Cricket 1914

November, 1914. THE WORLD OF CRICKET. 485 junior competitions. The accession of Barton King has strength­ ened Philadelphia greatly. Halifax Cup winners met Philadelphia Cup winners (both, of course, being Philadelphia C.C. teams) on September 19. Each side batted one hour, fifty-five minutes under Philadelphia Cup rules. The Halifax Cup team scored 200 (A. G. Scattergood 58), the other side 141 for 7 (H. R. Cartwright 65). N EW ZEALAND. Prospects for the game in Wellington for the season are said not to be too bright. Sir Cecil Moon, Bart., now resident in Christchurch, will probably represent the Wellington C.A. on the New Zealand Cricket Council as a direct delegate. Hitherto Wellington, like most of the other associations, has been represented by proxies from Christchurch at all but the more important meetings of the Council. In Dunedin they are naturally expecting much from John Crawford’s coaching and play. It is proposed to run a team of the younger players from all the clubs in the Senior Competi­ tion under the name and style of Crawford’s Team. The University will also have a team in the competition for the first time. It is not thought likely that either of the projected tours— Fijian or Queensland—through New Zealand will materialise, in view of the changed situation created by the war. AUSTRALIA. The jubilee of the Victorian Cricket Association falls this year. Mr. R. W. Wardill (brother of Major B. J.) was the founder of the V.C.A., for he issued the circular which convened the meeting at which it originated. This was held at the Clarence Hotel, Melbourne, on October 10. 1864. At that meeting Mr. W. C. Haines was elected president, Messrs. Philip Johnson and William Hammill vice-presidents, Mr. R. W. Wardill hon. treasurer, Mr. M. E. O ’Brien hon. secretary, and the following nine the committee :—Messrs. W. J. Hammersley, D. S. Camp­ bell, E. Fowler, H. Creswick, M. E. Mortimer. J. C. Brodie, T. F. Hamilton, A. Hardcastle, and W. C. Biddle. Several of these had appeared for Victoria v. N.S.W'. or v. Tasmania. Hammersley was an old Cambridge blue. Fowler afterwards migrated to New Zealand, and was for many years one of Canterbury's chief players. A presentation of a grand piano and an illuminated address was made to Frank Laver on September 10 at Scott's Hotel, Melbourne, where Mr. Ivor Evans took the chair, and among those present were Hugh Trumble, W. W . Armstrong, W . Ingleton George Gordon, George Robertson, and S. McMichael. Among letters of apology for non-attendance received was one from M. A. Noble. The presentation was a wedding gift. Laver has very many friends in this country, and they will all be glad to hear of the enthusiasm which marked the gathering. M. A. Noble and Peter McAlister has each lost his mother lately. Mr. and Mrs. Clem Hill are in mourning for a little son. L. Wr. Chamberlain, the South Australia cricketer, is now in Sydney, and is expected to turn .out for North Sydney. The N.S.W. C.A. grade premierships opened on Oct. 3 and 5 At the 54th annual general meeting of the East Melbourne C.C., the Chairman, Canon E. S. Hughes, referred in glowing terms to the career of Peter McAlister, who has now been for 25 years a member of the club, and last season headed the batting averages with 50-75 for 16 innings. In all first eleven games for the club he has played 300 innings, 39 not out, for 11-077 runs—average 41*33. In pennant games his average is 45*28. His complete record (club, inter-state, and international) is 503 innings, 56 not out, 16,578 runs—average 37-44. He has made nine centuries for Victoria and 30 (2 in 1913-4) for East Melbourne. McAlister is to be presented w'ith a copy of his record printed on silk and framed in silver. He has been elected a honorary life member of the club. Canon Hughes said of him : “ A few years ago he stood with his back to the wall, surrounded by those who did not understand. Then Peter found who were his true friends. His silver top is the outward or visible token of the character of the man—white, clean metal right through. There never has been a cleaner sport.” F. Baring was presented at the meeting with a gold sovereign case “ as a slight solatium for missing the trip to South Africa." The total receipts of the Melbourne Club in 1913-4 were £12,051. Expenditure swallowed £11.421 of this. The club is in its seventy-sixth year. The Carlton C.C. (Melbourne) has just celebrated its jubilee,, and a history of the club has been published in book form. Among the many fine players who have assisted Carlton may be mentioned George Gibson, Tom Hovan (though he soon went to East Melbourne, the club of his truest affections), John Blackham. James TOrnnick, Frank Walters, William Midwinter, Sam Morris. T. Hastings. T. S. Warne, John Worrall, Matthew Ellis, J. V. Saunders, Harry Graham (for a brief space only), Harry Trott (also a bird of passage), F. Delves and W. Sewart. Warne has played many years, and has a record for the club (1892-3 to 1913-4) of 190 innings, 36 not out, 8401 runs. Average 54 55. He totalled over iooo for Carlton in 1898-9), when his average was 126-37. Last season the club’s revenue was £ 1022, its expenditure ^ I 359 » revealing a deficit of £327. But it has assets valued at nearly £1000. SOUTH AFRICA. There will be no League cricket in Durban this season, it is said, owing to the war. On the Rand the First League began operations 011October 10, when Crown Mines scored 241 (ten doubles, S. Rose Innes 51 highest) v. Wanderers ; the other Wanderers team made 200 (Frank 47) v. Germiston ; and East Rand Union totalled 194 (Deane 54) v. Pirates. It goes almost without saying that there will be no Currie Cup Competition this year, and cricket in most districts is sure to suffer more or less. WEST IND IES. P. H. Tarilton (101) and H. O. EmptageT(98) put up a big stand for the first wicket of Pickwick v. Sparton in August Wanderers v. Spartan in September yielded heavy scoring. R. Challenor scoring 161 for Wanderers, and C. A. Browne 193. for their opponents. Tarilton made 107 and 90* (innings declared closed) for Pickwick v. Spartan on October 10, and again he and Emptage (89 in the second innings) had a long partnership. CEYLON. V. T. Dickman ran up 118* for Nondescripts v. Sports Club at Colombo on September 12th. Up to September 7 A. L. Gibson headed the batting averages in good class cricket in the island, with 467 runs at an average of 46-70. A. F. West (544) had the highest aggregate. The leading bowlers were C. Horan (81 wickets at 9-4 each) and W. T. Greswell (58 at 9 5). — ----------------+ ----- A m o n g the professionals attached to the various clubs of the Durham Senior League Rotherv (Yorkshire) was the most successful batsman this year. He totalled 712, with the capital average of 39-56. Weight (529—31-11). James, late of Notts (442—27-62), Dennis Hendren (419—23-27), and Milam (417—23-16) were the others with averages of over 20. S m it h (whose batting average was 19-77) took most wickets—89 at 11-58 each. Morris had 83 at 12-27, Harry 82 at 10-43, Milan 71 at 13-08. These four were at the head of the list. Weight had 67 wickets, Holsinger 62, Hendren 61, Kitchener 55, and Clough 48, the worst average of the five being no higher than 16-25 (Kitchener). James and Rotherv do not count as bowlers. H. P. C l o d e (who formerly played for Surrey as a pro.) was second to Rothery in the general batting averages, with 575 at 35-94. With totals of over 500 one notes the names of Hubert Brooks, C. Y„ Adamson, J. J. Common, T. Patterson, and J. Carter, with averages ranging from 31-93 to 29-56. A. F. Maynard (35-62) and G. Gibson (32-08) topped these in the averages, but did not play as many innings or make as many runs. Thirty players having 8 innings or more averaged over 20 (there are twelve clubs in the League), and 28 more 16 and over. A n amateur figured ahead of all the pros, in the bowling table, A. H. Walton taking 90 wickets at 9*10 each. Other amateurs who did good work with the ball were C. Y. Adamson (65 at 11-47), H. P. Clode (88 at 11-59), J- Bewick (60 at 11-65), J. Thackeray (52 at I2‘i I ), J. Roberts (53 at 13-33), and S. W. Smith (56 at 14 33). All of these, it will be noted, took 50 or more wickets. The standard of play in the League is high, and emulation keen.