Cricket 1903

194 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J u n e 11, 1903. the populous part of Christchurch, would appear to be the idfal ground. It has a fine pavilion and grand stand, with a bicycle track as well as tennis grounds and swimming baths. The reserve at Auckland, as already stated, is a charm­ ing ground situate under the hills, with natural seating, which renders a pavilion almost unnecessary. At Wellington there is a comfortable pavilion with grand stand, as also at Dunedin. So far, Christchurch alone has adopted the modernised scoring board, though even there the score is not as yet registered by singles, but only by 10’s. With regard to the future of cricket in New Zealand Mr. Reese is very hopeful. “ What we want there, above all things,” he emphasized, “ is visits of good cricket teams, and what is of equal, if not more importance, systematic training from capable coaches. New Zealand, you must remember, is only five days from Sydney, so that we ought to be able to count on the periodical appearances of strong teams from Australia at all events. The experiences of the recent English tour was sufficient to show that there is in all parts the real cricket feeling latent. Everywhere the attendances were good, and, indeed, the Otago and Canterbury Associations did so well financially that each hopes to be able to engage a good cricketer, one who will not only coach the young players, but will play with the team.” “ Lawton, who, I think,” added Mr.Reese, “ camefrom Warwickshire, did a lot of good as a coach at Otago some ten years a g o; but his services had to be dispensed with owing to lack of funds. What the possibilities are with a really capable instructor was shown in the case of the boys at Christ College. Charles Bannerman, the great batsman of the first Australian team of 1878, in the first year he was engaged there, brought the school team on so well that they won the third-class championship.” A comparison of theNew Zealand cricket of twenty years ago. and to- day in Mr. Reese’s opinion would hardly show any mateiial development. “ On the other hand it should be remembered,” be added, “ that amongst the early emigrants to New Zea'and were a large number of good cricketers from English public schools representing a backbone of expert cricket. Were there the s .me examples to-dav there would be no fear for the New Zealand cricket of the future.” There is no lack of incentive either on the side of the public or on the part of individual patrons, according to Mr. Reese. Good cricket would be well sup­ ported everywhere. At Christchurch an attendance of six or seven thousand was the rule in the matches with Mr. Warner’s team, which is not bad for a population of some 50,000. Mr. R?ese is himself without a doubt the best all round cricke­ ter in New Zealand at the present time. He speiks highly of many others, among them of Tucker, of Wellington, a fine bat and slow bowler, Frankish, of Christchurch, a good left-hand bat and fast bowler, Callaway, the old New South Wales cricketer, still a fine all-round player, Sims, of Christchurch, a steady and finished bat, and one of the very best in the Colony ; while Hay, of Auck­ land, and Mahoney, of Wellington, are both good batsmen. Of wicket-keepers, there are two distinctly (rood in Boxshall, of Christchurch, and Williams, of Wel­ lington. Mention has already been made of Fisher and Downes, of Dunedin. The former, though now on the wane, bowled so well against all teams five or six years ago, that the Australian selectors took him to practice in Melbourne with a view to playing him against Mr. Stoddart’s team in 1897. They did not select him after all, as on the hard wickets he was lacking in resource, with only his natural delivery to assist him. Downes, a medium to flow, with an off-break, has for the last ten years been about the best bowler in the Colony. The duration of the season, Mr. Reese pointed out, is from October to March. It is marked as a rule by good weather, except in Dunedin, where there is a lot of wet, particularly in the early part. “ Cricket has no lack of keen supporters, too,” Mr. Reese added. “ Albert Trott’s engagement at Hawke’s B iy the last two winters was due to one of them, and all over the Colony there is a sprinkling of good sportsmen.” Among the chief schools he names Christ College and High School in Christchurch, Wellington College and St. Patrick’s College in Wellington, the Auckland Grammar School and St. John’s College in Auckland, and Dunedin High School, Wanganui College and Nelson College. These all go in for the higher education, so that the students stay till they are eighteen or nineteen. All these schools have grounds, but are entirely dependent on masters for their cricket tuition. The Inter-School matches produce a great deal of excite­ ment, and are keenly contested. “ Though ranking after the four leading cricket centres in the ciicket world,” Mr. Reese added, “ Napier and Wanganui have fine grounds—with New Plymouth, Howera and Timaru next in order of merit— that at Napier providing a wicket as good as any in the Colony. Nearly all the other places have cocoanut matting for the wickets.” “ Let me assure you,” Mr. Reese emphasized by way of a general summing up, “ New Zealanders are very keen about cricket, as a rule, and there is plenty of good mateiiil to hand. All that is wanting is a reasonable oppor­ tunity for its development.” MARLBOROUGH BLUE3 y . T2DDINGTON.— Played at Teddington on May 30th. MASLnoaouoH B lubs . E. L. Hilleary,c Chat- | H. J. Page, not out... 67 field, b Simmons .. 47 L.N. Rogers, not out 32 F. W. Bellamy,e Chat- Extras ........44 field, b Holditch ... 4 — Total (2 wkts)* 191 * Ioniags declared closed. T kddingtow . P. W . Simmons, c L.E.King Stevens, not Foster, b M. 8. out .......................... 0 Rogers ................. 2 H. King Stevens, c & H. h . Hargreaves, c b Black Thring, b black ... 26 L. H. Holditch, c Hil- leiry, b M. S. Rogers 2 K. Chatfteld, c Foster, b M. 8. Rogers ... 1 Total (5 wkts) 31 HONOR OAK (2) v. TOWNLEY PARK (2).— Played at North Dulwich on May 30. T o w n lk y P a rk (2). J. 0. Witherby, Adamson.................17 G. Howell, c Fry, b Adamson.................67 P. W. Hoe, b A. Cut- b u sh ........................24 E. G. Gayfer, b Adam­ son ........................ 16 C. Broadhurst, lbw, b Adamson................. 0 A. S. Hoe, c Bennett, b Adamson ............. 27 H onor O ak . H. O. Rohson.bWorth 0 E. Wooley,b Adamson 1 C. Lupson,b Adamson 14 G. Lupson, st Wood- roofe, b A. Cutbush 6 J. Hodgson, not out... 0 B 12, lb 6, w 1 ... 19 Total ..191 T. J. Gracey, b Hodg­ son ........................ 25 R. R. Crump, b Hodg­ son ........................ 0 E. Holford, not out ... 62 D. T. Bennett, b C. Lupson ................. 9 W.Woodroofe.not out 4 B 19, lb 3, w 2 ... 21 Total (3 wkts) 129 HONOR OAK (2) v. DIXON HOUSE.-Played at North Kensington on June 1. D ixon H ou se . First innings. Seoond innings. H. Wagstaff, c Addmson, b Fry .............................. 1b Adamson...........17 C. R. Selfe, b Adamson ... 3 lbw, b F r y ............ 4 R. J. Selfe, b Fry................ 0 G. Udal, lbw, b Adamson... 1 b Park...............26 P. Martin, b F ry..............12 not out............... 29 J. Franklin, c A. Dickason, b Fry .............................. 6 not oat............... 14 R. P. Franklin, c Gracey, b Adamson ....................... I E. K. Kirkman, b Fry ... 2 A. J. Willatts, b F ry........ 0 Rowley, not o u t ................ 4 Drake, d Adamson ......... 3 b Adamson........... 0 Byes ....................... 8 Byes ............... 6 Total T. T. Gracey, run out 46 C. D. Hayes, run out 6 R.R.Crump, b Drake 16 W. Woodroofe, c Wil­ latts, b Drake........ 32 F. Tobitt, c R. Frank­ lin, b Kirkman ... 6 F. G. Cutbush,c Wag­ staff, b Drake........ 0 W. Fitch, st WagstafT, b Drake ................. 5 .................41 Total (4 wkts) 94 H onor O ak (2). F. Fry, not out ......... G. Park, b Drake H. W. Adamson, b J. Franklin................. A. Dickason, c and b Martin ................. B 6, lb 1, nb 1 ... Total .......... WINCHESTER HOUSE v. LONDON & COUNTY BANK (2).—Played at Townley Road on May 83. W in ch e s te r H ou se. Sterling, b Batson ... 48 Evans, c Smith, b Ro­ binson ................. 4 Nichol. b Smith .......... 11 Loveridge, b Roberts . 9 Theobald, c Boorne, b Roberts .................11 Pethybridge.cSpalding, b Roberts................. 9 Ellis, c and b Marsh .. 2 Pocock. c Marsh, b Roberts ................. Hodges, c Robinson, b M arsh................. So’ly, c Robinson, b Roberts ................. Dickinson, not out ... Extras .......... Total 8 ..11, L ondon & C ounty B ank (2). G. Spalding, run out P. S. Roberts,b Lover­ idge ........................ 3 S. G. Marsh,b Sterling 32 E. F. Robinson, b Nichol .................13 W . Sutton, c Pocock, b Loveridge ..........26 J. E. W.Hunt.cPethy- bridge, b Steriag ... 0 H. W. Sinith.stPethy- bridge, b Sterling .. 0 R.J.Cramphorn.bEllis 16 J. Boorne, not out ... 4 E. J. Stiff, b Lover­ idge ......................... 4 W. G. Batson, notout 6 Extras................. 18 Total (9 wkts) 116 LONDON & COUNTY BANK v. LONDON & SOUTH WESTERN BANK. - Played at Norwood on May 26, 27 and 28. L. & 8. W. B. L. Lee, not o u t ...........107 E. J. Burlington, b Siggers ....................11 A. J. Holland, c Mist, b Siggers.................. 4 C. B. Wood, b Siggers 86 F. Goodall, not out ... 20 B 26, lb 2, w 1 ... 29 Total (3 wkts) *266 A. B. Manby, W . J. Way, 8. Baker, J. F. Nolan, F. R. Viveash and 8. Butler did not bat. * Innings declared closed. L. & C. B. J.A.Bienvenu.bManby 6 C.W .Goddard,cManby, b Butler .................13 P. F. Allen, b Manby 0 W. H.Siggers,c Baker, b Butler ................. 6 A.G.Stephens,cWood, b M anby................... 4 E. G. Livermore, b Manby .................. 0 R.M. Mist, c Goodall, b Manby................. E.G. Gayfer, b Manby C. R. Trowell.bManby P.W.Hubbard,not out S. G. Marsh, not out.. B 22, lb 6 .......... Total (9 wkts) 77