CRICKET.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2593, 30 April 1877, Page 3

CRICKET.

The Past Season

The commencement of the present football season will necessitate the cessation of cricket, even though the present fine weather would admit of the latter game being still played. A review of the past ■eason may not be therefore out of place, or prove uninteresting as far as cricketers are concerned. The chief event of the season 1876,-.1877, has, of course, been the Tisit of the All England Eleven to Auckland, but that has been already dealt with, and is not the subject of which thisi article would treat as much as is local cricket—cricket that, is,; at the Thames. As compared with the previous season— the.first one, be it remembered, when our players had anything approaching a decent; ground to play on—the past season has been a favourable one. In eacb year, in each; cricket year that is, three foreign matches' were played; in the former year three- defeats were suffered at the bands of the Auckland United (in one innings), Taranaki,; and. Corotnandel ; in the latter *>r pastseasontwo victories were recorded, each against Corbmaudel, and each won in one innings, while the match, v. Aupkland^might .very possibly have been won.hadltime allowed it to be played out. Taken as a whole the eleven the Thames at present possesses is better, than that of 1876. -This is partly owing to the improved form shown by Bobinson, who has succeeded in restraining his undue anxiety for runs, and batted consistently, well throughout the season. Steedman, unlucky-last year, save in the match v. Auckland, has been most useful this, both in batting and bowling, and Curtis j has proved himself: an acquisition as well as in addition; to Thames cricket. To these three the.iinprOvement of the eleven may be traced, as Crump, has played but little; and Colsoa fallen off., F. Paul, despite : jthe accident to his eye, which it was^oijfi time feared wouldprevent his playing, .works hard in the.field wherever he may ibe placed, and continues to bowl fast and wellj vide his analysis v.Coromandei. For a tpart of the season the Club had the ; additional use of Coates, whose loss was'felt; on leaving, as he bowled well, and promised to improve in batting, and Bee'ce, who chough addicted to tbatrstyle of play which in Pooley and Buekland the New .Zealand Herald terms " bj>p^y,' rcpuid2hardly.be left out from a Tban^s^Etevetk Crawford and Whitford^aye played much the same this year as last, the latter batting either with more luck or with better judgment —whichever the taste of the onlookers may determine, for ourselves we r think the latter—than; before/, -.WardeU, Lawless and Brassey did not play,-and Hume had left the: >ThameSj and so had -Hewitt. These were losses,, and must be set off against "the advantages above indicated. Bull in the field did his work, which is more than can be said of all, and Spencer, though.improved, has.not yet proved his right to an undeniable place in the Eleven., At a. supper in the Academy of Music' last year, when the match r. Taranaki bad been concluded, the Mayor of .the Thames in; speaking of Ms own-,cricket. 'sss,:'"'. those days (his cricket days) have gone never to return;' The past season has hardly borne put this assertion,:;as the Ihasoplayed and shown that not one in the Club can bat with ■ a straighten, bat than he. V '■'■ West fields well; his batting has not improved, and .never will until he learns to play straight;; Hargreaves in batting, bowling, and fielding is; :worth double what he was a year previously, .and shows more than any ;6ne the benefit pt * practice."' Kallenr; der showed promise of becoming a bowler, and. ivpifld have' proved useful had he staye^ .bere^.. Thesenow mentioned were the principal players of the past season. The home '"_ matches were not many, neither were they remarkable for much. It maybe noticed that RobinsOa got the first ; three figure score made at the Thames, and with Curtis scored the greatest'number -ot runs itiade 'for one wicket.'-; The chief w ants of the Eleven are a good wicket keeper; rtwp,^or;three moreijeliabie; bats, -and much more practice in fielding arid backing up by every member of the Eleven^