SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10452, 18 October 1911, Page 3

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

CRICKET NOTES

[By "Leg-Break."] It has been, reported that a i.-sove-ment is being made locally to re'."iscitate the Mastorton Thursday lion this season, but in what quarter the movement is being made I am nt a loss to ascertain. However, in view of the support that would be accorded the Association (and I am informed that Carlton, St. Matthew's and the Rivals would enter teams) it is time that a movement was made in the direction of calling a meeting to arrange matters. Besides the three clubs I have mentioned, there is also a probability of a club being formed in connection with the Y.M.C.A., a meeting having been called with this object. With the help of Mr Moorhouse and one or two others, the W.F.C.A. club should be ablo to get a good team. Then, again, it is quite possible that Carterton would get their Thursday club going again. This would make six teams competing, and even if there should only be four teams that would only bo the same as two years ago. A meeting should be called, and this at once, as there is no time to lose, as j the competition, should start in a fort- I night's time. Will some one take the } initiative and call a meeting? As | the secretary resigned from the posi- | tion before the Association went out of existence, it cannot be called by him. I would suggest, that Mr Alt'. Ca-selberg, who was an enthusiastic player in past Thursday competitions, call a meeting. Even, if the "W.F." club, of whom he was captain, is unable to reform their club, he would, I am sure, receive the support of other, teams interested. I hope Mr Ca&elberg will see his way clear to call a meeting, for which he would receive the thanks of the Thursday cricketers generally. Now that October 28th (Saturday week) has been fixed as the opening ) day of the championship fixtures, I players should be found more fre- ] quentjy at the nets in search of form. \

The Southland Association lias received, another challenge for the Lord Hawke Cup, Rangitikei desiring to strive for the honours. This is the fourth challenge to date. Local cricketers are wondering if there is any likelihood of the Wairarapa Association forwarding a challenge. In its annual report, the Wellington Association has the following comment, in reference to Mr J. V. Saunders, are Australian Eleven man, who was appointed groundsman and coach last season: —"Mr J. V. Saunders entered upon his duties in the commencement of the season. So far as the work on the ground is concerned his efforts have been entirely successful, and players have been unanimous in their praise of the excellent wickets prepared for matches. It is, of course, too early yet for the benefit of the coaching to be shown to any marked degree, but most of the clubs | availed themselves of the opportunity < of obtaining tuition for their younger members. During the season fiftythree nominees of the various crabs attended at the wicket specially set aside for the purpose, and were coached by Mr Saunders, while he also spent one evening a week'at the Wellington College ground, and on two afternoons a week coached nominees from the various public school's. The system adopted gave general satisfaction, but as it was the first season the Association had had the benefit of a coach, the experience of last year will, no doubt, assist the Association during the coming season in remedying any defects there may have been in ,the system which Avas followed.." , There may.have been defects,:but from reading the above they.were not in the direction of letting Saunders have any spaie time on his was kept going, all right. i Early Cricket. —H. H. Stephenson , captaitied the first English team of cricketers to visit Australia —1861. In 1868 an - aboriginal team visited England, played 47 matches, winning , 14, losing 14, and drawing 19. Jn 1874 I a single wicket match took place in j Sydney between seven men of the AllEngland team and 12 Australians: The latter were disposed for 29 runs. In response, W. G. Grace scored 28 runs not out, with two byes, winning the match.

Mr CO. Berg, formerly a t wellknown member of the New Plymouth Club, has retired from the .secretaryship of the Wanganui Association, after rendering it much valuable service. He retains office, however, -as treasurer, member of the management committee, and junior selector. This is his third year of office in the lastmentioned position. When Mr Berg became secretary of the association two years ago it was £27 in debt, but he left it with a credit balance.

At a committee meeting of the New Plymouth Club last week it, was de- j cided that the club should guarantee a sum of £lO towards a cricketers' fund for the purpose of keeping the playing areas in order during the season in the Sports Ground. Tickets will be issued to members, seniors being charged 10s and juniors 2s 6d. S. E. Gregory, after a season's spell, re-appeared as captain of Waverley, and, in the first match against Sydney finished the first day with 96 not out, though on the second day he did not add tho four needed for the century. His form was very good indeed, although he was somewhat lucky, says the Referee. S.E.G. is 41 years old, and it is over 21 years since he first visited England with an Australian team, yet it is likely that he will again win a. place and prove highly successful in the New South Wales team tins season. His-last'match for the State will not.readily be. forgotten, for he captained the side, and."played one of the finest innings of his career against Victoria on. the Sydney -..Cricket Ground two seasons back. • The All-Indian team concluded their tour ef England at Bristol last month. Of the 23 games which they played they won six and drew two, the remaining fifteen having been lost. The most sterling accomplishment on the part of any of the party stands to the credit of P. Balu, who has secured 114 wickets for 18.86 runs each, while J. S. Warden has 94 wickets at an average cost of 20.53. Major Mistri, Dr. Kanga, and R. P. Meherhomji have been tho most successful batsmen. P. F. Warner's notes in the "Westminster' ' on the English team for Australia, has amused "Truth's" (London) critic, who goes on to say: "He considers a leg-break bowler essential if tho history of cricket in the colonies has not been written in vain. If he had such a bowler his team would make the Australians go all the way.

But he has 'no doubt those who were responsible for the final selections had good grounds for not including a bowler of this type.' This is very tactful, hut the utmost balderdash, if what he writes is correct, for he adds that such a bowler is essential on Australian wickets. Now, I need not be tactful. This article of Warner's shows the imbecile way in which we set to work in England. A captain is selected who has no word to say in the choice of his team. He is, moreover, a captain who has beaten the Australians on their own. grounds. He is therefore not good enough to play for England over here, and as he is to go out again he is not given what he considers ©:sential. He wants it, but, unlike Pears' soap baby, he cannot get it, wherefore as a good sportsman he has to pretend to bo happy." IF. H. Huish, the Kent wicketkeeper, recently stumped nine batsmen and caught one in the match against Surrey at Kensington Oval. The stumping of nine in one match is a record for first-class cricket. It is not a little singular that Huish should perform the greatest feat of his career J after being before the public for six- . teen seasons, and when he is, in a cricket sense, something of a veteran. The Alethic News states that he has born at Crapham, in Surrey, on November 15, 1870, and played his firstmatch for Kent in 1895. On four other occasions lie has taken as many as eight wickets in one match. Referring to the opening of the season in Sydney, the Referee says: —As usual Sydney cricketers have opened their premiership campaign at an earlier date than those of other States. The air in cricket circles is keen, the big matches ahead have been eagerly looked to, the grounds are in the best of order, and as green as England's green. For the opening day, Saturday September 30, wickets 'in some cases were not at their best owing to a very severe thunderstorm afternoon and showers during the night. But, taking one consideration with another, batsmen had little to ) grumble about. On Monday (Eight- 1 Hour Day) the conditions were per- I feet, the day being bright and warm, ' and wickets just what batsmen like, even though one or two played a trifle low. A fifteen .year old schoolboy, a member of the Bedford Modern School cricket team (England), scored 898 runs in thirteen innings during the season just concluded at Home. He was three times not out, and his averago Avas 89.8.