CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 262, 11 December 1909, Page 6

CRICKET.

TO-DAY'S MATCHES. The following fixtures will be commenced to-day, the second day's play taking place on Saturday next:— United Service A v. Warehouses, at the Sports Ground. United Service li v. Inglewnod, at lnglcwood. High School v. l'irc Brigade, at Tufcapa or South Road. Kgmont Village, a bye. The United Service B team to play at Inglewood to-morrow will be chosen from the following:— Simmons, McL'ord, I'reshaw, Napier, Sullivan, Can-, \\ iggs, Osborne, Bollinger, Lewis, lirabant. itea, Bcvan, Robertson, and Crone. The team will leavo by the 12.50 p.m. train. NliW PLYMOUTH v. LNCLIiW OOl). New Plymouth juniors, who played lnglcwood on the hitter's ground, could only muster seven players on Thursday, but picked up substitutes at lnglewooil. lnglcwood won very easily by an innings' and 45 l-uus. Details':—"

linglewood: First innings.—De Launay, run out, 2; Duff, b Morey, 1; Orbeli/ii Allen, 1; Quiekfall, b Allen, 211; 11. Xliomson, e Ham, b Allen, 25; Harris, b Morey, 5; X. Sutherland, c Ilani, b Allen, 43; Thomas, b Lytliberg, U; McDavitt, c Allen, b Hani, 0; Spurdle, e Ham, b Lytliberg, 5; Nieholls, not out, 1; extras, 5; total, 122. Bowling analysis—Morey, two for 47; Allen, lour for 27; Lytliberg, two for 10; Ham, one for 15. i'lie bowling figures are only approximate, the scores having been kept very carelessly. •

.New Plymouth: First innings.—King, b Thomas, U; Legg, b Thomas, 12; Allen, c and b 'Duff, 13; Morey, b Ilioinas', 3; Lytliberg, b Harris, J; Hani, c Thomson, b Thomas, 4; Brown, c Orbcll, b Harris, 1; Petty, c Harris, b Thomas, 2; Julian, not out,- 0; Cernliofer, c Sutherland, b Thomas, 0; extras, 3; total, 45. Bowling analysis—Thomas, seven for 22; Harris, two for 2; Dull', one for 20.

New Plymouth: Second timings.— Brown, b Thomas, 1 ; ; Ham, c Quiekfall, b Thomas, 7; Lytliberg, 1.b.w., b Harris, 4; Corey, c Spurdle, b Sutherland, 3; Legg, run out, 10; Allen, c Harris, b Sutherland, 2; King, b Harris, 0; Petty, c Harris, b .Sutherland, 0; Julian, b Quiekfall, 0; Uornliofer, not out, 0; 'extras, 4; total, 32. Bowling analysisThomas, two for 3; Harris, two for 12; Sutherland, three for 11; Quiekfall, one for 2. NOTES. (By 'Third Slip.") The Wanderers v. Carrington Roan match was concluded on Thursday afteinooii ra brilliant weather, and resulted, according to general expectation, in a very easy win for the town team. Except for a very good display of finished batting ,by Greatbatch in the ur»i innings, it was a poor game from a spectator's point of view, the bowlers having the ascendancy throughout. Nicoll, Whittle, and Hill bowled well for the Wanderers, but Soutliall was the only Carriugton Road bowler to meet with any success. This player also put on a useful 2G not out in the second innings, playing steady cricket, for a wonder. The fielding of both teams was fairly good in the first day's play, but Carrin?ton Road gave a sorry display in Wanderers' second essay. Very few of them seem capable of even partly anticipating a batsman's stroke, and again, they seem Quite content to wait patiently until the ball arrives their way. Waitara managed to gain a threepoint win over Rovers, the latter being considerably weakened by two of their bowlers, Saunders and Ingram, being absent. It was pleasing to note a good score from Eggleston on his first appearance this season. Kershaw and Broeklehurst were also in good form witli the bat, and Purdie and P. Skelton easily carried off bowling honors. I was very pleased to hear that our Association had decided on the "pooling of profits" system in connection with the proposed visit of the Australian team.

The b'luallur associations outside the big centres must undoubtedly score by tins method, as they have to guarantee only £SO leas than the big centres, and it is absolutely certain that they cannot expect even a tenth of the gate that a three days' match in each of the four big centres will attract. It seems to me quite unaccountable why the Wanganui Cricket Association should decide against the pooling system, unless they have a much more sympathetic public than "we have in Taranaki. As a means of 'helping along the finances ol the Association, two collection boxes were iplaced in conspicuous positions on the Kecreation Grounds 0:1 Thursday last, but, notwithstanding the

fact that there were about 100 spectators present, the financial result was infinitesimal. The total amount collected wa>, I believe, 3s Od —3s of which was known to have been given by cricketers themselves, and very possibly the odd sixpence was also donated by a cricketer. This goes to show how little the public are really interested in our summer sport.

Some are sufficiently interested to get to the grounds and watch the games, but just because they arc not asked for an admission fee. They are quite content to look on and expect the game to finance itself.

A very fine point, which might be of value to local umpires, is here appended: A, the striker, hits a ball, whiclr hits or knocks down li's wicket. If B is out of his crease at the time, is he out? Answer: No, unless the ball has been touched by the bowler or another ficldsmau.

Replying to an inquiry made recently, an Australian exchange states that a ease occurred in Melbourne in February, 18110, in 11 match between the second elevens of the Melbourne and East Melbourne Chilis, in which four East Melbourne batsmen were stumped off four successive halls.

Charlie Turner, the greatest bowler Australia has ever produced, is playing regularly every Saturday with the Government Savings Bank, anil is getting wickets, too, and scoring runs with the bat. Possibly he may be selected for one of the elevens who play for his benefit next mouth.

A peculiar accident happened to a batsman in a match Saekville v. Windsor, on the former's wicket, a few days ago (writes the Referee correspondent). He failed to strike a ball, which struck one of his pockets, wherein reposed a box of wax matches, igniting them; but beyond consuming portion of his clothing and singeing his side, no damage was done. The incident produced no little amusement. The testimonial fund in aid of Sam Morris, for many years curator of the South Melbourne Cricket Ground, who some time ago lost the sight. of both eyes, has been clos'ed, and has reached a total of £2lB. The presentation of the money to Morris was made by Mr. D. Mackinnon, M.L.A., president of the Victorian Cricket Association.

A junior cricket carnival, extending over a week, will take place at Melbourne, commencing on Monday, 27t'i December, and concluding on New Year's Day. In view of tlie fact that Australia lacks bowlers at the present time, this might serve to introduce some colts. It is almost certain that the matches will lie played at East Melbourne. The players selected will not be above 25 years of age. The matches arranged are:—December 27-28, Victoria v. South Australia; December 29-30, New South Wales v. South Australia; December 31-Junuiu-y 1, New South Wales v. Victoria. These carnivals are to be held in each of the three States in turn. So far as South Australia is concerned, two records in interstate Sheffield Sliici matches were broken in the recent match at Adelaide against Victoria. The score of 590 represents that State's largest total against cither Victoria or New South Wales. The previous best was against >'t*u South Wales at Adelaide in December, 11)00, when 572 were scored in reply to 279 and 201. By defeating Victoria with an innings and 209 runs to spare, that constitutes the record margin ever put up by South Australia in winning matches against either New South Wales or Victoria. South Australia failed by 10 runs only to impose a heavier defeat on Victoria than that State lias on the Wheatficlders, as the best figures „that can be shown by Victoria arc an innings ami 218 runs defeat at Melbourne in December, 1898. New South Wales, however, has the whip hand when it comes to figures. Away back in 1892 South Australia treated it to an innings and 53 runs trouncing, but as late as last year New South Wales worsted South Australia to the extent of an innings and 527 runs, while on the occasion of the 918 made at Sydney South Australia lost by an innings and 005.

Tin! following is an account of a very unique ■performance in the way of big hitting, which even puts in the shade llie renowned smiting of such men as ('. I. Thornton or J. 11. Sinclair:--' Some phenomenal hitting was done by W. Ca'neran at Howe I'ark (Australia) on King's liivlhday. The match between WaverlevPaddingtim and Singleton nail concluded,. and the visitors sent Singicton in to have another hit. After two or three wickets had fallen, W. Cameron walked to the creases, and, speedily getting a sight of the ball, commenced to bang the bowling. In one over from Howard, who was bowling with the wind. Cameron hit the whole six balls' clean over the fence—3o runs. The .Metropolitan men asked Howard to continue bowling, and said to Cameron,

"(Jo oil. Hilly, have a hit." Meanwhile tlie fieldsmen went outside the ground, which is us largo us the Sydney Cricket Ground, and stationed themselves on fences and trees to sec if they could enteh hint out. Cameron "let himself go" and hit Howard clean out of the ground 11 times from II) balls. The 102 runs were Scored in less than 10 minutes. As the ball went soaring over the fences the Sydney men shouted their delight in unison with the spectators, and, finding they could not reach it with their lwnds, threw- their hats after the ball. After twenty minutes at the ereases, (luring which hp scored about 140 in boundary hits and hit two balls where they could not be found, Cameron was still iitjconi|uercd, and was es'cortcd off the field by his admiring comrades. The Sydney men regard Cameron, as a. marvel", and Mackenzie, the captain of the visitors, says he lias never seen such clean and consistent hard hitting in all his experience of the game. Cameron, who lives a.t Rouclicl, travels between 50 and (>0 miles to 'play with Singleton C.C., and is one of the most popular and unassuming cricketers of the State.