Cricket 1908

Nov. 26, 1908. CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 459 corder,” the writer of the above paragraph, is for once in error. According to The H istory o f K ent County Cricket, John Collard Cocker, who played for the County in 1842 and^migrated to South Australia four years later, had “ the distinction of making the first hundred ever hit in the State — 109 in a single - wicket match against one Wilkins, at North Adelaide.” This would have been about twenty years before Mr. Harris made his large score. A t the annual meeting of the East Torrens C.C., L. R. Hill, the South Australian fast bowler (who is the hon. secretary of the club), m oved: “ That Mr. W . 0 . Whitridge be elected a life member of the East Torrens Club.” He said Mr. Whitridge had been connected with the Norwood Club from its earliest days, and with the East Torrens Club until the end o f the 1902-3 season. In all movements connected with cricket in the Norwood district Mr. Whitridge’s name had been most prominent. He was the prime mover in the establishment o f th§ Norwood Oval, which had proved so great a boon to the Norwood people, and it was fitting that they should recog­ nise his work in the best way possible. Mr. H . W . Hodgetts seconded, and, after some interesting remarks from Sir Edwin Smith, the motion was carried unani­ mously. In the seventies Mr. Whitridge was the most effective bowler in South Australia, but, according to some of the Victorian players, his action was not above suspicion. At one time he was chairman of the old Australian Cricket Council, and many years ago published a South Australian Guide which ran through three issues. C. E. D o l l i n g , who played an innings o f 140 against the English team which visited Australia last season, made 114 for University v. Glenelg, in Adelaide, on October 3 and 10. On the same dates L. R. H ill scored 81 and took four wickets for 45 runs in a total of 233 for East Torrens against North Adelaide, and A. H . Pretty, a slow bowler, took twelve wickets for 48 rutis—seven for 14 in the first innings— for West Torrens v. Adelaide. On the following Saturday, October 17th, Claxton, hitting two 6 ’s and fifteen 4’s, made 152 not out in three hours for North Adelaide against Sturt, and on October 24th Dolling, play­ ing for University v. Port Adelaide, scored 189, in which were two 6 ’s and twenty- four 4’s. ---------- A t the annual meeting o f the Sturt District C.C., o f Adelaide, H . Hay was elected a life member, and special eulogy was passed on the excellent work which he had accomplished for the Club in cricket, football, and lacrosse. In con­ nection with H ay’s greatest bowling performance— the 9 for 67 against Lord Hawke’s team on the Unley Oval—a good story is told by P. Hegarty, a former resident of Adelaide, who was in South Australia in September with the New Zealand footballers. Hegarty accom­ panied a cricket team to one of the lunatic asylums in the Dominion, and during the progress of the match an inmate was noticed continually bowing and kneeling to something nailed on a tree. Investigation disclosed that the “ something ” was a picture from the illustrated supplement of The Observer or Australasian of H ayin bowling action — the reproduction of a photograph taken after the bowling feat above referred to. T h e South Australian Association’s roll of members for 1908 is 872, as against 752 in 1907. The year started with a credit balance of ±169, and, after spending ±874 in improvements and ± 2 0 0 on a ground bowler, there remains a credit of ±456. At the annual general meeting of the S.A.C.A., Sir Edwin Smith, who is now in his seventy-ninth year, was re-elected president. He is one of the best friends South Australian cricketers have ever had. S o u th A u s t r a lia is to be represented on the Board of Control for 1908-9 by H. Blinman, Clem Hill, and G. Mostyn Evans. The selectors of teams for the State are N. Claxton, P. Argali, and W . P. Stuart. Darling, who was one of the three last season, has retired, and Clem Hill was nominated but was beaten. A t the annual meeting of the West Australian Cricket Association on Septem­ ber 17th, a proposal to establish a Cricket Council representative of the whole State was r e j e c t e d . ---------- O n October 9th, a well-attended meet­ ing of cricket umpires of Western Australia was held in the Sports Depot at Perth, and after a short discussion it was unani­ mously decided to form an Umpires’ Association for the State. Mr. J. C. Brickhill was elected president, Mr. F. Gray secretary, and Messrs. Sutherland, Steadman, and Gouly members o f the committee. It was stated that the object o f the Association was the raising of the standard of cricket umpiring in the State and for the coaching of junior men. It was also desired that all cricket umpires should pass a test and should become members o f the Association before they could be recognised as umpires. The Association expressed its willingness to at all times take in outside umpires, and to do all it could to coach men who wished to take up the calling. “ It was hoped ultimately,’’remarks the W est Australian, “ to become affiliated with the professional cricket umpires of England, and by getting all the latest decisions on cricket from there to become the authority in all matters of dispute in the State.” “ The little more, and how much it is, And the little less and what worlds away ! ” J. C. M u r i e l came within an ace of obtaining two separate hundreds for San Paulo v. R io de Janeiro in a recent match at Santos. In his first innings he made 146 and in his second had reached 94 when he was run out. The score of the match is given on page 450. N o u r s e started the present South African season well by taking six wickets for 28 runs and scoring 146 not out for Greyville v. Glenwood at Durban on October 3rd and 10th. According to The Latest the left-hander has now played eighteen three-figure innings in important cricket:— 212—Durban v. Maritzburg, Durban, March, 1902. 212—Natal v. Griqualand West, Johannesburg, De- cember, 1906. 200 not out—Natal v. Western Province, Capetown, January, 1008. 171—Greyville v. Queen’s Park, Durban. 161—Groyville v. Queen’s Park, Durban, December, 1905. 155—Greyville v. Zingari, Durban, February, 1906. 148—South Africa v. Derbyshire, Derby, June, 1907 146 not out—Greyville v. Glenwood, Durban, October, 1908. 137—Greyville v. Queen’s Park, Durban, March, 1908. 131—Durban v. Maritzburg, Durban, January, 1903. 127—South Africa v. Warwickshire, Edgbaston, June, 1907. 123—Natal v. Orange River Colony, Johannesburg, January, 1907. 119—Natal v. M.C.C.’s England Team, Durban, Jan­ uary, 1906. 115—Greyvillev. Wanderers. Durban, November, 1906* 113—Natal v. Western Province, Johannesburg, Jan­ uary, 1907. 105—South Africa v. Scotland, Glasgow, July, 1907. 102—Greyville v. Australians, Durban, March, 1903. 102—Greyville v. Queen’s Park, Durban, March, 1907. It seems more than likely that Nourse will be seen in the Surrey side next season: at least, he has announced his intention of settling in England in the spring in the hope of being considered gcod enough for a place in the Eleven. He was born at Croydon on Jafiuary 26th, 1878. A p e c u lia r incident is reported from Johannesburg in Second League cricket. At the conclusion of the innings an interval of-ten minutes is allowed, and, on a certain team exceeding that interval by four minutes, the side which batted first claimed the match. Immediately the claim was made the team protested against put in a counter-claim on the ground that the first complaining team had played an unqualified man. “ We must think very littte of the spirit of the respective teams,” comments The Latest, an observation with which I am inclined to believe all good cricketers will agree. G o r d o n W h it e made 124 and then retired for Pirates v. Commonwealth in Johannesburg on October 24th. The Pirates won by 14 runs, scoring 242 against 228. T h e South A frican Cricketers' Annual will in future be edited by Mr. I. D. Difford, hon. secretary o f the South African Cricket Association. It was formerly edited and produced by Mr. J. T. Henderson, of Pietermaritzburg, who has induced the Association to take it up. ----------- U p o n his early departure for India the Jam of Nawanagar will be accompanied by C. L. A. Smith, H. L. Simms, A. C. MacLaren, and G. N. Foster. The Rajkot correspondent of the Bombay Gazette states that on his return His Highness will devote himself to the task of re-organising every department in the State, with a view to secure a most efficient administration, in need of which the State has stood for a considerably long time. Had His Highness not been compelled to leave so suddenly and so