Cricket 1906

50 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A pril 12, 1906. As it is fashionable nowadays for news­ papers to ask questions instead of answer­ ing them, it may be asked whether, despite the vast success which is claimed for the Minor Counties system of scoring points, the finances of all the minor counties are in a flourishing state. Whether the large sums of money which have been spent in recent years on the improvements of many grounds—in other words, on the improvements in the way of accommodation for the members— have brought any large increase in the attendance. Whether the cry that the public does not sufficiently support a county is not sometimes an admission that the expenses of carrying on the county club have grown out of all know­ ledge. Whether it would not be possible to run all county clubs on business lines. Also whether, if there is any truth in the theory that interest in first-class cricket is declining, the complaint which has been made in recent years that in Australia the public, after the visit of an English team, becomes indifferent to ordinary inter-state matches, is not applicable to England with its test matches almost every year. W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . SOME QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION. From the “ Sydney Mail .” The new rule in operation this season with regard to the counting of competition points in the first-grade is not quite an unmixed blessing. It may impart more interest to the cricket to find a side going out after a right-out victory, it may bring about more vigorous batting than we have been accus­ tomed to see, and thus afford more pleasure to the spectator- but will it improve the game ? The Englishmen showed us that the race is not always for the swift, that the plodder— the man who will not take risks, but has to be dug out—has the better chance of victory. The Australians, in the test matches, gave the more attractive batting displays, but honours remained with England. Time was when slogging became the rule in Sydney cricket, and to curb this trophies were offered to the men who remained longest at the wickets, not to those whose contributions headed the score list. This was, of course, going to the other extreme, and the effect was that a race of stonewallers made its appearance. How was it “ Bill” Howell secured his first place in a representative team? Simply as a pro­ test to the Alec Bannerman-Charlie Richard­ son style of batting. Howell was selected in a country match in Sydney for his bowling— long before this Warwick, when I was their captain, brought him down from Penrith to bowl for them. In the country match he failed with the ball, but he hit so vigorously for 50 odd that the selectors picked him for his batting. As a batsman he failed, but he did well as a bowler, when all others were being “ pasted.” To come back to the new system of scoring, the aim of every batsman should be to play the game, punish hard where opportunity presents itself, and exhibit sound defence when the bo .vler is dead on the spot. There is, however, one direction in which the new point system will undoubtedly do harm. I was chatting a few days ago to a keen follower of the royal and ancient game of golf, and he remarked that it was quite a pleasure to find that on his club’s links there was to be no competition on the following Saturday that members could go out and pass a pleasant afternoon, each trying to play his best game, yet with the knowledge that if he did make amistake it would not be fatal to his reputation. Now, there is a danger of cricket being over-legislated for. Competitions are all very well in their way, and it is not a bad idea to have a premiership ; but, after all, the play’s the thing, and not the points—get the play first, and let the points come along after­ wards. People, when they play cricket— well, they want to play cricket—they do not want to field while the other fellows have an innings, then sit in the pavilion yarning while the first three or four, sometimes two, of your side put up a long score, then close the innings and out into the field again. If this sort of thing goes on much longer, we will have the men sitting in the pavilion and —like one of the prominent members of the M.C.C. team in Australia—have recourse to the latest book, instead of even watching the play. I heard three or four of our keenest batsmen say the other Saturday that cricket was no game for them—they were about midway on the list, and there was a declara­ tion in view. The longer we can keep our men taking an active interest in the game, the better for the game, and the better for those who come after them. Let us take one case as an illuftration—Burwood Club. First round, Burwood declared the innings closed with three for 227, and won in one innings— six men did not have a strike. In the second round. Burwood lost one wicket for 358, and “ declared ” —eight men did not have a strike. In the third round, the present, Burwood have lost two for 151 against Chatswood 130. With another 100 on, and, perhaps, no more wickets down, the innings will be “ declared,” and seven will, therefore, not have had a strike. Presently, a month will have gone by, and more than half of the Burwood first eleven will not have had a hit in a match. What inducement is there for juniors to join the senior ranks ? I have heard any number of young players say, “ What is the good of playing senior cricket, you get a strike about six times a year.” Under our Saturday afternoon system that is unavoidable, but the new points scoring system, though it may favour the players on the all-round weak 9ide, will knock six or seven of the strong side completely out. FIRST-CLASS CRICKET IN AUSTRALIA . REVIEW OF THE SEASON 1905-6. By R e c o r d e r , in the Adelaide Observer. Several familiar figures have disappeared from the arena. Notable among them is that of J. J. Kelly, upon whose worthy shoulders the mantle of Blackham was laid. Sturdily and pluckily he fought many an uphill game for his State and couotry, and he has gone into retirement with an honour­ able name as one of the truest cricketers Australia ever saw. S. E. Gregory, after sixteen years of splendid work, will now watch the big matches from the pavilion, and others on the retired list are W. P. Howell, and C. E. McLeod. Happily there are young players as ready and fit to carry the standard of Australia as those of yore, and the doleful cry raised in pes­ simistic corners about the future is only the wailing of the carping ones, who live in an atmosphere of insularity. One sees new names standing alongside the old, and over­ shadowing them too. J. R. M. Mackay has blossomed out as one of the finest of bats­ men, and it needs only the crucible of inter­ national contests to prove him as fully entitled to rank with Murdoch, Hill, Trum­ per, Giffen, Noble, and the others. Noble is as wonderful as ever, and in Diamond and the Rev. E. F. Waddy New South Wales has a pair of sound run-getters. One of the best new men is C. G. Macart­ ney, whose all-round work at 19 years of age stamps him as quite out of the ordi­ nary run. Victoria has in Armstrong and McAlister two champions, and the latter has never been better than in the year now at an end. Young Ransford has had an off season, but Warne’s batting was of great service. Perhaps the best of the newer lot was Christian, a left-hander of the vigorous type. In South Australia the honours were taken by Gehrs and Claxton. The former did not enhance his reputation in England, but the experience gained on the trip has made him more valuable than ever to his State. Claxton’s batting in Victoria was the feature of the match there. C. Hill in the home matches performed capitally, and J. H. Pellew made rapid strides to the front. In C. E. Dolling the selectors found a first-class batsman, and though he was not devoid of senior club cricket experience he had the unique honour of stepping from the Prince Alfred College team into the State Eleven. Darling did not do too well, and he owes his position on the batting list to the scores he made for the Australian Eleven. Bowling has always been a subject for deep concern by those who have Australian cricket at heart. It is pleasing, therefore, to note fresh performers with the ball whose figures bespeak the results of their work. In what is practically his first season, J. A . O’Connor, of Sydney, has jumped to the head of the list. There is much merit in his bowling, andhis position has been fairly won. Cotter has improved wonderfully, and his presence in the Australian Eleven will be a great source of strength next season. G. L. Garnsey proved, with O’Connor, an admirable variety to the “ express,” and these three sustained the principal attack for New South Wales. Noble had not the same necessity as of old for doing very much with the ball. Armstrong and Saunders were the two most reliable men for Victoria, and though Collins gave somewhat .spasmodic help, there was really no one else. In A. Wright South Australia found a capital slow bowler, and without him she would have been badly off. Reedman cannot be expected to last much longer, while Travers and Claxton appear to have lost much of their deadliness.It is more than ever necessary that the South Australian Cricket Association should take definite action in the direction of securing either a good bowler or a competent coach. The matches played by Queensland are not included for the obvious reason that one team representing New South Wales which met that State did not contain one recognised member of the first eleven. R i c h a r d d a f t ’s “ Nottinghamshire Mari.” — Particulars apply, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Notts. [A dvi .J