AN EVEN GAME.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 283, 28 November 1911, Page 5

AN EVEN GAME.

ENGLAND V. N.S.W. SYD. GREGORY IN FORM. (By Cable.—Prees Association.—Copyright.) SYDNET, November 27. With four wickets down for isl or Friday, the Englishmen to-day continued their innings, and were all out for 238. J New South Wales has lost eight wickets for 198, and is thus 40 runs behind, with 'two wickets in hand. No rain had fallen since Saturday evening, and the wicket rolled out hard and fast. The weather was fine and hot. The attendance was 12,000. Mead (41) and Foster (15) resumed batting to the bowling of Hordern and \ Cotter. After a few singles, Kosher mag-1 nifieently drove Cotter for four. j OfT Cotter's next ball he attempted to repeat the performance, and Gregory, at cover-point, brought off a remarkable natch. The hall was travelling at lightning speed, only a few inches from the ground. In Cotter's next over Mead tipped a good length ball to the wicket keeper, and was caught. He had batted 172 minutes' for his 40. Mead's style is more safe than brilliant. \ Douglas was in for 20 minutes without ! scoring. Trmnper then dropped an easy j catch by Douglas, off Hordern, but the I next ball Douglas was given out leg- j before. He did not play a single forcing stroke. With Woolley and Barnes together, play brightened. The former used his feet, and hit with great freedom. He lifted Hordern for six. The second ccntur}- appeared in 2G7 minutes. Barnes was the next victim. Folkard bowled him with an off-break, which the batsman did not attempt to play, and which took the bails. Strudwick. the English wieketkeeper, was bowled by a particularly fast delivery from Cotter, after scoring five. Hitcb started by pasting Cotter twice for four. He was bowled by Hordern, the end coming in the third over after lunch. Woolley was left not out with 43. He batted for 48 minutes, and hit five fours and one six. His onplay was powerful, and he is the most attractive batsman in the team. New South Wales started disastrously. Trumper was cleverly caught by Strudwick, off Foster, in th«. first over, and Macartney, who then joined Bardsley, was out leg-before to Douglas, who was bowling from the other end. They had c:\rh scored one. Bardsiey was not long in following. He scored 24 in vigorous style, and then, in trying to cut a good length fast ball from Foster, tipped it to Strudwick, the wicket-keeper claiming his second victim. Gregory and Barbour played very carefully, and almost as slowly as the Knglishmcn, the half-century taking' 55 minutes. At 53 Woolley relieved Douglas. His ' ball Gregory tipped high in the slins, but Foster failed to reach it. F.arbour was in for "6 minutes before he scored his second ran. He had been hitting hard, but the field was well placed. After the tea adjournment piny sparkled, and 1(10 appeared in 87 minutes. Barnes and llearne were both expensive Douglas replaced Henrne. and again Gregory placed Douglas's second ball to Foster, in the slips, and this time Foster brilliantly caught it. Gregory had scored his 60 in 82 minutes, playing pretty cricket. Three balls later McFlhone was out leg-bofore to Douglas, without scoring. Barbour played confidently, but when he had scored 37 Hitch bowled him with a perfect length and very fast ball. Hordern joined Minnett. The former was uncomfortable, and after scoring three was caught by Gregory (who was fielding as substitute for Douglas), off Hitch. Folkard made half a dozen, and was then bowled with a splendid ball by Foster. Minnett (52 not out) played an excellent innings, without taking liberties. He scored all round the wicket, and reached his 50 in 75 minutes. The English fielding and returning were not equal to the standard of previous English teams. The details of the scoring are: — ENGLAND.—First Innings. Hobbs, c Bardsley. b Folkard 15 Rhodes, c Cotter, b Hordern 15 Gunn, run out 50 Mead, c Carter, b Cotter 46 llearne. c Carter, b Cotter 2 Foster, c Gregory, b Cotter 22 Douglas, lbw, b Hordern 0 Woollev. not out 43 Barnes.' b Folkard 12 Strudwick, b Cotter 5 Hitch, b Hordern 9 Sundries 19 Total 239 Order of fall of wickets: One for 26, two for 43, three for 116. four for 124. five for 160, six for 166, seven for 168, eight for 213. nine for 221. Bowling Analysis: Macartney took no wickets for ft runs: Folkard, two for 45; Hordern, three for 62; Cotter, four for 54; Minnett, none for 58. NEW SOUTH WALES.—First Innings. Trumper, c Strudwick, b Foster 1 Bardsley. c Strudwick, b Foster .... 24 Macartney, lbw, b Douglas 1 Gregory, c Foster, b Douglas 66 Barbour, b Hitch 37 McElhoue, lbw, b Douglas 0 Minnett. not out 52 Hordern. c sub., b Hitch 3 Folkard, b Foster 6 Carter not out *.......• 1 Sundries 7

Total for eight wickets 198 PUZZLE FOR SELECTORS. (Received 9.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The weather is dull and sultry. The "Telegraph" says that Gregory"s fine innings will give, the selectors a headache, wondering whether to pick him for the tests. SHEFFIELD SHIELD MATCH. EASY WIN FOR VICTORIA. MELBOURNE, November 27. The South Australian v. Victoria match, in which Victoria scored fti"»3 (Armstrong 250), and in which the visitors had seven wickets down for 131, was continued to-day. South Australia's first innings closed for 232. the chief scorers being Dolling 04, Flees (not cut) 42. and Webster 25. Bowling analysis: Macrow, two wickets for 27 runs;" Matthews, three for 68; livle, three for 47: Rnnsford, two for 22. The South Australians followed on, and in their second innings have eight wickets down for 17i. the chief scorers being:—Mayne 22, Dollar."' 20, and C. 'lill 55.