Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-02
BASE BALL BEATS CRICKET
Public in Australia Abandons Lat.
ter, but Takes Kindly to
Former Game.
CoILEG1AES ARE TO MAKE TOUR

SYDNEY. Australia. May 1.-The steady
detection from cricket on the part OF the
public and the unsatisfactory showing
made by the English game both as re-
CARDS players and finances-a correlation
OF factH which Is quite the most striking
feature OF Australion sport at present
has Just led to FORMATIVE measures by
the New South wales Cricket association
In an effort to stem this tide Of unpopu-
larity. Whether these will regain for
cricket the place It lie losing remains 10
be seen. At all events this statement by
M. A. Noble. one of the greatest OF Aus-
tr1lian orioketers and an internationaIist
Of fame. IN a recent interview IN a sgd
ney newspaper under tho striking title.
'Ts Cricket on Its Last Iegs7" IL sig
nificant
surf bathing IL undoubtedly attracting
many old followers OF the game. The new
Richmond which has come into the field
base BAH. II the cricketers are not care
full ts going TO have big pull In shtur-
day afternoon sport. IL seems that the
interest and enthusiasm In base ball in
crease every week II r. a quicker game,
ana 20 my mind a decided menace. to
cricket though a criciSetor who Is now
playing base ball told me he does not
think 20. In winter the base ballers are
able to secure gates worth $50 and $500
per match. sum which club cricket
never attracted. Nowadays the (cricket)
grounds are thrown open to. the public,
but the players have the grounds mainly
to themselves. since the public have found
other forms Of entertainment"
Incidentally, when Noble was playing
cricket-he retired five years ago from
the sport-he was also something OF a
bsse ball player, for In his time he and
the other leading oricketers IN the Com
monwealth played bail during the winter
months-July. August and September-to
keep themselves IN trim for cricket and
not few OF these took advantage OF
their return trips from matches In Eng
land 70 witness base bah games IN the
United States.
Another phase Of this antipodean lean
ing toward base hall IL the base ball tour
Of Australia and possibly New Zealand.
which has been lately projected by the
base ball authorities OF Leland Stanford
university. The California collegIans
seem 20 have bocome imbued with the
idea that the antIpodes are ripe for a
series Of games down under next win
ter. but the base bailists here have ad-
vised them that until the war lie over
such an undertaking would not pay
When peace has been declared. however,
trip Of the kind IL quite probable, and
81 IA quite as probable that the Americans
would receive as much popular support
as they have during their vacation tours
of Hawaii and Japan A Sydney daily !
says Of this project:
1T has been said that the sportsmon |
OF the United States are ambitious 20
make a peaceful conquest OF this country |
by knocking cricket out with base ball. |
And just at present. as IL explained on |
the sporting page. excited by the success
Of tho Giants and white sox.' Stanford |
A. trying 10 arrange base ball |
tour hore for the coming winter. Winter
base bali has been played in sydney for
some years mainly by cricketers. But, |
though Il IL by rights a summer game, I
base ball has been played here In summer
only a couple OF seasons. Any American
who thinks this country likely 20 throw
cricket over for his national game must
be possessed OF quite a fair share of his
characteristics confidence But I
hat the possibility could even have been /
conceived says something. And, what is
more. Il says II against the cricket and
nricketers OF today. In the Sheffield
Shield matches New South Wales and
Victoria aid not average more than
couple Of hundred runs a day-a total
that once upon time Trumper and Duff
would have knocked together comfovta-
bly, before lunch. What Is the matter
with cricket. anyhow Have not our
bstsmen any onterprisef''