CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

NEWS AND NOTES Old-Mager A. C. Bannerman was one of the umpires in the Waverley v. Glebe match at Sydney on a recent Saturday. Thirty-seven years ago he was one of the pioneer Australian Eleven making cricket history in England. '» ♦ #

Lieut. Ci. CI. Napier, of the :isth Sikhs, died ill France on September 25 of wounds received earlier in the day. He was in the Cambridge eleven in 190-t----3-C-7, aDd met with very great success as a fast bowler. The Field trails us that lie has a splendid recofd in the matches against Oxford. He also played for Middlesex and for the Gentlemen against the Players, both at Lord's and the Ova). In 1000 he had the remarkable record of three wickets for 72 and sis for 3D against the Players at Lord's, his victims being Tom Hayward, ,1. T. Tyldesley, L. C. Braund (twice), Sharp (twice), Hirst and Tarrant (twice).

The Waverley (Sydney) team includes two who have been playing close upon 20 years with the club, in S. E. Gregory and H. Carter. In the district system of club cricket S.E.G. first played with Paddington, in 1893-3. In the next two years he was with South Sydney, and has been with Waverley ever since. He went in very late against the Glebe, and shaped well, defensively, though he apparently needs a good deal of practice to bring on his form. The first century he made in the Frist Grade local premiership was for South Sydney against Waverley, 21 years ago. For Waverley he has made only eight centuries. He has rarely seemed to bother about laying himself out for big things in club cricket. He has generally done that when playing for New South Wales. — Referee.

Several well-known English county cricketers took part in a match played at Pudsey on September 18 in aid of the Red Cross Funds. Unfortunately the weather was most unfavorable, but there was a capital attendance, and some very interesting cricket- was seen. The match was between teams organised by Mr % C. Sowden and Councillor R. jj»tam, and for the first wicket of the former siac-sh°cl es and Kilner put on j 50. And tliere was Stand by J Hirst and Rhodes, and, with only four wickets down for 164, the innings was "closed." The best batting of the match was seen when J. B. Hobbs and 8., B. Wilson went in against the bowling of George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes. In 10 overs from the famous pair they hit 69 runs, and Ilotfbs was left four short of a century as the result of an hour and a quarter's batting. He made 90 out of 147 for one wicket. A notable event in the Auckland cricket world occurred in Auckland receutly when Sydney G. Smith, captain jof Northamptonshire county eleven, in 1914, nuostentatiously landed in that city to take up his residence there. It is six years since Mr. Smith, who was born in the West Indies, qualified to play for Northamptonshire, and he has time, won his way practically to the top of the tree in English cricket, and had been classed by some authorities as being about the be3t all-round, player in England in 1914, when he stood eight in the batting averages (aggregate 1,373, average 42.90), and sixth in tho bowling list (105 wickets at 16.25 each). Of those who made 1,000 runs aud took 100 wickets, S. G. Smith stood at the top on a footing with F. E. Woolley and F. A. Tarrant, all three of them le.fthanded bowlers, and Smith and Woolley left-handed batsman. In the batting averages Tarrant' (45.8) and Woolley (45.4) just got above Smith (42.D), but in bowling averages his figures (16.3) put him well above Tarrant (18.8), and still further ahead of Woolley (19.4). Consequently opinions as to the respective merits of these three great allrounders are many and varied, though of the three he is the one who is given place in Wisden's 1914 gallery of "Fine Cricketers of the Year." Incidentally it may be mentioned that Smith has been unfortunate in several respects in arriving at the top of the tree on this particular year, for, though of amateur status ho had financial interests in county cricket, and with the coming of the war, a disastrous financial season by Northamptonshire, and finalU- (he decision to close down on county cricket for the 1915 season, his personal financial prospects were ruined. Added to this, the health of a member of his family rendered it imperative that a warmer climate should be sought. No doubt he was largely guided in the selection of New Zealand by the advice of his fellow county player, George Thompson, as well as by his medical adviser, for Thompson's liking for the genial climate of Auckland when he was here for a season, was an open secret. Smith is playing for Ponsonby— Auckland Star.

The Yorkshire amateur cricketer, Lieut.' J. Tasker, of Pontefract. has written an interesting letter to Mr. F. C, Toone, the Yorkshire County cricket secretary, accompanying it with a cheque, written in pencil, and from the trenches in France, in payment of his subscription to the county club, (living l)is address as "In the Trendies," Lieut. Tasker says: "We are with the Indians, and a very fine lot they are, too. The Germans would. I think, be the first to admit it, T have received the Yorkshire papers and seen the accounts of the. various cricket matches, the proceeds of which, 1 note, have been given to the various war funds. 1 think it is splendid to read of the older members of the Yorkshire XI. 'doing their bit' by keeping up the sporting traditions of the country, and so helping societies which I know need financial assistance. I have had n little cricket out here, but not quite 011 wickets like the Oval! The last time I played was on a pitch that hail been used all the summer by dill'ercnt regiments, and was absolutely devoid of grass—a sort of wicket Schofield Haigh would make the ball turn on at right angles, almost. I had a 'most unique' experience a short time ago. This regiment was being relieved in the trendies by a battalion of the —, anil the officer in charge of the platoon relieving mine was, to my surprise, K. L. Hutchings; it was a case of the meeting of Kent and Yorkshire—but not at Headingley! The last time I met him was wlien we played Kent at Leeds in 1912. I hope all cricketers in Yorkshire of military age who have not yet. joined the Colors will do so now that the cricket season is over, and so use the valuable training in 'playing the game' they have learnt 011 the cricket field to help their country in the 'great game' which is now in progress. Have you heard anything lately of Archie White? Pleased to hear Bootli has got a commission! he should make a tine ofiiccr. I enclose cheque, value £1 Is, in payment of my sub. for 1015. I hope the members are loyally supporting the club while we are fighting, as it is their duty to do so," Sir Archibald White, it may be added, is new fighting at the Dardanelles.—Sportsman (30/10/'ISJ,