ENGLAND V. AUSTRALIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XVI, Issue 3807, 21 October 1882, Page 3 (Supplement)

ENGLAND V. AUSTRALIA.

[FItOJI OUR LONDON CORRESFOKDENT.] Defeat of the Colonials by the Players. Tin: great match between the invincible Colonial team of cricketers, and the renowned Plavctd of England, commenced at the Oval Ground on Aug. 10, in the presence of a deeply interested tliroDg, which, considcriug the time of year, and the fact of both upper and middle classes of society beiug out of town, was astonishingly 1 irg■>. Til i colonial team hod, up to this time, been three mouths in England, and suffered defeat ouly once. On two other decision", it is true, tho drawn fjarn was vary decidedly against the Australians, as far »s it had gone. At fie Orleans Clnb, Murdoch's grind bowling alone saved them fr mi a crushing and probably a single innings defeat, while at tho unfinished match at Lords, tho M.C.C, and Ground were 104 runs a-head in the first inning*. With these excoptimip, and the dou'ulul >trjj;»lo w'.th. Nottingham—when tho Nott-i li:vi mho wickets left to get 127 runs—tits rocrd of the coutests of the Australian cricketers had lo n one of continuous sin i (teeisiya t iuuiiihs. The wnr t<l xf^ril UnifOT'ity with nine wicket t>> spa-.' ; defeated Suss-x hy an innings anil 335 runs; Surrey by six Wioko's, I ano Khiro by (our wicket*, Vorkshiic by six wieWotS ; tho Uaitod Eleven at Unii!ho>'or by an iuningi and 2G3 runs; L'-iie t r*biru '\v 74 ruup, C*ortbamiiton shirt! by an innings aii'l SO runs, Middle sex by eight wickets, York hire a second timeat liriuif.ird, by -47 run?, ami again at Middlcsb irniuh, by seven wick its ; Nor-thu-überl m<l by on innings and 95 runs, the gentlcmo-i of Scotland by an iuuings and IS runs Gloucestershire by'au innings ami 159 inns, Kentbytevon wickets, and what was, perhaps, moro significant than any of tbxso success s, on the ground where thd grea'. p'a\crs contest was begun, worsted the G-mtlemen of .England in a single inning') und with one run to spare, Thii Payers' Klcven chesen to do battle agiiins- the Colonia's, was, on the whole, considered fairly atr.ngand representative. Every cricketer, has of coarse, hia own particular fancy in profesiionals, and some woull have likod to see Midwinter pitying instead of Tootle. It conl i ntit bo said, however, that tli ■ t-sim w.is a weak or poor selection and that of ciur c was all the colonials cared about. Tlic Knglisnmai went in first and bega > ha My, four anch lino bats a? 'Shrewsbury, Ulpoet, Lockwood, and Bates all kins; di-p^sod of for 37. Much had bee.i expected of these crack scorers. Snrewsbury alone hiving made 207 runs on the previous Tuesday against Siurey—the highest firs;-class E igliah sci^re this season, and second on. y t> Murdoch's "285 not out" against Sussex-while ench oi the othoH wa<sifcaiuujtiiini;canboiu cricket for douM figure. FourforS?. Greatwas tho di~*appoi< truant w'.ien a fine bill from Palmer suut Lonkwo'iri back, and then Maurice j.'in d Barnoi, the first batsman who hud shown a s'cady defence. Thee then k gaa wh»t afterwards proved to bo at li cap eco of professional playing as was perhaps ever f een ether as the Oval or cliewherc. Butting with the utmost care, th y giadu lly mastered the Culoniu) bowli'ig; never losing a chance, they placed tlu ball in every part of the field. As three and fo'irs followed in rapid sueCJ'sion theplea*ur', it may even b.-said the excitement, of thi-vustconcourse. grew apace. The detai cd so«w at foot must bo studied to poc how admirably the run-getiiug pro ceed<-d. Sufß ** it here to say tnat the Austraian* tried their whole bowling strength without being avle to sopnrate the Not's and Surrey representatives—rainier, G'flen, Ha rett. Poy.lc, ani Bannerman all successively failing until the pair hari raised the reoonl from ■ he disheartening 37 to the enco'Tnging 105, and then Barnes was bowled by tiann-rrmn, with a finely-hit 87 to hU cr<d t. Tho splendid defence of these two player- steadily holding together for a coup'c of h urd was the feature of the (lay's play ; it pur. now heart into the contest. Maurice ttriad contiuued to bat very effectively, until he was rua out after making 330—the highest yet attained by any professionil ng'insc the Australian eleven— the first, indeed, of three figures. It was a performance ihat well deserved tho warm cheers which greeted his return to the pavilion. Kmmett and Flowers also did well, and when tnc stumps wore drawn the Players had made 310 runs for nine Wickets Tne second day's piny proved less excitIjg than mi«ht have been anticipated, though a i 6' ormouß crowd, estimated at upwards of 30,000 persons, assembled to Bee if. The Players' pair not ou*. the previous eveni"g were first disposed of, but no' till 12 runs had been made and no less than six bowlers put on. Here is the analysis for tlic seventeen minutes' play :— O. M. B. W. Palme-.. - •• - i? 21 ,& 3 Garrett " 31 "8 3 BOle 5a 18 35 3 GifToa B 1 25 1 Bannorrrißn Ji ? *1 - M'Donn-U .. - _ 13 * 18 0 The Colonial! then wont to the wicket, nnd expectation ran high. # The spectators were (treated to a sensation at once, and they snemed scarcely able to realise the position when both Bannermau and MafSie went out without scoring in the first two overs. The only batsmen who performed well for the Colonials was the captain, Murdoch, and Horan. When all were out for 150, and they had, perforce, to follow on, the scene of excitement on the ground wos indescribable. On taking up position for the second time at tho wickets a better start was made. Massie and Bannerman opened veiy ciutiously, but tbe former soon developed his customary freedom, and had scored 31 out or 38 when he was caught. Baunerman had to retire alter contributing 14 'and M'Doonell was got rid of for 18 wiiht'icLvt ball before the wickets were drawn for the daj. The third day's play opened at noon, the attendance b-i"n« as lar^e as ever. It was felt by everyon- that the Colonials would make a desperate effort to save a one-inn-ing* defeat, and the onlookers, therefore expected to witness some grand cricket. Strange to sny they were woefully dißappointe 1. The Australians proving quite unequal to mike any sort of stand against the bowling of Morley and Ullyett. Murdock, not out the previous day, came to tho wicket first with Horan, who collapsed almost instanter, and atter a single run had been made by the new-comer. Giffin, Murdoch, also retired, caught at-point by Lockwood. Five wickets for 90 runs was the state of the scoro when Blackham replied Murdoch, and Giffen succeeded in making a 4 offMoiley, peiple began to hopo for better thing*. Blackham, however, was caught by Barnes after makiDg one only, and bis successor, Bonner, barely scored 8 before he too shared a similar fate. Maters now looked a'l wrong for tho Antipodeans, and worse when Palmer, the new comer, had his leg stump prostrated by the first ball nont to him. There was no necessity for altering the figure i when Boyle came in, and only one had to be added wh^n he took his dopartuie without aiding to the total, having been caught at cover-point; nine for 111. Garrctt was tho last comer, and, as is very often the ca=e with this team, tho " tail made a bit of a stand, each batsman scorins squarclesr hits for four oil' Barnes, and Gilron al'o drove Pcate almost straight for a similar fl«ure. These hits were the chief means of raising tho score to 130, whoreupon Ulyett resumed bowling at his ori"innl end, and soi bronght the game to cud- the colonials being defeated by an innings and 34 runs. There is no disguising the ia,"t, that the contest gave grea satisfaction to the sightseers, who cheered vigorously.