Cricket 1913

M arch 15, 1913. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 77 Overseas Cricket. AU S TR A L IA . The demands made upon space this month by important matches prevent the giving of much to club cricket, which must always take a back seat at such times. But it cannot be ignored altogether, of course. Here is a list of some of the best class centuries in Australia since the last such l i s t : Dec. 21— P. G. Jennings, 203, Melbourne C.C. Inter-club match. ,, 21— H. H. Bowden, 198, Melbourne C.C. v. Castlemaine District. „ 27— A. Kildea, 124, North v. South of Tasmania (B Grade Match), at Launceston. „ 28— G. W illiams, 120, Huonville v. E. Hobart. ]an. 4— E. L. Waddy, 144, Cent. Cumberland v. Waverley. „ 4— W- J- Lewis, 117, Woolloongabba v. Toowong (Bris­ bane) . „ 4— MacDonald, 101*, University v. Port Adelaide. ,, n —-J. C. Reedman, 125*, N. Adelaide v. Glenelg. „ 11— R. F. Middleton, 142, E. Torrens v. W. Torrens. ,, 11— A . Smith, 144, E. Torrens v. W . Torrens. „ 18— D. R . A. Gehrs, 172, N. Adelaide v. Port Adelaide. „ 18— J. H. Stuckey, 154*, N. Melbourne v. Northcote. „ 18— E . A. MacDonald, 101, Fitzroy v. E. Melbourne. „ 18— H. L. Collins, 144, Sydney v. Glebe. „ 18— H. Davis, 112, W averley v. Cent. Cumberland. „ 18— V. T. Trumper, .102 (ret.), Gordon v. N. Sydney. „ 18— -R. G. Johnstone, 101, Melbourne v. S. Melbourne. ,, 18— F. Butler, 116*, Melbourne v. S. Melbourne. „ 18— D. G. Paton, 158*, West Hobart v. New Town. „ 18— L. Butler, 116, S. Hobart v. East Hobart. P. G. Jennings is a brother of C. B., the Australian Team batsman. G. Williams is the Ken t colt of whom Tasmanians think so highly. J. C. Reedman and J. H. Stuckey are veterans whose names it is good to see 1 figuring in a century list again ; Stuckey made his runs j at the rate of one a minute, and hit twenty-three 4’ s. j E . A. MacDonald is the ex-Tasmanian employed b y the | Fitzroy C.C. ; he rattled up his 101 in an hour, hitting three 6’ s and thirteen 4’ s. Butler’s 116 in Hobart included two 6’ s, sixteen 4’ s. Paton was helped b y A. Woods (71), in a stand of 178 for the third w icket of West Hobart. R . F . Middleton and A. Smith put up 292 before being parted (time about 3 hours) for the first wicket of E ast Torrens. Gehrs, Collins, Waddy, Lewis, j and Trumper scarcely need placing for those who follow ! Australian cricket. Some good bowling figures : H. Ironmonger (who has played for Queensland), all 10 w ickets for 70 runs, Ipswich v. Central Queensland on N ew Y ear’ s D a y ; H. V. Hordern, 11 for 52, and A . J. Hopkins, 9 for 53, unchanged through both innings, N. Sydney v. Middle Harbor, January 4 ; I R . J. A . Massie, 6 for 18, University v. Petersham, S. H. | Emery, 6 for 45, Redfem v . Balmain, H. L. Collins, 7 (of 8 down) for 58, Sydney v . Glebe, C. B. Barstow , 6 for j 11 and 3 for 1, South Brisbane v. University, J. W . j McLaren, 5 for 4, Valley v. Toombul (Brisbane), all on j January 4 ; R. B. Rees, 5 for 49, N. Adelaide v . Glenelg, P. D . Rundell, 5 for 59, Port Adelaide v. University, on j January 1 1 ; J. N. Crawford, 8 for 53, Glenelg v . Uni- J University, January 25. NEW ZEALAND . Maoriland’ s crack all-rounder, D . Reese, played a fine innings of 209 (in a total of 418) for West Christ­ church v. Riccarton on January 4. Scarcely in his best form at first, he was in great fettle during the latter part ' of his innings, which included eight 6’ s, and chances at |37 and 190. He made his runs of 343 while in, reaching [his 100 in 78 minutes, and 200 in 150 minutes. Some other hundreds recorded were Dec. 11— J. L. Blackmore, 157, Old Boys v. Christchurch High School. ,, 25— H. A. Bishop, 133, Canterbury 2nd X I. v. Ashburton County Association. Jan. 11— R. G. Hickmott, 104, St. Albans v. East Christchurch. „ 11— J. L. Patterson, 161, Sydenham v. Linwood. ,, 18— — . McGirr, 105*, East Wellington A. v. Victoria College. H ickmott is the schoolboy prodigy who did such great things during the season of 1911-2. I am indebted to a good friend in Christchurch for some particulars of his career which I hope to give in the n ext issue. Harry T ro tt expressed the highest opinion both of him and of Patterson (who, b y the way, had 6 w ickets for 46 in Linwood’ s second) when in Christchurch with the South Melbourne team. Other performances of some note : E. M. Beechey 68, Claude Hickson 55, M. J. Crombie 46*, Finlayson 66, Cate 50, J. P. Blacklock 98, Burton 55 and 52 in Welling­ ton matches ; Ingram 83, Eckhoff 68, T . McFarlane 7 for 36, and R . C. Torrance 8 for 34 at Dunedin. During December and January there was quite a lot of cricket other than the club game in New Zealand, and scores and summaries will be found elsewhere in the paper. The N .S.W . Teachers (a very useful team, including seven or eight first-grade Sydney players) met elevens, though scarcely representative elevens, of three of the North Island provinces— -Hawke’ s Bay, Wellington, and Auckland— besides playing a number of other matches. The score of their game w ith Auckland is given elsewhere, bu t I have been unable to get hold of the full results of their tour, and of course their encounters were not all of importance. The South Melbourne side, captained b y the genial Harry Trott, (now weighing 18 stone), played 9 matches, and only lost the last (an extra game, not included in the original programme), v. Canterbury, when Reese made a fine century. The scores of their last two matches will have to be held over till the next issue. The successful bowlers in the match between South Taranaki and Wanganui, referred to last month, were Bernau (9 for 25) and C. Holland (8 for 25). A Wanganui team, composed mainly of schoolmasters, has been playing several matches in and around Wellington, and some of the men have shown excellent form. Against Wairarapa Butterworth (121) and Hussey (83) put on 160 for their fourth w ic k e t; Wanganui Nomads made 397, and Wairarapa could only muster 97 (Pomeroy 7 for 31) and 107 (Hussey 5 for 6). Only two teams from the South Island entered for the Hawke Cup, and of these Southland forfeited to Marl­ borough, not being willing (or able) to send a team so far as Blenheim. It is a great p ity that the Cup has not aroused more in te re st; but the N.Z. papers have scarcely given the competition sufficient prominence, I fancy. When matches for a trophy open to all New Zealand except the five chief provinces are dismissed in a few lines, with no full score, there is apt to be little interest taken in them. It may be said that such scanty notice is a proof of small interest, not a cause of i t ; bu t interest may be fostered, and the press alone can do this effectively. There was a sensational happening at Gisborne, on