CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 323, 24 February 1910, Page 8

CRICKET.

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| oiif.u.Ca'o3—'■noivjpossv | Received 23, 5.35 p.m.

j Pretoria, February 23. j Transvaal has lost three wickets lor \ '^71 —1 iulcli 170 not out. Stricken 101, •Houx 08 not out.

I NORTH TARANAKI ASSOCIATION.

j A special delegate meeting of the : North Taranaki Cricket Association ! was held last evening, when there we:c ; present: Mr. W. Bewley (chairman), | Messrs Whittle, Wiggs, Elliot, Kggieston, Coleman, Roch, Southall, Pevhaai, ■ Gibson, Thomson, Williams, Ilill, i Orbell, Robertson and A. Bewley (lion. 1 secretary"). j Tlie most important business of the meeting, viz., all arrangements for the ' forthcoming match against the Australian team, were dealt with first. THE SUGGESTED AMALGAMATION. The question of " amalgamation with the Taranaia Cricket Association was deterred until next season, owing to tK latter Association not responding la proposals from this Association. THE AUSTRALIAN MATCH. 1 The sole selector, Mr. D. CI egg, was given full power to draw upon South j Taranaki players, provided their ! ciation's executive was agreeable, and ijt wae resolved til ll l Thursday, Mar ,;h i 10th, be sot aside for- the. playing oi the North v. South test match, in order I .to give Mr. Oiegg an opportunity of ..testing the merits of the probable representative team. !. THE TARANAKI TEAM. [ The most important question of the evening was then brought- forward, viz., the number of players to constitute tliu representative team, and a motion was tabled to the effect that Jtortli Taranaki should bat 15 men and field 11 | men against the Australian team. -This i evoked a considerable amount of discussion, the opponents being in favor of I jplaying only eleven batsmen. A divij sion was taken, and the motion «'as carried by ten votes to seven, the division being as tollojvs:—Ayee: Messrs W. Bewley, Elliot, Eggleston, Perham, Gibson, Thomson, Hill, Clegg, Orbell and A. TJewley. Noes: Messrs E. Whittle, Wiggs, Coleman, Roch, Soutliall, Williams and Robertson. The action of the secretary in advertising that a small charge be made for admission to the match Wanderers y. Carrington Road to-day and on March 3rd. was confirmed. A lengthy letter was read from the secretary of the lnglewood Club, requesting that their Thursday junior match against Fire Brigade, which re-

mains in an unfinished state, be granted another day to complete.—As tlie matter comes within the jurisdiction r.f ,-the Junior Championship Commit be, it was resolved that this comimttee must adjudicate on tlie matter. A .protest was entered by the Ing'ewood Saturday team against Fire Biisade, on the grounds that the latter ,were not on the ground within the t'me specified for the commencement of all cup matches, and also that they played a man named Hemmins. he not being a bona firle member of the Fire Brigade f."b. —As the protest was not in order according to rules, it was dismissed without consideration. Several accounts were passed for payment, and a hearty vote of thanks to the chair concluded the business of the meeting.

ELEVEN OR EIGHTEEN? To the Editor. Sir, —i read with much pleasure your (sub-leader under the above heading. .You put the two sides of the question in an admirably lucid manner. As an old cricketer, nud as one who still maintains an enthusiastic enjoyment of the grand old game, 1 hope with you that it will be decided by tli? North Ta*a.naki Association that our reps, slutil ,play against the Australians 011 even terms. We do not expect to lower the .colors of ou r redoubtable opponents, hut I am one of those who believe tint the cricket, played in North Taramiki of a higher order than is generally believed. Playing an eleven again--t the Australians may not serve as a reliable test of our strength as compared with the larger provinces, though to a great extent it will do s<\; but by playing eighteen all interest in such .comparison will vanish, You justly remark that a tour of the sort now in progress can only be carried out successfully under the patronage of the public. Those who come to see the match will certainly not be attracted •bv the possible spectacle of the wagging of an elongated Taranaki tail. I take it that they will attend for two primary reasons: Firstly, to see the world-renowned players of whom the tertjn is composed; and, secondly, to see what their representative eleven crui do when pitted against such first-class exponents of the game. It must be borne in mind that this team touring New Zealand is in no sense a second Australia, a <? was at first intended. It is the strongest available team that th e Board of Control conld select. South Africa has now enter'd the arena of the cricket world, and sends her representative team to Australia next year; and this tour now in progress will be used by the (selectors as a valuable guide to the Board in their selection of the test teams to meet them. The late tour of the 01,1 Country proved the wisdom of including several of the younger generation of cricketers in the team, which so signally proved its superiority over the "pick of the Old Land. In all probability the teams which will be chosen to represent Australia in the forthcoming triangular tests will contain very fe\v°of the" oldtime giants of the game, and will be found to contain a good many of the members of the present touring tea.*!. New Zealand has provided champions in many branches of sport, and there is no reason to doubt that she will for long fail to hold her own in the cricket field. Immense strides have been ma.ie ,in the game here in the past few years, and the next decade will, I venture to prophecy, see New Zealand in a position to send her representative team over to England, Australia or Sou 1 11 .Africa, with a sood chance of bringing back the coveted ashes with them. One word to would-be selectors of rep. i .teams. Such publications are apt to embarass a sole selector. We have a gentleman in Mr. 1). Clegg who may he relied upon to n;e his unbiassed judgment, and who, after the selection of two rep. teams this year, retains the confidence of cricketers. Tt is fervently to be honed that. he will not allow his iwlcrmeut to be influenced bv what irve-s'-miKiVe nArsows may think. Moss's luman and Clegg are probably; the two

soundest and cori-vcr batsmen itt North Taranaki lu-dav, and men of their riii'.' and ability .'ill ho invaluable to us uii March 22nd and 23rd. —1 unij el;-, an old THE PLUNKET SHIELD MATCH. Ho would be a rash man who says that the Otago erieket team experienced ignominious failure. In the light of past ' performances they did well—aye, notably well. They scored 418 runs ill two innings. That is tall scoring for Otago representative cricketers. Often against less formidable opponents tliev have not scored so many. Of a truth Otago shows improvement in the fine game. The fact that the Auckland representatives scored 570 runs in a single innings says more for themselves than against Otago's liien. Even the most confident Aueklanders would hardly expect so huge a score. That such results happen on rare occasions encourages hope for better things in the near future. Let the youth of Otago prepare to meet "the rigor of the game." What Aucklanders' have done men of Otago may do. And let more faith be built' on the freshness of youth and vigorous enthusiasm than on the experience of age. Keep an eye on our boys, and send them to battle early. Age shines best in giving advice. It is good to know that the beaten cricketers took their defeat with a manly grace. There was no whining, no sickly effort at excuse. That is a good sign. There is no need of bitterness.—Dunedin Star. The following team will represent Carrington Bond in their match against .Wanderers to-daySouthalf, Robertson, Ben bow, Avery, Gwilliam, La-n, King, Green. Jordan, Perham and another. This afternoon, at 2.30 o'clock, on the Recreation Sports Ground, the New Ply. mouth Wanderers and Carrington Road, who head the list of competing teams in the North Taranaki championship competition, will commence the deciding match. A charge of sixpence will he made for admission.