CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 130, 19 October 1912, Page 7

CRICKET.

Writes a Home correspondent:—lt is good-to know that some of the Australian cricketers are paying a short visit to the United States. As they also hope to arrange -some baseball matches, their visit should lead- to mutual good. There ''is "Teat" merit in' both games, and room for each in every country. If cricket obtains a wider hold in t)he United States there ■ will'be good reason for hoping that the rules- will be so altered that more life will be infused into the pastime and that matches mav be completed in a day.' Any Englishman who has washed first-class baseball must have been impressed by the really wonderful fielding. The snap and life of the fieldsmen "make the 'eisurely movements, of : some of our English cricketers appear very'marked. We \can improve by watching baseball, and the visit of the AJist/raliafls:to the States is- sure to lead to-good. , ■■ -■ '■ , ..Kg, scoring lias vbeen.out of the question lately, the wretched, weather hav- ■ ,Hiff,unule'"t:h£ pitch, favor the ball. Sou- , isnti'oual doings, have consequently been ".'•the .order...-.'and bowlers have reaped a 'harvest oE'.wickets. Smith took six for > 26V and. Fast .five,fyr 13 on . behalf _ of Northampstonshire ' .against Derbyshire, and Fore.st.ex, 0,f.-,he' latter' county, captured, seven ; wickets. for.' 18 run*. Big \ 'as '.'these' : p'cr'iorinanees are. it was left for Hyltori-Stew'a'rt 'to accomplish the great "feat' of the week. ' Playing for . Somerset against Worcestershire, he dis- . six'batsmen for 3 runs, which must be something li,ke a record for .first-class cricket.; ~■ THE TEST.

' T3ie'public'have supported the Australian v. England-test match at the Oval very. Well, in spite of the terrible weather.' Much depended on it, the author! ti'es' lia'ving agreed that the winners should be adjudged victors in the triangular tournament. The first feature' was the opening partnership' of H'lhbs and Rhodes for England; ..Their. 107 for the first wicket is still, another great performance .and far better Than it looks, Hits which under ordinary'.circumstances would have gone lo' the boundary only 'meant 2 or 3, and Hobbs was batting nearlv two hours for his 00,-hitting four 4's. Rhodes made 4fl in two hours, a 5 and three 4's being among his strokes.' The value of their j.erformarice was ,: great, and once the bowlers were, tired -Woblley was able to gather' in (12, which included cloven 4's. '".'/'' OUR BOWLERSi. '

The, oroat Barnes again distinguish.-"! himself, and- be is-indeed . a wonderful bowler. For-soma extraordinary reason! Fry .put him on-to bowl at the opposite o.iul to that at.-which he. did such fine .work against South Africa. , At 77, however, Barnes .spoke: to Fry, who took Dean off and gave Barnes his. favorite i.rid. Wooliey took up the attack at the oilier end,, and after that the •Australian batsmen had a had time, for the last eight wickets went down for 31 runs after the change referred to. Barnes bowled P.ardsle.y by a wonderful ball. The batsman ilid not attempt to play if. thinking it was goinj behind his legs, but it broke so much that he was. bowled. , Barnes pent down 20 overs, and took five wickets for 30 runs; whilst Woollev secured five for 30 as the result of his 0 overs and 4 balls-. His performance is not to.be compared with that of the Staffordshire man, however, as he was not bowling when the pitch was fairly ! : easy, as was Barnes.

The second innings of England enabled Hobbs to score. 2.000 runs in test cricket, which is a record for an Englishman, A. C. MacLaren coining next with 1031. Hobbs now has every prospect of surpassing the records of C. Hill and V. Trumper. of Australia, who have 3,000 and 2.000 to their credit, C. B. Fry also did himself .justice by keeping his end up for 3hr 45min. eight 4's being included in his 70. After he went. Hazlitt got wickets fast, the last five English bats only adding 10 runs. Australia never had a. chance of setting the 300 runs for victory. The wicket favored the bowlers, and ITazlitt's seven for 2iS had prepared the public for more sensations. It was Dean and Woollev who came off this time, their "bag" being four for 10 and five for 2ft respectively. Rhodes wanted one wicket to complete his 100 in tests', and Fry gave gave him a chance, but a dropped catch prevented his bringing off the feat, which was hard luck.

In (he second innings of their match against England at Kemiington Oval. South Africa were all out in an hour and ssfl minutes. ;ind Barnes took eight wickets for 20 runs, making his complete record for (lie match the extraordinary one of 13 wickets for ."7 runs. "I have norer seen superior bowling," says ''Old County Flavor" in the Sportsman, and goodness only knows how his figures would have worked out had he been blessed with more fortune. This is. a curious thing to sy, but the fact remains that Barnes did not receive am- help at all. Everything he did was the genuine reward of of real skill and honest industry. Barnes certainly has improved his right to bo considered the greatest bowler in all the world. The accuracy of his pitch with the one he spins from leg at almost fastmedium pace is realty marvellous. Fatal accidents at cricket are very rare in Sydney or anywhere else: But the 1012-13 season has'been started with a sad event. While the Burwood District Club was practising for the opening campaign at the new ground on Pratt«n Park, Ashficld. the other day, one of 'he new members, William Joyce, was killed. He was bowling at the net. and the hall, driving hard back, struck him over :he heart, and he at once succumbed. The members of the club at once abandoned practice. The deceased was aboat 30 years old, and leaves a wife and two children.