CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

NEWS AND NOTES. A. E. Sims, the New Zealand cricketer, is now playing in Melbourne. • * » S. F. Barnes took nine wickets for 16 runs in ten overs in a match between an England XI. and Bedworth and Eilistl], played at Exhall on October 7. The local team were all out for 52, and the eleven, which included Kinneir and Quaife, made 89 for six wickets.

There was some heavy scoring at Wellington last Sjaturday in senior games. Central made 229 and 230 for 2 wickets (Dind not out 102), to which North replied with 193 and 142 for 5 wickets. University made 169 and 247 (Birch 97) against East's 315 (Hutchings not out 148). Trentham got 152 and 308 for six wickets (Cook not out 123) against Old Boys 142 and 179 for seven wickets (Beechey 100). Against Petone's 338, Hutt only notched 39 and 117. S. G. Snrtth, the ex-Northamptonsliire captain and West Indian player, made an excellent debut in Auckland in the exhibition match—Eden v. Ponsonby—in aid of the Patriotic Funds. The match wa9 played with a time limit, each side batting 100 minute 3 (a very good idea for an occasion of this sort)). Smith took six wickets for 85 runs, and when it came to his side's turn to bat lie made G2 runs, A good double. Smith is lefthanded with both bat and ball. He is a true, slow bowler with accuracy of pitch and plenty of spin. Australian cricketers will read the following with some interest. It indicates that a cricketer may be able to "get into the wars" without actually getting into the firing line: "Mr. F. R. Foster, captain of the Warwickshire County C.C., was married on October 13 to Miss Norah Gladys Pritchard, third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Pritchard, Harddyan, Brecon. The ceremony took place at St Agnes Church, Moseley. Mr. Foster had happily made an almost complete recovery from injuries he sustained a couple of months ago, including a compound fracture of the leg, owing to a skid of his motor bicycle." Mr. Foster helped to defeat Australia in the last series of Test matches in that country. • * • Mr. James Searle, the well-known Sydney umpire, tells some amußing umpiring stories. A few weeks ago he umpired in a match in which the other umpire called "wide," and the ball was hit to leg, one run being scored. The umpire called out to the scorers, "wide and one run." In another match the ball hit the batsman's leg, and the umpire called "leg-bye," though the batsman did not run. In another match the umpire at short-leg deliberately stopped the ball, which had been hit by the batsman. The batsman tried to make the run, but one of them was run out, and out he went. Hard luck there. Mr. Searle also saw this incident: The ball was hit into a tree within the boundaries, and the fielding side called "lost ball." The in-side then secured the ball. J.S, is of opinion that if the fieldsman had taken the trouble to get the ball from the tree, the striker must have Veil out caught, provided they had not called out "lost ball."

The great Australian all-rounder, M. A. Noble, is evidently by no means a back number yet. His forty-three summers appear to sit lightly upon him. Hie following account of his last permormance and tliat of his team, ttiken from the Sydney Referee, will be read with interest:—On a neutral ground Haddington administered a crushing'reverso to Gordon, the team led by C. G. Macartney. Dismissed for 214 on the first day, Gordon were Bet a merry tune in the field by Paddington, who ran up 486 for six wickets, a tribute to the excellence of the wicket at Wentworth Park and to their batting. IS. B. Forssberg was out for 5 at 30, and then M. A. Noble, who had gone in first, and A. J. M'Greal added 230 for the second wicket. On Saturday 420 runs were made in three hours and a-half, with fours and an occasional six, to add to the gaiety of the spectators, very frequent. M.A.N, made 120 in two hours and twenty-five minutes, and M'Greal 175 in two hours forty-five minutes. The former hit fifteen fours and a six, and gave two chances, the first in the nineties, and showed admirable form. M'Gre&l's is the first century he has made in the first grade; he hit twentyfour fours and batted practically without a chance. The sixth wicket fell at 392, but C. Winning (74) and W. Wells (51), both not out, piled them on fast ia the closing minutes. They scored 94 in an hour. Both are names well known in connection with Paddington cricket, though that of Wells has not been proj minent in the actual playing. The colt, by the way, made 50 in his 51 by boundary strokes, there being eleven fours and a six. M. A. Noble has played the following three-figure innings in the First Grade for Paddington: 112, 166, 133 n.0., 139, 144, 207 n.0., 135, 122, 100, 117, 122, 176 n.0., 214 n.0,, 118, 120, 134, 116 d.o„ and 126.