Cricket 1905

20 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. F eb . 23 1905. Warren, A. R. 8 for 69, Derb yshire v. Notts, at Welbeck (1st inns.) 7 for 43, Derbyshire v. Notts, at Welbeck (2nd inns ) Wilson, Q. A. 9 for 75, Worcestershire v. Oxford University, at Oxford. Notb.—No player succeeded in obtaining all ten wicke'.8 in an innings, but nine were taken by Blythe (C.)* B. J. T. Bosanquet, Hallows (J.), Huggins (J. H.), Smith (W . C.)« and Wilson (G .A.). (To be eonninued.) TH E COM ING AU S T R A L IAN TEAM . With reference to statements as to the relations of the players to the Associa­ tions, M. A. Noble, one of the official selectors, of the team, made the follow­ ing statement before leaving Australia for New Zealand :—“ I want to remove any feeling that may have been caused by recent criticism that the leading cricketers in Australia were antagonistic to the associations. The players never had any other idea of the action of the associations than that they were acting in the interest of cricket. We have never suspected that there was any ulterior motive in the offer of financial assistance, and we are sure that when the New South Wales Cricket Association offered, in conjunction with the Victorian and South Australian Associations, to finance the team it was not with the object of forcing the money on the players, but merely to let us know that if assistance in that direction were required it would be forthcoming. I am sure the New South Wales Cricket Association did not want to appoint a manager, and perhaps it would have been better had the players in the first instance advised the associations of the appointment. We have never had any intention of going against the selectors appointed by tiie associations. Personally, I am an execu­ tive officer of the New South Wales Cricket Association, and am responsible to that body. There has been no friction. We did not know what the associations intended to do, and so, perhaps, there may have been some misunderstanding The team will be picked by the official selt ctors. It will then ratify the appoint­ ment of the manager, and that appoint­ ment can then be adopted by the three associations. The question of the financing of the tour by the associations has never been raised by the players. The probabilities are we shall not require financial assistance. Of course we nave privileges which must not be interfered with, but as for quarelling with the associations nothing has been further from our ideas. If the associations aud other responsible bodies, such as the Melbourne Cricket Club and Sydney Cricket Ground trustees, care to quarrel, we, as players, have nothing to do with it. So long as the best men go to England we do not care under whose control the team goes. The Marylebone Cricket Club has recognised the associa­ tions, so why should not we, so long as our rights and privileges are not interfered with ? ” Speaking on the same subject, Darling laid to an interviewer “ It is a matter for the players, and I don’t see that it concerns the associations at all. The English trip is a financial speculation on the part of the players, who entrust the manager with their business, and hold him responsible for all accounts. If they lose money on the trip the associations will not recoup them. The players have just as much right to appoint their own manager as I have to appoint a manager of my business, and the associations have no right to interfere.” On the question of the appointment of umpires for the test matches, the Sydney Mail says :— It may be remembered that the appointment of umpires for the fourth test match last season caused a good deal of discussion between P. F. Warner and the New South Wales Cricket Association. The former wanted the right of appoint­ ment to rest with the captains, and the association finally accepted a statement in writing from Mr. Murdoch, the assistant secretary of the Marylebone C.C., who was also assistant secretary of the M.C.C. team, that in test matches in England the captains had the right to object to names as they came out of the hat until they got the officials that were wanted. The association, however, wrote to Mr. F. E. Lacey, the secretary of the Marylebone Club, and Mr. P. K. Bow­ den, the secretary of the N.S.W. Cricket Association, has just received the folljw - ing reply: — Lord’s Cricket Ground, November 16. Dear Sir,—1 beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of October 11, and to inform you that your letter of March 1 and my reply thereto, dated April 9, were placed before my committee on April 22. My letter of April 9 was approved, hut no order was made. Th» practice followed in appointing umpires for test matches when last Australia visited England will probably he followed in 1905, and it is hoped that umpires will be appointed on the same lines when an English side visits Australia. My committee expresses regret that a misunderstanding arose. They will no doubt take steps to prevent any such misunderstanding in the future. The letter fully supports the associa­ tion in tbe stand it t ok up at the time. The practice referred to as prevailing in test matches in England is that the Marylebone Club submits a number of names to the two captains, who have the power each to veto two, and the next two drawn from the hat are the two to act. This was the course followed in the first match against Victoria, though Warner then wanted to have the right of nominating one. A U S T R A L IA N BOWLERS It is now quite clear that Australian cricketers are dissatisfied with the bowl­ ing strength of the coming team, and one cannot take up an Australian news­ paper without finding adverse criticisms. Here are a few comments:— Without Trumble and Saunders Australia must be weak in bowling, even if two or three others were taken, but England is not nearly so strong in that respect as she was years ago, and I am not with those who declare that the Australians have no chance of winnin the rubber of test matches. I certainly, however, think that this will be, beyond question, the weakest bowling team that Australia has ever sent to England.— “ Mid-on ” in the Melbourne Leader. If this team succeed in beating the pick of England on English wickets they will need the assistance of no end of good luck, or some of the bowlers will need to develop qualities they have never disclosed on Australian wickets. Noble is easily the greatest bowler on the side, but he is not the sort of bowler to stand the wear and tear work of a lengthy tour, and at the same time to go through the labour of getting runs as consistently as he is accustomed to get them. Cotter, Hopkins, and Armstrong are the only men likely to stand the regular work of bowling in two matches a week, and though Cotter is likely to improve and become a great fast bowler, not one of them is at present by any means a great bowler.. . .The absence of variety in the bowling is extraordinary. English writers may tell us of the subtle variations in pace and flight and break of W. P. Howell and of others. But there is a good deal of fiction in it. Noble is the best bowler in Australia, and Hopkins, though not so reli­ able, is also flighty and swervy, but, apart from Cotter’s great pace, is there any deadly quality or triokiness in the bowling of the other men chosen? .,.. Public opinion in Sydney smiles at the idea of the Australian team as chosen embracing the 14 best cricketers in Australia.—“ Not Out ” in the Sydney Referee. I am not so gratified with the inclusion of Cotter, for his bowling on the Melbourne ground was, without doubt, some of the poorest, tear-away fast bowling I have ever seen. Still, it may have been an off-day with him—very off. At all events, the reports state that he kept a good length in Sydney against South Australia, and it may be that a few matches in England will enable him to acquire a length something like that of the grand old express, E. Jones............................ As a bowler, Howell has proved his worth many a time and oft, for his length is always good; and, though he does not now nip off the pitch as of yore, it may he that his inj ured leg has had something to do with this. You know as well as I do that if you have an injured leg you cannot let yourself go, and so the good quality of the bowling is at once affected. I am told that Howell’s leg was massaged for two hours each night during the recent interstate match against Victoria, and if that be so for one match, how will it he for a big and arduous tour lasting for months in England ? .........................Noble has a leg, too ; but, according to all accounts, it c-in’t hold a candle to Howell’s for bandages, &c..............................The team is beyond doubt a good team—very strong in batting if all the men be in form; but as to bowling, I am afraid that they will miss Trumble long before the tour is over. I wish them every success. —“ Felix” in the Australatian. It is when the bowling is considered that the doubts arise. Including Laver there are only eight men who have pretensions to bowl with any skill—Noble, Cotter, Hopkins, Armstrong, McLeod, Howell, Laver, and Trumper. Of this lot only Noble and Cotter can be regarded as of the match-winning calibre. The others can keep an end going with a good length and get their quota of victims, but they are not likely to go through a side like Cotter did, for instance, with South Australia .—Adelaide Observe 1 . R ICdAUL) DiFT’B NIttingtiamaturo M»rl.” Particular. apply, R.Jeiitfe un-Trent, Notts. [ A dvt .