CRICKET NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10471, 8 November 1911, Page 6

CRICKET NOTES.

[By "Leg-Biieak."]

FIXTURES OF M.C.C. IN AUSTRALIA

November 10th: v. South Australia. November 17th: v.Victoria. November 24th: v. Nrw South Wales. December Ist: v. Qucem.lp.nd. Deoember Bth: v. Eleven of Aus. at Brisbane, December 15th: First Test Match at Sydney. December 80th : Second Test at Melbourne. January 12th: Third Teat at Adelaide, February 2nd: v. Victoria. February 9th : Fourth Test at Melbourne. February Kith: v. Now oouth Wales. February 28rd: Fifth Test at Sydyey. March Ist: v. South Australia.

At last! The Wairarapa competi-

tions have commenced. But that is all. 'Hu- elements on Saturday were unkind. With one exception, all games had to be stopped, heavy rain setting in shortly after tihree o'clock. Masterton were fortunate in play-

ing their match at Featherston, as the (I rain did not reach there till late in the !| al'inrnooii. The South Wairarapa ■< a:;* very weak this year, and their total of 33 against Master ton was hardly less than was expected. Last year the Lower Yallfcy team was fairly strong, owing to a number of good players I at the training camp throwing in their lot witih the club while they were atTauherenikau. This year the club very greatly misses these players. Another good player who was absent on Saturday was A. Balfour, of Greytown, who is a verv solid bat. Cob-

ei'oft, who claimed two-thirds of the score on Saturday, was the only one

to feel in any way comfortable to the bowling of Jordan and Patrick. At the fall of the last wicket "Coby" still remained unconquered. Jordan displayed, fine form, keeping an excellent length, and obtaining his five wickets at a cost of twe runs a piece. In their first innings,/Masterton have started strongly, with just on 200 for eight wickets. The innings wa,s characterised by two brilliant displays of sound, forceful batting. Moorhouse

took first honours with a well-compiled (54. He played in much the same form as on the day of his century against Pahiatua on the Park Oval. Ho liit hard and often, especially on the "off," and had the bowling completely "collared." None less worthy was the performance, of the ex-Wellington cricketer —3). Patrick. He made his 63 runs in a aggressive style, and gave the Wairarapa a taste of what might often be expected before the end of tho season. Patrick, who has played first-class cricket in Wellington for a number of years, has removed to Masterton, and' has thrown in hi,s lot with the Masterton Club. Besides being ft. first-class bat, he is also a first-class-bowler of the medium-slow type, in fact, he is a good all-round man, and a decided acquisition to the Masterton Club. His performance against the Australian team which visited New Zealand in the early part of last year, will be well remembered. He not only top-scored for his side (Wellington), but ho also carried off the bowling , honours, capturing five of the best Australian wickets with his puzzling leg-breaks for 13 runs, off 42 balls. The other senior match, Carlton v. Carterton, did not progress Jar before the rain came on. Fred Welch, who ca.ptained the local club, won the toss, ! and elected to bat, going with Styles to the wickets. Styles was short-lived, | ilaying round one from Fairbrother at -!-. ' When stumps were drawn 25 runs ' were on the board, without -any further loss—Welch 13, A. Hoar 8. Masterton juniors have commenced well, in their match with Mauriceville on the Oval. Despite the fact that the Bush team has. Mascelle playing for them, tho local men. have only lost one wicket for 40. E. Perry, 21 not out, was chiefly responsible for this . .score. This player, it will be remembered, played very ..consistently last season, winning n«t only the batting, but the bowling average as well, for St. Matthew's B, for whom ho played. He has a style of batting peculiarly liis own, and with the help of a marvellously quick eye, he makes runs from strokes which would prove fatal to most batsmen.

Carlton juniors hare lost 5 wickets for 35 in their match with St. Matthews. AY. Hoar, the Carlton skipper, with 21 out of that total, was the only one to do anything at all. The remainder of the batsmen, appeared as if they had been studying the "Jessop" style during the "off season,!' without meeting with a wonderful amount of success! A correspondent in yesterday's Age wrote drawing attention to the time cricketers turned up to play their match on Saturday. The Mauriceville eleven were on the ground at 1.30 o'clock, but owing to the late arrival of the Masterton men, play wasinot commenced until about three o'clock. To make matters jMasterton club had no captain. It i c - not an easy i matter for the Mauriceville team to travel to Masterton, and local cricketers will have to treat them mucli beti ter than they do at present, as, now ' that, an association is being formed at Eketahuna, it is quite likely that 'if things go on as at present, the Bush team will throw in their lot with the northern association. The correspondent suggests thai the club will seek fresh fields. The Wairarapa Association cannot afford to lose their support. ; v- Some doubt exists among seniors as to the fixtures next Saturday. As the matches were started a week later "than the dates drawn, the fixtures will •be put (back a week. That is, the ' matches commenced last Saturday will

be resumed next Saturday. The cables last week contained the news that C. G. Macartney had made a century for New South Wales in the inter-State match with Queensland. Macartney, who is only 25 years of age, is regarded as the coming cricketer of the Commonwealth, and the natural successor to George Giffen and M. A. Noble. He is a polished batsman, very attractive to watch, being very strong on the off, with a nice late cut. He is a brilliant field at mid-on, and a steady lefthand bowler, possessing a good command over length and fight. It will l>e remembered that his inclusion in the Test teams against South Africa last season, was warmly criticised in some quarters, especially his selection for the fifth test match. But C.G.M. silenced his critics completely, scoring in the last Test a century in each innings, and following the performance up with a third century in succession and ->( i for New South Wales against the visitors. So far this season lie has been batting well, and his 122 against Queensland last week was a brilliant effort. His first century in first-class cricket (at the age of 19) was 122 —a coincidence.

The English team lias arrived at Adelaide, and the first match commences on Friday next, against South Australia. The present tour of the M.O.C. has created more interest than | any previous tour, and a great fight is likely to be put up for the "ashes." | Tlio general verdict at Home is that the present- team is the strongest that has left English shores. But Australian cricket has improved of late years, and the Australian opinion is that it will be nothing less than a miracle if the Englishmen "recover the ashes." Warner would certainly have something to write about this time if suclv an event happened. A great deal of interest is being taken locally in the tour, and the results of the matches in the newspapers will be anxiously waited for. Arrangements lyave been made for the publication of the full reports of the matches in the Wairarapa Age. This news will, no doubt, be hailed with great pleasure hv followers of international cricket. ' The committee of the New Zealand Cricket Council has been in communication with the Tasmanian Association in reference to a visit to the Dominion this season of a Tasmanian team. A reply has been received stating that that association is unable to send a team. Owing to the visit of the English team to Australia, it is also improbable that any other State would be able to tour the Dominion this season, as suggested by the Canterbury Association,. . j The Lancashire County Cricket Committee asked the Marylebone club to endeavour to secure the exemption of cricket clubs from the compulsory insurance of players under the Insura nee Bill. , , » A matter of interest to Wairarapa came up at the last meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council, when Mr G. Francis moved, and Mr G. T. Weston seconded; that the rules of uhe Lord Hawke Challenge Cup should bo amended next;year in the direction of making the competition, open to second grade associations, and of holding a tournament arranged by the New : Zealand Cricket Association, at which the winners should be decided, the cup to be held by the winners for one year. ( Mr. H. B. Lusk opposed the motion, on the grounds' that the smaller associations were not in a strong enough financial position to undertake the necessary travelling. {Mr R. Vincent asked that consideration of the motion should be postponed.' Otherwise, he said, he was instructed to oppose .the motion. Mr S. Orchard made a similar request, and said that his instructions were also to oppose the motion if it was put to the meeting. He moved, and Mr Lusk seconded, as an amendment, that consideration should be postponed for six months. Mr I). Reese spoke in support of the view taken by Mr Lusk. Mr F, H. Labatt suggested that the Hawke Cup .should be allotted to either the North or South Island, and that a similar trophy should be provided for the other Island. The amendment was carried.