CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 206, 28 February 1914, Page 7

CRICKET.

TllF, SHXIOU COMPKTITIOX. XOTKS AX I) COMMKN'TS. Tin; New Plymouth High School buys have re-eu(cred the ::e;i!<ir competition a nnieh improved team. In their niateli against New Plymouth 011 Saturday lust tiiey showed this ck-arlv both in individual anil combined W'tk. r l hi'ir lielditig- was bettor than tii.U of their more experienced opponents, the only weak spot in this branch being the fact that the field as a whole was kept 100 close in, a tactical mistake which experience will remedy. The batsmen made a really good stand, t'.vo of them besides Monieath making a very good showing, and their score of 139 was a very creditable performance. A few days prior to the New Plymouth match tlie team defeated Inglcwood in a friendly game by a narrow margin, a victory which 011 the day's play tliey honestly earned. Monteatli 011 Saturday again snowed great promise 11s a bat. lie lias two strong points: a good idea of batting and an absence of "swcliul head.' 1 These are assets which will carry him far. He displays no signs of mere "punching," and this, considering the large scores hi! lias made in senior matches, says much for his head. All his strokes, whether they come off or not, are made with a definite idea behind him, and lor this reason he scores more slowly than lie might do by the reckless hitting which would spoil'his batsmauship in one season. Monteatli will make 11 line batsman when lie is older and has more petwer and greater experience. At present he is the best bat of his age ill the competition, and iu saying so (he writer trusts that he will continue, to he entirely free from an undue opinion of his own powers. Oliver, who made the next highest score, is a still younger and much smaller batsman, whose play gives indication of careful coaching. He brought off some very nice strokes, and tried for a good many more, which is a great thing. As long as a young cricketer plays with ideas he will improve: it is reckless hitting which spoils liim in the making.

Richards made a very stubborn si,and. though displaying less scii'iuT than cither Monteath or Oliver, and with a slight inclination towards hilling blindly at a hall he knows knowing about. H. ("loss, also, impresses one as striving after the proper style and attaining it not infrequently. Sinclair was one of the most prominent of the■ school fieldsmen, his work being consistently clean and neat. lie picks up and throws in nicely, and on one occasion took a brilliant catch on the run. Richards also fielded and caught well. What the school team lacks most is bowling. Monteath. Richards and Colson all shape well, but vary in length in a manner which allows the batsman to get set, and then make all their bowling "loose." When tliey are able to keep a good length throughout, it will be much harder to scene off their bowling. One thing has made a great difference to the school team, and will continue to do so, and that is the enthusiastic work of Mr. Espiner, who has lately joined the school stall' from the Wanganui College, and has at on«e taken a keen interest in tlu» hoys' games. The Service team went down with a sickening thud when they met Tikorangi last week, and are now only niunersup in the competition tally. I'orty-tive runs is about the lowest score made by any team this season. The eliief factor in the defeat was the bowling o> Sarten and 0. Foreman, and the sinark fielding of the Tikorangi team. Sarto.n's jbowling showed the line "analysis of five wickets for ten runs, while his colleague look five for HI, an achievement of which they may both feel proud. Woods caught three men on his own account and Soffe caught one. Scrimgeour, C. Wilson, C. Foreman and K. Hicks all batted well.

Dinniss has come to light again with his delusive bowling, and proved the downfall of four batsmen. lately he has been rather badly treated by the batsmen. The Service fielding was not good. Three Tikorangi batsmen were run out and two caught. Osborne brought off a fine catch while on the move. He is always a safe, and pretty fieldsman. Sullivan, in the second innings, brought off three fine catches. All cricketers will be pleased to see Tikorangi occupying the leading place ill the competition, as the country team has played pluckily under all I lie difficulties which beset i country tennis, and possess a spirit which deserves encouragement. It seems useless to expect that the Sports Ground will ever be made lit to play on this season. Every Saturday sees it bearing a yet closer resemblance to a hay paddock, and a more distant resemblance to the well-kept High School ground. Apparently the trouble is that no one can be got to do the work, or else that it is no one's business to see that it is done. The present season lias so far been one of the worst on reeorj in that respect. Perhaps the future will see an improvement.

The match between Xorlli Tarauaki and the Auctioneers' Assoeiatinn. which was to have been played at luglewood on Thursday next will not erelnuate. A team had been., selected from .North Taranaki when notification was received from the Inglewood people thai l.liev ha<l made other arrangements—presumably considering that the North Taranaki Association had been dilatory in accepting the match. At any rale, there has been a mix-up of sorts, and the match will not be, played. Arrangements for representative matches this season have been rather unfortunate. Thus the Dominion's cricketing scribe oil the choice of a team to represent New Zealand against Australia: Kvervone is trying to pick the New Zealand team In play Australia, ami, for the lirst, time in my career as a cricket, writer. I am tempted to pick mine. T!:e All-England elevens are selected on this principle: —First, the wicket-keeper, irrespective of any other ipialilication: second, four bowlers as diU'crent in si vie as may he, and irrespective of whether they can bat or not; next, four Mock batsmen for batting only. That makes nine. The next two men (in Knglish selections) are usually men with special (jiialilieations -good liehls in llie country, good change bowlers, and good'biilsiiieu of the free variety. Well. then, here is the team: Wicket-keeper. Board; main bowlers, l!obin-ou. Saunders, Bennett and Sandman: main batsmen ami special men, lieese. Patrick. Wliitta. Ilcmiis, Ilickmoti, McCirr and Sneddon. If Board's arrangements with his county do not render him available, then the next best buck slop is certainly Tuck-well. On counting it up 1 notice that my team is'not )icriW. It has twelve men in It. What o>W would .you U'rtvc ont?