CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 299, 10 May 1913, Page 7

CRICKET.

In reviewing the triangular contest ol 1913, the editor of Wisden's Almanack pays a very high compliment to Warren Bardsley. In the course of his criticism he remarks that "Banlsley, to our thinking, was an even greater batsman .than in 1909. Increased responsibility seemed to bring out all that was best in. him. He was at home on all sorts of grounds, but there need be no hesitation in saying that he showed his finest form against the M.C'.C. and the South African; on wickets at Lord's, which, though fast, were worn and difficult. It was a stupendous feat to score, as he did, in suc"li a summer, 2441 runs, with an average of just upon 52. We should be inclined to place him above all other lefthanded batsmen, not even excepting Clem Hill." The brilliant cricket of C. G. Macartney also comes in' for high commendation. l "Macartney also had a great season," writes the editor, "but he was not so consistent as Banlsley. He started in wonderful form, getting hundreds in the second, third and fourth matches, and before May was ovsv people were beginning to compare him with Trumper. He did not live up to this reputation, but he, perhaps, played the innings of the year against England at Lord's, aiid was as good as ever at Hastings in September. A marked characteristic of his play on his many good days was the quickness witli which he settled down. He did not need to play himself in, being able to punish the best bowlin« from the moment he got to the crease, He had nearly every scoring stroke at his command, cutting, driving, to the off, and turning the ball to leg with equal facility. His penchant for turning straight balls to the boundary sometimes cost him his wicket, hut it earned him heaps of runs, lie lias improved out of knowledge as ti batsman since 1909, and, watching his dazzling play, it was difficult to understand why he had only been picked in one test out of five against the M.C.C'.'s team in the previous winter."