Cricket 1902

J u n e 19, 1902. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 215 A CHAT ABOUT R. A. DUFF. His consistent success against Mr. Maclaren’s combination in Australia last winter was more than sufficient to secure for Reginald Duff a warm place in the estimation of the cricket public here. If he had done little else, the grit he showed in the first test match would have appealed forcibly to everyone who appreciates—and who does not ? - real pluck and nerve at a crisis. The story of the lirst appearance he made for Aus­ tralia will indeed well bear repetition. Two useful innings for New South Wales v. Victoria, at Melbourne, at the end of December last had brought him at the moment into special prominence. The comparative ill success of the Australian E !even,comprisedentirely of players who bad visited England in 1899, which opposed Mr. Mac­ laren’s team in the first test match, suggested to the Australian Selection Committee the advis­ ability of a redistribution in some way. On the strength of his recent performance for New SouthWales the selectors, with a prescience that did them credit, deter­ mined to give Duff a place in the next Test Match. To bis selection the cricket critics gener­ ally took serious excep­ tion. The Melbourne crowd, too, gave forcible expression to their dis­ approval by “ barrack­ ing ” him not only on his way to, but for some time after, he had reached the wicket. This recep­ tion of itself might have unnerved even an ex­ perienced cricketer. A young player on his trial in iutercolonial cricket might well have been excused if he had failed under such disadvan­ tages. As it was, Duff silenced his detractors effectively and in a manner worthy of the character Australian cricketers have always borne for dogged resolution under diffi­ culties. His answer to those who took exception to hisappearancewasa record in the shape of a double first. He made the top score in each innings, which is so far without a parallel in a test match. More than that, his second innings of 104 is the only instance so far of a bats­ man making a hundred in his first test match. His second score too was of the higher order of merit from the fact that, when he went in, Trumper, Noble and Gregory had all failed to score, and the game at the time was going altogether against his side. That the form he showed on this occasion was in no way incorrect was fully proved a little later in the fourth test match. Here again, Armstrong and he showed their capacity for playing an up-hill game, and once more Duff was the best scorer on the side with 39 and 51 not out. His failure for New South Wales was a curious contrast to his success for Australia. While singularly unsuccessful in inter-state contests as well as for New South Wales in its two games with the Englishmen, in test matches he could hardly do wrong. Indeed, in the five matches he played for Australia, he had with the one exception of Clem Hill, the highest average. His cricket prior to last season may be briefly dealt with. He had played for the North Sydney Club for some five years, making his debut in senior club cricket in 1896-97. Since that time he has made over a dozen hundreds for North Sydney, the best of them 227 not out some five winters ago. It was in this season that he won his place first in Inter- State oricket on the strength of a fine innings of 189 for the Fifteen against the Eleven of New South Wales. His earlier appearances in Inter-State cricket had not been a pronounced success, and indeed his first performance of any real note was against Victoria at Sydney early in 1900, when he played two excellent innings of 75 and 76. Still, even at that time he was regarded as a likely candidate f r the highest honours of Australian cricket. What he has done since his arrival in England will be known to everybody. So far he has not got fairly started, which may be said of the majority of batsmen, English as well as Australian. That this should be so is in no way a surprise, and considering how they must feel the cold and cheerless weather pre­ valent Bince they came, it is in a way a wonder that any of the Australians have got going with the bat at all. So far, Duff’s best innings here has been one of 49 against Notts. None the less he is a really sound and reliable batsman, and on any sort of wicket. Sturdy in build, if on the small side, he has plenty of strength. He is a batsman of infinite resource, with strong back play, and watching the ball carefully, has sound de­ fence, timing theball asarule verywell. He has shown himself to be invaluable when the grounds have favoured the bowlers, and a" he has proved frequently, has plenty of resource and nerve, no matter how badly the game may be going. Putting aside his batting, he is of great use in saving runs, being an excellent field. NEW ZEALAND . The meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council, in May, was one of the most im­ portant ever held by that body, saysthe Canterbury Times (New Zealand): “ There is every ground for thinking that the Cricket Council at this end will be able to make a definite proposal, such as will prove acceptable to Lord Hawke. In the meantime, the principal question for the council to decide is the probable cost of the tour, and how the money to meet the expense is to be raised. It is proposed that each association in the Colony should have a match, on the understanding that a guarantee is given to­ wards the expenses of the tour. At present it does not appear that there will be any difficulty about this. The advantages whichmust accrue to New Zealand cricket are so great that it is only reasonable to expect all the associations to fall readily into line over this matter. The advisability of arranging a few matches for the team in Australia was suggested at the meeting. Lord Hawke, in his letter to the Council, asks for some guide as to the strength of the team which he should bring. On this point Mr. Meares probably echoed the general opinion when he stated that we wished to see the best team Lord Hawke could get. This is rather an i nportant matter, as, if New Zealand cricket is to derive any benefit from the visit, it can only be accomplished by the team being composed of well known ex­ ponents of the game, who can show our own players something better than what they are accustomed to.” R. A. DOFF. (From a photo 6yfJt. Thiele & Co., Chancery Lane , London.)