CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 88, 15 April 1899, Page 4 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

Fortune favoured the batsmen on Saturday afternoon, when the matches in the ninth draw for the local championships were resumed. Pino weather, a good light, and a dry ■wicket all facilitated scoring.

The partnership of li. Neill and J. Nicholson was the main feature of the Auckland Eleven's innings against Auckland XV. Neill made 69 before he played a ball from Allen back into the bowler's hands. This is his highest score this season. He ■ batted steadily, without attempting to forec the pace at all, and scored practically all round the wicket. Nicholson's scoring hits were chiefly confined to drives, though he got Allen away to leg more than once in good style. He made 44, while Thomas, the tenth man in, knocked up 21. None of the others reached double figures at all, but the innings realised 178, so that the Eleven won on the first innings by 16 runs. A. M. Beale carried oft: the bowling honours, with 4 wickets for 34; Allen, who was not bowling up to his best form, took 3 for 52; and E. C. Beale 2 for 22. The fielding of the Fifteen was patchy, and capable

of considerable all-round improvement.

Parnell had a very easy task before them on Saturday in their match with Gordon. The first innings of the Gordonites the previous week had only yielded 92 runs, so that it was not anticipated that their opponents would have much difficulty in pulling off the match. Parnell made a weak start, losing three wickets for 20 runs; but Mills, Seagar, Ohlson, and H. B. Lusk soon placed the result beyond a doubt, and with the assistance of Young, Seagar, and 'extras' carried the score to 213 for 8 wickets. Ohlson played carefully for his s#, getting in some very pretty strokes. He and Lusk made the stand of the innings, resisting several changes of bowling and putting on runs ttfc a steady pace. Eventually Kissling dissolved the partnership. In his iirst over a ball gave Lusk a fairly hard knock, and this appeared to shake the batsman's nerve, for he played the next ball back to the bowler.- Lusk made 21. and Young, who followed him, hit out well for 30. Extras were allowed to amount to 34. Kallander took 3 wickets for 42; Kelly. 2 for 16; jmd Edwards 2 for 50.

On the North Shore ground United defeated the home team by nine runs on the first innings, this proving the closest match of the three. With 1.14 to beat, United started off well, Watts and Marshall running- up the score to 77 before the former was dismissed. After that wickets began to fall quickly, and Jt looked as though the Shore .were going to have the best of iV after all. P. Hay and Walton, however, made a. stand long enough to bring the score past the Shore's total. Gilmore for the Shore captured S wickets for 28, and G. Mills 3 for 40. In their second innings North Shore batting in a bad light compiled 50 for 4 wickets. It is a pity this match could not be played to a finish.

This afternoon the tenth and last set of matches in connection with the senior championship contest were commenced,

The following: are the highest batting averages up to the"' end of . the ninth draw:—

E. I. N.O. H.S. A. G. Mills (N.S.) 384 7 0 217 54.8 1 Mills (P).... 207 7 2 100* 41.4 F. J. Ohlson (P)... 359 10 1 SI 39.8 R. Neill (A)....,.... 395 12 1 69 35.9 D. Clayton (A)..... 277 12 3 54 30.7 Alexander (G) 144 6 1 77 25.8 F. Laws (A) 257 11 2 84 28.5 A. M. Labatt (U).. 250 9 0 87 2/.7 F. Warren (N.g.)... 235 9 1 57 25.S C. Stone (A) 228 9 1 85* 25.3 N. Lusk (U) 117 5 0 57 23.4 Then follow Dr. Pabst (G) 22.3, and Kallender (G) 21. G.

The committee of the Marylebrfhe Cricket Club propose to make alterations in the laws of cricket as follow: 33a: A batsman being out from any cause the ball shall be 'dead.' 33b: If the ball, whether struck with the bat of not, lodges in a tiatsman's (.lothing, the ball shall become 'dead.' 46: They shall' not order a batsman out unless appealed to by the other aide. N.B.. —An appeal, 'How's that?' covers all way^ of being out unless a specific way o'C getting out is stated by the person asking. Says the 'Bulletin:—George Giffen is the most poular cricketer in South Australia just now, but feeling against Darling is so strong that when he went out to bat on the Saturday he was greeted with a storm of hoots. The South Australian public attribute Giffen's exclusion to Darling and Trumble; Gregory is believed to have strongly advocated his inclusion. G iff en never bowled better than he did last week, against the flower of Australian batting. In' the first innings he secured four for 99 and had four chances missed off him, and in the second his bowling was nigh unplayable. ."■•..

.Giller's claims to a place in the Australian XI. according to the same paper were never seriously thought of iv N.S.W.; yet he is eighth in batting and .third "in bowling in first-class cricket for the season. Twenty-five centuries were scored this season in representative matchos in Australia, nine by New South Wales batsmen, eight by Victorians, seven by South Australians, and one by a Tasmanian. Clem Hill ;>,nd Noble have each three centuries to their credit; Darling, Layer, Trumper, .and /Worrall two each; and Burn, Donrian, Farquhar, G.Giffen, Graham, Giller, Iredale, Kelly, McAlister, Hainan and Stuckey one each. The Australian Eleven play tlieir first match in England on May Sth against the South of England at the Crystal Palace grounds.