CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 267, 12 November 1887, Page 10 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

"Who wilj win the Cup year ?" is a very natural question to, askji and a very difficult one to answer. Holland have got the bowling talent this season, and backed up as it is by good fielding, may i»Oro tb*ap infljke W $$ • '■'•. ■ • Vatbing eleven and cause tlw feeulfe of all theit* futuro matchea to bo the eamo as the' ono laat weelf. Auckland have such a good aH-rounjl eleven that the chances are that they wIU turn the tables when they next meet the Holland. Both in batting and bowling they will grow stronger as the season To go over phe, qhances of the various ofeher , clubs against each other would result in almost endles a

the first matches of the season it is evident that Auckland B are out of the fight, while Parnell have very little show of winning, though they will surprise some of their opponents before the season is well on. lney played with hard luck last week, but their defeat cannot be accounted for any other way than that they were not good enough. Gordon bad a streak of luck in meeting Auckland B first, for their bowling is not nearly ftp to what it was last year. The same may bo said of their battin j?, but there are two or three of their men that are coming out of their shells, and who may prove too good for even the best bowling here. As regards the United, they are better than last year— a strong batting team - bub they miss the bowling of McPherson. McCormick and Scemson are both good men, and both shaping well, bub a good change bowler will be wanted against a strong batting team.

The Gordon C.C. are very weak this yearcompared with last season. Both their bowlers are gone : H. Gould still suffers from a football accident, while W. Meldrum went away, to Whaugarei last week. He will be a loss to the provincial team as well as his own club.

There were a number of accidents last Saturday owing to the bunipiness of the ground, and somecno wishes to put the blame on the'cyclist*. Now, these cyclists are deteatedby a good many of the cricketers becauso they think they do the ground harm. This is not so, for the wheelmen, with perhaps an exception here and there, keep well to the edge, and the ground is so hard that its is almost impossible for the tyres of their machines to make any impression oil the turf—what little there is. Without mincing matters, I may state that save here and there the ground iw in a far worse position as regards turf and good wickets than it was last year, and thero does not eeem to be much likelihood of improvement.

In the first match the M.G.C. English Eleven played in Australia—against South Australia—their seventh wicket fell for 104, and tho remaining three batsmen failed to increase ib. The destroying angel was Giffen, who clean bowled Newton, Attewell, and Beaumont in three successive balls. For this great feathewasdeservodlyeheered, and the perform an co may be reckoned by the South Australian champion as one of his most brilliant. Holland beat Auckland A by 12 runs, Gordon beat Auckland B by 51 runs, and United boat Parriell by 101 runs. Barton came up just in time last Saturday to go in last man for Auckland against Holland, and the last wicket added 28, to which Barton contributed 22.

Gordon 11. beak Holland 11., Waitemata the National!., and United 11. the Alpha, The lust match was finished on Monday evening, when the Alpha had one wicket to fall and 30 runs to get to win. They scored one bye and then the wicket foil.

A player in Melbourne named Turner, who was fast making a name for himself with East Melbourne Club, broke hia hand while at practice a ehort time back.