CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 124, 12 October 1912, Page 7

CRICKET.

On the whole, the prospects for local cricket this season are good. The Saturday competition is going to be strong, and the Thursday weak. It is difficult to accurately forecast the strength of this season's cricket on account of all the clubs not having sent in -their entries, while not all have held their annual meetings. It is not too early,, however, to see that Thursday cricket will not be A a very healthy state. It is on the tapis that the Carrington Road and New Plymouth Clubs are considering an amalgamation, out of which will evolve an entirely new club. This, will mean one senior team less. It is doubtful' also, 'it is understood, whether the Urenui club will be starters.

A junior Thursday competition seems out of the question, or at least is very doubtful. The Saturday competition, on the other hand, promises to be stronger than last year, and there will be plenty of players for clubs to draw from. A general meeting of the association will be held next Thursday, and then, and not till then, will we know exactly how cricket is going to pan out in North Taranaki this season.

If the Sports Ground is to be in good playing order by. the opening of the season it will be necessary to expedite matters somewhat. The cricket association has not vet applied to the Sports Ground 1 Committee for the use of the ground' during the season, but it is understood that it intends doing so. Meanwhile the ground is in anything but good order. The cricketers, or many of them, blame the committee, and the committee blames the cricketers.' How could the clubs, remarked a member of the committee to a News representative, expect the. committee t^Jcee^-tlxe-g.r<Min>d'i In" suitable' order for cricket, when the association had not paid' it a single cent for two years? In letting the cricketers "have the ground for a purely nominal sum {£) each year, the committee, he added, made it quite plain .that the association would have to look after the ground during the season. In consideration of the yearly rental of £5 the committee undertook to keep the terraces on the outside'of the ground in order. The object of the committee in levving pmvlv a nominal rental was a recognition of ib'e fact that the cricketers were responsive for the preparation of their own wideband the up-keep of the ground during the season. ' ;'-, Ma- J. Clarke told a pressman that tIS committee had all it could do to maul both ends meet. It had to pay i.'irl £SO each year to the Rugby Union. ;:ni

in addition pay £25 in rent-to the Par Board. It would never raise any t.ion to the cricketers using the gro in: lnio at the same time would not be m a Ci r.eerned if they decided to seek fr.'s fixtures. They' contributed pracUcuM n>, revenue, and. vet continually ha-;) 1 '"■■ l the fact that the committee was no glecting the ground. If the cricketer did give up the ground then the com m : iteq could put some good soil in Oh around and made it at least fit for \or,t lv'l Australians occupied first, second, <r < foii-th positions in the 'batting aver.iL'-"': in t'.e test ".nine.;, the leading perforii ti being:—

In. N.O. H.S. Runs. Av. W. Bardslev ..6 0 164 302 (i 0.3: C. Kellaway ..7 1 114 360 60.0( J. B. Hobbs ..9 1 107 387 48.3' C. G. Macartney 6 0 99 197 32.8: Some good performances in junio cricket have, to be already reported thi season from Australia. Playing fo Drummonne Methodist v. Balmain Roya in the Balmain and District Associatio C. grade. Elliot scored 207 not out, an captured four wickets for 10 runs-; w"hil A. Bond, a. youth, captured eight wick cts without the cost of a run for Victori v. Adelaide in the B grade competitio of the Eastern Suburbs Association, th side scoring only 9 runs. One humlre and ten runs for the last wicket were pu on by F. Eotlnvoll (06) and P. Freema (55) for Burwood United v. Ashfiel in the first grade of the Western Suburb Association.

At the Grosvenor Hotel, London ofl August 20, the.Australi;ui tqam were/en* tertained at a banquet by the Jam Sahib of Nawanagir (Prince Ranjitsinhji). Till* party numbered over 30.' and included besides the members of the Australian team, the amateurs playing tor England in the test match—C? B. Fry. !>?. IT. Spooner, F. K. Foster, and'J. W. H. T. Douglas, and Mr A. C. MacLaren. The menu included "Mousse de .Tambou "Macartney," "Sorbet a l'Australenne," and '"Salade Bar..!slev.'

The team to visit the Dominion about. Christmas time will be the South Melbourne Club's first eleven, and the Victorian Crieb-t Association have given their countenance to the proposal? Tt may be recollected that it.was mentioned some weeks ago that the published statement that Noble and Laver would be members of the team was unwarranted. In a letter to a Cingalese sportsmAn J. B. ITobhs said: "Macartney is a wonderful little cricketer. I e'nn't understand how tlr.'v ever fame to leave him out of the test teams in Australia."