PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 3, 5 January 1928, Page 5

PAGES FROM THE PAST.

SOME MEMORABLE GAMES,

EPIC CONTEST 1904

AUCKLAND'S TWO RUNS VICTORY

'"The ground at Newmarket was in a charmingly picturesque situation, and attracted many visitors, while the band of the Fortieth Regiment was in attendance." So said a report of th? Auckland-Can-terbury cricket match of 1862, which goes to show that the contests have extended over a long term of years. It also indicates how times have changed; cricket is no longer played at Newmarket—if one excepts the concrete pitch on the site of a former Chinaman's garden adjacent to a brewery—and bands are not now in attendance, perhaps for the reason that operatic airs or jazz tunes might be distracting to the ultrakeen, modern cricketing enthusiasts. In the early days of New Zealand cricket provincial contests were few and far between, but Auckland and Canterbury fairly regularly entered the lists, and each has had a fair share of successes. The game between the provinces in 1873 was of interest for the reason that it was played on the Auckland Cricket Ground. Ten years later it was the venue of another Auckland-Canterbury contest, a match of memory if only for the reason that some unsporting Aucklander watered the wicket overnight, and provided a birdlime surface in summer weather. It was somewhat casual the provincial fixture those times, and now and again a few years elapsed before the next game was staged. In the nineties there was a game at Christchurch, when the Canterbury opening pair, Cuff and Lawrence, put on 306 runs for the first wicket, a record that stands to this day. In 1904—it was still before the days of the Plunket Shield—the most memorable game of all the series was played. Again the Auckland Cricket Ground "was the testing place. Canterbury sent a strong team north, and arrived flushed with a startling victory over Wellington, which team was dismissed in the second innings -for the exceptionally low score of 22 runs, largely owing to deadly bowling by Callaway, who had at one time represented Australia in Test match cricket. Auckland's opening contribution was 162 runs, the diminutive Oliff heading the score with 521 Canterbury's reply was 130. Auckland responded with 174. The scoring of 180 runs to win looked a comparatively easy task for Canterbury, particularly when there were but four wickets down for 143. On the Auckland side was Barclay, an English professional player, a useful slow, leg-break bowler. Barclay struck a purple patch, and did the hattrick. The eighth wicket went at 163, and the ninth at 177 when T. W. Reese was Ibw to W. Mills. There were six

runs wanted when tlie last pair, Frankish and Hewelj got together. Amid excitement Frankish miss-hit a ball over point's head, and a three was run, the Auckland third man just saving the four on the line. With two runs wanted to tie, and three to win, the excitement was intense, but it was an excitement that had also affected Howell. He went for an impossible short run, tried in vain to scramble back, and the quick return that came in saw the end of the greatest fierht that New Zealand provincial cricket has known.

The Plunket Shield was presented for competition in the 1007 season, when Auckland, at Christehurch, made the bi<* score of 539, Relf, the English player, being a century getter for Auckland! The following season Canterbury came to Auckland in quest of the shield, when one of their best players was Anthonv, who will be playing* for Auckland tomorrow. The 1910 game in Auckland saw Canterbury get the necessary 280 runs to win for the loss of four wickets, largely due to Harold Lusk, who scored 151 not out. The Canterbury batting was very strong at this period, and in the two following shield matches they triumphed over Auckland.

In post-war shield cricket Auckland had one notable win, the 1920 game seeing Auckland pile \>p the record score of 643, S. G. Smith's contribution of 250 being a record which still stands.

The game of two years ago is fresh in memory. It made a fresh record for the game, for it became a Marathon, and extended into the sixth day. when the last Canterbury pair just failed to surmount the batting hurdle that they were faced with.