Cricket 1912

C R I C K E T I A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME.— S eptem ber 2 1 s t , 1 9 1 2 . Together joined in CricRet’s manly toil.”— Byron, N o. 2 6 . V O L . I. N e w S e r ie s . No. 915 Old Series. S A T U R D A Y , S E P T . 21, 1912. [Re^ * *‘p T<Lp-0-] price 2d. A Chat about fAr. W. J. Whitt\p. Seldom have the selectors of an Australian Team made a bigger experiment than when Messrs. McAlister, Iredale, and Hill selected William Whitty for the trip to England in 1909. Whitty was chosen entirely on the promise he had shown. His performances in first-class cricket up to that date were a negligible quantity. But the team needed another left-hander, and if the man they chose did nothing wonderful in 1909 he did quite enough to vindicate their choice. Born in New South Wales, William Whitty made his first appearance in big cricket for that. State during the season of 1907-8. He was then only twenty, and that he had some luck in being given a chanco thus early may be inferred from the fact that in the preceding season he had been unknown even in first-grade club cricket. The match was against Queensland at Sydney, and he took 3 for 86 and 0 for 59. If New South Wales needed a left-hander—as no doubt New South Wales did, or Whitty might not have been given a trial thus early—South Aus­ tralia was in still greater need; and the following season found Whitty at Adelaide. His perform­ ances in the state matches were only moderate—3 for 71 his best analysis—but good judges saw the possi­ bility in him, and though his inclusion in the team for England did not meet with universalI approval there was less objection to it than might have been anticipated, seeing how high feeling ran in the matter, and how hotly the claims o f ; each doubtful candidate were debated. M r, W, J In England he was not long in making his mark. Three for 28 in the first innings of Essex was followed by 9 for 64 in the Surrey match, when in the first innings he had 5 in 19 balls. But he scarcely maintained this form though he did useful work v Leicestershire (6 for 99), Hampshire (5 for 50), Somerset. (5 for 45), Derbyshire (4 for 30, second innings), Kent (5 for 55), Sussex (3 for 24, first innings), and the South at Hastings (6 for 74). Altogether he had 77 at 20'42 each, Laver, Armstrong, Macart­ ney, and O’Connor figur­ ing above him in the averages, Hopkins, Cotter, and Noble below. He did fairly good work in the Australian season of 1909-10, and was in capital form during the tour in New Zealand of the Australian side cap­ tained by Warwick Arm­ strong. Among his analyses were 6 for 75 v. Wellington, 8 for 27 v. Auckland (first innings), 6 for 100 v. Can­ terbury, 5 for 55 v. Otago, 6 for 53 v. New Zealand (first innings) at Christ­ church, and 6 for 28 v. New Zealand (second innings) at Wellington. In the three minor matches of the tour (v. X III of Manawatu, X I of Wangaani, and XV of Taranaki) he collected 16 for 111 ; but these games cannot be taken very seriously. The zenith of his fame thus far—he may do as good work in the future, but will scarcely do better, one fancies—was reached during the tour of the South African Team in Australia in 1910-11. His figures in first-class cricket during that season were as follows :— W H IT T Y .