SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10440, 4 October 1911, Page 6

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

CRICKET NOTES.

[By "Leg-Break."]

The annual meeting of the Masterton Club is to be held on Friday evening next. Carterton will not enter a junior team for the championship this season, as was at first stated. Featherston, however, have formed a club, and will enter a team. On Friday nigh/t last a, meeting was called at Martrinborough with the object of forming >a cricket club. There was a good attendance, and it was decided to form a club, to be called the Martiuborough Cricket Club. Mr J. Nicholsen was elected secretary, pro tem, and the annual subscription was fixed at 7s 6d. Sixteen members were elected, and a strong committee was formed. The matter of election of officers was held over until a later date. I have been unable to ascertain, so far, whether the club will be senior or junior, and whether it is intended to enter for the Wairarapa championship. Most likely the club will enter as junior, and this, in view of the present odd number of junior .teams, will prove a good thing, as it will save a bye in the competi-

tdon. i At the annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association last week, a member brought forward a rather fantastic proposal to alter the-rules, so that every maiden over counts two runs to the fielding side. The Marylebone authorities and others are in charge of these things, and they know enough about cricket to be trusted to know their own business efficiently. In'the meantime, says a- Wellington writer, the member in question should endeavour to see that his idea will not do. The annual report of the Auckland Association, in referring to the defeat of Auckland by Canterbury for the Plunket Shield last season, pays: —"Your committee wish to express the hope that the consequent loss of the Plunket Shield will prove an incentive to increased effort by Auckland cricketers. In this instance, the regret that is naturally felt is lessened by the knowledge that what ha=i happened will probably be <a benefir, to New Zealand cricket as a whole; and also by the fact that our representatives were beaten by eleven goad . men and true, whose, victory is the reward of their own persistence and assidoious attention to practice." The Wanganui Association, at its annual meeting, resolved as follows: That it be an instruction to the Management Committee to take into con- , sideration the question of engaging a coach, and'to ascertain what financial assistance will be forthcoming from the various plubs. The Canterbury Association commences its competitions for the season on October 14th.

Major Godley, in referring to the requirements of the Defence Act with respect to the attendance of Territorials at parades, stated that the requirements are that each man shall do, yearly, six whole day parades, each of which lasts six hours; or twelve half-day parades, each of which lasts three hours. "For the ensuing summer," he continued," "as j our scheme is starting when half the military year (which endfe on May 31st) has already gone, the requirements will be only half the above amount—namely, three whole , day parades or six half-day parades. These may not necessarily all be held on Saturday, but even supposing they were you wNI see from what I have said that your young cricketers would only be asked to give us three or four j, Saturday afternoon during the ensuing season, and I think you will agree with me that this is not an imreasonI able demand." At anyrate, this explanation of Major Godley a bit more encouraging. ■ The membership list of v the Melbourne Cricket Club is full, and at the present time 375 full, 320 junior, and 38 country members are awaiting election. There is every possibility of a cricket team from Papua-touring the principal towas in Queensland and the south early in 1912. The team is being organised at Port Moresby by Mr Stanniford Smith. C. G. Macartney has struck form early. In a trial match, the only player to perform creditably was the little Gordon all-rounder, who hit up 90 out of 152 in very quick time. His' score included four 6's. His innings, though not devoid of chances, showed that he was very little short of the form displayed at the conclusion of last season. Word has been received from Sydney that Syd. E. Gregory will again be found playing in grade cricket this year. Last, year he practically retired from the game. J. R. M. Mackay, the well-known I batsman, is retiring from first-chss cricket. He met.with an accident some i

time ago, which has seriously affected his eyesight. Mackay's connection with New South "Wales cricket dates back from 1902-3, but he did nothing worthy of note iill the following season, when he made 56 v. South Australia, and 56 v. Victoria. In 1904-5 he nearly secured a place in the 12th Australian team for England 1 , but a temporary loss of form caused him to be left behind. After the team had sailed he ran up 67 and 15 against Australia, and 131 against Queensland. In 1905-6 his batting for New South AVales was phenomenal, and on one occasion he exceeded the hundred in each innings—105 and 102 not out against South Australia at Sydney. In eight completed innings he made 901 runs, an average of 112. On March 31st, 1906, Mackay, with A. Diamond, took part in the remarkable innings of Bur.wood against Middle Harbour, at Manly. Mackay made 156 and Diamond 144, both not out, in an hour and a half. These were, the first men in, and the innings was declared closed with the score at 309 without the loss of a wicket. Burwood won by an innings an 61 runs. In 1906-7 Mackay was absent from Australian cricket fields, being in South Africa.

A. A. Lilly, the famous wicketkeeper, has asked to be relieved from further service in the Warwickshire eleven, his decision to retire from the game being'due to the fact that ne feels he cannot longer do himself justice. Born in 1867, he first kept wickets for Warwickshire in 1888, and he has been a regular member of the side ever since. One of the finest wicket-keepers of his day, in addition to being a very good batsman —he has made twenty centuries for AVarvviekshire—Lilley has played for England against Australia on no fewer than thirty-two occasions—twenty4.wo in England and ton in Australia. In those matches he caught 65 men and stumped 18, and made 702 .runs. He first went to Australia, with A. C. MacLaren's team ten years ago, and again with P. F. Warner's in 1903-4. Fielder, the Kent fast bowler looks like sending down 100 no-balls before the end of the season. He is already credited with over 60. It is pleasing to see the form with which Barnes is bowling at present. Against Cheshire recently he came out with twelve wickets for 50 runs, a fine performance. Barnes is coming out to Australia with the English team, and if in anything like foim, .should prove a thorn in the Australians' side. "Plum" 'Warner —his full name is Pelham Francis—is a Bachelor of Arts, having graduated at Oxford University. He was born and learnt his cricket in the AVest Indies—at Harrison College, Barbadoes —and at Rugby-School, where he was coached by the iamous Yorkshire man, the late Tom Emmett. In 1904 he was appointed athletic editor of "The Captain," and besides being a prolific writer on England's national game, in the newspapers, has published several books thereon.