The Australian Cricketers.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 270, 13 November 1896, Page 3

The Australian Cricketers.

THE WELLINGTON MATCH.

(BY TELKOBAPH.—PKESS ASSOCIATT»X.)

Wellington, Thursday. The match between the Australians and eighteen of Wellington, began tibia after' aoon. The weather waa overcast and

chilly, and the attendance waa limited to

about 1,200. It rained daring the night, and tha wicket waa so <d,ead tint when Hoidsbip won the toss he took the riik of

putting hia formidable oppoasnSi! in. The

policy waa justified, for the score wa.s comparatively small, and had the fielding ab thß stare been as good as at the finish it would ha?o been smaller stiil. Iredak- and Darling opened cautiously, but the latter eboaid have been caught before the first ten appeared, and later he gave .Holdswortb a cbaaca which an active fieldamaa would have at; least tried far. Iredale was cud. after 3ome very alow cricket, to a woodarful cacch at point, but after ihatJ Gitfen, Darling, and Hiil livened matter? up. The first hour's play only produced 38 run 3, and the next double tiiae number. Uitien wai badly missed in the first over, and then hit fraely. Darling followed suit, and lifted two balls over the fence, besides other boundary hit?. Ashbolt) waa the principal suiierer. VTith Uphatn, who bowbd fasfi and straight, none of tae batsmen could do anj thing. Several ohinges ware tried when Darling aad Hill, the two Adelaide left-handers, came together, but 100 went up with only two wicketsdowu. Then Upham wan put on with the wind, and Holdsbip went on at the other end. At 110 Upham bovrlad down Diriing"a wicfeeb after bo had been in two hours, and she fielding showing a decided improvement man after man was caught off Holdahip. The laat seven wickata ouly added 36, and shortly after five she innings uama to a conclusion for the not very for midable total of 147. Darling batted steadily and resolutely, but not what would be called elegantly. Giffen batted very freely, and Hill in the moat finished style of all. At no period, however, could the batting he termed exciting. Upham bowled very wall, but not wish the luck that fell mostly to Holdship, bub even he had one chance missed oil him. Wellington had half an hour's batting, bus cannot be laid to have acquitted themselves well, aa in that time four wicketa feli to Trumble and McKiboin,

The game begaa at 2.15, Asbbolb and Phillip* umpiring. The local team filed into the fluid, each wearing a airforent colour ob the arm, corresponding to the description in the gearing card, Iredale and Darling were the first pair of batsman, Ashbolt and Upham handling the ball, the latter against the wind. The former was irregular in length, but his comrade was very straight, and the Australian cracks could do nothing with him. Id his second over, the left bandar, trying to bit him tc leg, got the ball on to the edge of the bat and sent; its isto the air. Three men stood around looking at is, but noaa made a more till too late. It) was 20 minutes before the first ten appeared. Alter a boundary hit off Aehbolt, Darling then hit) him again to square leg, where Hoidstvorth had a possible chance, only to realise the position too late. Iresiale, who had bson batting in ratfcor negligent style, got a loo*e one from Upham, which he sent to leg for i, She one considerable stroke off fckat bowler during the day. lv hia first 30 balls' only one single was scored from him. A6 26, after (hree-quarfcera of an hoar's play, Iredale tipped oae of the slow bowlers . towards poms. Lerera made a great effort to get one hand on to it, and though be roiled over in the attempt, hung on and brought off a remarkable catch. Iredale'a share was 11. Gitien bit hia first ball to the ropas, and the next over lifted one into R. Gore'a handa at long-on, but escaped. At the end of an hour 53 was the total, and somewhat to the surprise or the tpectators Uphatn was taken ofi and not AshbolS. Smith was the firss change, and tha immediate result wa« en increase in the rate of scoring. Giffen obcainad several boundary hits, arui Darlinjr, not to be outdone, lilted Aehbolt over tha ropes, and then to the boundary. After thia spell of smart scoring, Gif Tan, who had gone lama, vraa bowled by Smith with the scera a!s 69. There were four 4's in his 125. The vfickefc was quite unsuifced to Ashbolt, who waa severely punished, and after Hiil joined his countryman, Benbow relieved him, while at S6 Holdship took the ball from Smith. The first b»ll the latter delivered Darling drove into Holdaworth's handa at long on, aad for the third time was let oft. He continued to do moat of the scoring, Hill, though playing freely and crisply, not getting beyond singles. Smith suffered to the tuna of two 4's, and another fine drive off Bonboiv added five te Darling's total, and took him beyond 50. Hill got hia first four off the aarne bowler and brought 100 up. Darling, for the third time, aeni the ball over the fence, and then Upham was pat on with the wind, and in hia second over got an extra fa3t one pa»b the hitter. Hl—3—s9. Darling for the most part played a steady gamo, but when he did hit he hit cleanly and raaolutely. Hia total included three five's and threo four's. Gregory seemed reafcieis, and inclined to go in for stealing runs. Upham several time 3 beat him, and then he nearly lost his partner gome for a second run. Holdsiiip actually bad she ball in his hands while Hill was several yarda from the wicker, but a? the akipperwea standing with his backtothe stumps he did not know what was* going on, and Hill gob back. At that time he wss only 19. After that he gob a lucky enick through the slips, and next over was all but stumped. At 126 Gregory returned an ea*y one to Holdship, and the rest of the innings was rapidly converted into a collapse. Hill was caught afi point for an excellent though not rapid innings of 32. Trott was caught oft a Bkier ; Trumble was caught oif a straight drive jusc when be earning dangerous and beginning to hit out ; and Eady was bowled «b tha same stage of hia innings. Noqo of the la3t three men »cored at all, both bowling and fielding being in the last hoar very effective. Ecldship's averaao was excellent, and Upham bowled 22 overs tor only 30 runa and three wicketa.

Wellington Bkarted with Ashboib and Burton, to th-e bowling of McKibbin and Trumbie. Tbe wicket was evidently juited to their break. Burton was quickly vorked, and Gore bowled after a feeble attempt to play Trumbie, while Williams fell first ball to a breakback from the Sydney trundler, Asbbolfc missed a fulf pitch, and got hia leg in front. Holdsbip aad \Varren theD played out time, the total being 13 for 4 wickata. Tbe acorea and analysi9 are aa follews ;— Australia.—Firet Innings, Iredale, c Levers, b Ashboib 11 Darling, b Upham « 59 fiiffen, b Smith , 23 Hill, c Levera, b Holdship 32 Gregory, c and b Holdahip 4 Trotfc, c Waters, b Holdship 1 Trumbie. c Williams, b Holdship ... 7 Eady, b Upham 7 Jones, b Upbam 0 McKibbio, c Holdswortb, b Holdship 6 Johns, nob oat 0 Extras „ , 3 Total 147

Wellington.—First innings, Ashbolt, Ibw, b McKibbin 3 Burton, b McKibbiu 0 C. Gore, b Trombla 2 Williams, b McKibbin 0 Holdship, nob ou& 1 Warren, not oufc ... ... 4 Extraa 3 Total for 4 wicfcebs 13

iliNU &n&L.*!ala. \?hbolt... Jpham ... Smith ... 3enbow.,, 3oldahip Balis. Mds. lluns. Wkks. 90 1 46 1 132 9 30 3 42 1 20 1 30 0 20 0 76 3 28 5