CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

NEWS AND NOTES. Two old-timers—Wellington and New Zealand representatives both of them—in K. 11. Tucker and W. S. Brice, had good figures jit the bowling crease on Saturday week, six wickets for 19 runs and sii! for 30 respectively. H. M. M'Girr got a fine double—4s with the bat and live for 30 with the ball.

Sydney University senior team eontains two brothers named Riley. They puzzled onlookers the other day while, they were together in a highly useful and entertining partnership (says "Not Out" in the Referee). They are twins, and, as the board showed, their initials are very similar, one being B. W. and the other B.M. They are as alike ns two peas, and the only means one had of telling t'other from which was by noticing that one wore a cap and tile other was content to follow the fashion and go bare-headed. They are young, slender, wiry boys, of the order of triers, and a welcome addition to the team. They are so much alike that the story goes that in a minor match at Parramatta one day in which both were playing the one batted twice, scoring a blob for himself and 40-odd runs for his twin brother, who happened to be absent when needed to bat.

Sydney has some fine colts coming on, as the following extracts front ''Not Out's" notes in the last Bcferee to hand show; —"Waverley's colts of' the bat were still to the fore, for Alan Kippax' put on his 112 not out in 63 minutes, hitting 23 fours. The pace for a colt of his elegant and precise methods takes away one's breath. This boy lias all the strokes, and ought to advance far in cricket. Last season he made his first century in First Grade, 114 against Glebe, but the latest innings, for sheer brilliancy, is the finest he has played for the club. For one so young, he is going ahead grandly. Last season he headed the averages with a total of 448. N. Callaway's 73, made in S3 minutes, was a fine innings, in which were 10 fours. Ho batted very ably in both matches. This colt has yet to make his first century for the club, though he has a 200 to his credit for New South Wales against Queensland.

"The name of Trumper is not to drop far into the background of cricket with the death of the peerless Victor. His brother Charles, who played with the Sydney Grammar School last season, played the match-winning innings of 143 for Gordon v. Middle Harbour at Manly, when things were shaping for a win for the Villagers. When the seventh wicket fell at 191, Gordon still required 3C runs, but, thanks to a highly effective stand by C. Trumper and E. Hall, they finished at 322. The colt is not quite so tall as Victor was, nor so commanding and vigorous, but for all that he recalls his brother at the wickets, for he has a very neat style, and gets them on both sides of the wicket. Last December he was the most successful batsman for the Sydney Grammar School in the Interstate schools' match, scoring 24 and 117. The year before he made 87, and in 1013 his contributions were 28 and 2; while in his first season, 1012, be made 30 not out. It will he seen that in the Interstate schools' matches he had a successful apprenticeship."

The celebrated left-handed batsman and captain of Australian teams, J. Darling, sends the following to 'Felix," from Stonehenge, Tasmania:—-"No doubt you will be surpised to receive this note from me. I note in last week's Australasian your references to the late W. G. Grace. There is not the slightest doubt that he was the champion of champions, and, in my experience, I must class the late W. G. as one of the pluckiest, if not the pluckiest, cricketer that I have ever met. During my last tour in England, in 1905, W.G. was then 58 years old, and he captained the first team that met us in England that year. He and Warner went in first, and the old man took strike from Cotter, and in Cotter's second over, Cotter slipped, and bowled a very fast full-pitcher, which hit W.G. fair over the heart, and hurt the old man so badly that play was stopped for some time. Next morning W.G. called me into his dressing room, and showed me where the ball hit him. I have never seen such a bruise before or since in my life, enougli to have made many a man give up the game for good. .Not so with W.G. Not only did he not [give up the game, but the very next time that he played against us he went in first and took the first ball from Cotter. If this is not pluck, I do not know what pluck is, and, considering that the late W.G. was 58 years old at the time, speaks for itself. Many a. time since I have told that about W.G. to young aspiring cricketers. W.G. had the gift, but he had plenty of pluck with it, and both combined made him the champion that he was."

A Christchureh writer, in commenting on the West Christchureh -St. Albans game, on Saturday week, says:—The second innings of the Saints was full of incidents. Barrett opened to Reese, and after smiting him for a couple of fours was bowled by a beautful swerving yorker. The umpire to everybody's surprise called out, ''Go back, you're not out." It appears the umpire was of the opinion that the bails were, removed by the ball rebounding from the keeper's pads. However, the game was resumed amidst great hilarity, Reese saying, "Never mind, Steve, I'll bowl you next ball," and bowl him next ball lie did, knocking the middle stump out of the ground. This is reminiscent of the incident recorded in the New Zealand v. Queensland match in Brisbane, when Robinson, Wellington's speedy trundlcr, bowled Alan Marshall with a no ball, but repeated the operation with his foot behind the crease next delivery. Another instance somewhat analogous was when Boxshall, at the wickets, dropped n catch from the doughty Trumper's bat at Lancaster Park, Syd. Callaway bowling, but tool; a much more difficult catch oil' the next delivery. Trumper's remarks at the time were characteristic of the man. When the first catch was dropped, lie turned round and said, ''Hard luck, 'Boxy.'" But when '-Boxy'' annexed the following ball, Trnmper was the first to offer congratulations. The next "incident" in the match quoted above was when Martin drove a ball baA so hard that the young High School boy. Nightingale, could not get out of its way. It struck liim solidly on the foot, and rolled slowly towards Dr. Foster, who was bowling. The doctor grabbed the ball and put the }7icket down before the lad, who had been backing up, could return to his crease. A few balls later "Tommy" Reese got a swinger from "Danny"' which hit him on the leg. The bail hopped over hia knee on the leg side. Boxshall picked up smartly and whipped the bails off before the batsman, who had taken a step out after being hit, could pet back,