THE INTER-PROVINCIAL CRICKET MATCH.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 401, 10 January 1872, Page 3

THE INTER-PROVINCIAL CRICKET MATCH.

(Continued.) A long adjournment., for;., lunch (which on both days was served by .Mr Watson, of the Royal), was made, in order that play might not be interrupted during the passing of the •funeral. Canterbury took: the field at 3.5 p. m., Allen and F. Fulton going to the wickets. Corfe, who bowls very fast.'started the bowling with a wide, 'and Fulton got one away to leg for a single. Corfe's last ball Saville received full in the face. Fowler's first Fulton put to coverpbint for a sihgle, : and Allen scored a like number for . a hit to leg, In the first ball of Corfe's next over, Allen was cleaned bowled. 1 for 4. Kettle joined Fulton. Corfe bowled a maiden. Fowler's third Fulton put quickly to mid-on/ and, well backed up by Kettle, scored a good single. Corfe bowled a "couple and Fowler one, maiden overs. . Kettle, "in play-* ing one of Fowler's forward, was well caught, by the bowler, who secured just as he. fell to the ground. 2 for 5. Dowries then joined Kettle. In the next over Corfe clean bowled F. Fulton. 3 for 5. Downes got a single ', from the last of Corfe's next over, which he skyed tb leg, and was nearly caught by Lbughnan. who tried it with one hand ; off Fowler's next he got another single for a hit to leg ; biit in playing forward one of Corfe's he managed to give Lee a chance,, which the latter eagerly seized. Four for 9, and the hopes of Otago became .greatly depressed.. Collinson came next, F. Fulton running for him. The last ball of Fowler's next over Fulton walked out to, and lifted well away to the off for 3 ; but in the very next over,; not watching Corfe, h}s timbers were' floundered by a capital ball. Five for 10. Turtoh then joined C6llirisoh, but ,his life was a very short one, the first ball 'lie got being lodged in. Lee's hands. 6 for 12. The very first, ball Collinson 'received found its way into Sayille's hands. 7 for 12. Macfarlan tbok Cbllinson's. place, and got a single off Fowler; another off Corfe, for which he, must thank Reade, who backed him up .well ;; ■ another for a hit to leg off Fowler, and one; off Corfe for a tap just past Lee. Fowler then bowled a maiden, Corfe following suit.; In Fowler's next, Macfarlane had 'a narrow escape of being caught, by playing a ball too slightly forward, but. the next ball he lifted well to the off for 2. In tlw next fever Reade : drove a ball to the off for a single, plough two might have been run. for "it. Fowler then b'6wle& a maiden. Macfarlan scored another single off Cbrfe's second ball — ; another for a hit to mid-off off Fowler, but; he had a very narrow .escape in running it ;; and a third single off Corfe's next, alsb for a hit to mid-off. Reade followed with a single in precisely the same spot. Fowler bowled' another maiden and Corfe followed suit.. Reade got one off Fowler for a hit to slip,; ■ which Cbtterill did, not seem 'inclined to field, and iMacf arlan .drove the next ball well: down to long-off for 2. Reade got a single , off Cbrfe for, a tip to slip, .'and Fowler bowled; ; another maiden, as did Cbrfe. Reade, in! playing one of Fowler's next, pulled it round; where Ollivier was ready to receive it. 8' for 27. Macdpnnell then jbine'd Macfarlan, 1 who obtained 3 for a capital hit off Corfe's second ball. Macdbnnell hit Corfe to leg for; 2, and in attempting what was a good, third 1 one, Macfarlan was run out, Macdoiuiell He-, clining tb back him up. Nine for 33, Macfarlane's 14 being obtained by very careful play. Church tbok Macfarlah's place, play- , ing a maiden over from Fowler, . Macdonnell' scored a single 'for a hit tb the off from Cbrfe, and another off Fowler, thinks to Loughnan. who did not pick it up ; in his usual style.. Corfe bowled a maiden over, so did Fowler. •' the first ball of Corfe's next over Macdon-' hell hit to leg for 2 ; and, after giving a chance ill the Slips, drove one well tolohg-on for 3; Cbrfe bowled another madden, as did Fowler. Church got a Single off Corfe's next over, that of Fowler being a maiden. . In the last bail of Corfe's .next over, Church gbt a. single, which saved .Otago's defeat in one innings-, but the very next ball from Fowler. Macdonnell put into Lee's hand ; Otago's. inningfc terminating for 43 runs, leaving Can-' • terbtiry'to make 1 to win. At about five' o'clock Canterbury Went ii to make the one which it required to win:, \Vo6d and Pierce appearing at the wickets. The. latter played, a maiden from Downes, and Fulton's thirdball fierce skyed to the on, ,for what would' have been a gobd three. Canterbury thus' won the ninth inter-provincial match, with; ten wickets t6 spare— a result Jthat was hot, unexpected, although at one time there were ■ hjpes that the defeat woald be less humiliating. Otago had admittedly a weak team— certainly a 'Weaker team than has ever been ; brought together on the Dunedin ground ; ' while Canterbury was stronger this year than ever she was.. The Canterbury men went in for good steady practice till within the day of departure, -fthile tnv men played together but seldom, and the practices were very fitful. The resul-fc.was observable on the days 6i the niatch. Some of the fielding was very ]Jpor. F. Fultdri, solely from the.want.6f practice', allowed ball after ball ta pass him, the byes in the first innings reaching double figures, which they neyer should in ian-inter-Brovin-

cial match. J. Fnltou Dowues, particularly the latter," "boiled 'Veil thrqugh nut tl^e match, but rtiecHange howlers were decided failures. Why Dowries "was taken off, ;after having, bowled ! a succession of maidens, or why Collinsori' was eVar put on, are questions which 'can only be answered by the Otago .Captain.; we are 'unable, to 'divine a reason.., 'In considering brieny the "match as a whole— -and taking Thursday's play! 'first, we.afe.6f opinion that Fowler 'started yrith'a mistake, v which he followed up u with 'a blunder. ,When he Svon the toss, we. should have': thought he would have .been guided by experience and, taken, advantage 6f the : true wicket presented by Hendly, and sent Otago into .the field. And what' we consider "was a blunder .'was tlie reservation till the 'last of two of. his best bats — Arthur, Olliyer ''and Cotterill. .The latter, 'certainly had 'a bad hand, bnt Olliver/if "he had been .sent in early on' the 'first day, Would in all probability have, been 'good for ha]f a "century., 'He:'appeared to be ! in splendid -form ; ,'arid Otago may thank a treacherous '. wind fc for ( haying disposed of himso|easily. His hit to the 1 leg, which was caught, was. a. hard, one, 'and with a moderate wind, would have been a good 4. Speaking of tlie batting, recalls to ' bur mind very forcibly that Canterbury is as pre- . eminently superior to Otago in this ment as she is, in fielding. iJeaving l Fowlei% Olliver j and " Cotterill, out of "consideration, for their powers with . the wiH'ow : is, well knoAvn, there are a couple of giants in Corfe arid Saville. Jt was a 'treat to watch 'the play of these men. Corfe's innings Was a brief one, but, j judging : from his playj'at practice, ,w!e are. inclined to prefer 'him to .Saville. latter, by;all 'acc'ouhts, has riot done niuch in the way of 'scoring in vCa7iterbury, while Corfe has repeatedly 'had large dotible figures to his name" ; one of the latest feats : there being to darry out his bat ' f,0r"90 in a good match.. . Arid as to ' the ' bowling, Canterbury had plenty of changes, but they were made with discriri'iination. Corfe, * who was only put on in the second innings, wiis very destructive. ' His delivery is very good and the pace is exceedingly warm, * even faster than Reade's. , Fowler wa.° well 'on the spot on both days and Pierce was riot to be sneezed at. Of Fulton and l)o'wnes we have already spoken, of the rest we will "say nothing beyorid this, that while nearly every bowler in the Otago teani was getting a turn Church might have been tried. He could not have done worse than Collins'on, and it is within the bounds of possibility that his left-handers would have puzzled some of the Canterbury players. The Svh6le conduct" of this department showed how much Heridley was missed. Say what people nifay, we have gi'eat faith in the veteran ; arid it was "shear nonsense to talk of bad arms preventing him playing, when he 'was able to do "service 'for the Citizens the very next : day. The constitution of Hie Otago 'team by ho mean's pleased us ; and Church, who was conspicuous for his excessively loose nelding, could have been conveniently left out. 'If the premier club will continue to think that the other town clubs are yet unable to furnish ; a representative or. two for the Ihterprovincial Match, let linm 'turn their eye's to 'the country, where, 'as 'we. have before pointed out, there are some really good players.. We have only to go as far as ' the Tokomairiro district, where there are two,' if not three, 'as good fields and bats 'as 'the majority of the Utago team. While deploring 'another defeat for the Provirica, 'we 'can only : 'express the hope that it will tend Vo J stiih'ulafe our player's to greater 'exertions next season, in order that when the next match is played in Canterbury, a t: cros'er game, if hot a victorious one, may' ensue.