CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2439, 2 March 1909, Page 3

CRICKET.

(Notes by “Short-slip.”) Last week provided something of a record in local cricket, in so tar that not a single competition match was played on either Thursday or baturdals Te Pau had disposed of United by and innigs and three runs on the first of the two Thursdays; set apart for their match, last Thursday was an off-day for these clubs.. . ' Neither Cosmopolitan nor Union put in an appearance for the opening of their match on Thursday, 18th, aiu. these teams were also conspicuous by their absence from Victoria Domain on Thursday last. . . .... Since Bob Cary, their guide, philosopher, and friend,” left for Auckland, the Cosmopolitan team appeal to have had no guiding hand at the helm of affairs, and have rolled up or stayed away from the competition matches as the sweet fancy of then Sayers willed. This club has anynumber of players, but is sadly lack“ftfeSSngfctthelTmonaub do not take the field regularly. They have a strong eleven, and have .an energetic secretary m George Tattei sail • but a number of the plaveis seem to have that tired feeling.which makes it well-night impossible .for the club to count with-any certainty on their taking the field with anything like a full side on Thursday. . The only match played at Victoria Domain Ist Thursday was between n team representing the Y.M.U.A. ana l Combined eleven, chosen from the m p Tlnited Wanderers, and TLnhfm The Y.M.O.A. avero l Mouthful side, but the strong oteven which was pitted aaginst them made the game very one-sided and unmto - “0"%. Webster, the newly-appointed S 3 bowled a useful mcdura-pace ball, whtets for 50 runs -is a bowler of more than ay ' LI nhilitv He has a distinct Sve from leg, and mystified Olsen, WnS' who'eS mishit ’the”ball, and W SS^eC?SS:.wmenter plavers are imbued vuth sufficient w thusiasm to roll up tor 1 ac . early morning, and consistent p tico will render the weakest-of teams formidable ip no time,

There was general disappointment at’ Victoria Domain on Saturday at the deadlock over the appointment of umpires which prevented the match between United and Wanderers being gone on with, The majority of the Te Rau and Taruheru players rolled up to see the match, and there was a much larger atendance than usual on the ground. .. v A scratch match was played at Victoria Domain on Saturday between sides picked by G. Lasker and W. Gibson. The scoring was low on both sides, the batsmen being all at sea on the,fast concrete pitch after coming off the tuff. The games resulted in a win for Lasker’s side by 73 to 68. Scroggie played a good innings of 40 for the losers, but - was -let off on four occasions-by the fieldsmen. Word has been received that the Motu Club will be unable to send a team to Gisborne this season. Local players will regret that the country club is unable to make their ''annual trip/ as the Motu players, have made themselves popular in Gisborne, and their visits were -always eagerly looked forward to. THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM. The selectors (Messrs F. A. Iredale (N.S.W.), P. A. McAlister (Victoria), and O. Hill (S.A.), met at Melbourne on Monday evening, the 15th, and completed the team to visit England. The completed team now consists of: •New South Wales—M. A. Noble, V. Trumper, W. Bardsley, S. E. Gregory, A. Cotter. H. Carter, C. G.Macartney, A. J. Hopkins. Victoria—AV. AA 7 . Armstrong, V. Ransford, P. A. McAlister, AA 7 . Carkeek.

South Australia—J. A. O’Connor, AV. J. AVhitty. Queensland —R. Hartigan. The is the inclusion of AVhitty,- the left-handed bowler (says “Not-out,” in the Sydney “Referee”). With the principle of having two lefthand bowlers on Hie side I strongly approves It has always been inscrutable why selectors of past teams should often have included no lefthander at all. Macartney will bo a much more deadly bowler in England than lie is here. AVhitty is a tall youth, who bowls a. good natural ball, but lie has had such limited experience in first-class cricket that this tour may, in a sense, be regarded in the light of a training or educational expedition for him. As any left-hand-er of average quality is a success in England, AVhitty may be expected to do well,, despite liis comparative inexperience. With the regular practice to be got on the tour, 'lie will also probably develop into a very useful rungetter, as since he has been playing regularly in club cricket at Adelaide lie has made surprising progress in that direction. There are, in my opinion, other left-handers of wider experience and more entitled to selection than Whitty. Nevertheless, one does nota - egard liis inclusion in the team as by any means open to criticism. It is good to know that at last" the selectors of 'an Australian team for .England have shown the requisite judgment in \selecting two left-hand bowlers. .In the matter of variety the bowling of this team is far superior to that of 1905 teaui. O’Connor being a different type from any of his predecessors, and the two lefthanders bringing in an element of attack missed match after match four years 'ago. If o'’Connor was lively with the ball to-day as he was seven years ago, one would predict much fun for him oil English wickets. As it is, he will do good work, but in 1902 he would have been a great bowler with the Australians.

The selection of the wicket-keepers has boon discussed on all sides. In Sydney the general feeling is that on the season’s form the two wicket-keep-ers should be C. R. Gorry and W. Carkeek, but Sydney people have not had an opportunity of seeing N. Dodds, the Tasmanian. On looking into the matter thoroughly, one is not prepared to say that H. Carter should have been omitted. It is very easy to say so irresponsibly, but Carter’s form last season was too good to be completely lost in a month or two. . He is still a young man —though there are streaks of grep in his hair- —and, if he be not worked too hard in England, lie will do' justice to his powers and credit to the team, both as batsman and wicket-keeper. Nevertheless, on this season’s form, Gorry is the ablest wicket-keeper I have seen. One supposes that he 'and N. Dodds will receive their recognition when the team is being sent to New” Zealand next Summer,

The passing of G. Hazlitt, the young Victorian bowler,,' is to be regretted. He is only 20 years of age, full of life and sting, -and possessing natural abilities of no ordinary -nature. He is already ,a good -and resolute batsman, a splendid fiijld, and a good bowler, who might easily become a deadly one on English wickets. ABOUT THE NEW LEFT-HANDER. AUSTRALIA’S NEW BATTING STAR. (From the Sydney “Referee.”) Warren Bardsley’s big innings at Melbourne, following two centuries on the Sydney ground, have brought him 'from the ruck into the forefront of Australian batsmen almost with one big bound. To judge by what one bears here and there, Bardsley’s higher nowers as batsman were riot known to many prior to this season. If so, it only tends to show how many who watch cricket are, in a .sense, blind or devoid of memory. This 264 at Melbourne is his sixth century in first-class cricket, each higher in point of numbers than its predecessors — viz., 107, 108, 119, 192, 264. Tli© left-hander is to be congratulated on his brilliant .'achievements ■and on the skill that has made these possible, for he lias built up his scoring strokes on -a very sturdy defence. Named after the town of Warren, where he. was born 25 years ago, lie was educated at the Forest Lodge Superior Public School, of which his father is headmaster, so that the school will have two old boys in the team for England, A. Cotter being the other. _ All his cricket has been played with the Glebe Cricket Club, his first hundred having been compiled for the second eleven an -1900-1, followed by. 102 not out in the same season against Paddington at Hampden Park, when M'. A. Noble was a great force, as bowler, on the best wickets. In first-class cricket W- Bardsley has had to field in the country, as a rule. 'For the club he made a big

reputation at point, and the contcn/tion of followers of Hie club that he has no superior in ‘that position in New South, Wales is not by any means £ ‘stretching it.” However, he is good anywhere in the field, with a very sure pair of hands, and a. swift return. He differs from some of liis club-mates from the fact that lie tries for catches that might seem impossible, rather than wait for the ball on the hop, and, as a result, he brings off some surprising catches. If some of the other young- men of the Glebe —or elsewhere—were to think over this and. make up their minds to do likewise, they would enhance the fielding powers of the side and make the bowlers feel a little more thankful than at present they have 'reason to be. - .

Warren Bardsley is a teetotaller and non-smoker. His enthusiasm for cricket is exemplified in his practising before the start of each season at six o’clock in the morning. And after the season has started lie frequently turns out te practise at that hour, primarily to give his chum, C. Kell away, the opportunity of practising, which lux otherwise would have to do without, owing to Ills business (on the staff of the. North Coast Steamship Co.) necessitating his attention each afternoon and night. Warren Bardsley is in the Civil Ser-' vice in the Department of Justice—so that he has no difficulty about practice. *

THE OTAGO V. SOUTHLAND MATCH. A DISQUALIFICATION DIFFICULTY. (Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, March 1. Tho Southland Cricket Association to-night considered the position in which it is placed by tho ruling of the Sports Federation, causing three of the players selected for tho Otago v. Southland match to be considered disqualified, as by purchase of members’ tickets they have become members of the Caledonian Society, though in two cases at least tho membership was confined to merely donating the Society the price of tho ticket, and the membership was purely passive. The Association has wired to the Otago Association as follows: “Owing to the unjust treatment we have received from the New Zealand Cricket Council, wo" have decided to postpone the match until we have placed our own case before tho Council, as we cannot endorse disqualification placed on the members.” To the New Zealand Cricket Council the Southland Association has wired: “Your Council are respectfully requested to allow the match Otago v. Southland to be played on AA 7 ednesday .as arranged, and that action be suspended until we 1 have stated our case to the Council, as we have very serious reasons for asking •that the disqualification of the Southland players bo removed. Urgent. The position is that the match, which was set down for AVednesday, and for which everything is m tiim, will have to be postponed unless the permission to play be granted by the New Zealand Council in time for the Otago players to-be notified ear.y-to-morrow afternoon.