DUNEDIN NOTES.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8718, 14 February 1894, Page 5

DUNEDIN NOTES.

February 13.

At one time last evening there wava prospect of the abandonment of the O tag 6 match. Macniel claimed: that play shouja, be resumed not later than eleven o'clock this forenoon, but the visiting captain refused to begin before midday, alleging that this was the hooi, for"starting play in Australia. Ifc was evident thaC beginnifig at noon meant a certain draw, and Otago having tbe beat of. the game naturally wanted a. chance to win, so a meeting of the Otago Cricket Association was hurriedly, called and the question raised of sending Otago into the field at eleven and'- claiaifug the match shouid the Welshmen refuse i t<) put in an appearance at that hour. It ??g&; decided, however, not to take so extremira step, and finally a resolution was carried net to press for a start until noon. As was expected this late start and the adjournment for afternoon tea brought about a draw in favour of Otago. The Welshmen, requiring 179 to win, began their second innings 3'aortly before 4 o'clock, and when Gould was run oat with the score at 1, Cowley bowled with the total at 12, and Moore two runs later, things looked decidedly awkward.for the visitors. Mackenzie and Walford were the next wickets to go, and five out for 35 was the worst performance the Welshmen had shown since their arrival in the colony. E. Noble, the top scorer in the first innings, however, stemmed the tide of disaster, and fairly saved his side. Piaying a purely defensive game (ably assisted : by whose mission was merely to k«*ep his wicket up), he scored very slowly till the clock showed but twenty minutes to cix, and then recognising that the match was saved, he began to bat freely, and in one of Lawton's overs scored 13 rviae, including three boundary liite. Change after change in the bowling was tried but ail attempts to effect a dissolution were vain, and at the appointed time fordrawingof stumps the score book showed 75 for five wickets, ftoblc having played a splendid not out innings for 45. ForOtago Hope aniLawtoabbwledcapitally, but Downes failed to take *.wickefc. Throughout tbe entire matcjpj Fisher's fielding was snperb, und admit that it was tha beet they|have encountered throughout the touri Carrie

kept wickets admirably, and his place in preference to Croxford in the match against Canterbury is a foregone conclusion. Boddington will be unable to take part' in this int«rprovincial fixture, and on recent form neither Parker nor Macneil are worthy of a place. A good deal of amusement was caused in town today by a canard published in to-day's Times that Mr Beeves was to be appointed Agent-General, and be succeeded by Mr Pinkerton as Minister for Labour. The probabilities of the matter wero freely canvassed until evening was reached, when the Star published an authoritative contradiction of the rumour.