AUSTRALIANS' TEST MATCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 37, 12 February 1910, Page 8

AUSTRALIANS' TEST MATCH.

DAT OS* POOR SCORING. VISITORS IN THE LEAD. tßy Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. For the opening match of their New Zealand tour the Australians were favoured with delightful weather to-day, when .they met a Wellington oombinatiom The wicket was in capital rungetting order, while the outfield was fast, though uneven in places. Hopkins and Warne stood down from the visiting side, the latter fielding for a short time until Dodds relieved him. Schmoll, Wellington's best wiekeft'keeper, met with an accident to his finger yesterday that incapacitated hrm from playing. His place was taken by Roberts, who performed so well with the .bat against Canterbury. About 2000 spectators were present at the match, which was devoid of anything in the shape of brilliancy, except Simpson's .brilliant hitting during his 35 minutes' tenure of the .batting crease. His vigorous punishment of Hickey aroused great enthusiasm, and reminded one of Tramper's and Hill's exhibitions on the local ground when the last Australian team was here. Wellington gave a miserable showing with the bat, and only a resolute stand of Patrick and Roberts saved it from being a complete rout. Patrick executed some nice wristy strokes, and Roberts shaped solidly. Midlane wes starting to make matters brisk when he fell a°vic•tim to Whitty, and Blacklock played in something like 'his old form for a short time. Whitty stood out among the visiting bowlers, and had he .been persevered with the local score might have been much smaller than it was. He kept an excellent length, and swung in, ■to the discomfiture of the 'batsmen, from both sides. Kellaway trundled accurately, ibirt the other 'bowlers were not difficult to negotiate, most of the Wellington .batsmen losing their wickets through their own poor strokes. Smith and ICelraway batted soundly for the visitors, but were never forceful at any stage of their innings. Patrick and Kinvig kept the visiting batsmen cruiet after the departure of Simpson. Both maintained a good length, and sent down many rattling balls, "in the fielding department the visitors were never called on to exert themselves to any extent. Some of the Wellington men's work was poor, their stopping and returning ibeing shorn of surencss and accuracy. The game is now at an interesting stage, but the visitors are expected to display something of their real form in their second strike. Bardsley, to the disappointment of the spectators, was kept in reserve for to-morrow. HOME TEAM'S VENTURE. Wellington won the toss and elected to take advantage of the fine wicket. Midlane and Tucker (captain) opened fori Wellington, the former talcing strike to ! Whitty. He scored three off the first two .balls, and Tucker cut the fifth to the fence. Midlane slammed Emery to the boundary on the leg side, bringing 10 up. With three runs added, Facey relieved Emery. Midlane stepped out to Wihatty, and was easily stumped by Gorry. Mahoney followed, but soon lost I his partner, who had his leg stump disturbed by Whitty, the stroke being a poor one. Foster filled the vacancy, and maidens came with monotonous regularity. Mahoney Was completely beaten by Facey, who dislodged his middle stump. Foster enlivened proceedings by nicely placing Whitty to the leg boundary and late-cutting the same (bowler for two. This batsman then cut racey into Emery's hand at second slip. The hall cannoned off the fieldsman and went to Warne, who effected a catch. Blacklock, who was the incomer, started his account by getting Whitty away for | three. Brice was then " bowled by ! Whitty. Laws came next, and Black-1 lock drove Emery, who had relieved Facey, along the carpet to the ropes, a j stroke which he repeated two .bills later. ! Kellaway replaced Whitty, and in the i third ball of the second over sent Black- j lock paviliomvards. 1

Patrick filled the breach, only to see Laws spoon one from Emeiy into Kellaway's hands. Kinvig, who followed, snicked Emery through the slipsmen, scoring three, and square-cut the same bowler to the ropes. Patrick cut Kellaway for three, but the bowler had his revenge next ball by bowling Kinvig. Roberts joined Patrick, and both batsmen earned boundary scores at the expense of Emery, who had 10 knocked off him in that over. Patrick hit Emery to the ropes. Roberts, by a lucky snick, got a boundary score at the expense of Kellaway, bringing 90 up. Patrick put another four to his credit off Emery. At 98 Kellaway gave ■way to Simpson, and a single to each batsmen j off the new bowler brought the century I up. Roberts cut Emery nicely to the ropes, but it was his last stroke, the bowler getting a good one past him. Hickey was the last man. and the innings terminated by Patrick being brilliantly caught with one hand by Dodds off Simpson. Wellington had been batting for 105 minutes. VISITORS AT THE WICKETS. At 4.25 Australia started operations with Simpson and Mayne, the attack being entrusted to Brice and Hickey. Both batsmen got the fieldsmen moving briskly, but Mayne, in driving Brice hard to mid-on, was nicely caught by Tucker. Kellaway followed. Simpson indulged in some sensational hitting, scoring 40 off three overs of Hickey, as follows: 9, 17, 14. One ball he smacked among the spectators grouped on the western bank of the enclosure. This terrific rate of scoring brought Kinvig on at the northern end. The change had the desired effect, Patrick catching Simpson in the outfield off the new bowler. The appearance of Smith on the scene was marked by a period of quiet play, singles predominating. At 91 Brice gave the ball up to Patrick When another seven runs had been added to the score Kellaway was given out leg-before to Patrick. The outgoing batsman had played careful cricket. Dodds took his place. His partner made a lunge at a tempting one from Kinvig, missed it, and paid the penalty. A great ovation was tendered Armstrong as he emerged from the pavilion. Dodds greeted his- appearance by late-ciitting Patrick to the fence. Dodds. drove one from Kinvig hard to Hickey, and Armstrong followed np for a run, but Dodds remained in his crepse, and the visiting skipper "was easily run out Facey was next on the scene, and a mild sensation followed when Dodds was caught by Hickey at mid-off, Patrick being the bowler. Whitty partnered Facey, but only survived two balls, Patrick dismissing him with a bailer. Gorry, who took his place, scored three singles, and was then clean bowled by Patrick. At this stage play ceased for the day. THE SCORES. WELLINGTON.—First jtnnrngs. Midlane, st Gorry, b Whitty *.. __ 10 Tucker, b Whitty L , , 7 Mahoney, b Facey . -■ ... , : 0 Foster, c Warne, b Facey ~■ rL , n,, 7 f

Blacklock, b Kellaway — .... 14 Laws, c Kellaway, b Emery ......... 3 Patrick, c Dodds, b Simpson _ -: 25 Kinvig, b Kellaway .. . ._„-... 8 Roberts, b Emery ...._—..... 17 Hickey, not out. 0 Extras » » 15 Total 107 Bowling Analysis.—Whitty took three wickets for 16 runs, Emery two for 48, Facey two for 7, Kellaway two for 16, Simpson one for 5. Kellaway bowled three no-balls, and Facey one. AUSTRALIA. —First Innings. Mayne, c Tucker, b Brice \sP ! ikJ' Simpson, c Patrick, b Kinvig .fej^fol KeUaway, Ibw, b Patrick if a*'.? 4 Smith, b Kinvig >- J l7 Dodds, c Hickey, b Patrick 8 Armstrong, run out 4 Facev, not out 3 Whitty, b Patrick ? Gorry, b Patrick j» Extras 7 Total for eight wickets 122 NOTES ON THE PLAT. GATE OF £110. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. There was nothing remarkable in the play on the first day of the WellingtonAustralian match, if the miserable display of batting all round is excepted. The" weather was perfect for the playing of cricket, the wicket was in good order, although it had more grass on it than the Australians are used to it. The Wellington team batted first, Midlane and Tucker opening to Whitty and Emery. Runs came freely off the first two overs, and then Facey replaced Emery. Until the two bowlers were taken off nothing but a series of disasters followed from the Wellington standpoint. After that, however, the batting brightened considerably, and the innings realised 107 runs, Patrick, Roberts, Blacklock and Midlane showing good form for their runs. What the total would have been had Whitty and Facey been persisted with it would be hardly fair to contemplate. The former bowled left-hand varying his pace wonderfully, the ball also swinging in nicely from the off, and occasionally coming back from leg. Whitty is a great bowler, and will keep the best of New Zealand's batsmen quiet all the time. Facey is the fast bowler of the side, and for the first time indulged in a run before delivering. He musters up a lot of pace, and now and again swings in one from the off which finds the timberyard. Emery did not trouble the batsmen at all, neither did Simpson, but Kellcway took a lot of playing.

Simpson and Ma3"ne opened for Australia, and the former soon got to work. He was aggressive all the time, and while he was at the wickets 66 runs were scored, his contribution being 51. He dashes at the ball and puts plenty of power behind his strokes, being especially partial to anything slow 0 r on the short side. Smith and Kelleway were very quiet, seeming to try to keep their end going without forcing the pace. The former did not appear to get a good sight of the ball at all. Mayne did not get going, and Gorry and Whitty both proved to be nothing of moment with the bat. Dodds was the twelfth man in the team, and it would have been better for the Australians if he could have been left amongst the spectators, for he seemed to be suffering from nervousness, and through not responding to Armstrong's call to an easy run caused the Australian captain to be run out. Facey, Emery and Bardsley. have still to bat. Why the latter was kept so late in the order can only be accounted for by the fact that the demands of the game implied that he should be the draw card for Saturday afternoon. This is proved by the fact that the original hour of starting on Saturday has been altered from twelve to two for fear the Australians should be disposed of before the luncheon adjournment, and very many people would stay away if they were not certain of seeing Bardsley bat. The takings this afternoon amounted to £110, so that given fine weather to-morrow Wellington's guarantee of £150 should be safe, 0