CRICKET CHAT.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9335, 8 February 1896, Page 9

CRICKET CHAT.

[By Dark Blue.] •* Weekly Press and Referee."

Fine weather and hard wickets were the order of the day for Saturday's cricket in Christchurch and as a consequence the scoring was above the average. The Senior Cup match between the Lancaster Park and United Clubs Avas continued at Hagley Park whea a first class wicket was provided and as a result the batsmen on both sides scored heavily, no leas than 344 runs being obtained during the four hour's play, and only five wickets fell. Last week in commenting on the second day's play I anticipated that the United, who had lost six wickets for 191 runs, would not be far behind the Park's total of 520 by the time the innings closed and these expectations were more than realised, as when Clark, the last man to be disposed of, was given out leg before wicket, the total had reached 360, the last four wickets on Saturday thus adding no less than 169 runs. At the commencement of the day's play Glark and Helmore scored freely from the start and added 84- to the score before the latter was bowled for a well played 41, in compiling which he showed good defence as well as punishing powers, his chief hits being a 5, three 4's and five 3's. Wood and Kitto gave but little trouble but Frankish showed capital defence and assisted Clark to add 64 for the last wicket before the latter was given out after having played an exceedingly fine innings of 135. On the second day of the match Clark went in at the fall of the fifth wicket with the score at 138 and he was in while 222 were added to the total. He took no risks, but his hitting was nevertheless first class, hard and well timed, and it is doubtful if a better display of batting has been witnessed in Christchurch this season. Some idea of his hitting can be gathered from the fact that he hit more 4's than singles, and as many s's as 2's. He put a ball or two up rather dangerously in the slips, but his innings was otherwise free from fault. The Lancastrians' fielding was fairly good though towards the close it slackened off a bit, and a few over-throws were given. Wilding was again the most successful bowler and considering the heavy total his figures read well.

When the Park started their second innings they had a deficit of 40 to wipe off, but Cuff and C. Ridley made light of it and the arrears were knocked off in about half an hour. Cuff hit with great freedom, but when wanting 6 to complete his century he made a bad stroke which cost him his wicket. Ridley scored at a slower rate than his captain, but he also laid the wood on hard at times and, as he is still not out, he has a capital chance of completing his century. Wilding appeared, to play with more steadiness than is usual and he evidently went in with the intention of keeping up his wicket until the call of time, wnich he succeeded in doing. The United bowling and fielding calls for no special comment. Thie match should have been finished out during the week, but as Lancaster Park will be engaged for the cash amateur bicycle races on Saturday next I understand that arrangements have been made to continue the match on that day.

The Midlanders, as anticipated, had but little difficulty in beating Sydenham and Addington United at Lancaster Park by an innings, although the new club performed much better than in their opening essay. The Midland, having the game well in hand, did not appear very anxious to. dispose of their opponents and after the first few batsmon had made fair stands the majority of the others found run getting an easier matter than usual. W. Stevens was top scorer with a well got 37, while Wright and Malloch fcach played well for 27, the latter being not out. C. Lawrence exhibited good defence in compiling his 20 and Malone and HadSeld were responsible for 16 each. Day quickly hit up 13 and Treloar just reached double figures. Macfariane was the most successful bowler and Pearce trundled steadily but without any luck. The fielding was fairly good all round. So far 854 runs have been scored for twenty two wickets in the match between the Tjnited and Lancaster Park teams. The New Zealand record for the aggregate in a match is, I believe, the 868 made in a match between the same teams during the season of 1893-94.

I think I am correct in saying that previous to Saturday no side that had scored over 300 runs in their first innings had been headed by their opponents. The 360 scored oj the United againat Lancaster Park is their second largest total in Senior Cup matches, their biggest being 582 against the Lancaster Park No. 1 Fifteen during the season of 1887-83.

"It is a long lane without any turning." A fortnight ago I commented on the fact that H. C. Ridley had only scored 51 runs this season in Senior Cup matches. On Saturday he made more than double as many runs than he had previously made and was then not out.

Clark's 135 against the Park was made up by one 6, five 5 s, sixteen 4's, six 3's, five 2 ! s and twelve singles. Of the 169 scored on Saturday by the U.C.C. batsmea Clark make 99.

The 150 scored by Cuff and Ridley for the first wicket on Saturday is a record for Senior Gup matches in Canterbury.

The recent high scoring in Christchurch has led to enquiries being made as to what are the largest scores made in Senior Cup matches in Christchurca, so I have compiled the following table, which shows the scores of 300 and upwards made since the competition started:—

*Six wickets down. From the above it will be seen that the United have topped the third century fourteen times, Lancaster Park (including the fifteen), nine times, the Midland three times, sod the defunct Warehousemen once. There have been six innings of over 300 against Ashley, five each against Addington, Midland, and United, four against the Park, and two against the Ware* housemen.

R. Hewat, scored 103 not out for Oamarn Grammar School, Past and Present, against the Oarnaru Glub on January 30th.

A. M. Labatt, has joined the Gordon Club, Auckland. J. J. Ferris made his first apperance in a match in Australia, since his return from England, in the contest between J. R. Woods' team and the Melbourne Club on January 9th and 10th, when he scored 17 and bowled 90 balls for 100 runs and one wicket.

Last summer (says a Sydney writer) even A. E. Stoddart, prince of players, admitted that the Australians were a better team than his; yet Stoddart's men won the rubbsr. Now, "the Middlesex ohampion is not to be compared with George Giffen as an all-round player. As a batsman and fieldsman there is little between theiru and that little might be in favour of the Australian and it might not. But as a bowler Gitfen is incomparably superior to Stoddart; yet all the world knows that with this former's matchless skill with the willow arid the ball—his ripened judgment in the exercise of all the wiles and artifices oc the trundler, and his almost unequalled judgment in wielding thebat—he is not a leader of other men. And in this he sinks into insignificance beside Stoddart. It were absolutely useless to say otherwise. The very traits'in George Giffen's character that make him such a tricky trundler, such a designing, crafty, rarely-caught-napping bowler, act against his success as a leader. With the ball he keepe going the whole time, working out his own little details, and plotting to get his antagonists out. He gets wrapped up in his work, and can't unwrap himself, ergo, forgets that there are others on his side —forgets that others can plot, and are plotting, too. J. Davis scored 50 not out for the Warwick Club against North Sydney at Sydney on January 18th. Single wicket matches used to be very popular in the olden days, but they are rarely played nowadays. One for £10 aside was played at Singleton (N.S. W.) on January 20th, the contestants being A. Mather and A. Foster, two of the leading cricketers in the northern district. Mather won easily by an innings and 140 rune, scoring 152 in his only innings, and then disposing of his opponent for 12 and 0. Some of the New South Wales team which lately visited New Zealand took part in inter-club matches at Sydney on January 18th. Callaway,. playing for Paddington against Leichhardt, took four of the latter's wickets for 21 runs. Cobcroft, playing for Glebe against Eaat Sydney, was caught at the wicket by the ex-New Zealander,Currie, after making two, and Walford and D. Noonan, representing Waverley against South Sydney, each made 10 before being caught. F. Ridge made 17 for Manly against South Sydney Second. "An admirer of Turner" writes to a Sydney paper suggosting,that the Australian Eleven to go to England should play a match against a team picked from the rest of Australia for the bentjfit of Turner before going home. / I The following players have been selected !to go into practice in tiew of representing Otago against Canterbury and Southland this month:—Baker, $oddington, Clayton, jA. Fisher, Hope, Kinrig Rains, Spraggon, Black, Clark, Downes, H. Fisher, Johnston, Parker, Rattray, We/Is.

Mr F. E. Brittaia, who was for some years secretary of tl?e Phoenix Club, Wellington, and who edified the " New Zealand Cricket Annual," which was published in Wellington a few years ago, has been appointed District Secretary for Otago to the Mutual Life Association of Australasia, with his headquarters at Dunedin. Writing of the match between East Melbourne aud University before the Australian team was chosen "Mid-on" in the Melbourne Leader says:—The feature of the University second innings was. the wicketkeeping of J. Harry, who relieved Lewis. His stumping of Fitzgerald was a grand bit of work, and his share in the running out of Quirk fairly electrified the spectators and fieldsmen alike. If Harry entertained a feeling that he was perhaps on trial for the muchrdiscusaed position, of second wicket-keeper in the Australian Eleven it must be allowed that he gave an exhibition of dexterity which would certainly have made a deep impression on the selectors had they witnessed it, and one of the most eulogistic of his critics was Johns, who, if it be decided not to take Jarvis to England, ought- to be favourite for .the position of first wicketkeepar. At a meeting of the New South Wales Cricket Association held on January 20th, glowing reports (says a Sydney writer) were presented by. Managers J. C. Waine (New Zealand) and E. J. Briscoe (Melbourne and Adelaide). Mr Waine spoke eloquently of the hospitality of the New Zealand people, quoted a letter from Mr President Wilding, and concluded by saying Mr C. R. Smith' was the right man in the right place. Mr Briscoe's report did not tell of hospitality, but it told of a happy family and success.

ieasoa For. Against. Total L892-3 1382J [692-3 LS32-3 IS83-4 L3S6-7 ISS34 L832-3 LS95-6 18S2-3 :8Sl-2 £954 Lancaster Park.. Lancaster Park .. United.. Warehousemen.. Lancaster Park.. Midland United .. United.. Midland Lancaster Park.. United United.. United.. Lancaster Park.. United.. United.. UnisedUnited.. Lancaster Park.. Lancaster Park.. United.. '.- United.. Midland Lancaster PV. XV. United.. United.. Lancaster Pk. XV. Ashley .. Midland Park No. 1X7... Ashley.. United.. Addington Lancaster Park.. Ashlev.. United.. Addington Midland Addington .. Unitea.. Midland AsMev.. Xid&nd TTarehoossmea .. United.. Midland Ashley.. Addington Warehousemen.. Ashler.. Lancaster Park.. Addington .." United - C24 333 382 378 355 364 550 o53* 345 344 333 530 329 326 325 324 321 320 326 318 315 310 309 307 303 301 300 LS35-4 tSSO-1 ISS54 L8SO-1