Cricket 1910

io 6 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ay 5, 1910. able surprises the public has ever had to see him back again in the New South Wales team.” I f Mackay, who has not yet completed his twenty-ninth year, should recover all his old form his presence in Test-match cricket would be assured. When inter­ viewed for Cricket last year, Mr. E. R. Mayne, of South Australia, described the oss of Mackay as “ one of the greatest tragedies in the history of Australian cricket.” C. G. M a c a r t n e y has terminated his engagement with the Otago Cricket Association and was expected to sail for Sydney on March 81st. He does not intend returning to New Zealand. W . W . A r m s tr o n g , the captain of the Australian team in New Zealand, did not go north with the other members of the team on March 15th. When in Dunedin he met with an accident when out walking on the hills. He slipped, and in trying to recover his balance he threw himself back, with the result that he snapped one of the muscles in the region of the heart. H e stayed behind to receive treatment from Dr. Orchard. Armstrong did not play at Palmerston North or at Wanganui. A c r ic k e t record that is believed to be unparalleled in New Zealand, was put up on the Auckland Domain [on Marchl9fch], says The Weekly Press of Christchurch, a whole team being dismissed without scor­ ing a single ran. The match was between Whareti and Havelock, the teams being composed mostly of employees of the Postal Department. Havelock, winning the toss, went in fir.-t, and one after the other were clean bowled, and all for “ ducks.” The hero of the day was Blackie, who secured nine wickets for no runs, Lloyd getting one wicket for no runs. Whareti scored 43. A. E. R e l f 's batting and bowling figures in Plunket Shield matches during the four seasonshehas played lor Auckland a re : Batting, 10 innings, 580 runs, average 58'00; bowling, 51 wickets for 561 runs, average 11 00. T h e Coloured Cricket Tournament for the Barnato Trophy concluded at Port Elizabeth on April 2nd, Griqualand West winning. The successful side gained their right to hold the trophy by defeating the Transvaal and the Eastern Province. A. W a s s , who is playing at L ord’s this week for Notts against M.C.C. and Ground, is a right-hand medium-paced bowler from Worksop, who has been performing well at the nets. H e is not related to the fast bowler o f the same name. F o r their match with Surrey at the Oval to-day, Derbyshire will not be at full strength, neither Mr. L. G. Wright nor Mr. A. E. Lawton being able to play. Bestwick, whose engagement with the Derbyshire County C.C. has not been renewed, will also be an absentee. Several members of the side will be playing in London for the first time, among them being Boot, a former mem ­ ber of the Leicestershire ground staff, but a Derbyshire man by birth ; Hand- ford, o f Hayfield, a young bowler of promise ; Mr. P. H. Taylor, who made 0 and 15 against Yorkshire last year ; and F. Newton, a Whitwell player, who ap­ peared in a couple of matches last season. T h e late Mr. Arthur Fraser Walter, who played in the Eton and Oxford Elevens, left estate of the gross value of ±'287,403 wilh net personalty ±186,678. He left ±1,500 a year to his wife, ±10,000 each to his daughters Dorothy (Mrs. Gill) and Olive, and ±23,500 to his son Stephen. After bequests to the executors, he left the rest of his property to his son, Mr. John "Walter. “ On the evidence o f what one saw in 1909,” says Mr. H . D . G. Leveson-Gower in London Opinion, “ there is a lot to be said in favour of those who argue that it is time a race of 1 more forcing batsmen ’ sprang up. The majority of batsmen show a tendency to walk in front of. their wicket for every stroke. So much has this bad habit grown upon some men that players whom I will not mention w'ere seen to be standing in front of their stumps before the bowler had let go of the ball. One other thing which is tending to ruin batting is the ‘ two-eyed stance.’ In the two-eyed stance the player is so hope­ lessly tied up that he cannot really hit the ball on the "off-side at a ll; and in most cases has not the time in which to move his feet in order to acquire the requisite position.” T h e Boyal Insurance Company, Lim i­ ted, of Lombard Street, E.C., have just issued the seventh edition of their “ Record of Sports,” which deals in a most complete and clearly-arranged man­ ner with every branch of sport to the end ot 1909. For purposes of reference the publication, which contains a compre­ hensive index and is attractively bound, should prove distinctly valuable. The Secretary of the Royal Insurance Com­ pany, Limited, has kindly offered to supply a copy to any reader of Cricket who cares to apply, so long as the present stock will permit. M r . R. N. D o u g l a s , the old Dulwich, Cambridge, Surrey and Middlesex crick­ eter, has been appointed headmaster of Giggleswick Grammar School. I n addition to the article on “ Googlieo- metry,” by Sir Home Gordon, Bart., the May number o f the Badminton Magazine contains one entitled “ How to Count for the County Championship,” which should interest cricketers, although it is apparent that it was written before the Lancashire scheme had been adopted. Mr. Warner, who is responsible for the contribution, examines the proposals made by Mr. J. B. Payne and Mr. O. R. Borradaile, and comes to the conclusion that, “ each of them might be worth trying for a season to see how they work out in actual practice.” I see the Observer is suggesting a new move to cover up one of the faults of the “ Lancashire rule” —replaying unfinished matches. I wonder whether Sussex would have completed their 1909 pro­ gramme yet if it had been already adopted ? O, for “ Business Government ” at cricket—men who could provide a permanent and automatic form of com ­ petition, that would not need continual overhauling and adaptation 1 W h il e the Championship Competition is being made the subject o f tinkering legislation, how excellently the Football League’s competition has justified the equitable and stable machinery that was provided for it years ago. Imagine interest being sustained up to the last minute o f the season in the doings of two o f the bottom counties as it was in the Tottenham Hotspur match with Chelsea on Saturday! H ow many enthusiasts would have followed the fortunes of that game but for the interest that the League system conferred on it ?— and every man who did has all the potentialities of a cricket enthusiast in him, which it needs but equivalent conditions to enlist and make him not only a follower o f the game at present but an encourager of its practice in the rising generation. There can be “ 110 two ways about it ” that the spectator at public football matches has effected the multiplication of actual exponents in the parks and playgrounds. T h e form shown by Surrey at the Oval this week will have been welcomed by many, for everyone who follows the for­ tunes of the county at all closely must have felt anxious as to the capability of the side to dismiss its opponents at a reasonable cost. As it happened, every­ thing in the match favoured them, but the batting of Hayward and the bowling of Smith must nevertheless have been most gratifying to the county’s supporters. Considering that the first day was a blank owing to rain, Surrey did very well indeed to force a win. H a y w a r d gave conclusive evidence that he is already in form, and with him and Hobbs at their best the county, even if their bowling is not very strong, should prove a difficult side-to beat, especially if we have a fine summer and a succession of hard, true wickets. Hayward is becoming almost a veteran now—the present is his eighteenth season in the Surrey team, and he has made three trips to Australia and one to South Africa — but, judged by what he did on Tuesday, he is capable o f playing as good cricket now as at almost any previous period of his career. APMV TENTQ ____ Suitable for gardens, H u III I I C I l l O a cricket, or camping out, 40ft. round, pegs, poles, lines, complete (with tent bag included) for 35s. each ; cheaper kinds from 15s. each. Write for list of fancy garden tents.— H. J. GASSON, Government Contractor, Rye.