Cricket 1909

: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 59 A pril 15, 1909. CR ICKET public, whom he charmed by his wonderful batting.” “ One believes that J. E. M. Macfcay, but for the accident in Africa, would have be­ come the greatest of all Australian batsmen. He would not have become the Cinquevalli of the bat like Trumper, who was born a genius of the bat. One questions if cricket will ever produce another like Tiumper. But Mackay had wonderful qualities as a bats­ man, and these were all based on a sound defence. He was more orthodox than Trumper, practically as sound as and far less orthodox than Noble. He was a blend of the two, and a happy one at that.” T h e batting record of H. G. Small, of Eastwood, playing in the Northern Suburbs Competition in Sydney, isremark­ able, says the Sydney Daily Telegraph. Since the beginning of the season he has scored 10 centuries for three times out, amongst the scores being 126, 190 not out, 173, 174, 163 not out, 106 not out, 106 not out, 102 not out, 101 not out, an aggregate of 1,366, which gives an aver­ age of 455 runs per innings. In all matches he has made 2,121 runs, at an average of 145, counting his retired innings as out. T r u m p e r made 105 in one hundred minutes for Paddington v. Balmain, at Hampden Park, Sydney, on February 13th, and in the score were two hits out of the ground and nine 4’s. He gave a hard chance at 50, but otherwise made no mistake. On March 6th he made 260 for Paddington against Waverley. Beginning quietly, he afterwards scored rapidly and dealt severely with all the bowlers brought against him. He and McCoy made 299 in one hundred minutes. Trumper’s second century was obtained in forty-five minutes, and altogether he batted for three hours and a-half. He gave several chances, however. His chief hits were ten 6’s and twenty-nine 4’s. L o r d C h e l m s f o r d , the Governor of Queensland, who, as the Hon. F. J. N. Thesiger, played with distinction for Oxford University and Middlesex, has been appointed Governor of New South Wales. I w a s sorry to learn, from a private letter recently received from Hobart, that Tom Kendall, the famous Australian left- handed bowler of thirty years ago, had been rendered hors dc combat for several weeks by a painful injury. He appeared in the first two matches ever played between England and Australia—at Mel­ bourne in 1876-7—and took fourteen wickets for 215 runs. He also made 39 runs in three completed innings. V ic t o r ia ' s total of 626 against Tas­ mania at Launceston in February is their third innings of over six hundred. The two other scores are 699 v. South Aus­ tralia at Melbourne in December, 1907, and 002 v. New Zealand on the same ground in February, 1899. I n a match for the Cameron Shield at -tvokeby, Tasmania, on February 20th, the home side dismissed their opponents, Kingston, for 101, and replied with 432 for the loss of only two wickets. Towards this large total W. T. Free contributed 206 (retired) and L. Bichardson 113 not out. T h e Auckland Cricket Association has received a challenge from the Wellington Association to contest the Plunket Shield, the dates suggested being next Christmas and New Year. A t Himitangi, New Zealand, on January 27th, Foxton dismissed the local club, who went in first, for 4 runs —no extras. It is suggested that this constitutes a record for the Dominion. A t Auckland on February 6th, A. E. Belf made his third consecutive century, scoring 110 for Eden Colts against City. On the same day E. Humphreys, of Kent, made 119 for Linwood v. West Christchurch on the Hagley Park ground “ by as charming a display of batting as one could wish to see. It was not with­ out blemish, for he should have been stumped when he was only 9, and late in his innings Weston missed another opportunity. He might have been caught just after he passed his century. However, these lapses could almost be forgotten in the general excellence of his batting. His cutting was superb, bis leg strokes exceedingly clever, and his off driving was what it always is— well-timed and with a fine healthy force behind it. He got a couple of 6's—both lovely hits that sailed far over the fence, and could only have come from perfect timing. Taken all round, one does not want to see more stylish and forceful batting than the Kent professional treated the spectators to on Saturday, and at the close of his innings he was warmly applauded.” In consecutive innings Humphreys scored 91 for Linwood v. St. Albans on January 29th, 119 for Linwood v. West Christchurch on February 6th, and 163 for Canterbury v. South Canterbury on February 10th. A t a meeting of the Committee of the Otago Cricket Association, on February 5th, a letter from the New Zealand Cricket Council was read to the effect that the letter forwarded by the Otago Association contained what was practically a charge against Auckland, and that such a charge of unsportsmanlike conduct should either be proved or withdrawn. After some discussiondt was resolved :—“ That this Association did not intend to make any charge against the Auckland Associa­ tion, and regrets that the New Zealand Council has placed a wrong interpretation on the letter. All this Association desires is that steps be taken to ensure that all Plunket Shield matches be played to a finish.” T h e New Zealand Cricket Council has decided to communicate direct with the South African cricket authorities, to as­ certain the terms upon which the team visiting Australia in 1910-11 will extend their tour to New Zealand. T h e following paragraph appears in a South African contemporary under the heading “ Dave Nourse a Star” :— “ The question of finding a temporary position for Dave Nourse has been settled by the Greyvillian, who starts with the “ Star,” in Field Street, on Monday next, along with Mr. W. Fox, the popular pro­ prietor of the shine bar.” There may be people in South Africa able to understand the announcement, but to Englishmen it cannot prove any­ thing but a mystery. Is one to infer that Nourse has joined a Star newspaper, or than he has obtained employment at a Star Hotel ? Or is he going to “ star ” at a music-hall'? It will be interesting to hear definitely. Mr. G. H. S im p s o n - H a y w a r d , in the course of a conversation with a repre­ sentative of the Egyptian Gazette during the third match with Egypt, remarked that the Alexandria Ground, though small, wSs one of the best of that type he had ever played on and reminded him of the famous Johannesburg ground, where he played soon after the War. He said that he regretted that the tour was necessarily so short; he would have liked to go to Khartoum and play there. Egypt was an ideal place for a six weeks' tour with two matches a week. He remarked that the whole team would sail taking with them the pleasantest of recollections of the first, and he hoped not the last, M.C.C. tour in Egypt. O f the eight matches played by the Englishmen, seven were won and only one—the third match against Egypt, at Cairo—lost. S e v e r a l names familiar to English cricketers will be found on another page in the score of the match at Buenos Aires between North and South of the Argentine Bepublic. Harold Garnett is, of course, the Lancashire amateur who went to Australia with A. C. MacLaren’s team in 1901-2; he has not been seen at his best in South America, presumably owing to want of practice. J. H. Paul, who played the best innings of the match, was at Malvern until 1907, and C. A. Bathbone was in the Eleven there in 1897 and 1898. Talbot Wright and Biedermann are old Harrovians, whilst Gardom, Cowes, and Mold hail from Dulwich. J. A. Camp­ bell, who made a hundred for the South, was at Fettes and Cambridge, but will be better remembered by Bugby footballers, as when playing for his ’Varsity and Scotland he was in the first flight of forwards. J. Giffard, who was inter­ viewed by Cricket twelve years ago, is an old M.C.C. cricketer and captain. The majority of the others have played most of their cricket in the Argentine, but B. E. H. Anderson, the South captain, will be remembered at Eastbourne, Dom­ ing as a member of the Liverpool eleven when home on furlough, and Smith in the Gloucester and Bristol districts. J. O.