CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3551, 15 June 1912, Page 9

CRICKET.

TRIANGULAR CONTESTTHE TEST MATCHES. May 27—At Manchester, Australia v. South Africa. Australia won by an innings and S 8 runs. June 10—At Lord’s, England v. South Africa. England won by an innings and 62 runs. June 24 —At Lord’s, England v. Australia. July B—At8 —At Leeds, England v. South Africa. July 15—At Lord’s, Australia v South Africa.July 29 —-At Manchester, England v. Australia. August s—At5 —At Nottingham,, Australia -v. South Africa. August 12—At the Oval, England v. South Africa. August 21—At the Oval, England v. Australia. THE AUSTRALIANS’ FIXTURES. JUNE.

17 —At the'Oval, v Surrey. 20 —At Bath, v Somerset. 24—ENGLAND, At Lord’s. 27 —At Leyton, v Essex. SOUTH AFRICAN FIXTURES. JUNE. —At Bath, -v. Somerset. 20 —In Glamorgan, v. South Wales. 24 —At Edinburgh, r. Scotland. 27 —At Glasgow, v. Scotland. THE DOWNFALL OF SOUTH AFRICA. ARE THEY OUT OF THEIR CLASS?■ (Notes by “Short-Slip.”) The crushing defeat of an innings and 62 runs inflicted by England npon South Africa in the second of the test matches, which commenced at Lord’s on Monday, points to the fact that South Africa, are scarcely class enough to compete oni even terms with England and Australia. It will be remembered 'that Austra-

lia outplayed South Africa at Manchester on May 27 and 28 to the extent of an innings and 88 runs. The men 'from the Cape are most inconsistent performers. One clay they will perform most crudely, while the next they will be as brilliant as any of the best elevens of the older cricketing countries. It was unfortunate that rain badly affected the wicket for the big match on Monday last.

Frank Mitchell, the South African captaim, must (have been in a serious, quandary when he won the toss from C. B. Fry as to whether to bat first or send his opponents to the wickets. Eventually ho decided to do what probably most other captains would have done in hie place—to bat. On the treacherous wicket, Barnes and Foster were irresistible, as the whole side fell for 58. The two great English trundlers were ini deadly bowling form, and aided by the had wicket, made the ball talk. Spooner, Woolley, Warner, Rhodes, and Fry all did well with the bat for England, whose 337 was a good performance on a wicket which must have been far from perfect. Pegler, the youthful left-hander, trundled in LrilliantMorm for South Africa. He was in deadly form after lunch on the second day, when he howled six over, including two maidens, and captured six wickets for 16 runs.

Hut Pegler’s brilliant rush came too late. South Africa could only total 217 in their second inings, and were beaten by an. innings and 62-

C. B. Llewellyn, the. Hampshire professional, made a fine effort in the Cape men’s second essay. Llewellyn was qualified to play for both England and South Africa, but decided to throw in with the Africans. England and South Africa, last met in South Africa in 1909-10, when the Colonists won three and lost two of the Test matches- Tire last South African team in England played three Test matches, England winning one and the other two being drawn. In all 22 Test matches have been played, England having won 13 and South Africa 7, with two drawn.

INDOMITABLE PLUGK

CRICKET CAMPAIGN PLANNED ON A SICK BED.

(From the Derby Express.)

There was a great gathering of cricketers at the dinner given by the Essex County C.C. to Mr .1. "NY. H. T. Douglas, in honor of the great victories of the English team in Austra-

Mr Douglas, who still wears the nut-brown sunburn of the Antipodes, made a modest speech in reply to his toast, in which, be referred to the chances of the Australian team which will come to this country to try to win back “the Ashes-”

“In my opinion,” lie said. “Australia will have a very dangerous team of young cricketers to send over here, and no one can foretell the result."

He told an amusing story against himself of an incident which occurred during one of the Test matches in Amiralin-

“4iter bating for three hours and five minutes,” lie said, “one of. the crowd shouted, “Look out Dongles, there is a policeman coining, and you will he pinched for loitering.” Referring to Mr Warner’s illness, Mr Douglas described an incident which occurred in Sydney. “I visited Warner in his room.” lie said, “ and found him dreadfully ill, but his marvellous spirit over-rode his illness, and he sat up. and drew a plan of the field, discussed every possible combination of players who might be opposed to ns, and decided on the placing of our men to meetevery contingency. “I do not think there could be a finer example of wliat Warner is made of than this instance of pluck when he was dangerously ill.”

AN ALTERATION IN THE- RULES

At the annual mee'ting of the M.C.C. at Lord’s on May 2, an addition was made.to Law 28, which i,r as follows: “If in running, or at any other time, when the ball is in play he (either batsman.) be out of his ground, and his wicket be stiuck down by the ball after touching a-ny fieldsman, or by the hand or arm, with ball, in hand, of any fieldsman —'Run cut.’ ” The additional words, which were unanimously carried, are : “But the striker may not be given out thus unless the ball has touched the bat or hand, when, in playing at a no-ball he is out of his ground and the wicket be put down by tbe wieketkeper with the ball, or with hand or arm with ball ill hand.” The addition was rendered necessary bv the discussion, that arose in England two years ago through some umpires having given batsmen out stumped from a no-ball-