Cricket 1911

80 CRICKET : A W EEK LY RECORD OP THE GAME. A pk . il 22, 19 1 1. chief asset w ill be his bow ling. H e is a left-hand m edium - paced bow ler with a good fast ball and an easy action, can keep a good length and com es fast off the pitch. F rom “ F elix’s ” notes in the Australasian : — “ The shortening days indicate the approach of Easter trips and the end of the season. Pennant cricketers have complained of the interruptions through big cricket during the campaign, and it is on the cards that next season, when the English team comes out, a scheme may be devised under which pennant players, who are below big cricket form, will be permitted to have their matches just as in our ordinary season, when neither an English nor a South African team is with us. For my own part, I think young cricketers would do well to study big cricket as much as possible, in order that defects and shortcomings may be remedied. Many a young player in the past learnt much by watching the accomplished batsman, W . L. Murdoch, studying his various strokes, noting with what ease, grace and finish he made his superb cuts, forward, square or late, and taking stock of his beautiful forward play, which, indeed, might justly be termed the “ poetry of cricket.” The great W . G. Grace had not nearly such a delightful style of batting as W. L. Murdoch, but “ W . G .” was champion of the world, who stood without a rival for a quarter of a century, and still stands as the foremost cricketer of all time. It was a treat to watch his placing and timing on the leg side. Against 18 of Victoria, with fine bowlers on, he repeatedly placed the ball between the players stationed on the leg side, and I know that I myself picked up a wrinkle or two by noting his strokes in that match, particularly on the leg side. Again, what could be better for a rising player than to watch Victor Trumper when he gets fairly going. Some of his strokes are really marvellous in their matchless perfection and precision of execution. And his power of placing on the off side must be known and admired by thousands of lovers of cricket. Apart from batting, a young player could learn something in the art of fielding by paying heedful attention to the splendid work done by such a fielding artist as Vernon Hansford. It is undoubtedly educative in this department to see him pick up and return with a celerity and accuracy that could not well be sur­ passed. Then again, it should have on a young player an influence in the right direction just to watch such a captain as M. A. Noble placing his field and altering positions, according to tactics adopted by the batsmen, whether in defence or attack. All these matters are well worth careful study by young players who are ambitious to excel as adepts in the manly game, and so I would impress upon those who are so eager to have their pennant games uninterrupted when teams come from England or South Africa the desirability of paying all the attention possible to players who are specially noted for their excellence as representatives in our big contests.” Thu V ictorian C ricket Association have presented Clem H ill with a silver-m ounted ball as a m em ento o f his services as captain o f the Australian E leven against South Africa. T h e Sydney R eferee points out that in the recent Test m atches between Australia and South A frica the form er were represented by only tw elve players, and that in the five in E ngland in 1909 this country was represented by twenty.five players. T he difference is striking. T h e Australian B oard o f C ontrol m et in Sydney on M arch 2nd. A ll the States except W estern Australia were represented. M r. E ad y (Tasmania) was elected President and Mr. Colin A. Sinclair (Sydney) Secretary. Messrs. C. H ill, Iredale and Bean were appointed a C omm ittee to deal with the laws of cricket and report to the Board. Mr. Findlay (Secretary o f the Surrey C ounty Cricket Club) was appointed to act as representative o f the B oard in E ngland in place o f D r. Poidevin, w ho had resigned. T he question o f the visit o f an Australian team to England next year was discussed, and Messrs. H ill, Bush and Sinclair were appointed to advise the B oard’s representative in E ngland regarding the programm e for the Australians in the com in g tour. They were also requested to draft a programm e for subm ission to the B oard for the next visit o f an English team to Australia. The B oard discussed in private w ith Messrs. Sherwell, Fitzgerald and Schwarz, o f South Africa, questions dealing with the Triangular Conference, the visits o f the Australian and the South A frican teams to England, the qualifications o f international players in Test matches and the proposed visit o f the Australian team to South Africa after the Triangular contests. A Sydney daily newspaper referring to the practice follow ed in Test matches o f finally picking players after the result o f the toss is known sa y s:— “ The team should be chosen before the toss is made. There is nothing in the rules to support this procedure, probably for the reason that it was not supposed that such a position w ould ever occur. There is no com pulsion to declare the team before the game starts, and W arner took advantage of this on one occasion in Sydney, when he gave the scorer his II in order after winning the toss. After several men were out he changed his m ind, and substituted one m an for another. W hen the new man cam e out, the attendants working on the scoring board put up the name o f the player originally chosen, and this gave the public an inkling o f what had occurred. The public were not slow to condem n W arner. That incident should have brought about a rule m aking it obligatory to declare the names of the players before the game starts.” In the official publication, T h e L aw s o f C rick et w ith D ecisions and Interpretations a u th orised by the M .C .C ., a note on L aw 37 states “ M any disputes w ould be avoided if the captains, before tossing, exchanged lists o f the players.” P l a y in g for the Stock and Sharebrokers’ Staff against the Eastern Extension Cablegram Company, at Waverley Oval on February 25th, Gordon Sayle off one over hit 28 runs—two 6 ’s and four 4’s. J. Francis, a Grade cricketer, was the bowler. C o n s id e r a b l e disappointment was experienced in cricketing circles in Queensland when it became known that the claims of J. W. MacLaren, their fast bowler, for a place in the fifth Test match, at Sydney, had not been recognised. On February 25th he took six wickets for 5 runs for Valley v. Nundah, and to that date had obtained fifty during the season in First Grade ci’ieket in Brisbane for 4'22 runs each. The South Africans, it will be remembered, spoke very highly of his skill. O n M arch 4th Alan Marshal ran up 95 for South Brisbane against W oolloongabba in an hour and a half by sound, forceful batting. D u r in g the progress of South Hobart’s innings against New Town on the Association Ground, Hobart, on March 4th, a remarkable incident occurred. G. Murphy was batting, and flicked a ball from F. Chancellor hard to the slips. The ball struck V. Brooke, who was fielding there, hard on the forehead, and laid him out, and play was stopped whilst he was brought round. When the ball struck Brooke’s forehead it cannoned some yards back to the wicket-keeper, P. Payne, who held it, and Murphy, who w’as the originator of this somewhat sensational occur­ rence, was out—caught. Brooke, fortunately, seemed to be none the worse for his strange experience. A c c o r d in g to present arrangements it is intended that an Auckland team shall go on tour in February next. A ll the Southern provinces will be visited, and the popularity of the game in the Dominion will doubtless be increased considerably as a result. In the meantime it is of interest to note that Otago is first in the field once more with a challenge for the Plunket Shield, and that their meeting with Canterbury will take place next Christmas.