Cricket 1908

O c t . 29, 1908. CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 443 tlie State’s share to make up the loss on the guarantee.” I t was proposed at the Annual General Meeting of the Melbourne C.C. to increase the membership from 8,500 to 4,000. The increased membership fees, £2,500 for the first year and £ 1,0 0 0 a year after­ wards, it was -stated, would be of great use in making very necessary alterations, but Mr. Justice Cussen, although he ad­ mitted the money was very desirable, did not think the proposition should be carried then, and after some discussion it was lost by a large majority. On September 21st the New South Wales Cricket Association discussed certain recommendations by the executive regarding allowances to players. These were evenually adopted by 14 votes to 4. They provide that in inter-State matches against Victoria or South Australia players shall receive 7s. Gd. a day for personal expenses outside the State and 5s. wiliiin the State and in inter-State matches other than Victoria and South Australia 3s. a day for personal expenses outside the State, but no allowance for games within the State. No further payments are to be made for loss of salary or other­ wise. Mr. McElhone, who moved for the approval of the recommendations, said the Association was living far beyond its means. Between the seasons 1905-6 and 1907 8 players’ expenses were £854, and hotel and fare bills £884, a total of £1,739 or half the profits. The new system would mean a saving of £250 a year to the Association. M. A. Noble said it would be better to allow the player’s loss of salary not to exceed 1 0 s. per day. He suggested that the players be asked to give their services this season for nothing. He said it was always the cricketers who were singled out to suffer, but he was sure that if the Association would hold out the olive branch— a thing it had never done since the cricket trouble—it would do something to effect a reconciliation. Mr. McElhone—“ What reconciliation?” Noble said Mr. McElhone might shut his eyes to what went on, but it was there all the same. F. A. Iredale said the Associa­ tion was now drifting 011 to the rocks, and if it could not pay its expenses it had better not be carried on. The recommenda­ tions will have to be adopted by another meeting. O n the same day at the Annual Meeting of the Victorian Cricket Association the President, Mr. Donald McKinnon,M.L, A., said that he hoped this season’s cricket would be seen on good, commonsense lines, with no friction, so thatthe arrange­ ments for the forthcoming Australian Eleven might be made with due regard to give and take. Everyone wanted to see the best team go to England, and it would be a great pity if any want of con­ ciliation on either side should prevent Australia being properly represented. It would be bad for England and bad for Australia, and he hoped that the j udgment of the players and of the controlling body would see that all ran smoothly. Mr. M. Fitzgerald (St. Kilda) urged that the Association should strongly insist that the next Australian Eleven should visit England, as in the past, as amateurs, and not as professionals. Mr. McKinnon was re-elected President. P. McAlister and H. Trumble were nominated for the position of selecter of Victorian teams, and the former was elected by 15 votes to 11. E. E. Bean and H . B. Bush were re-elected members of the Board o f Control. T h e chief fixtures of the approaching season in Australia have been arranged as follow s:— Nov. 7.—South Australia v. Victoria, at Adelaide. Dec. 18.— ,, v. N.S.W ., at Adelaide. Dec. ‘20.—Victoria v. N.S W , at Melbourne. Jan. 1.— ,, v.South Australia,at Melbourne. Jan. 8.—N.S.W. v. ,, at Sydney. Jan. 23.— ,, v. Victoria, at Sydney. Dates for the matches between New South Wales and Queensland have not yet been fixed. It is, by-the-way, more than likely that the South Australian team, after their match in Sydney, will go on to Brisbane and meet Queensland. D u r in g their last season the Buenos Aires C.C. played as many as fifty-nine matches, which is the largest number of games ever played by any club in Argen­ tina. The following statement shows the results:— Won. Lost. Drwn. Total. 1st Eleven ... 23 14 4 41 2nd Eleven ... 11 7 0 18 Total.......... 34 21 4 59 B. P. Cordner headed the batting averages with the very useful figure o f 47'46 and was followed by H . Dom ing, C. A. Lett, J. O. Anderson, and G. Brown with 33'83, 28’82, 26'89, and 26'44 respectively. The bowling list was headed by H. Dom ing, whose sixty wickets cost only 4'85 runs each. The membership of the Club is 191. No small amount of discontent has been created in Natal by the action of the South African Cricket Association in deciding to hold the next Currie Cup Tournament at Capetown. Natal applied for the Tournament to take place at Durban, whilst Western Province, it is stated, made no application. The Natal Mercury believes that the reason for passing Natal over has to do with the trouble which arose between the Associa­ tion and the Colony regarding Natal’s guarantee towards the expenses of the South African cricketers in England and the division of the profits derived from the tour. P. A. S t u a r t , in the course of an innings of 151 for Yerville v. Wanderers Old Crocks, on the latter’s ground at Johannesburg on October 3rd, scored 72 off four consecutive overs. Off the first — from J. Piton, a lob-bowler—he made 34 (five consecutive 6 ’s and a 4) and the others he punished for 14, 10, and 14. . Readers of Gossip may recall that A. E. Lawton scored 86 off three consecutive overs at Cromford last year for Darley Dale v. Cromford, making 30 off the first, 22 off the second, and 34 off the third. Both Stuart and Lawton, during the feats alluded to, batted from only one end. BANQUET TO THE JAM OF NAWANAGAR. A complimentary and farewell dinner was given to U.H the Jam Sahib of Nawaoagar (Prince Ranjitsinhji) in the Cambridge (iuildhall on the 19th inst., under the presidency of Viscount Clifden. Among the 150 guests present were Dr. W. G. Grace, Lord Dalmeny, the Hon. F. S. Jackson, Dr. E. M. Grace, Mr. Arthur Priestley, M.P., the Mayor of Cambridge (Mr. H. G. Whibl -y), the Master of Downing College, Sir A. Conan Doyle, Messrs. A. C. MacLaren, G. W. Beldam, H. D. G. Leveson Gower, C. B. Fry, G. J. V. Weigall, H. L. Simms, C. L. A. Smith, K. G. Macleod, C. Pigg, and A. F. Somerset, Tom Hayward, Lilley, Cox (G.), Vine, Killick, Arnold, Hearne (J. T.), Har­ greave, and K. S. Dilawersingh, K. S. Junninsingh, K. S. Raising, and K. S. Rapsing (brothers and cousins of the Jam). Apologies for absence were received from Lord Harris, the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, M.P., Viscount Curzon, Mr. A. G. Steel, K.C., Lord Alverstone, L.C.J., the Vice- Chancellor of the University, the Duke of Beaufort, Sir S. Ponsonby-Fane.Lord Hawke, the Master of Trinity, Mr. P. F. Warner, Mr. A. J. Webbe, Capt. E. G. Wynward and others. In response to the toast of “ Our Guest,” proposed by Mr. A. Priestley, M.P., the Jam Sahib, who was accorded a great reception, devoted the greater part of his speech to the relationship between this country and India. All the more gratifying, he said, was the honour doue to him that night iu that it was a voluntary act of the people of this country. There were no finer set of men in India than the loyal educated chiefs. A retired and very distinguished British General told him the other day that the existence of the ruling Princes of India was now con­ sidered by the Indian Government as an essential feature of the government of that country. That feeling was creating a loyalty in India of which they had no conception. To Englishmen our King was a Constitui ional Monarch. To Indians their Emperor was more than that; he was there by divine right, ar.d they would do any mortal thing for him. He looked to the future of Anglo- Indian relations optimistically and cheer­ fully, but if they were to pay their proper homage to their King it was ooly right that the Government of India should see that the authority of the ruling Princes was respected, and that assistance should be given in making them respected. He believed in the full justice and honesty of purpose of the British Government in India. There was not a service in the wide world which did its duty in a foreign land with a greater sense of justice than the military and civil servants of India, but where mistakes had been made—and no Government was perfect— he thought Caesar might unbend and acknow­ ledge his error. Concluding, his Highness said : “ I shall leave you with a very sorrow­ ful heart, but, at the same time, I am starting on my new career with this one ideal—to do my duty to my country and my people, to uphold the honour of my house and race, to maintain th 9 unity of our common Empire,