CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1921, Page 3

CRICKET.

AUSTRALIANS v. YORKSHIRE.

YORKSHIRE’S INNINGS.

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, May 12. At tte drawing of stumps Yorkshire had lost 8 wickets for 197. Scores:—

Rain fell over-night. The ground was wet and the start was delayed till 12.30. / The weather was cloudy and the attendance was 15,000. The day’s play on the whole was tame, and presented no outstanding features. Tyson and Sutcliffe continued their innings to the bowling of Armstrong and McDonald. The wicket was soft and slow, but drying, and the outfield. was heavy. The batsmen were careful at starting, and 50 appeared in 77 minutes. Sutcliffe was playing with a perfectly straight bat, and stowing excellent footwork. Tyson had a narrow escape from being run out, Hendry not returning well. Macartney replaced McDonald at 57, and Collins replaced Armstrong at 61. The batsmen were warming to their work, and runs came more freely. At the luncheon adjournment the score was 1 for 61.

Collins and Macartney bowled after lunch, and. the second wicket fell at* 68, Gregory snapping Tyson up at short slip. He had been nearly two hours at the wicket, and had displayed upstanding and straight defence. Rhodes hit a couple of twos and a four off his first three balls. McDonald displaced Macartney at 96, and tire latter went on vice Armstrong at 100, which appeared in 161 minutes, With the total at 129 and his own score at 45, Sutcliffe was run out. His play was graceful and attractive. Hendry and Armstrong led the attack after tea. R. Kilner assisted to- bring the total to 188, and was then nicely taken at cover point by Andrews off Hendry. Ten runs later Collins, at sillj* point, dismissed Rhodes with a low catch. His Innings lasted two hours, and was marked by confidence. Collins similarly disposed of Burton, and Carter smartly stumper N. Kilner. Eight wickets were down for 191, but Robinson and Waddington played out time.

THE ENGLISH CAPTAIN,

London, May 11. Public interest in the choice of the captain for the English team is increasing. The names canvassed are Douglas, Spooner, MacLaren and Fry. Age is considered an obstacle to tie choice of the two last-named. Spooner is strongly favored in some quarters.—United service.

TESTS IN ENGLAND

JOHN BULL’S REINFORCEMENTS.

LEFT-HAND BATSMEN WHO ARE STAR FIELDS.

(By Henry Grierson, late Cambridge University XI., in The Referee.) London, March 3. Of the side which has recently lost its fifth successive Test as I write, the following alone are anything like certain of retaining their places in the next series:—J. B. Hobbs, J. W. Hearne (if fit), E. Hendren, F. E. Woolley, and. probably, J. W. H. T. Douglas. A. C. Russell has a fair chance of getting in, and, in a lesser degree, H. Makepeace. This, of course, means that quite a number of new men will be given a stow, and I will endeavor to give the Australian public some idea of who they will be, their capabilities and personalities.

The side will, in all probability, be captained by Reginald H. Spooner, of Lancashire, who was invited to skipper the team in Australia this time, but had to refuse for business reasons. He, of course, is not unknown to you, having in years gone by played eleven Test innings, with an average of 21. This sounds pretty poor, but is in no way representative of his merit. The true view of England is that he Is one of tte finest amateur batsmen in the world, and comparable to Victor Trumpet. I subscribe to this. He was educated at Marlborough College—a public school with a splendid cricket reputation—and was in his younger days a splendid Rugby football player, being

"capped’ for England as a three-quarter. A delightful fellow, with a classical style, he would make an ideal captain. Age 41 and recently married; but this does not show that he has not got excellent cricket judgment.

BATS LEFT-HAND: A MAGNIFICENT FIELDSMAN.

A. P. F. Chapman (Uppingham School' and Cambridge University) is the most promising batsman of the younger generation we possess, and is quite likely to get a place, though still at the University and only 20 years of age. A left-handed bat, tall and fair-haired, he hits the ball through the covers in a style not unlike Vernon Hansford at his best. Magnificent fieldsman, especially in the deep, and, like Reggie Spooner, a good all-round sportsman, being a useful Rugger player. Oddly enough, he also represented 1:1s University at Association, footer, as a goal-keeper. He had never played before, and, on receiving an invitation to turn out, it is reported that he dashed off to the nearest pub—to buy a book of rules, of course. He averaged over 40 per innings' for .the University last year, and played a fine knock of 101 for the Gentlemen v. Players at the end of ihe season on none too good a wicket, when opposed by Howell, Parkin, Hearne, Woolley, and Waddington. A professional player with an excellent chance of figuring in the Tests Is C. Philip Mead, of Hampshire, another left-hander, whom most judges of the game here consider should have gone with the M.C.C. side this time. He headed his county averages in 1920 with a total of 1773 runs and an average of over 50, including six centuries. He is reckoned to have the best defence in the country, and is certainly the most difficult man to dislodge we have. Age 34.

STILL ANOTHER LEFT-HANDEER AND A CHAMPION FIELD.

Big George Brown, also a Haimpshire professional, will in all probability receive a trial. The most extraordinary player we hkve —a fine bat, also left-handed and of the forcing variety, a useful fast bowler, magnificent field in any positioji, and a good wicket-keeper to boot! He averaged 44 for an aggregate of 1863 runs last season. Mr. Sydney H. Pardon, probably our greatest critic, says that Brown and Mead remind tim not a little of the Australians when Clem Hill and Joe Darling were at their prime. High praise indeed, but the next few months will prove its justification.

TO STIFFEN THE TAIL.

Criticism of the length of England’s tail may lead the selectors to look for a wicket-keeper who is a better bat than either Strudwick or Dolphin. This may prove to be George E. C. Wood, late captain of Cam!ridge University XI., who turns out on occasion for Kent when he can get away. As a matter of fact he was invited to go to Australia this time, hut could not spare the six months. He was rather offcolor with the bat last year, but in 1919 averaged 45 an innings for the University, jwho, of course, play the leading counts eleveira.

As an amateur wicket-keeper he is the best we have had since the days of Gregor McGregor, and his work on the leg-side may almost be compared with that of Blackham. He is 28 .years at age, aad was an undergraduate at

the ’Varsity when w*ar broke out, returning there when the show was over. He has a good military record, winding up as a staff-cap-tain, was wounded, and got the M.C. Most of his time in the service was spent in Egypt. Palestine and the Dardanelles, where he ran Into the Aussles a great deal, and for whom he has a tremendous admiration. An extremely cheery fellow and a fine all-round sportsman, he got his Rugby football blue for Cambridge in 1919 as a centre three-quart.T. Educated at Cheltenham»'CG’’ege, where they breed tho right/type.

HAS THE TEST TEMPERAMENT

G. T. S. Stevens, of Oxford University and Middlesex (born 1901), is another likely r.llrounded. He created a record in 1919 bv being chosen for the big-Gentlemen y. Players’ match when still at University College School, London. A free bat, he is entirely without, nerves, and is therefore one of those young men who can go in, whatever the position, and play natural game. In other words, he is continually getting runs (generally about 50 or 60) when they are most wanted, . and, as Australians are fully aware, this means a lot in England, where scores rule much lower than “down under.” He is also a googly bowler of the type of J. W. Hearne, jvith a much higher delivery, however —he stands well over six feet. A trifle lacking in accuracy, like the majority of "comic” trundlers, but lie pulls out that unplayable ball more often than most of them. A fine fieldsman near the wicket, with a safe pair of hands.

MODELLED ON JACK HOBBS.

Another of the younger amateurs who may easily figure in the national side if he can find the time to get into form is Donald J. Knight, of Oxford and Surrey, a schoolmaster by professiob. He has only recently left the University, and, when there, made a great reputation for himself by his fine play. He has modelled bis batting on Jack Hobbs, and when they are at the wickets together it is prac- • tically impossible to distinguish the two, as they are much alike in looks, and Knight has, moreover, learned all Jack’s tricks of ra'sing the bat and turning it round and round, adjusting his cap, etc., which are, no doubt, familiar to Australians. In 1919 he averaged 58.4 G for his county, and making no fewer than five scores of over 100 in 14 innings. He '.s also a brilliant Association football player, and represented his University at both games.

AN ALL-ROUNDER.

The claims of V. W. C. Jupp (Susses) will also be considered. He was Invited to go :t> Australia this time, but couldn’t quit-* work it. Ab excellent all-round cricketer, 30 years of age, he started his career as a professional, but has since turned amateur. Last seas >n, in county championship (matches, he scored over 1200 runs, with an average of 27, and took 98 wickets for 18 runs apiece. A very good sportsman, keen as mustard, and likely to ’in prove.

HOLMES, OF YORKSHIRE.

It is an even-money certainty that Hobbs will open the English batting in company with Percy Holmes, the young Yorkshire professional. Many Englishmen would have liked to have seen him selected In preference to Rhodes, Makepeace, Russell —and otirers, for that matter. He scored no fewer than 2029 runs for his county last season, with an average of 54.8, and struck seven centuries, including an innings of 302 not out against Hampshire. He is not a spectacular batsman, but possesses a superb defence, endless patience, and is a master of on-slde play. He is certain of his place. Finally, there is George Gunn (Notts). I believe I am right in saying that Australian followers of the game consider him Hobbs’ equal. So he is, when physically fit, but, unfortunately, the so-called climate of England does not agree with him, and he is seldom at bis best here except in the hottest of summers. When enjoying good health, however, there is no better player at Home. Incidentally, his Test match batting average is 42.30, whi'ch, prior to the last series, has only been surpassed by F. S. Jackson, Ranji, and Hobbs. I will defer my discussion of England's likely Test match bowlers until the next mall.

YORKSHIRE—First Innings. Holmes, c Hendry, b Collins .. 3 Tyson, c Gregory, b Collins .. 29 Sutcliffe. run out Rhodes, c Collins, b Armstrong .... .. 63 R. Kiiner, c Andrews, b Hendry .. 14 Burton, c Collins, b Hendry .. 4 Robinson, not out .. 12 N. Kiiner, st. Carter, b Armstrong Dolphin, c McDonald, b Armstrong .. 9 n Extras Total 197