CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 310, 29 December 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

The & ecoai round ef the senior nntehes was concluded on Saturday, vdien United defeated Gordon. lhe match created a good deal of interest, and it was thought that it was not at 5,11 impossible for Gordon to win, but the general opinion was that United .-would-come out best. And so it turned out. Gordon made a good fight for it, but the last wicket fell when their total was some fifty short of the required number. . Gordon experienced what is popularly known as "bad luck." Kallender ■who was out to a stroke which would probably not fail him once in half a dozen seasons, and Williams was run out. To compensate for this, however, the United fielding was poorer than Usual. The Gordon batting1 was practically the batting of two men—Kallender and Gillies. On resuming- play Ball, .Williams and Mcßae were got rid of cheaply. Williams had hard luck in being run out, but if he had run quickly and not looked at the ball he would probably have been in time. Kallender then joined Gillies, and the pair put ton 51 before they were separated. Gillies' innings was a very attractive one, and on all sides I heard admiration of the young Gordonite's play. His strokes were clean and neat and his defence sound. I particularly liked, his cuts and off drives, which were at times brilliant, and but for the number of fieldsmen on the off and the batsman's inability to "place" his stfokes his score would have been much larger. Time after time brilliant off drives were stopped by coverpoint. Altogether Gillies' innings led me to expect some fine cricket' from him in the future. Kallender played the best innings he has given us since the' Queensland match in 1896, when he made 55 in splendid style, probably the best effort of his career. On Satxirday his strokes were bard and clean, both in the air and along the ground, some of his drives being regular "scorchers." He was let off in the long field at the beginning of his innings, but the stroke was a good one and the chaoice difficult. I sincerely hope that this innings is a sign that our crack smiter is about to return to his best form. After Gillies and Kallender left the innings soon closed, though Lusk and Moore-Jones played up manfully and ran "well, between the wickets. The [United fielding was not nearly so good as usual, lacking the usual "neatness, and despatch." Southall bowled at the representative net the other night and did well, most of the reps, finding him difficult. I was glad to see him given a place in the goldfields match, and his performance will probably enable us to form some idea of his ability. The old Pdnsonby-Parnell football rivalry is appearing on the cricket field. Fred. Murray made 47 on Saturday playing- against Braund. Our representatives meet Otago today at Dunedin, the match finishing on Monday. Last year the two. teams met on the Domain and Auckland won by a. substantial margin, though, 'after, an anxious hour or so. This year I fancy if our boys do win it will not be by very much. The Canterbury fixture will undoubtedly be the hardest match of the tour, and I confess I am not very sanguine as to the success of our representatives. With Callaway, Pearce, Malone, Eo■bertson and Prankish all in form the Canterbury .attack looks pretty formidable, and their batting is not much below the standard of former years. Altogether it should be a tough "go." The Canterbury match is down for the 3rd, 4th, and sth ult. As for the Wellington match—well that's a good way ahead yet. The following are the eleven highest senior batting averages up to the end of the second round. It will be seen that they are somewhat uneven, and that some of our representative bats do not figure. The scoring this season has been unusually heavy, as ithe averages will show. . Stemson has I think done the most consistent iwork, playing four innings and getting into double figures each. time. I ihave included in the following only (those who have played two or more innings.

Then, follow Nicholson 31, Marshall 20.5, Kallender 20.5, C. Hay 20.2 .It should be remembered, that United ■was the only senior team to play four Innings.

Batsmen In. N.O. H.S. Ttl. Av B. MacConnick<A) 2 . 1 173* 220 220 Dhlson (P) 2 1 104* 149 149 Hemua (A)..-...,~ 2 1 55* 89 89 Elliott (P)~ -. 2 1 64 79 ,9 Neill (A)... 2 tt 100 - 123 61.5 auentery (A)....... 2 0 62 00 45 Uisk (P).,» - 2 0 82 85 42.5 LSon%*:^^ 4 0° | 144 36 :■!. Smith. <N.S.)..~ 4 1 59 104 34.6 3oudie <N.S.) • 2 .0 33 63 31.5