Cricket 1909

go CR ICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A pril 29, 1909. members of the Australian cricket team I wish to state that they appreciate your generous offer to supply each with a bat of your own manufacture—which is Australian—and that they will be pleased to receive them. I hope they will make many centuries while in England, not only for your sake, but for the sake of the team. If you have them delivered on board at Adelaide, as you suggest, that will do fine.” Kummnick’s Lobethal bats are used extensively by South Australian cricketers, all of whom are loud in their praise of the South Australian article. Mr. G. E. C o l l in s , manager of the Victorian team in Tasmania, in a verbal report to the Victorian Cricket Associa­ tion, said “ he did not think that the team had got proper credit for the fine per­ formance in Hobart, when they had made over 300 runs on a badly-worn wicket. That the team was anything but weak the scores at Launceston showed plainly enough. D. Smith’s innings he declared to be the finest exposition of batting ever seen in Tasmania, while Matthews, who performed the hat trick, had been presented with the ball suitably mounted and inscribed. He fe!t con­ strained to comment on the management of the Launceston game, in the course of which they had no fewer than eight umpires, and, in addition, the Victorian team had had to roll the wicket between the innings for themselves.” I n last week’s Gossip I mentioned that Sydney Grammar School, playing against Sydney Church of England Grammar School on March 20th, scored 845 for eight wickets, E. P. Barbour making 356 and Farrar 214 not out. The game was continued on the following Monday, March 22nd, when the total was taken to 916 (Farrar, 229). S.C.E.G.S. were beaten by an innings and 519 runs. T h e Bight Hon. G. H. Reid, P.C., made an interesting speech at the send- off accorded Noble and Trumper by the Paddington C.C. at Bateman’s Hotel, Sydney. In his preliminary remarks he said that he had attended the gathering without an invitation, but had since learned that the hon. secretary had posted him a card some days earlier. That being so, he would not say anything further about the post-office. (Laughter.) He told the old story about his having once gone up to Windsor with a team from the old Warwicks, and for the first time getting a game with them. The side was one short, and after nine wickets had fallen the Warwicks were thirty runs behind. The Windsor captain, being a very generous fellow, said it was a pity that they should bat one short, so sug­ gested that “ that chap,” pointing to the then future Premier of New South Wales, who had gone in tenth and been easily dismissed, should be allowed to go in a second time. “ It was the chance of a lifetime,” said the story-teller. “ I went in again and made 30,” and the Warwicks won. (Applause.) However, how he made 30 when only 30 were required to win, Mr. Beid did not explain, though he is quite capable (says the Sydney Referee) of showing that he made the whole 30. But after-dinner cricket stories, as a rule, are not meant to stand the searchlight of criticism. Mr. Beid took the liberty of advising the captain to make more use of Trumper’s bowling. “ Trumper has such a beautiful style,” said Mr. Beid, lost for a few moments in gazing on a mental picture of that young man wheeling them up. Mr. Beid’s humour struck a popular note after some of the more serious speeches. V ic t o r T r d m p e r , with unexpected fluency, replied humorously to one or two sallies by Mr. Reid. He thought that in Australia there may be something in Mr. Beid’s advice to Noble to put him on to bowl. There matches were played to a finish, and were he to bowl it would prolong the game and afford Mr. Beid an opportunity of getting his forty winks. But in England matches were restricted to three days, and his bowling was, in those circumstances, not of much use. F rom th e Tasmanian M a il :— A match which was being very keenly con­ tested on a village green was responsible for a funny umpire story. A butcher was one of the contestants, and before he began to bat he was heard to whisper to the umpire: “ Don’t thee give me out afore I have got four, old chap, and there’s a quid for thee.” The umpire laughed and said jokingly, “ All right.” The first ball the butcher received led to an appeal by the wicket-keeper for a catch, but was disallowed, to the batsman's great delight, the butcher thinking that the umpire was indeed on his side. The next ball he hit for four runs, and as it was thrown in with excellent aim, it disturbed the stumps, but the batsman was within his crease. Nevertheless he made tracks to the tent immediately. “ Here,” said the umpire, as he was passing, “ you are not out.” “ I know it, lad,” said the other ; “ but doesn’t tho’ see ? I bet old Billy Jones on the other side I’d get four, and tho’ can bet I’m after that five quid afore Billy gets away.” I n First-Grade cricket at Brisbane W. B. Hayes had made 854 runs and taken eighty-four wickets up to the middle of March. To the same date J. S. Hutcheon had made 1,100 runs with an average ot 68, C. E. Simpson 969 with an average of 65, and Boger Hartigan 828 with an average of 59. At Maryborough Gilbert Morton, who had not been considered good enough for a place in the Queensland team, had scored 935 runs in thirteen innings. A n instance of a player making two separate hundreds in a match reaches me from New Zealand. The cricketer in question was a young player named McFarlane, who contributed 110 and 126 not out to totals of 200 and 230 for seven wickets made by Albion v. Carisbrook B., on the Carisbrook ground, Dunedin, on February 27th and March 6th. The only other batsman who has made two hundred in a match in the Dominion is A. B. Williams, of Wellington. F rom the Weekly Press of Christ­ church, N .Z .:— “ Many and humorous are the umpire stories one hears from time to time, but an incident at Lancaster Park on Saturday will go down to posterity as one of the drollest. The genial and popular secretary of the Linwood Club—Charlie Amtman, to wit— was batting, a Boys’ High School trundler had the ball, and the hero of the story, the umpire, was—but I will not give him away ; suffice it to say he was one of Charlie’s own side. At auy rate, the bowler sent down a ball which Charlie swished at and missed, but was caught by the wicket-keeper. ‘ How’s that?’ shouted the bowler. ‘ Out,’ said the umpire. Charlie said not a word. He is too good a sport for that, but there was a reproachful look in -his eye as he walked down the pitch ruminating on the fickleness of umpires in general. When he bad gone the length of the wicket one of his opponents suggested—I do not know whether it was sarcastically or eommiseratingly intended— that Charlie should go back as he was clearly not out. ‘ A splendid idea,’ said Charlie, his eye brightening, and back he went. Naturally such an extraordinary proceeding required an explanation from the umpire. And how did that functionary rise to the occasion? It was nothing short of an in­ spiration of genius that prompted his reply: 1He was caught off a no-ball, but I forgot to call it.’ Charlie is still battiDg.” W h il s t Carisbrook A were batting against Dunedin on March 6th an unusual incident occurred during the partnership of Watson and Hopkins. Unnoticed by the players, Hopkins went to the pavilion to change his bat. The bowler sent down a ball which Watson hit to the leg boundary for 3, and only then was Hopkins’ absence noticed, for there was no player to take strike. The runs were not allowed to Watson. Doubtless the decision was correct, inasmuch as it is impossible for the laws of double-wicket to be observed whilst only one batsman is on the ground. But it is, nevertheless, hard luck for the striker who, as in the circumstances stated, hits a boundary only to discover that the stroke goes for nothing owing to his partner’s absence. A similar incident, with (I believe) D. L. A. Jephson one of the leading figures, was witnessed at the Oval about twenty years ago—in a Surrey Club and Ground match, if my memory does not deceive me. The Sydney Referee recalls another case which occurred in Sydney in January, 1907, in a match Kinkora v. Broadway Federal. In this instance the remaining batsman was caught out from the first ball while his partner was off the field looking at the score-book. After some little discussion the umpire gave the batsman who was caught “ not out.” T h e Currie Cup teams were enter­ tained at dinner at the Boyal Hotel, Cape Town, on March 27th by the Western Province Union. Mr. Schreiner and Mr. Justice Hopley were present. Mr. Schreiner proposed the toast of the “ Visiting Teams,” and referred in eulo­ gistic terms to the Transvaal fielding, fie expressed regret that Natal was absent. Mr. Justice Hopley proposed