THE MELBOURNE CRICKETERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 36, 10 February 1906, Page 6

THE MELBOURNE CRICKETERS.

MATCH AGAINST AUCKLAND,

HOME TEAM AT THE WICKETS. AUCKLAND ALL OUT 116. The match between the Melbourne Cricket Club's Eleven and the Auckland Tep. eleven was continued after we went to press yesterday in uupropitious weather. The game only proceeded lor an hour and three-quarters, and then a drizzle, which had lasted for nearly half an hour, increasing to steady rain, play was interrupted, and there being no signs of clcearancc three-quarters of an hour later, play was declared off for the day. The rain of the previous night and morning had made the wicket soft. It cut through with nearly every ball, and while it was in no way a bowler's wicket, it did not suit the batsmen either. The state of the wicket seemed to suit McLeod, who made a lot of pace oil' the pitch, and had thus to be carefully watched. Hemus played the best innings on the Auckland side during the day, scoring 23 by good cricket. .Sale -wns lucky in compiling his 32, making several uppish strokes. Outside, those, however, he played well, his total of 32 including some very clean hits. Smith opened out very merrily, and got into double figures iv about three minutes. He Ihcn quietened down, and at 13 was out in the slips. Mason played very confidently for his 16, though he was nearly out first ball in trying to pull McLeod. He got Armstrong across the log boundary with a beautiful pull, dragging the bnll right off the middle -tumps. The outfield was very dead as a result of the rain, and the batsmen had to hit hard to make the ball travel. THE PLay. With one wicket down for 8, Hcmus anrl .Sale continued their innings. McLeod bowled his second maiden over to Sale. Hcmus then placed Armstrong nicely to leg for a brace, and played the rest, of the over quietly. Sale got McLeod to leg for a single, and Hemus for two, following this up with a pretty pull for three. Each batsman Lit a single off Armstrong, bringing up the twenty, and then Hemus hit a short one across the leg boundary. Another uppish hit by Sale off McLeod fell clear, and produced a single, and Hemus was shortly after nearly out iv running a short leg bye. Sale, drove McLeod to the off for a couple, and repeated the •stroke for three, bringing his score to double figures, and the total to 30. Three singles in succession came off Armstrong, and then Sale got him to the off for a brace with a square cut. He repeated the stroke off McLeod for another two, and got him through the slips for one. He drove Armstrong hard for n single, and brought up 40 at the end of 35 minutes' play. Hemus got his second boundary with a beautiful square cut off Armstrong, and brought 20 opposite his name. Sale raised his total to a similar amount with a drive for two off McLeod. He then pulled the same bowler across the boundary ■for four, and brought up the half-cen-tury at the end of 40 minutes' play. Sale then drove one from Armstrong .straight into Irwin's hands, but the catch was dropped, and the batsman signified his gratitude by hitting the bowler twice to the off for two. Hemus then faced Mc-Lcod, and the first ball of the over proved fatal, the batsman being clean bowled for 25. He was in lor three-quarters of an hour. 58—2 3-23. W. B. Smith filled trie vacancy, and fiad a narrow escape of being nin out first ball. He cut McLeod, but did not accept Sale's call until the latter was nearly down the pitch. The wicketkeeper was slow in sending the ball to McLeod, and the chance of a run-out was lost. After a single to Sale, Smith put McLeod through the slips for three, taking the total to GO. He got Armstrong to the off boundary for four, and I then to leg for two, taking his score j to double figures. After a single to Smith got McLeod away for three. A single to Sale carried his score to 32, and then his end came, the Parnell batsman mishitting one from McLeod which fell into the hands of Aitken. 75—3 —32. A Haddon joined Smith, and snicked his first ball to leg for a brace, and a einglc to tbe same hat carried the score to 78 at the end of an hour's play. Smith's end then came, the Eden bat then cutting McLeod into Mailler's Lands in the slips. He had played confidently for his quota of 13. 78—4 —13. F. R. Mason came next, and Haddon square cut Armstrong for two, bringing up SO. A couple of byes came off the next ball. Mason opened his account with a single off McLeod, and Haddou jrot the same bowler to leg for three. He then hit Armstrong up, and Irwin ■accepted an easy catch. 86—5—10. Olliff filled the vacancy, and Mason cut Armstrong nicely for two, following this up with a. single to leg, and the tea adjournment was taken with the I score at five for 80. On resuming Mason ' Looked McLeod across tho boundary, and Olliff accepted a maiden over from Armstrong. Mason was nearly out next over. He returned one high to the bowler, who failed to hold a difficult oile-handcd chance. He got each bowler away for a single, and theu hit McLeod for three to the on. After a quarter of an hour at the wickets Olliff opened bis account with a leg hit. for two, bringing the century up at the end of 90 minutes' play. Mason made a sweet leg hit off Armstrong across tbe boundary. Olliff got McLeod away for a brace, and a couple of balls later Le retired, cutting McLeod info Mailler's Lands after making four. 10G —6—-1. • Hussey joined Mason, and the rain, which had been drizzling slowly from the tea adjournment, increasing to a steady downfall, play was interrupted and after three-quarters of an hour's 'wait was stopped for the day. The match between the Melbourne Cricket Clnb Eleven and the Auckland reps, was resumed at the Domain Cricket Ground at 12.5 p.m. to-day. The two not out, Mason and Hussey," continued their innings. The weather was fine, but the sun made the wicket very sticky and bad for the batsmen. Auckland's first innings was soon ended, the four last wickets falling for an additional •ten runs, and the innings closing for ,116. Continuing his innings. Mason took strike to the bowling of Armstrong, receiving a maiden over. McLeod again bowled from the Hospital end, and a noball added one to the score. The second ball of Armstrong's next over Mason went out to drive. He hit over .the ball, and his middle stump was dislodged.—lo7—7—l7. A. E. Slomah:. filled the Vacancy; but the first.balLwas fatal to: hmvArm- • strong clean bowling him with a leg

W. Stempson joined Hussey and stayed long enough to deprive Armstrong of the hat-trick, but not long enough to score, Armstrong's, third ball being fatal. Stempson just touched the ball, and the wfeketkeeper snapped it up.— 107—9—0. Three wickets had gone iv the over without a run being scored. Hussey made the first scoring hit of the day off McLeod, snicking him to leg for a brace; and a no-ball brought up 110. Armstrong bowled a maiden over to Robinson, and Hussey scored a single off McLeod. A leg-bye came off the same bowler. Each batsman then got a single. Robinson hit the next from Arm strong up, the ball Jailing between point and slip. He then got the bowler to leg for a single, and Hussey got another off an uppish hit, which fell clear. Next ball closed the Auckland ir._ings, Robinson skying one which the wicketkeeper held. Auckand's total was 116. The scores were as follows:— AUCKLAND. —First Innings. H. B. Lusk, b Armstrong 3 L. G. Hemus, b McLeod 23 E. V. Sale, c Aitken, b McLeod 32 W. Brook-Smith, c- Mailer, b McLeod 13 A. Haddon, c Irwin, b Armstrong.. 10 C. Olliff, c- Mailer, b McLeod 4 R. Mason, b Armstrong 17 ,7. Hussey, not out 5 A. E. Sloman, b Armstrong 0 W. Stempson, c Wilkinson, b Armstrong 0 W. Robinson, c Wilkinson, b Armstrong 3 Extras » Total H6 BOWLING ANALYSIS. McLeod, 20 overs, 2 maidens, 61 runs, 4 wickets; average 15.25. W. W. Armstrong, 20 overs, 6 maidens, 51 runs, 0 wickets; average 8.5. | MELBOURNE TEAM AT THE j WICKETS. I Mailler and Vaughan opened the vis- | itors' innings, the former taking strike to the bowling of Olliff from the pavilion end. The first ball, a short pitched one, was hooked across to the boundary, and the second was hit to leg for two. The fourth was prettily snicked for three —nine runs thus coming off the first over. Sloman bowled from the Hospital end, and a single to Mailler brought, his score and the total to double figures. A single came to each batsman off the next over. Vaughan squai-p cut Sloman through Stenison's legs to the boundary, and then added a couple of singles. Mailler dxovc one hard to Olliff, but it was too high, and_ he escaped. An uppish stroke by Vaughan fell clear, and immediately after the same batsman gave a possible chance in the slips, a couple of byes followed, and Vaughan brought his score to double figures with a hit to the off for a, j brace. He then hard bit one from Olliff Ito the off, and Stemson took a beautiful catch at point, falling to earth as ,he took <the. chance. 25 —I—lo.1 —10. V. ■Ransford, A left-hander, filled the vacancy, and after a coupl of singles to j Mailler, opened Lis score with a bit to the off for a single, bringing up 30. A nicely placed cut added 3 to Mailler's | total. Ransford then got Sloman away for 3, and then hit the same bowler nicely to leg for a bouudaTy, bringing I his total to double figures. Mailler drove Olliff for 3, and Ransford snicked j in for a brace. Stemson then took the ball from Sloman, and the luncheon adjournment was taken with the score at 1 ior 50. Continued or. page five.