CRICKET

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 182, 31 January 1912, Page 7

CRICKET

NORTH TARANAKI CRICKET ASSOCIATION. A meeting of delegates to-the North Taranaki Cricket Association was held in .Messrs. Webster and McKeU.q.r's office evening, when there were present; Mvs-rs. E. Whittle (in the chair), Patori: (Law), Arden and Williams '{New Plymouth), E. Avery (Carringtop Road),' Napier (United Service). A letter was received from' the Manawatu Cricket Association regretting their inability to send a team north this season. The secretary of the South Taranaki Cricket Association wrote and asked that a return match should .be played at Eawera this season. •

Members were of opinion that it would be of advantage to cricket if home, and home matches were played every year between the two associations, and on this understanding it was resolved to accept the challenge. i Some discussion ensued as to a suitable date, as the cup fixtures are very much behind. Eventually it was decided to play the match on February 14 and 15, New Plymouth race days, which are free days as far us local cup matches are concerned.

The selector of the North. Taranaki Cricket Association will accordingly be advised to this effect.

The secretary of the Wanganui Cricket Association forwarded a letter of thanks and appreciation for the treatment meted out to its representative team on the occasion of the recent match.'

Mr. Avery and the secretary were appointed- a sub-committee to make ;■ rrangements for a social evening and ] v sentation on Thursday, February 8.

The second Test match stands as ;"i Australian record in attendance and gate money. The smallest crowd was on the final day, and numbered 18,335. As the Wednesday was neither a Government nor a bank holiday, it is unnecessary to state that the interest in the game was sustained to the finish. The total attendance was 90,263, and the takings £4345 lis 9d. On the Saturday 20,35)1 attended, on the Monday (New Year's Day) 31,444, Tuesday 20,093, and Wednesday (as stated above) 18,335. On the Saturday of the first Test 35,000 attended, and £2053 being taken at the gates, no less than £lll4 coming from the grandstand reserve. The largest gate in the second Test was on New Year's Day, the receipts being £lO2l 14s 9d.

The campaign of 1911-12 is teaching Australia that in future it will be wise not to send to England a team immediately after the Test matches in Australia. The prospective tour claims attention from one eye of the players; the matches of the moment claim attention from the other eye, with unsatisfactory effect in both directions. It is also teaching us that the swerving ball hafe yet to be thoroughly exploited, for even in a country of light atmosphere and heat it has great effectiveness. Australia's best exponent of the swerve, that is among the active representative players, is W. J. Whitty, and for the time he must be left aside, until lie recovers that vim and fire which made him such an enemy with the ball twelve months ago. J. W. H. T. Douglas has brought the swerve into prominence, because he swings .the ball a little .either way at fast-medium pace, and bowls very little of loose length. F. R. Foster adds to' the variety, for while he is, like G. H. Hirst, a fast lefthander, w'lio swings tlie "ball across the wicket to the legs of the right-hander, his attack embraces distinctive elements th"tT'"t i! from the realm of the mechanical. Foster takes a short run, whips the ball, in fast by rapid yet easy forearm action, gets exceptional ' pace from the pitch, keeps a fine length, and varies the swerve 'outside the legs, with one dead on the wicket, and a straight one 'of length outside the off stump. This is how he bowled in the two Sydney matches, and there could be no doubt then that for Australian wickets he is a greater bowler than George Hirst was. He conserves his strength by the shortness of the run, and retains the muscular life in the arm by the fact that of jerkiness there is nought' in the delivery.

The South Australian Cricket Association has passed the following resolution: "That this Association enters its emphatic protest against the Board's intended action to appoint a representative to accompany the next Australian Eleven to England, instead- of 1 a manager selected by the team ; as provided by Rule 9 of the constitution. It is considered that the resolution is illegal, and also amounts to a gross breach of faith." Among the humorous matters arising out of the set-back received by Australia in the Test matches at Melbourne and Adelaide, is the appearance in the press of letters from all swts and conditions of men, among them the faint-hearter, who suggest that Brown of the District club, w Jones, of the particular State, should supplant one of the hitkerto highly-successful and highly-praised champions, or that Clem Hill'be supplanted as captain. Australia has had such a succession of brilliant deeds in Test matches that it could not possibly continue unchecked, with other nations figuratively at her throat, without injury to the game. This reversal of things in a match or two at Melbourne and Adelaide is -good for cricket the wide world over. It is good for Australian cricket, and inspiring to the rival nations. It will sliow, too, that Australia lias not lost the fighting instinct. °

The Englishmen received £1023 from the second Test match, as against £1426 from it lie first Test, a grand total of £304!).

Two weeks ago one hazarded the prophecy that the Victorian Cricket Association would be at least £ISOO ahead of last .year at the end of the second Test. The tip was more than fulfilled, for the excess is nearly £3OOO. The receipts from big matches to date are already . £BOO ahead of A. 0. Jones' year, and in addition the association receives £925 annually from the Melbourne C.C. for the right to play the big cricket on its ground, under a sev.en years' agreement. In addition, the association had to pay £1133 2s 2d as its share of the deficit under the £IO,OOO guarantee to A. O. Jones. From these two items alone the V.C.A. will be over £2OOO better off. and only about £I2OO nec<l be taken at the fourth Test to equal the receipts from A. 0. Jones' year.

"Two names unfamiliar to English cricketers aopeared in the Victorian side Kyle and Brown. Xeithor is a yonn" player. Kyle has been for some time the fast bowler of the Prahran eleven' one of the best sides in Melbourne. He' has considerable puce, but cannot make the ball come at anything but an easv height. He is short, and"very strongly built, and can bowl PV-rvlastiiHv However, he is not likelv to be considered seriously _as a candidate for the Australian side, though he probably is the best fast bowler in Victoria. Brown is a batsman and a slow leg-break bowler. He is well known to Victorian cricketers, thoueh he has never before represented the State. Until this sea«on he has played regularly for Brighton, -whose eleven is on? of the best in the second nrade m Melbourne. TTe is a batsman 0 f the jovial type, who bits the ball in the same chrpry wav i n wbioli lie Kinps 'The Death of Nelson' in the navilion."—>!-■ T. R. Le Couteur in "Cricket."