CRICKET

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3750, 8 February 1913, Page 9

CRICKET

(By “Short-Slip.”) TO-DAY’S FIXTURES. ~ -—Seniors. — Wanderers v. Alhambra, Victoria Domain. - Kia Kaha v. Yirulieru, at Taruheru. United, a bye, Matawhero v. Wanderers, Civil Service a bye. , —Schools Competition.— Mangapapa v. Gisborne, Te Hapara v. Kaiii. THOSE WANDERERS. Those terrible fellows, the Wanderers, are still ~ ..Tying all before them in the senior <. ampetition. They inflicted a crushing defeat on United in the match which concluded at Taruheru on Saturday last, the margin being as wide as an uinitigs and 169 runs, and this after the Wanderers had declared their innings closed with only four wickers down. It was a splendid start which Harry Eiiis and Jim Moore gave their tide in putting on 227 for the first racket.

This established a new record for the district for an opening partnership. The 165 put on by W. Gibson (98) and E. R. Ludbrook 57 for Poverty Bay against the United Club at Napier in 1901 stood as the record in local cricket until last season, when W. Gibson (110) and 0. R. Olsen (70) put on 189 for United against Wanderers at Victoria , Domain.

This record went by the board on the 23rd of last month, when 0. R. Olsen and M. Guthrie, who both passed the century, put on 193 for Alhambra against Kia Kaha at Victoria Domain.

Moore and Ellis on Saturday last thus put all previous records in the shade, and I fancy their 227 will stand for some time.

Harry Ellis is the only first-grade Australian player who has ever taken part in local cricket. That he is in the front rank both as a batsman and wicketkeeper is proved by the fact that lie was looked upon as a likely candidate for the Australian eleven at one time.

He represented Auckland in Plunket Shield match this season, so it will be seen that he is a player good enough to take his place in the very best of company. His 132 against United was a sterling innings. The finished batsman was there all the time. Every delivery was met by the full face of the blade, while he scored repeatedly off balls which the ordinary batsman would have been content to simply play. In addition to being a 'first-class player, Ellis is a competent coach, anc! holds many testimonials, including one from the Christchurch Boys’ High School, for efficiency in this direction.

What a fine thing it would be for local cricket if the local Cricket Association could devise ways and means to appoint this capable player as groundsman and coach! His advice to the younger players would he invaluable, while his experience and capabilities as a groundsman would speedily result in improvement in the wickets and outfields. The wherewithal to bring Jack Board to Napier for the past three seasons has been found by patrons of the game in Hawke’s Bay, and Jack is no groundsman, but a coach pure and .simple. If the: matter were brought prominently before patrons of the game in Poverty Bay, perhaps a sufficient amount would he forthcoming to engage the services of Ellis. By having a capable man always present on the ground to bowl to them and coach them, the youngsters of the district would be encouraged to take more interest in the game. If the local Association were to engineer a scheme which would result in the engagement of a permanent groundsman and coach, their names would be handed down to posterity as benefactors, and the rising generation of cricketers would call them blessed. Local plavers were pleased to see that the local Association had requested Mr 0. R. Olsen, the sole selector, to canvass the players with the object of sending a representative team to Napier this month. It is to be hoped that all cricketers will make a ready response, so that the selector may be. able" to select the strongest possible side. , There can be no question but tiiat Poverty Bay can place a very strong eleven in the field at the present time. Outside the four centres I consider Poverty Bav has the strongest combination to place in the field, not even excepting Hawke’s Bay. Now is the time for the Poverty Bay representatives to-go abroad, and prove what they can do. In a few years, the strong array of players at present in the district may have spread their wings, and sought fresh, woods and pastures new. Let us hope that the full strength of the district will be available for the battle against Jack Board and Co. The meeting between Wanderers and Alhambra at Victoria Domain today is causing keen interest. Both teams are running level in the : van for the Barry Cup, neither having so far suffered a defeat. The last meeting between the sides resulted in _a draw, though greatly in favor of the Wanderers. Alhambra, however, can place a very strong eleven in the field, and they 'should give the redoubtable Wanderers a good run for their money to-day.

THE INVASION FROM THE COAST. Matters have been quite lively in cricketing circles of late. It has been quite a pleasant duty to have to record the string of tall scores which have been put up during the last fortnight. The visit of our Tqkomaru Bay friends made a pleasing break from the monotony of meeting the same old faces. And right well did the men from the Coast perform during the four days’ play at Victoria Domain. That 399 for six wickets on the Monday was a performance which could not well have been improved upon by any of our town elevens. Sam Mills’ 142, not out, in this innings, was a capital effort. The young left-hander hit well all-round the wicket, while employing the soundest of defence in keeping the good' ones out. Sam was, a coupe of years ago, a regular and capable performer for the old Y.M.C.A. team, and this is not the first century he has hit up on Victoria Domain. \ Joe Oates, the broad-shouldered Coast stumper, treated the bowlers with scant respect in banging up 71 in the same innings.. He, too, is a left-hander, and is of the type whom it is not wise to allow to remain too long at the wickets. \ The Tokomaru men should have won the game on Tuesday. They proved that they had a good bowling side by getting rid of the Town eleven for 97 runs.

When their turn came to hat, however, they coukl only total 90. What a reversal in form from their batting on the previous day! The Coast men were doing well in th‘e representative match until Scholium routed them on resuming on the isecond day. The Tokomaru trundlers stuck gamely to their work on the Wednesday, and did exceedingly well in getting rid of the Poverty Bay eleven for 261.

Coombe, G. Oates, W. Oates. Mill, Keane, Reed and J. Gibson all howled steadily, and at no time was the bowling collared. The Town men had to play for their runs all the time, and were kept very quiet. The Tokomaru Bay men were shaping well, with 80 up for four wickets at the close of the first day’s play. -No one looked for the utter collapse which occurred when the match was resumed on Thursday morning. Never before has such a sensational piece of bowling been done in a rep. match as was accomplished by Wenzl Scholium on this occasion.

And the funny part of the performance was that Gibson, the Poverty Bay captain, did not intend to bowl Scholium in opening. A strong nor’-wester was blowing, and the Town skipper had made up his mind to open with Billy Atkinson from the pavilion end and Harry Jones from the seaward side, reasoning that the' strong cross wind would help the leg; break of the former and the off-break of the latter. Finding that Atkinson had bowled the last over the night before, Gibson tossed the ball to Scholium, and told him to send down an over to enable Atkinson to take up the attack from the pavilion end. Scholium seized his opportunity in rare style. With the stiff breeze behind him, he made the ball fairly fly from the pitch. The first ball struck the handle of Reed’s bat and flew over the heads of the slips to the boundary. This was the only runs scored off Scholium during the remainder of the innings. He was like a bowler inspired, and the Coast men found him absolutely unplayable. In all he captured five wickets for 4 runs—as brilliant a bit of bowling work as has ever been performed on a local field. From four for 84, the whole Coast team were out for 98.

. A humorous incident occurred during Scholium’s brilliant howling spurt. Turuki Pere was standing back at the wickets fully a dozen yards to the express trundler. He caught George Oates in that position off a snick, but Umpire Thelwall negatived the appeal, as the high wind prevented him from hearing the snick.

A few balls later Brown touched one distinctly, and George Harker. standing at first slip in a.line with the stumper, threw up his left hand and appealed loudly with the rest of the fielding side. The ball flew at rare pace into Turuke’s gloves, and before one could say knife it had bounced out again into Harter’s outstretched hand.

George maintains that he made a brilliant catch, hut a. wag on the Town side insisted that Harker simply held up his hand for the appeal and the ball lodged in his open palm. Be that as it may, the batsman had to go, and the catch went down to George’s credit on the score sheet. The Tokomaru men were defeated by ten wickets, the Town men only requiring to get 5 runs to win in their second innings. The Coast team made themselves very popular during their stay by their sportsmanlike qualities and unassuming demeanor both on and off the field. They will find a warm welcome awaiting them whenever they return to Gisborne, and many local players have expressed a strong desire to he allowed to accompany a team to renew acquaintance with the merry men of Tokomaru Bay.

Victor Tram per was the first Australian to make four centuries in test matches. His scores were 135*, at Lords, 1899; 185*, at Sydney, in 1903; 104 at Manchester, in 1902; 113 at Adelaids Oval, in 1904.

J. M. Blaekham has visited England as a member of an Australian team upon eight occasions. . iSyd. Gregory has also been home eight times. Blaekham ‘ was in the teams of 1878, 1880, JBB2, 1884, 1886, 1888, 1890,' 1893, and Gregory with those of 1890, *893. 1896, 1899- 1902, 1905, 1909, 1912. » * * Dick Burrows established a record for first-class cricket in a match between Worcestershire and Lancashire at Old Trafford in 1911. He howled Huddleston on the first day of the match with a hall which sent the leg hail over the boundary. It was hurled 67yu 6in, when it hit some ironwork, and hit it hard. ' The three best .performances of this nature in first-class cricket are: 1911—67 yd 6in, Burrows, for Worcestershire v. Lancs., at Manchester

(when howling Huddleston). 1901—64 yd 6in, Burrows, for Worcestershire v. Lancs., at Manchester (when bowling A. O. MacLaren). 1896—63 yd 6in, Mold, for Lancashire v. Surrey, at the Oval (when bowling Lohman).

In a minor county match, the record is 70yd 18in, by A. F. Morcom,

for Bedfordshire v. Suffolk, at Luton, in 1896. An Australian performance beats all these. Joyce; playing for. Anthony Hordern and Sons v. Surrey United, at Moore Park, Sydney, in 1894, knocked a bail 73yd.

After Oliff had performed the hat trick for Auckland against Wellington a' collection was taken up spontaneously among the spectators, and in a few minutes just on £5 was subscribed, and unofficially handed to the bowler. He received a token of appreciation also from a well-known explayer, whose tribute had a humorous touch. He presented the bowler with an order on a firm of mercers for a hat, with the stipulation that the hat should be a bell-topper- Hemus, the Auckland skipper, was also presented by an anonymous enthusiast with half-a-guinea, with which to purchase a trophy as a souvenir of the match. The gift was in recognition of Hemus having made ton score for Auckland.