CRICKET.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2711, 8 January 1872, Page 3

CRICKET.

THE INTEBPKOVJDfCIAL MATCH. Notwithstanding the threatening aspect of the weather on the 27th December, the morning of the"2Sth, the day fixed, for the commencement of the ninth Interprovincial match between Otago and Canterbury, was as fine as could possibly have been desired. A wicket that has never been equalled on the Dunedin ground had been prepared, and no possible fault could have been found .with it. The outfielding too, though not first rate had been greatly improved since the last occasion on which the match was played in Dunedin, and clearlj showed, that considerable trouble had been taken to overcome the very great difficulties that tte D.CiC. liave to contend

against in bringing their ground into playable condition. .

The match was arranged to commence, at eleven, bat a start was not actually made until twelve o'clock, when Fowler having won the toss, sent Otago to the wickets. Pierce began the bowling at the south end and delivered a maiden to F. Fulton. Lee at the north end followed up with a maiden to Macfarlan, but in his next over was driven to the fiff for 3 by the same batsman. Fulton after a narrow escape of being run out in attempting a second run for 1 toehort leg, gave a very easy chance to point. One for 7. Runs now came but slowly, nothing but singles being made, until Macfarlan made a fine square leg hit off Lee for 3. However, in Pierces next over he was caught rery smartly by the bowler, having played a very steady innings of 13. Two for 22. Collinson, who followed, began at once to score ; punishing both bowlers to the off, and at 34 Lee, for whose bowling the wicket was too easy, was relieved by Souter. Kettle played the third ball of the over to Lee at third man, and had the ball been returned a little quicker a run out would have resulted. Both men now got well set, and at 51 Fowler went on to bowl in Pierces place; but the change ■proved-ineffectual. Off Fowler's third over Kettle made a splendid square leg hit past the pavilion for 3, and at 67 Lee again went on at the north > end. At 64 Collinson played a ball to shortrleg, and F. Fulton, who was running for .him, could not have got in in time, had the ball not been thrown in by Stevens too high for the bowler to reach. Shortly afterwards, Kettle, who had played excellent!,* throughout his slcied one to mkl-off and was .wuighi. Three for M. There no>v gcenied every ,pn>hnbilUT of Otajjo making « very long innings, the average per •wickei being very much higher limn in any previous match ou the Dunedin ground, and Downes, who succeeded Kettle, ran up the score verj quickly, driving Lee to the off for 3, and Fowler, to the on for the same number. The score bad reached 82 when an adjournment was made for lunch. When the Canterbury men again took the field ; Souter resumed the bowling at the north end, and after having been played to shortleg for 1, by ipownee, bowled Collinson off pads. Four for 83. Collinson's 36 was made without a chance, though he had a very near escape from being bowled by Souter early in his innings. He seemed scarely up to his. form of previous years, and to have,fallen off in his hitting powers. The runs were now made almost entirely by Downes, who got a leg-hit for 3 oft each bowler. J. C. Fulton did not, however, remain long, as he skied Pierce, who, since lunch, had been on at the south end to mid-off. Five for 94. At 100 Downes got bowled by, a ball which hit. him on the shoulder, and dropped on to the wicket, and in Souter'e next over Turton got his leg before, without any addition having been made to the score. Six and Seven for 100. MacDonnell and Reade slowly raised the score to 112, Fowler having, in the meantime, relieved Pierce in the bowling. A fine catch at the wicket now disposed of Reade, and only six more runs were added, when Church was clean bowled. Next over Savile made a second excellent Gatch at the wicket, the last man, Allen, not receiving a ball, The best innings on the Otago side were those of Kettle and Macfarlan, the latter being evidently in good practice, beside being one of the most reliable bats in the Eleven. Collinson on the other hand was clearly out of practice, and Downes, though he hit very hard, scarcely played a ball straight, hitting off the wicket to leg in the most reckless manner. For Canterbury, the wicket keeping of Savile was very good, and the fielding all round was almost without a mistake. Ollivier long-stopped instead of Cptterillj who was disabled early in the match, and only let one pass him. Of the bowling, Souter's was the most successful. In his last thirteen overs he took three wickets for 8 runs, eight of the overs in succession being maidens. Pierce, who had much better luck than Sputer, bowled occasionally rather wildly, but the wind was somewhat against him.

Shortly after four o'clock the Otago eleven took the field, Downes taking the bowling at the South end, and J. C. Fulton at the other. Both men played very steadily at first, the rune being principally obtained in singles, but in Fulton's fourth over Wood made a splendid cut for 3, and followed up by hitting Downes to square leg for a similar number. When the score had reached 22, Reade went into Fulton's end, and Pierce hit one hard to Church, who was standing at short-leg, very fine— a very hard chance.. Next over Wood put one. to point, and the ball was splendidly taken low down, but in recovering himself Allen tripped and lost the ball. Fulton now went on again at the north end, and at once bowled W.ood off his body, his next ball, which was a very fine one, taking Lee's wicket. One and two for 27. Pierce now drove Downes for 1, the first 4 in- the matoh; but got caught by the same bowler in'- his next over. Three for 35. ; Corfe. and Savile .brought up the score pretty quickly; their running between wickets being very fine, though the first 2 obtained by Corfe was rather closely run. At 47, Reade went on at Downes , end, and in his third over Corfe let out at a shooter and was bowled. Four for 63. Kettle was now put on vice Fulton, but was driven finely to the off by Savile for 3, and the change proving ineffectual he gave way to Macfarlan, Downes the previous over having resumed the bowling at the south end. Macfarlan's first ball, -which was pitched well up, took Stevens'wicket. Five for 64." Fowler and Savile now increased the score gradually, making a run or two off every over, the play however, of the former being evidently rather shaky. At 73, Fulton again went on at the north end, and his first ball was driven to the on by Savile for 4, a magnificent hit for which 5 might have been safely run. Shortly afterwards Fowler skyed one of Downes' behind point, but Allen could not quite get to it. At the end of the over the stumps were drawn for the day, the score being at 84 ; Savile having made 26 and Fowler 3.

At about twenty minutes to twelve on Friday, Macfarlan resumed the bowling at the north end. It soon became evident that Fowler was in very different form from the previous day, both in point of defence and hitting. Collinson took up the bowling at the south end, and was cut by Fowler for 1, -and then a leg-hit past the flags by Savile for 3 brought the score up to 90. His next -over was still ■ less euccessf ul. Savile commenced by hitting him to square leg into the pavilion for 3. The next ball Fowler drove hard to the on for a similar number. A splendid leg-hit by Savile past the flags added 3 more, and the telegraph showed 100 runs, and Fowler finished up the over by a square leg-hit for 1, 10 runs having been made off four balls. Fowler then drove Macfarlan twice in succession to the on for 2, ■and' Savile made another magnificent ondrive from Collinson against the wind for 4. The bowling was now changed at both ends, Fulton and Eeade relieving Macfarlan and Collinson, but the hitting still continued and 119, or one ahead of Otago, was reached amid loud cheering from the Canterbury men and their sympathisers. Fowler's off hitting at this period was very firm. He made two 2's and a 3 from Downee, who had taken Beade's place, and then cut Fulton's bowling for 3. Savile made a fine cut from Fulton for 3, and next ball Fowler -skied one to short-leg, but fortunately out of reach. A very hard off-drive for 3 along the ground by Savile, brought the score to 150, but Fowler shortly afterwards gave Eeade a chance at short-slip and had to retire, having played a fine hitting innings of 40. His play on the second day was quite up to his best form, especially hie off-hitting. Six for 152. After Savile had added one more to the score, Ollivier made a splendid square-leg hit from Fulton, probably the hardest hit of the jnatch. but the wind which was Wowing very strong from the Sonth-west, brought the ball back and enabled Kettle to make a very well judged catch. Seven for 153. Souter was bowled almost immediately. Eightforloo. Inhittmg at a leg ball, which got up very high, Savile now gave his first chance and was caught at third man. His innings of 58 was indeed a great feat on SHCtt a slow run-get-ting ground as that of Dunedin, but he,dispiayed the most powerful defence, and wtfca'Hbe bowling was loose punished it

severely. "A finer innings has never been played in : th.e interproviueial match. Cotterill, who from a severe accident ou the previous day, had been unable to go in earlier, after getting one to leg for 2 gave an easy chance to point, the innings closiug for 161 or 43 runs to the good. The Otago fielding was not up to the mark of that of Canterbury. The want of a wicket keeper was very apparent, and several of the men. especially Church and Mac Donne!' were very weak in the field. Reade however fielded excellently throughout. Of tlit> bowliug. Downes, though not the straightest, was the most difficult to play. Fulton was well on the wicket the first day, but was (as indeed was all the Otago bowling) completely collared on the second.

Play was resumed at three o'clock. Corfe bowling at the north and Fowier at the south ends. Four runs had been scored when, a trimmer from Corfe scattered Allen's stumps. Kettle returned one to the bowler without scoring. Two for 5. F. Fulton, who had been playing very steadily, now got bowled by a splendid ball from Corfe. Three for 5. Two byes were next run; but Downes, after getting a single off each bowler to leg, gave a very easy chance to point. Four for 9. J. C. Fulton now drove Fowler to the off for 3, but a shooter from Corfe took his wicket next over. Five for 12. Turton put the next ball into point's hands. Six for 12. Corfe's analysis was now 32 balls for 2 runs, 5 wickets, and 1 wide. The first ball of the next over Collinson gave a chance to the wicket, v.-bich was - well. taken. Seven for 1". Tinve wickets had now fallen to three sii.-.TPssi vc balls, and it now seemed probable that the jnHich vroulci result in a victory to .Canterbury ta otu , . innings : but Reade and Macfarian plajed very steadily, and the score mounted up, principally in singles, to 27, when Reade was caught at long-atop. Macfarlan next drove Corfe hard to the off for 3—a fine nit—and MacDonnell followed up with 2 to but in attempting a third run, Macfarlan was run out, having played a very good innings for 14. He appears to be about the safest bat in the Otago Eleven, and it would probably have been more advisable to have put him in much earlier in the second innings. Nine for 32. After making a couple of Bingles MacDonnell got Corfe away to leg for 2, and then drove him hard to the on for 3. A few more eingles were added, and brought the score up to 43, the two Otago innings being now a tie with Canterbury's first, the one innings defeat being just saved when MacDonnell put up an easy one to point; Church, who showed some very good defence, brought out his bat. The Otago men very coon took the field, and j after Wood had received a maiden over from Downes, Pierce made the winning hit —a hard drive over mid ofi's head. Canterbury thus won the ninth match by 10 wickets. The collapse of Otago in the second innings, precisely in the same manner as last year, is somewhat difficult to explain j for though the Canterbury bowling was so good in the second innings as not to require any change, yet that of Corfe, which proved so fatal at first, is far more like the Otago bowling than any other on the Canterbury side. Want of practice, no doubt, told against the Otago men, but still, after the score made by them on the previous day, a much closer termination to the match might have been expected. That all their men went out one after the other without making the slightest stand was owing to one of those unaccountable panics which sometimes happea in cricket, and of which the innings of Canterbury in 1867 and 1868 are very notable in- * stances. The match this year has been won-

by an eleven superior in batting and fieldin and scarcely if at all inferior in bowlin but what contributed more than anythelse to Canterbury's success, was the.hthat the practice of the eleven had regular for some time previously match, while in Otago, in consequence weather, and the poor condition of except the centre of the ground, i tice had been of the most desulte iCtl wIU ter. The visiting team had ap captain in Fowler, who ;ny years field, and managed the bowlinisant with judgment. Nor do we thihis, together exception can be taken tcchasing goods which Turton discharged turers, will give tain to the Otago Eleven.cd by no other of bowling during thejoth of obtaining -were not successful is,, and also the latest buted not in the least •

ment on the part of ttg department also, of changing, but in tnis ia we n of the batting over> B presence in London that Church, who a( j<j to their already comhis bowling, washt any improvements and the practices Ply be brought out at home, inclined to thii cu i ar iy desire to call attenmark of any c n t 3 o f jewellery and plate If any mistake a t home, which arrive per farlan was fa s uez every month, wickets y>e would advise persons in want second ii?6d watches to inspect their own next yea\fc i eve r, in silver hunting cases, played r expressly manufactured for this have a I

CAKTEHBT7BT —FIRST rKNIWGS. £ « £ a «-§ Downes ... 0 44 4 13 136 Fulton, J. C. ... 0 60 4 11 132 Reade ... 0 10 1 3 40 Kettle ... 2 4 0 I 12 Macfarlan ... 1 10 I 0 24 Collinsou ... 0 18 0 O 12 CANTERBURY —SECOND INNINGS. £ « £ a «£ Downes 0 0 0 1 4 Fulton, J. C. ... 0 10 0 3 It should be mentioned that Souter played as substitute for Maples, who was unable to play in consequence of a severe "blow received m practice previously to the match. Hie bowling, as pointed out above, proved very effective in the first innings of Otago. Professor Sale stood umpire for Otago, and Mr Maples for Canterbury, and discharged their duties to the satisfaction of everybody, The scores were kept by Mr James Murison for Otago, and Mr H. Cotterill for Canterbury.