News Reports 1913

Cricket

The Northam Cricket Association games will he resumed on Saturday the holidays. The St. John's team meet the Wesleys on the East Northam ground. The Wesley team will be chosen from the following: J. Mayersbeth, Cock, Caddy, A. Taylor, Marshall, H. Byfield, Mettem (2), Hammer, D. Carra, and Thomas.

The St. John's team will be Easton, Hawtin, Smitherom, Thackrah (2), Morrell (2), Larkin, Viveash, Marshall and Lawson, with Tucker first emergency.

The other match, Country v. West Northam, will be played on the West Northam ground, the Country players being selected from D. Beard, Carter (3), Enright (2), Greenwood, Meeres, J. Martin, G. Worrell, W. Nimel, M. Sermon, F. Watson and R. Webb.

Source: Northam Courier (WA : 1909 - 1922) Fri 3 Jan 1913 Page 3

Cricket

This afternoon, after a recess extending over the Christmas holidays, the Northam Cricket Association will resume the playing of their fixtures. Wesleys will meet St John's on the East Northam ground, and will choose their team from the following:- Cock, Caddy, J. Mayersbeth, A. Taylor, Marshall, H. Byfield, Mettam (2), Hammer, D. Carra, and Thomas. St John's will put the following in the field Easton, Hawtin, Smetherham, Thackrah (2), Morrell (2), Larkin, Viveash, Marshall, and Lawson. Emergency, Tucker ....

Source: The Northam Advertiser (WA : 1895 - 1918; 1948 - 1955) Sat 4 Jan 1913 Page 3

CRICKET TRAINING NOTES.

On dit [sic] that for that forthcoming event of the cricket year, the match Northani Hotel versus Northam Brewery, Leslie and Holden leave their pillows at or before six each morning, and either take a drive out round the racecourse and back, or down Spencer's Brook way, or try their fielding and wicket-keeping form by a special scheme that tries their skill to the utmost. These prominent members of the Hotel team have a pen of fowls specially trained to rush the gate in turn when it is held open. They take turns manipulating the gate, whilst the other fields the rocketting fowls, and returns them over the fence. The only objection that can be raised to the performance is the plea put in by the cook that the fowls suffer from abrasions, whilst some of the later rising members of the team hold that the chooks' [sic] hysterics spoil their beauty sleep. A prominent Breweryite, who has led the Pretoria team to victory times out of number, has started dieting himself: he has even gone to the extreme length of having his usual bed side jug of beer changed to one of water. The Hotel team professes to be confident of achieving victory. They have offered to lend the Brewery supporters two of their best men who wrest a living out of this unfeeling world as servants of the State, so that a topographical plan of the field of battle at Spencer's Brook may be prepared, in order that the leather-hunting task of the Barley-corns may be made one that they can reasonably engage in without fear of being lost.

The match takes place at Spencer's Brook on Sunday next, drags leaving between 12 and 1 o'clock. The Hotel team will be chosen from Messrs. Leslie, Holden, Cook, MeEvoy, Lamphyee, Tully, Kennedy, Anderson. Flaherty, East on, Gent, Bower, and Griffiths.

The Brewery team will be as follows:- S. Beard, Coscan, Sampson Hyde, Sanders, Williams, Spice, Sero, Coutts, Hawtin, and Mayersbeth.

Source: Northam Courier (WA : 1909 - 1922) Fri 17 Jan 1913 Page 3

PRODUCERS v. CONSUMERS.

It is hoped that the term "Consumers wil not hurt the susceptionities of the Northam Hotel team trusting that it will not, it will be used to distinguish them from the beer producers, the Brewery team, their opponents. As the result much argument, and in consequent of many expcessions [sic] of opinion as to the relative merits of the two teams, as announced in this paper, a meeting of the representatives of the Bar and Brewery was arranged for Sunday last at Spencer's Brook. At one o'clock, to the moment the backbone of the two teams met at the "Northam," and boarded the drag for the field of battle. Without serious casualties the warriors arrived safely, preceded by the chariot conveying the representatives of this paper (for their sins included. in the "Consumers" team) and followed by an imposing cavalcade of horsemen and cyclists with a tail of at least a dozen motors, buggies, and sulkies. Without loss of time, the commanding officers of the opposing forces arranged the conditions of the combat, and tossed for the first use of the wickets. Hawtin, of the Producers, was worsted by Captain Easton the other side, who decided to send his opponents in to bat, and the dessicated hopes (the day was of the hottest, be it known) of the Consumers gradually dampened as the perspiration poured off them in their mighty efforts to exterminate their presumptious opponents, for the nonce in the position of the task master without conscience! The flounders of Flaherty, and the antics of Anderson; the plucky persistence of Holden, whose zeal a genial lady barracker of the Consumers tried hard to keep from turning into threatened apoplexy; Kennedy's a o ?re?ngs in the deep field, and the cataclysmal efforts of Cook to overcome the difficulties that befell him were all effective in terrorising the enemy, shivering their shoes as they attempted to ward off the venomous bombardment of their wickets and persons by Gent, Clements, Tulley, Turner and Co., aided and abetted by Easton with the gloves. After a heroic struggle against the heavy odds, the last man of the Brewery host retreated to the bush canteen, and for a few moments the keg of Barleycorn, thoughtfully provided by the Brewery proprietors, supplied new strength to the warring teams. The happy soiree was about to be terminated for the resumption of hostilities, when both McClements and Flaherty saw snakes under the keg (it is presumed that they crawled out through the incautiously opened bunghole.) Mac got first blow in and Flaherty continued murdering others until he discovered there was only one, and it was dead by the hand of McClements. In the turmoil Captain Cook, the man who discovered Australia, and the Brewery team, lost his voice, and it has not yet been completely recovered.

With a score of 143 set them upon which to win, tie or wrangle, the Hotel represemtatives opened their innings. Turner lost his chance of proving what he was worth by being bowled first ball by Mayersbeth; two other members of the team, Holden and Anderson, kept him from feeling lonely as he gazed at his "duck," but other Consumers so finished the bowling that by the time the struggle had ended with the dismissal of the last hireling of the corn ????isary (the scribe), the Consumers had knocked up the handy little score of 175, and the Producers went home well beaten. The following are the scores

In sober seriousness the outing was a most enjoyable one, there being not a regrettable incident for the day. The thanks of all concerned in the match are due to the proprietors of the Northern Brewery for a generous supply of badly needed liquid refresh ment, and to Mr. J. Bignell, the stationmaster at Spencer's Brook, for his kindness in assisting in getting the ground ready for the players, and then in lending a scoring book to record their efforts! A peculiar coincidence is to be noted if Easton's score is analysed: he hit nine 4's (36) and six 6's (also 36), in a score of 88. his singles numbered eight, and his four 2's equalled them in value.

Source: Northam Courier (WA : 1909 - 1922) Fri 24 Jan 1913 Page 4
also Goomalling-Dowerin Mail (WA : 1911 - 1916) Fri 24 Jan 1913 Page 4

St. Patrick's Sports.

The handicapper for the pedestrian events (Mr W. P. Rumble) has allotted the following marks:-

It may be mentioned that the A. Williams handicapped is a youth living at West Northam.

....

Source: Northam Courier (WA : 1909 - 1922) Fri 21 Mar 1913 Page 2
also Goomalling-Dowerin Mail (WA : 1911 - 1916) Fri 21 Mar 1913 Page 2