CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 261, 14 April 1915, Page 7

CRICKET.

When the news of Stoddart's death was given to J. H. Board, Hawke's Bay's professional cricket coach, by a Daily Telegraph reporter soon after the Press cable message was received, the professional was astounded. "One of my greatest pals," he said. Stoddart, 'continued Board, had not played cricket for the past twelve or fifteen years, but he was as keen as ever in anything touching on the game. When the deceased veteran brought the second English team to Australia, Board was a member of the eleven, and, of he acquired a lifelong friendship with the popular sport, who in those days was the idol of the English people. When Board left Stoddart he seemed well, and he (Board) failed to realise that he had taken his own life. So many of England's great cricketers had gone the same road, said Boanl. The career of a professional cricketer was strewn with hospitality on all sides, and yet the publie was a poor friend after all. While a man was in t.he height of fame he would never be without friends, but as soon as he began to slacken off in his play and near the veteran stage, so soon did the public drop him like a hot cake. "Take it from me," said the genial Board in parting, "my experience has been that his pocket is a cricketer's best friend, and always wifi be." The Welch family, of the Wairarapa, suffered defeat at the hands of the Upper Hutt cricket team on Good Friday at Masterton, by 118 runs on a. two innings' game. The scores were 350 and 232. The Wairarapa News states that this is the first defeat in the history of the Welch family during their cricketing career. THE LENGTH OF AN OVER. By Cable —Press Association —Copyright. Melbourne, April 13. The Victorian Cricket Association has announced that it does not favor a change in the number of balls in an over.