CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 23, 27 January 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

The match between Gordon and United was the centre of attraction at the Domain last Saurday. When play was resumed the position was that Cordon had scored 261 in their first innings, while United had lost 3 wickets for 56 runs. C. Hay and N. Luslt, the not-outs, did not remain long at the wickets, and the only other batsman on the side to make a stand was P. Hay, who batted very nicely for 30. He looked well set when he made a misshit off Edwards, and was caught in the slips by Ansenne. The innings closed for 110.

Edwards bowled very well for Gordon, finishing up with the good average of 3 wickets for G runs.

A follow-on was inevitable, and United in their second venture showed greatly improved form, treating their opponents to a long afternoon's lea-ther-hunting. F. Clayton and D. Hay opened the innings, and though Clayton was dismissed cheap]}*, Hay commenced to force the pace from the jump, and at the end of the day's play was not out for 134. "Dug" hit out freely for his runs. He was luckj' In being missed behind the wickets oil the very first ball of his innings, sent down by Edwards; and during the innings he gave several other chance?, but none of them, apart from the first one, could well be termed easy. Altogether it was a capital effort.

N. Lusk was run otit after scoring 46. He scored very fast, yet never gave a chance. The manner of his dismissal was unusual. He played a ball to point, and the fieldsman just got to it with the tips of his fingers, failing to hold it, but deflecting it along the ground to cover-point. The latter picked up and returned smartly, and Lusk in attempting a run was run-out.

P. Hay filled the vacancy, and he, following his brother's example, started scoring fast from the moment he went in. "Dug" was not so fresh by this time, and consequently most of the scoring was done by the younger Hay, who rattled up 03 while "Dug"' was putting on 29. P. Hay played a chauceless innings, and while it muse be remembered that the bowling hart lost most of its sting by the time he appeared on the scene, still he deserves credit for the game he played.

The Gordon fielding was very poor towards the finish of the afternoon. Naturally the fieldsmen tired a good deal after a whole afternoon in the field under a blazing sun, and their work suffered accordingly. The fol-low-on rule was certainly not appreciated by Gordon on Saturday, who would gladly have given United a few more runs and gone in to bat themselves.

The Wellington representative eleven will pay Auckland a visit early next month,' to try conclusions with the local reps. The dates have not yet been fixed, but as the Victorian team are due in Wellington about February 22nd, the Auckland-Wellington match will have to be decided before that date. , , Next month we are to have a visit from a Victorian team of cricketers, an event which is being looked forward to with keen anticipation by local players. The New Zealand Cricket Association's Committee have forwarded two programmes of matches to Melbourne, leaving the M.C.C. to choose the one which will best suit their convenience. The one provides for matches at Auckland, Wanganui. Wellington.Christchurch and Otago,incltiding a N.Z. match, and in the other programme Nelson is substituted for Wanganui. In either case the Auckland dates would be the same—February 15th, IGth and 17th, the last-named being a Saturday. With players of world-wide celebrity in the team, such as Hugh Trumble and "Charley" McjLebd, the visit of the. Victorians should attract a good deal of public interest. Of the match 1/rtween South Australia and New South Wales, which the former won by six wickets, "Not Out" writes in Sydney "Referee": "The cricket on Wednesday, when South Australia batted on a good, easy wicket provided as poor a display of batting and fielding as has been seen m an Intercolonial match for many years. The New South Wales batting, on a wicket impaired by rain on Tuesday was sufficiently devoid of dash, but'the Adelaide men easily eclipsed it by showing distinctly bad form. The"only really good cricket was exhibited by Hack, whose 44, if carefully, was also well compiled. In the future, if Hack develops power, and makes full use of his long reach in driving, he will probably be a still stronger run-getter in the Inter-colonials. Like most tall men, his style is not polished; but he certainly has an excellent defence, and scores well on the off-side from any ball pitched a trifle short. ;- . "Bulletin" pars:—"The glorious uncertainty' of crickeffc." This* season Victoria led off by beating South Australia; then N.S.W. went over and walloped 'em both. Now S.A., after again soing down before Vie. en route, comes to Sydney and belts N.S.W. by six wickets. For glorious uncertainty of this sort many a racmgLpony has been "sent up" for life. Jack Lyons, in his best days, was a sure draw. The Londoners* went to Lords in thousands to see him. In the '92 match in Sydney, there were a few hundred present at the start, but Lyons' batting resulted in an attendance of 13,000 after lunch. "Carbine scores in Adelaide, against Vie. and NS W were nearly all made in wiping' oft deficits. Present day conditions do not seem to produce big hitters of the Lyons calibre. We seem to be gravitating towards tho precise players like the brilliant. Trumper, who make beautiful strokes but don't take risks, as "Carbine" did from the jump. The bowling is certainly not better; Peel, Lohmann, Giften, Briggs and Turner, were, perhaps, better trundlers than Howell. Trumble, Hearne and Noble, of the present day. We have men, like Joe Darling, who

can hit; but tjey won't. Hard to account for it, considering that the public wants lively cricket, and will always roll up in thousands and pay for it."

The Auckland-North Shore match was brought to n- conclusion last Saturday, the former team scoring an easy win. North Shore scored 85 in the first innings, and their, opponents had 5 wickets down for 209 when the match . was resumed last week. The remaining five wickets only added 43 runs to the score. It. Neill, who had carried his bat from the previous Saturday for 77, w*as dismissed after scoring another single, being smartly snapped up in the slips by Wynyard. Of the others who batted on Saturday, Nicholson (23) did most of the scoring. North Shore's second venture was very little better than their first. Taken all round, the batting may be described as feeble. Apart from Denby, who hit out freely, for his 30, none of the batsmen were up to the mark. The innings closed for 114, Auckland thus . winning by an innings and 53 runs.

Parnell succeeded in defeating Ponsonby by nine wickets, the western team scoring 75 and 07 against the winners' 119 and 05 for 1 wicket. The Ponsonby batsmen showed the same lack of confidence which has marked their play all through; they treated the bowling with too much respect. ~i\. Saunders (22) and Kent (18) opened well for Ponsonby, but after they were dismissed the wickets went down quickly. Plummet' kept his wicket up for a long time, but only added 13 to the score.. Wallace, the last man, played the right game in .hitting out, with the result that he added 16 runs to the score before Gavin got his wicket. Hi Lusk and Besteaux were the most successful of the Parnell bowlers, the former getting 4 wickets for 36 and the latter 4 for 31. Gavin's 2 wickets only cost 5 runs apiece. T. Elliott, the' Northern Wairoa player, batted for Parnell, but was got rid of cheaply.

11. Woods, the Parnell ex-senior, distinguished himself last Saturday by scoring 112 for Parnell 11. against Ponsonby If. Parnell's innings realised 311, a record for junior cricket this season. They kept the Ponsonby men leather hunting all the afternoon.