Cricket 1914

J a n u a r y , 1914. THE WORLD OF CRICKET. 7 P. J. Heather (son of Mr. E. D. Heather), who has recently returned to Australia after some years in South Africa, where he played first for Natal and later for Transvaal, is keeping up in Melbourne the reputation as a big hitter which he won in Johannesburg. On November 8 he hit 4 sixes and 7 fours in his 68 for South Melbourne v. Melbourne, taking a couple of each off one over from T. Armstrong, and 2, 4, 4, 6, and 6 off one from Mullett. Centuries in Adelaide crick et:— Nov. 8.— R. Kappler, 100*, Scurt v. Glenelg. „ 22.— R. F. Middleton, 157*, E. Torrens v. Port Adelaide. „ 29.— S. D. Gooden, 129, W. Torrens v. Sturt. ,, 29.— L. W. Chamberlain, 102, E. Torrens v. Adelaide. Dec. 6.— J. Ardill, 136, Adelaide v. E. Torrens. „ 6.— R. B. Rees, 104*, N. Adelaide v. Port Adelaide. ,, 13.— D. M. Steele, 163, University v. N. Adelaide. Bowling feats of merit in first grade matches in Adelaide include W h itty’s 6 for 26 (E. Torrens v. N. Adelaide) on November 1; P. D. Rundell’s 6 for 54 (Port Adelaide v. Adelaide) — November 1 and 8 ; J. N. Crawford’s 8 for 72 (Glenelg v. W. Torrens) on November 15 ; and L. E. Howard’s 8 for 38 and 4 for 5 (Adelaide v. N. Adelaide) on November 22. Sturt were dismissed for the meagre total of 8 by University on November 22. A. G. Moyes took 5 wickets for a single run, and K. N. Steele, a younger brother of D. M., 3 for 5. John Crawford has been doing good work for Glenelg since his return. The team is not a strong one ; but it had won three matches of the first five played. The ex-Surreyite made 62 on a queer wicket v. W est Torrens on November 22, and a fortnight later scored 69 (a 6 and a dozen 4’s included) v. Univer­ sity in an hour. Clement Hill will play no more club cricket, though he says that he still hopes to assist the State team whenever possible. He had appeared for Sturt v. North Adelaide one Saturday ; on the following Monday he got his appointment as racing steward ; when the game was resumed on the next Saturday Hill was attending races at Gawler. He asked the Sturt captain to provide a substitute for him in the field ; but for some reason or other no request for a substitute was made, though the North Adelaide leader says he would readily have allowed one. Sturt fielded with ten men. Hill, apparently looking upon this as a silent rebuke to himself, has resigned membership of the club. On the face of it, more tact might have been exercised. Various explanations have been* given ; but they are not fully convincing. Hill would seem justified in taking the matter as an intentional slight to him. Another thing which it is said he feels is the non-inclusion of his name among the three selectors of the State team. But perhaps the explanation of this is that in future he is expected to be judging horses and their form rather than cricketers and theirs. Douglas Gooden's 129 for West Torrens v. Sturt was made in a total of 222, and J. Arthur’s 43 was the only other double figure score. On the same day (November 29) University made 290 v. Glenelg without one batsman reaching 50— a sharp study in contrasts. Nineteen players were selected to practice for the South Australian team to play against N.S.W . and Victoria in Decem­ ber. They were : C. Hill, J.N. Crawford, E. R. Mayne, W. J. Whitty, L. W . Chamberlain, R. B. Rees, G. S. Down, A. G. Moyes, H. Bridgman, N. L. Gooden, H. J. M cKay, R. F. Middleton, H. P. Kirkwood, R. F. Cowan, D. M. Steele,P. D. Rundell, C. E. Pellew, K . N. Steele, and L. Winser. Sixteen of the nineteen have appeared for the State already, but only the first six mentioned at all regularly. The last three are the possible newcomers. Winser kept wicket at times for Staffordshire a few years ago. Singularly few big scores have been registered in West Australian cricket thus far this season. The only century to be recorded is J. Carew’s 101* for Midland Junction v. East Perth on November 22. Carew, an old Queensland representa­ tive, carried his bat right through an innings of 186. Watts (56) helped him to add 133 for the third wicket. Carew must be reckoned as near the veteran stage by now ; Watts is a much older man and has two sons playing in the team with him. Other veterans have done good work ; and where centuries are so rare half-centuries count for more than they do in the Eastern States. T. Hogue made 74 for Fremantle v. North Fremantle on November 22, and a week later H. A. Evers scored 72 for Perth v. Subiaco-Leederville. Bowlers have naturally shown up better. A. H. Christian, formerly of Victoria, has had such analyses as 7 for 38, 8 for 21, and 5 for 22, for North Perth ; that old hand, R. Selk, who has made several “ last appearances ” such as 7 for 37 and 5 for 25 for Claremont ; P. R. Le Couteur, the brilliant Oxonian al -1 rounder, such as 7 for 38 and 5 for 54 for University. For West Perth v. Subiaco-Leederville on November 29 Stephenson took 6 for 9. In Tasmania R. Pennycuick, a batsman of whom much may be hoped, hit up 204* for North Hobart v. New Town on Novem­ ber 8, on which day Hubert Myers, the Yorkshireman, engaged as coach by the T.C.A., made 67 for East v. South Hobart. In Launceston L. Thomas played a three-figure innings (exact score unstated) for East v. South Launceston. On November 22 the island’s crack bat, R. J. Hawson, scored 120 for New Town v. East Hobart, and a week later three centuries were registered, Woods making 101 for West Hobart v. New Town, and Wilkins a hard-hit 152, and C. H. Robinson a more sedate 103 for North v. South Hobart. H. Ironmonger, the Ipswich bowler, fairly earned his place in the Queensland team that visited Melbourne and Sydney. His good and steady bowling was quite the best feature of the Combined Country v. Metropolis game at Brisbane on Novem­ ber 15. He took 7 for 112 then. Joseph Thomson made 80 for Metropolis, who won very easily. The N.S.W. team on its way back from Brisbane played a one-dav match at Ipswich and Ironmonger took 4 for 72 in this game. The local team put up quite a good score— 254— VonLossberg making 93 and J. M’Cormack, the crack bat of the town, 58. N.S.W . scored 205 for 6, Kelleway (61) topping the list. Cecil Thompson, the University crack, who made a century v. N.S.W . at Sydney last season, but has been disappointing in the State matches this, made 73* in a total of 96 for his side v. Woolloongabba on November 29. Downey, another Queens­ land representative of the younger set, took 7 for 37 for Wooll— etc. W. T. Evans, who has been a certain selection but an uncertain starter (owing to difficulties in getting leave) for the state’s teams for more than a dozen years past, made 93 (in­ cluding 24 in one over off Alan Marshal) for Toombul v. North Brisbane. C. B. Barstow, who could not go south with the Queensland side, helped his team (Toombul) to an innings victory on the following Saturday, taking 6 for 43 and 3 for 54. Marshal scored 63 in the losers’ second innings. C. Hanify took 5 for 18 and C. Rowe 4 for 12 for Wooll— etc. v. University, and Wooll- and-the-rest-of-it, won outright by 185 runs after declaring their second innings. NEW ZEALAND . Centuries have been unusually plentiful in N.Z. cricket this season, more especially so in Wellington, where after a dull period of some years the game seems to be looking up remarks ably. Up to December 6 seven individual three-figure score- had been made there in Senior League Saturday games, while another made in the Wednesday Association deserves notice as the first of the season and as made by the son of an old inter-provincial representative, W. McGirr. These eight were :— Oct. 22.— H. McGirr, 102, Union v. Oriental. „ 25.— W. R. S. Hickson, 109, Central v. Victoria College. „ 25.— J. Barber, 104, Petone v. Hutt. Nov. 1.— W . A. Baker, 135, East A v. East B. „ 22.— W. A. Baker, 144*, East A v Central. ,, 22.— F. Joplin, 116, Victoria College v. Hutt.