CRICKET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 987, 5 March 1910, Page 3

CRICKET.

TOUR OF THE AUSTRALIANS. Tiie following are the remaining fixtures:Australia v. Otago.—March 5, 7, and 8. Australia v. New Zealand, at Christchurch.—March 11, 12 and 14. Australia v. Manawatu—March 16 and 17. Australia v. Wanganui. —March 18 and 19. Australia v. Taranaki—March 22 and 23. Australia v. New Zealand, at Wellington.—March 26, 28 and 29. Australia v. Hawke's Bay—April 1, 2 and 3.

Saturday cricket will again be resumed today, when Masterton and Carterton finish their match on the Park Oval. The junior fixtures for to-day are S. Matthew's A and Carterton, at Carterton; and S. Matthew's B v. Mauriceville. on the Park Oval. The former match will practically decide whether Carterton are to retain the position of junior champions, a distinction they have held for a number of seasons. Last Thursday the final matches of the Masterton Cricket Association's fixtures were started, and as things stand at present Carterton and Carlton will have to play off to decide who will be the final possessors of the Henderson Cup, each team having three wins to their credit. Junior players' hopes of a representative match this season have been shattered. After making arrangements to get a thoroughly representative team to travel the Manawatu As sociation have wired to state that it is impossible to arrange a junior representative match with that Association this year. L. Smart's 97 for Carterton against Rivals this year has not been passed in Wairarapa cricket this year. Several players have passed the half century, including F. Welch 75 and 74 (the former in Saturday and the latter in Thursday cricket). The best match of the Australian's tour so far, and the only opposition put forward to them yet, was met with when they met Canterbury at Cbristchurch last week. It will be long remembered in Canterbury cricket circles as a remarkable match of remarkable innings. The Australians were shown at their best, and the display by Armstrong gave New Zealanders a taste of his skill as a batsman and his judgment as a captain. „ To "Dan" Reese belongs the honour iof scoring the first century against the Australian eleven. His score of 108 was made up of seventeen boundaries, eight 2's, and twenty-four singles. Mr Hay, sole selector has chosen the following eleven to represent New Zealand against Australia in the first test match:- Bennett, Boxshall, Lusk, Reese, Sims (Canterbury), . Hadden, Howden, Qliff (Auckland), Midlane( Wellington),Macfarlane and Siedeberg (Otago). It was officially announced at a. meeting of the Management Com-, mittee of the Wellington Cricket Association that the takings at the Wellington-Australia match amounted to £379, which, after deducting expenses (£80) and the guarantee (£150) leaves an approximate profit of £l5O. Mr W. W. Armstrong, according to an interviewer, considers Australia very weak in bowling. A player of his eminence and experience ought to know. But all comparisons of this nature must be relative. If Australia is weak, is any other country strong in bowling measured by the power to perform on Australian wickets? south Afria may be strong, but strength on matting wickets may not be strength on Australian turf. "Not Out" in the "'Referee": r—On this season's form, South Australia's best would be something like the following:—C. Hill, D. R. A. Gehrs, J. N. Crawford, E. R. Mayne, S. Hill, N. Claxton, W. A. Hewer, R. B. Rees, W. J. Whitty. J. A. O'Connor, G. Campbell. And if C. E. Dolling were in practice he would, of course, be well worth a place. Victoria's best team would be somer thing like this: W. W. Armstrong, V. Ransford, P. McAlister, F. Delves, A. Kenny. W. J. Scott, G Hazlitt, D. Smith, T. S. Warne or F. Laver, J. V. Saunders and W. Carkeek. G. Healy n.ust also be a very good batsman. | New South Wales' best on form would be something like this:—S. E. Gregory, V. Trumper, W. Bardsley, hi. L. Waddy, C. Kelleway, E. F. Waddy, W. J. Stack, A. Cotter, S. H, Emery. J. Scott, and C R. Gorry. A few years back no one had ever scored two centuries in a first-class match in Australia; yet those whose names are inscribed on this roll of

fame to-day are:—C. J. Eady (Tasmania), J. R. M. Mackay (N.S.W.) D. R. A. Gehrs (S.A.), M. A. i Noble (N.S.W.), V. Ransford (Vic- j toria), as well as the famous English- ; man, A. C. McLaren. In addition j Trumper and Bardaley have accom- j plished the feat for Australia in England. The Otago Cricket Association decided to ask Canterbury to send a team to Dunedin at Easter time, the visitors taking half the net receipts of the match to cover then expenses. "For old acquaintance sake," and in recognition of his fine hatting against the Australians on Friday last, Mr F. Wilding has presented Mr Dan Reese with a bat. It is interesting to note thatj Mr Wilding was the veteran of the team in which the j present Canterbury skipper first re- | presented his province. Mr Reese's J century has further received recog- j j nition from Mr T. A. Murphy, an | I enthusiast! o veteran and secretary of the West Christchurch Cricket Club, j who has also given him a bat. This paragraph from a Dunedin j paper seems to let th« cat out of the ; b a g : —"The public want to know hat Macartney has done for the £IOO which it is said he is to receive from the Otago Cricket Association. He has not done a great deal, and appears to have the best of the bargain. It is to be hoped that the Association will not again make a blunder of this sort, or they won't find the public so ready to part with their shillings." How does this coincide with the reiterated statement from Dunedin that Macartney's visit to Dunedin was purely and simply with the object of establishing a business connection? The Marlburough Association propose sending a representative team of cricketers to play Wairarapa representatives on Friday and Saturday, March 25th and 26th.. Easter Friday and Saturday.