much better vcord this season than last.

As the I'renui and Inglewood Clubs have not yet had their meetings, ow: can sav -nothing as -to their prospects; but both chilis will doubtless be wvP represented again, and Inglewood will most assuredly strive hard to again horl premier honors. Should Gudgeon's knee prevent him from piaving this season. Inglewood would suffer a severe loss, and his defection would create a gap that would veritably bo hard to fill. However, all cricketers will unite with me in wishing him a speedy recovery, [hoping lo see him to the fore again this sea son.

Carrington Road Club, except for the loss of .Saunders a*nd Clarke, should be fairly well represented. 1 believe there is every likelihood of Vrank Kobrrtson joining the active rank* again, and may he be heartily welcomed. There is some talk of Fred. Lash and Southall throwing in their lot with this club, and these two, together with one or two possible ''dark horses." may help to maintain their standard of strength. Qji the whole, prospects for the coming «ea*on look particularly bright, and it rests entirely in the hands of the Association and the Sports Ground Cor; mittee as to whether the season is to be made or marred—whether or not every cricketing enthusiast's hopes are to ue fully realised. The Association, in that it should have embodied the most capable and energetic representatives from the various clubs—men who haw the interests of cricket at heart, and men who are thoroughly conversant with the method of administering smoothly and justly; the Sports Ground Committee.

in that it. should meet the desires uf cricketers fairly and squarely and treat them with well-merited consideration.

At the time of writing, the ground is in a disgraceful condition, thanks mainly to a surfeit of football and want o( attention. As in all probability cricket fixtures will commence in less than a month from now, it is difficult to sic how the .ground will have sufficiently recovered to stand even a few weeks' test, let alone four or five months. Everyone interested in our summer

sport will agree with me in wishing to see the ground in particularly good trim this season in view of the visit of an

Australian eleven, and very possibly those of the Canterbury, Wanganui, and South Taranaki representative teams. So, in conclusion, I venture to appeal to the committee (knowing full well that I voice the sentiments of the who'.e cricketing community) to do what is but its duty towards the uplifting indirectly of the stamlard of cricket, and let the committee be assured that fill cricketers will fully appreciate their efforts and meet their wishes without demur.