CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

WHAT •■ W.C." DID LV CIUCKKT. lie made two centuries in a mutch three times: ISO and 102 not out for South of Thames v. North ol Thames, at Canterbury, in 180S; 101 and 103 not out for Gloucestershire v Kent, at Clifton, in 1887; and 1-18 and ].->:{ for Gloucestershire v. Yorkshire, at Clifton, in 1888. For very many years he was tiie •only man in the world who had performed the feat in first-class cricket. With A. E. Stnddart as his partner, he put on over 100 runs for the opening partnership against the Australians in three consecutive matches in ISA.!, viz,, 120 for the M.C.O. at Lord's, 114 for Shrewsbury's Kleven at Nottingham, and 151 for England at the Oval. In first-class cricket he made l-2(i centuries, 125 in England and one in Australia, and in all classes of cricket his centuries numbered 217.

.He played thirteen innings of 200 or over in first-class cricket, viz.: .14-!, 318 not. out, 301, '283. 20S, 201, 257, 243 not out, 224 not out, 221 not 0ut,'217, 21.") and 215. In consecutive innings in 187(1 he made 344 for the M.C.C'. \ Kent 177 for Gloucestershire v. Notts, and MS not out for filoneestershire v Yorkshire. lie secured all ten wickets and scored 104 for the M.O.C. and Ground v Oxford University at Oxford in ISSS. He is one of the few men who have secured 10 wickets in a. first-class match, this being his performance against Notts at Cheltenham in IS7'7. At one stage he had secured seven wickets for no runs in 41 balls, and finished the innings with eight for 34. With the exception of C. 11. Hirst, he made 1000 runs and took 100 wickets oftener than any other man in first-class cricket, the details being a? cinder:

Year. linns. A'h-kets. 1574 ~-.. liifi.", |->!) 1575 ... ■-.. 143S 102 KS7G ...,-• -.-.. 2fi22 124 )577 ~-...7....... 1474 170 1878 .;..,..-.,-... 1151 153 1883 ..,-,■ -,.. 1088 118 ISSf! 1816 12-2

He was the first man to score over 2000 runs and take over 100 wickets, which he did in 1870.

He made two centuries against Aus> tralia in test matches, both at Kensington Oval, 152 in 1880 and 170 in 1886.

RACE FOR THE CEXTURV. The first centuries of the season in Auckland were made on Saturday last by Brooke-Smith (140) and Hemus "(102), of Eden, both at the expense of the North Shore bowlers. The feature of Eden's innings {.says the AucUlan ' Star) wa3 the third-wicket partnership, when Hemus was joined by «)><! the pair raised the score from On to 237. Hemus had 30 runs to his cedit, and was well set when Brooke-Smith joined him. The latter got into his scoring stride almost at once, dealing decisively with anything sent along on the leg side, and using good judgment respecting what was the ball to hit. While Hemus was 'placing well for runs hefor- the wicket, and making the bulk of his rims by prettily slipping and glancing i.e." ball to the boundary behind tli3 stumps, Brooke-Smith made nearly all hU urns in front by vigorous driving and leghitting, and a particular shot just baeK of point, ail his shots being clean, crisp, and well timed. For several overs lie monopolised the bowling, and when Hemus was 7" he had reached Jo. He jumped into the lead by o.i-:>lving White clean over the boundary for six, but next over Hemus regained his position by swinging a sixer over the leg boundary. From that point on it was a neck-and-neek rate between the pair for the first century of the season, till of them hesitated on the brink, each being 09. They slowed up at this point, and then Brooke-Smith oIT-drove a ball to the boundary and got tin; honor, being followed into the threes by Hemus a couple of balls later.

THE LATE G. R. HAZLITT. The death of Gervys Rignold (''Jerry") Hazlitt at the King's School on October 30 was a painful surprise to cricketers (says the Sydney Referee), for he had been about earlier in the week lie was attacked by influenza on Monday, and it developed into pneumonia, against whkh he fought by not taking to his bed, and, heart-failure ensuing, he succumbed. He was only 27 years old, and leaves a widow and two cnlldren.

j "Jerry" Hazlitt was born in Sydney in 1888, but it was in Victoria he developed into a first-class cricketer. He was only 17 years old when he appeared in the State eleven against South Australia, and-the same season against New South Wales. He played in seven matches for ,Victoria against South Australia, and, though somewhat expensive with the ball, his all-round work was most admirable. In the last three matches he scored S2 not out and S, 30 and G, and 77. In the seven matches he secured 28 wickets at an average of 32.78, his best performances being five for 80, four for 54, four for 73, and three for 74. In test matches Hazlitt played a fine part in botli Australia and England. When 19 years old he made history by helping Albert Cotter to put on 57 for the ninth wicket of Australia against A. 0. Jones' team on the Melbourne ground, with the pair not out in a very memorable finish, and Australia winning ttw match by two wickets. He also played for Australia against the last English team, and then went to England with the triangular eleven, for which he proved one of the star bowlers, for he was one of the few men who have taken over 100 wickets on their first visit to England. He got 101 wickets at an average cost of 18.90, which was practically equal to the work performed by W. .1. Whitty on the same tour. In the second innings of the test match against England at Manchester, he secured seven for 25 in 21 overs. With the bat, however, he found the wet season so depressing that he made very few runs. Hazlitt was a brilliant field and a very fine howler, and if he had been a stronger man he would surely have developed into one of those splendid all-round players which Australia has given to international cricket, such men as M. A. [Noble, George Giil'en and Warwick Armi strong.

NOTES. The late W. Tj. Murdoch was a great crony of W. G. Grace, and many pleasant days they had together at cricket, golf and bowl's. They were always dialling one another when in opposition. On one occasion an Australian team was playing again Gloucester, and "W.G," was beautifully caught in the slips off Ferris. "W.G." said to Murdoch, "I must pat down the wicket," and went out of his crease to do so; but Billy said to him, "Oh, no you don't, it is too thin; you can do your patting in the pavilion I" and "W.G.," with a huje laugh, took hin ihpartura-