Cricket 1906

M at 3, 1906. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 99 ra NDEST IY iad £. the Cl COMPLETE S P O R T S CATALOGUE ON APPLICATION. B U S S E Y ’s c T ass COMPLETE SPORTS <cco«- m v a a d RTSCATALOGUEONAPPLICATION! BUSSEY’S CATALOGUEQ«APfUCATIMI.r FOOTBALLS HPROVEOWAKE -KEEPTHEIRSHAPE-LASTLONCER B U S S E Y S f n \tX 1 ' S T I C K S * - _ H I C H C R A D E x A V catalogue ON APPLICATION. w GEO. G. BDSSEY & CO, 36 & 38, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET , L O N D O N . M anufactory—PECKHAM, S.E. TIMBER MILLS— E LM S W E L L , S U F F O L K . AGENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD AT THE SIGN OF THE W ICKET. By F. S. A s h l e y -C o o p e r . The defeats experienced by the Australian team last year, coupled with the statements which repeatedly reached England to the effect that there were men not chosen who would have proved of greater value to the side than some who were selected, caused the Australian season of 1905-6 to be followed with interest by all followers of the game in this country. In glancing through the scores of the great matches played, the wonderful strength of New South Wales cricket at the present time cannot fail to impress itself upon one’s mind. The State twice beat Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland, two of their victories being by more than an innings and 250 runs, and met South Australia at Adelaide, and Queensland at Sydney simul­ taneously. Their only defeat of the season was in the match against the Australian XI. of 1905, but, bearing in mind that they suc­ cumbed by only 79 runs after being set 551 to win—their total of 472 is the largest ever made in the second innings of a first-class match in Australia—and that they had to allow their opponents some of their best men in Trumper, Duff, Noble, Cotter, Kelly and Howell, it must readily be admittedthat their display was a most meritorious one. How powerful the side is at the present time can easily be judged from the fact that E. L. Waddy had to be left out of the game with Victoria, at Sydney, although he played two splendid innings against the Australian XT., scoring 60 and 74. Before proceeding further, it will, perhaps, be best to summarise the results of the mo3t important matches played in Australia during 1905-6 :— Match. Ground. Won by Margin. Aust. XI. of 1905 (226 and 465) v. N.S.W. (140 and 472) .. Sydney... . Aust. XI. ... 79 runs N.S.W. (691) v. Q. (132 and 298) ...................................... ... Brisbane . .N.S.W ... ... Inns, and 261 N.S.W. (556) v. S.A. (359 and 115)...................................... .. Adelaide . N.S.W. ... ... Inns, and 82 N.S.W. (208 and 138 for 6) v. Q. (192 and 151)................. .. Sydney... . . N.S.W. .. ... Four wkts. N.S.W. (805) v. V. (367 and 185) ...................................... .. Melbourne . . N.S.W. ... ... Inns, and 253 N.S.W. (209 and 177 for 1) v. S.A. (257 and 188) ......... .. Sydney... . . N.S.W. ... ... Nine wkts. N.S.W. (140 and 472) v. Aust. XI. of 1905 (226 and 465) .. Sydney... . . Aust. XI. ... 79 runs N.S.W. (263 and 391) v. Y. (215 and 297) ........................ .. Sydney ... . . N.S.W. .. ... 145 runs Q. (132 and 298) v.- N.S.W. (691) ...................................... .. Brisbane . N.S.W. ... ... Inns, and 261 Q. (192 and 151) v. N.S.W. (208 and 138 for 6 )................ Sydney... . . N.S.W. ... ... Four wkts. Q. (145 and 145) v. V (162 and 306) ............................... .. Brisbane . V.............. ... 178 runs S.A. (244 and 134) v. V. (526)............................................. ... Adelaide . V ......... ... Inns, and 148 S.A. (359 and 115) v. N.S.W. (556)...................................... ... Adelaide . N.S.W. .. ... Inns, and 82 S.A. (181 and 378) v. V. (183 and 256)............................... ... Melbourne . . S.A. ... 120 runs S.A. (257 and 188) v. N.S.W. (269 and 177 for 1) .......... Sydney... . . N.S.W. .. ... Nine wkts. S.A. (54 and 230) v. W A. (198 and 185) ........................ ... Perth ... . . W.A. ... ... 103 runs S A. (235 and 259 for 4, i.e.) v. W.A. (202 and 242 for 5)... ... Fremantle . Unfinished V. (526) v. S.A. (244 and 134)............................................. .. Adelaide V.............. ... Inns, and 148 V. (367 and 185) v. N.S.W. (805) ............................... ... ... Melbourne . . N.S.W. ... ... Inns, and 253 V. (183 and 256) v. S.A. (181 and 378)............................... .. Melbourne . . S.A. ... 120 runs V. (215 and 297) v. N.S.W. (263 and 394) ........................ ... Sydney... . . N.S.W. ... ... 145 runs V. (162 and 306) v. Q. (145 and 145) ... ........................ .. Brisbane V ............. ... 178 runs W.A. (198 and 18ft v. S.A. (54 and 230) ........................ .. Perth ........ W.A. ... ... 103 runs W.A. (202 and 212 for 5) v. S.A. (235 and 259 for 4, i.e.)... .. Fremantle .. Unfinished The match between N.S.W. and the Australian XI. was played for the benefit of J. J. Kelly. Beyond everything else, the season was note­ worthy for the succession of huge scores which came from the bat of James Rainey Munro Mackay, whose triumphs were, indeed, little less than phenomenal. For some years he had been everywhere recognised as a bats­ man of almpst infinite possibilities, but his advance during 1905*6 was more marked than anybody could have foreseen. Although he has been one of the most prolific run-getters in club cricket in New South Wales for almost a decade, he is still a comparatively young man—he was born on September 9th, 1880—and so will, in all probability, be a member of the next three or four teams which visit us. His style is one which appeals to the crowd, being easy but vigorous, so his doings in this country will naturally be looked forward to with very great interest. In John A. O’Connor and George Leonard Garnsey New SouthWales also possesses the two lead­ ing Australian bowlers, neither of whom has yet been seen over here. Each, curiously enough, bats left and bowls right, breaking in from leg, but, whilst the former is a defensive, and somewhat inferior, batsman, Garnsey can hit well to leg and drive with considerable power; the latter, indeed, who is, by the way, a keen cricket bibliophile, gives promise of developing into an all-round player “ of the first rank, though not the first of that rank,” as Nyren wrote of Francis Booker. Of the two, O’Connor is the faster bowler. All three of the players named— Mackay, O’Connor, and Garnsey—belong to the Burwood Club, though prior to 19U3-4 O’Connor was associated with Glebe. As it is probable that at least two of the three will be seen in England in 1908, a summary of their performances in important matches during the recent Australian season should prove of interest:— Match. Madkay’s Scores. Garnsey’s Analyses. O’Connor’s Analyses. N.S.W. v. Q., at Brisbane........................ N.S.W. v. S.A., at Adelaide ................. N.S.W. v. V., at Melbourne ................. N.S.W. v. S.A., at Sydney........................ N.S.W. v. Aust. XI., at Sydney .......... N.S.W. v. V., at Sydney ........................ 203 90 194 105 and 102* 4 and 136 18 and 50 6 for 77 and 5 for 95 2 for 56 and 6 for 48 3 for 78 and 2 for 51 4 for 70 and 2 for 46 0 for 33 and 1 for 77 1 for 40 and 4 for 101 4 for 51 and 2 for 69 1 for 67 and 2 for 32 1 for 57 and 2 for 28 2 for 25 and 2 for 35 6 for 50 and 5 for 138 3 for 57 and 1 for 61 Mackay, it will be found from the above, had nine innings, was once not out, and, with 203 as his highest effort, scored 902 runs, with an average of 112-75, whilst Garnsey obtained 36 wickets for 772 runs (aver. 21 '44) and O’ Connor 31 for 673 (aver. 21 70). With Cotter to assist the two last-named, there was little occasion for Noble’s bowling, espe­ cially as yet another useful trundler (left- handed, and remarkably accurate) in C. G. Macartney, who is also a magnificent field at mid-off, was drafted into the State Eleven. Noble, therefore, was able to devote practi­ cally all his attention to batting, with the