Cricket 1902

84 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r i l 24, 1902. nearly all the best players of the colony to-day have never had a chance of playing against English teams, and it appears that Ihey never will have a chance unless com­ munications are opened up direct with some prominent cricketers in the old country with a view of taking out an eleven. It may be pointed out that since 1887-8—when an Eng­ lish team was last seen in New Zealand—no less than eight elevens (including a team of Irish gentlemen) have left England for America, whilst four have toured South Africa, two India, and several the West Indies. This clearly shows that cricketing tours are popular with Englishmen. The Evening Tost (Wellington) makes some very interesting remarks on the possibility of an English team being seen in New Zealand after the conclusion of the present season. “ There are two great obstacles in the way of bringing off a trip to New Zealand, says the Tost. “ The first is the long sea voyage, and consequent difficulty of the men giving up the necessary time; and the other is the financial aspect of the question. It would not be necessary to bring out a too powerful eleven, but at the same time one should be brought from which the Maorilanders would learn something. A team of the calibre of Warner’s American team of 1898 would about fit the bill. There are undoubtedly in England a number of prominent amateurs with plenty of time on their hands who would be able to make the trip, and it is to them that New Zealanders would have to look to bring about such an event. Probably twelve men, with a manager, who would be able to play a little, if required, would be enough to form the team, and there might be included in these a couple of reliable professional bowlers. Roughly speaking, matches could be arranged at the four large centres, and at Invercargill, Timaru and Napier, with a game against New Zealand at Wellington or Christchurch. The programme could easily be enlarged by including matches at Oamaru, Nelson, Wanganui, and Hawera. A trip like this would occupy about four months and a-half or five months. The New South Wales footballers who went round New Zealand last winter, played seven matches, and the gate money resulted as follows:— W ellington ............... Southland ............... Dunedin .............. Christchurch............... N .Z. at Wellington ... "Wanganui ............... Auckland ............... £245 91 569 93 362 84 370 T o t a l......................... . £1514 Granted that football is the popular game in this colony, these figures should be at least equalled for a three days’ match at each of these places, and at Christchurch would certainly be exceeded, and then there would be the additional matches to help swell the total. Moreover, the New Zealand Council should induce the different associations to hand over to it the whole of the takings less actual disbursements, and say ten per cent for entertaining the visitors. The New Zealand Council would, of course, apply this money as far as possible towards the expenses of the team. None of the associations should endeavour to make any profit out of the undertaking, but each should do all in its power to make the affair a success. As the Home steamers touch at Hobart on the way out, the co-operation of the cricketers of Tasmania might be invited, and a few matches could be played there. It is not pretended that the gate money would be sufficient to pay all the expenses of the trip, but aeeing that such a length of tipao has elapsed since the last visit they would be practically breaking fresh ground, some of the leading amateurs of the old country may be prepared to make up the balance of their expenses. They have probably done this before, for instance those trips to India would hardly pay expenses. The two professionals could be offered, say, £100 a-piece and their expenses. If such a team came to New Zealand they would be most heartily welcomed, and would find—at any rate at the four large centres and at Napier—turf wickets perhaps equal to the average English first-class county wickets; again, the climate would be most congenial to them. No harm could possibly result in ascertaining the views of some of the leading English amateurs as to a trip to New Zealand. And with this end in view we should like to see the Wellington Association instruct its delegates to bring the matter before the next meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council. The probable takings and expenditure could be more fully gone into by that body. For the sake of the rising young cricketers, who would be most willing to improve themselves if they were given the opportunity of playing more often against men superior to themselves, we trust something of this sort will be done. There are bound to be a lot of New Zealanders in Fngland at the King’s coronation, and no doubt some of them would be willins: to open up negotiations on behalf of the New Zealand Cricket Council.” If a prominent English amateur, with experience of touring abroad—Lord Hawke for choice—could be persuaded to take out a team, there can be no doubt that cricket in New Zealand would benefit greatly. In the best interests of cricket of that far-away and most loyal colony, it is to be hoped that such a visit will soon be found to come within the scope of practical politics. During our non-cricket season of 1901-2, many correspondents, in all parts of the world have been kind enough to favour me with communications on matters cricketical. (The last word has the sanction of Miss Mit- ford, and may, therefore, be accepted. Com­ pilers of dictionaries kindly note). The majority of the communications requested information about the history of the game, and these, with but three exceptions, I have already responded to. A gentleman in Brighton wishes to know when Mr. Benjamin Aislabie was appointed hon. seeretary to the M.C.C. Authorities differ on the point. Scores and Biographies (vol. v., p. xiii.) gives the date 1826 whilst Mr. Philip Norman, in his most interesting “ Annals of the West Kent Club,” says he was “ hon. secretary of the Marylebone Club from 1822 till his death, June 2nd, 1842.” BelVs Life of June 19th, 1842, makes confusion worse confounded by remarking, “ The members of the Marylebone Club have written a letter of condolence to the widow of- the late Benjamin Aislabie, Esq., their honorary secretary for above thirty years.” According to this, Aislabie was hon. secretary as early as 1812, when he would have been thirty-eight years of age. We thus have three dates given as the year in which he commenced his duties. If any reader can furnish information which will tend to clear up the point I shall be grateful. The second letter which has remained unanswered was far from being as interesting as the one just referred to, and shows that some people are wise and some otherwise. “ Sir,” runs the message, “ Seeing that you are contributing to a History of Surrey Cricket, I hope you will kindly find space to give details of all instances of the hat-trick being performed in minor cricket in Surrey since the earliest times.” A similar request was made a few years ago, I believe. I shall at all times be willing to give any information in my power about the history of the game, but correspondents, before writing, should know whether the questions they propound are capable of being answered. The third, and last, matter to be dealt with here refers to the feat in South Africa of A. B. Tancred in scoring two separate hundreds in a match. The full score is appended, as it will probably interest many besides the gentleman who asked for the details. In Barea Park, Pretoria, February 6 and 13, March 6 and 13, 1897. U nion C.C. Second innings, c Meadway,b Sec- cull ...................116 First innings. W . Brockwell, c Meadway, b Van Leenhof...................85 Niemeyer. c Henshall, b MacArthur........................... 0 not out....................17 J. Wallach. run out ...........10 c Cloete, b Seccull 0 Korsten, b V. M. Tancred 50 b Seccull .............19 B. Wallach, c Meadway, b c MacArthur, b Seccull... Seccull G. Bourke, c Henshall, b c sub, b Van ... 62 Seccull... Frames, c Van Leenhof, b Seccull.......................... Marais, b Van Leenhof Pinnock, b Van Leenhof ... 1 b Seccull Hafner, c V . M. Tancred, b Seccull.................................. Kotze, not out ................... L een h of........... 1 (W ebb), c Mead- .. 2 way, b Seccull 15 0 (Botha), b Seccull 0 ............... 2 16 c and b Seccull ... 2 0 c Soutter, b Sec­ cull ................... 5 B 16, lb 1 ... ........... 17 Extras.. . ... 15 Total ...........181 Total .. 264 Runs. Wkts. Runs. Wkts. Reccull ........... 76 ... 4 .................. 102 ... 8 MacArthur ... 54 .. 1 .................. 34 ... 1 V. M. Tancred 9 ,.. 1 .................. 23 ... 0 Van Leenhof... 10 .... 3 .................. 59 ... 1 A. B. Tancred 15 ... 0 .................. 21 ... 0 E clkctio C.C. First innings. Second innings. A. B. Tancred, h Brockwell 132 not out.................. 103 W . A. Tindall, b Brockwell 2 c Kotz6, b Brock- ■well................... 3 Meadway, b Brockwell ... 0 A. W . Seccull, b Kotz£ ... 17 not out...................23 V.M.Tancred, cB . Wallach, b Brockwell ...................30 cWebb,bKorsten ICO Van Leenhof, c Kotze, b H afn er.............................25 Cloete, b Brockwell .......14 MacArthur, absent ......... 0 Jeppe, b B. W alla ch......... 8 Soutter, b B. Wallach ... 1 Henshall, not out ......... 0 Extras...................... 16 Extras.....21 Brockwell Kotztf Hafner .. B. Wallach Niemeyer Marais ... Frames ... Total...........245 Runs. Wkts. 85 49 29 10 33 6 17 5 . 1 ......... 1 ....... . 2 ....... , 0 ......... . 0 ......... . 0 ......... Korsten.- Pinnock .. Total ...250 Buns. Wkts. 43 10 5 22 15 The Eclectic C.C. won by eight wickets. When the Eclectic C.C. had made the necessarynumber of runs, A. B. Tancred had made 66 , but the game was continued so that he might have a chance of making his second hundred in the match. In the first innings the brothers Tancred added 103 runs for the fourth wicket, and in the second innings 176 for the second. A. B. Tancred, in his first innings, gave a chance when 115. In the second innings of the Union C.C., Brockwell and B. Wallach added 139 runsfor the fifth wicket. On March 6 th, the Union score was at one time increased by 100 in 40 minutes. Thiswas Brockwell’s last match in Pretoria. He had made 1,100 runs in important cricket during his stay of four months in the Transvaal capital. The above match was not given, or even mentioned, in any of the English newspapers. It was obtained by the writer from the Transvaal Advertiser.