CRICKET CHAT.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10263, 4 February 1899, Page 2

CRICKET CHAT.

IBv Dark Blce.]

"Weekly Press and Referee."

Cup matches were continued in Christchurch on Saturday", when the weather was fine and the wickets in good order.

The return match between Lancaster Park and the United teams; was commenced at Lancaster Park, when the home team had a good deal the best of the day's play. The United captain won the toss and had the advantage of sending his men in to bat on a good wicket, but they made but little" use of their opportunity, as, batting a man short, they were disposed of for the small total of 122. Vincent was top scorer with 38 but he had a good deal of luck, as he was missed three times. He nevertheless played a useful innings, and made some good hits on the off side of the wicket. __ Clark made 18 in good style, hitting freely all round, while J. H. Smith also batted well for his 13 not out The Lancastrians were without the services of Bates and Bennett, two of their regular bowlers, but they were well represented in this department by North and Mason. The former bowled slower than usual, and ho got on a big break, but there Avas still a suspicion of a throw at times. Mason, who was making his debut in the Lancaster Park Eleven, bowled steadily, and one of his three wickets included Wigley's. The Park fielding was below the average, several chances being missed.

W 7 hen the Lancastrians went in the United showed as poor form with the ball as they had previously done with the bat, and in about an hour and a-half the former scored 167 for the loss of but two wickets. S. Orchard scored 121, not out, by fine free crickejjs and lie only gave one difficult chance. He played in vigorous style all round, and he w£s especially severe on Williams' bowling.» Altogether his innings was the best he h/fs plavcd'in Senior Gnu cricket. H. C. Ridley batted steadily for his 23, while Witting" soon knocked up a dozen. A. E. Ridley fell to v splendid catch by OHivier, who shortly afterwards made a grand, but yfm, effort to hold a hot catch from Wilding at short leg. Vincent was the most successful of the bowlers tried, while the fielding was good all round.

I The Sydenham Club showed up well in [ their match agaitst the Midland, thank? principally to the batting of Halley and Walmslev. Tho fon--.er has before now shown a I liking for tho Midland trundling, and on this occasion he scored 101, in compiling which he ciily gave one difficult chance to IVuce when lie had made 95. His play was safe and sound, and he made several fine, vigorous drives. Walmsley made his 52 in double quick time, and his was a most meritorious performance, considering he has had hardly any practice for the last three months. His leg play and driving were particularly good. Maloue showed good defence in compiling his 17. W., Bates, who has not been made 'as much use of at the bowling crease this season as lw might have been, took five wickets for 64 runs, and he got on a nice leg curl, and occasionally an off break. , The other trundlers did not appear to trouble the batsmen much, and the fielding ' was only fair.

On the Midland going in the bowlers again fared badly, Barry and Smith putting up 74 for the first wicket, and at the call of time the score was 111 for the loss of but one wicket. Barry played carefully and well for his 58 not out, and did not seem to find any trouble in negotiating the bowling, while Smith also batted well until he was tempted to leave his crease to one of West's slow leg breaks, and missing the ball he paid the usual penalty. Peorce, who quickly knocked up 20, ought to have shared the same fate as Smith, but he was let off. Of the bowlers tried Wright and West were the best. The former, although failing to get a _ wicket, kept a capital length, while West's slows appeared to bother the batsmen more than the other trundlers. The Sydenham fielding was moderate. Orchard showed a.great liking for Williams's bowling on Saturday. One over of his produced 18 rims, Orchard hitting him for four 4's and a single, and his partner made a single. 1 Those usually safe fields Cant, Miller, and Stringer each 'missed a catch at Lancaster Park on Saturday., f The catch made by Ollivier, which disposed of A. E. Ridley on Saturday, was one of the best seen at Lancaster Park this season. Collins and Fowke, who keep wicket for the United and Sydenham respectively, were absent from their places on Saturday. Halley has twice made a century in Senior Cup matches, both being against the Midlanders. Previous to his 101 on Saturday, he scored 105 a couple of seasons' ago. Orchard's 121 not out for Lancaster Park against the United last Saturday is his first innings of three figures in a Senior Cup match, his highest innings previously being his' 94 against the United last season. On Saturday the ex-Christchurch players, H. Wilson and G. Marshall, scored 200 and 165 not ont, respectively, for the Napier United A team against the same Club's B team, and the pair added 360 to the total for the fifth wicket. ' Wilson's is the third score of 200 made in New Zealand this season, and the 360 is the largest stand on "record for New Zealand, the previous best being 306 by L. A. Cuff and J. D. Lawrence for the first wicket for' Canterbury v Auckland, in January. 1892. Tho New Zealand team had bad luck jfi tho matter of weather when they played against Otago in Dunedin on Saturday and Monday, -but, as was only to be expected, they came off victorious.. The team commenced their tour yesterday, when they left for Hobart, where they meet South Tasmania, the contest in all probability commencing on Monday next. We have not much of a line to judge the respective merits of the New Zealand and Tasmanian players,but it is generally the opinion here that one, if not both, of the Tasmanian games will be won by our men. The last of the big intercolonial matches in Australia was brought to a close at Sydney on Monday, when the New South Wales team showed their true colours by defeating Victoria by eight wickets. Iredale, Noble and Gregory, each scored heavily for tlve home team, and by the former's success he lias quite earned his place in the Alistrahan team, while Graham's century in the second innings of Victoria will again cause hijs claim to a place in the team to bo considered. In the competition for the Sheffield Shield, Victoria won three matches.and lost one, New South Wales won two and lost two, while South Australia won one and lost three. ' ~ J. S. Monck, who formerly played for the Midland Canterbury C.C., has joined the Christchurch Veterans CO. Another player who lias qualified for the Veterans is Marsden, who represents the Sydenham Thursday team, who, although owning to being fifty years of age, is as active in the field as most cricketers half his age. In consequence of the terms demanded for the use of the Sydney Cricket Ground, it it possible (says the " Age" of January 18th) that the proposed match between the Australian team selected for England and i the Rest of Australia, which was to have been played at Sydney on March 3rd and following days, may cot take place. It ap pears to be a still open question whether the New' South Wales Association or the trustees have control of the Sydney ground, each of the two bodies claiming the power, and the matter continues to be, as it long has been, a subject of dispute. It was proposed by the Australians to give £100 from the receipts of the match to Ned Gregory, the veteran New South Wales player, who is not expected to recover from a severe illness which has prostrated him for some time, and it will be regrettable if this laudable intention be frustrated by an extortionate demand being made by the cricket authorities of that colony, in the glorification in which in the cricket field Ned Gregory and other members of the famous family have borne such prominent parts. The total receipts from tho recent New South Wales-South Australian match were £1314, and the net profits—£Bso—was the laryest that lias yet resulted from any match with South Australia.

J. Horan, a son of the once famous Australian batsman, Tom Horan, scored 137 for Malvern v Port Melbourne at Melbourne on January 7th and 14th.

! The Queensland Eleven met, previous to their match with South Australia, and unanimously elected S. P. Jones captain. Soon afterwards, however, the old University crack received the sad news of his

father's death, which had taken place in Sydney. It necessitated his immediate departure. The South Australian team had a great reception on arrival at Brisbane to play the first intercolonial matih with Queensland At the welcome in the Town Hall, after the manager and captain of Hio visitors had spoken, there were loud calls for "GifFcn " The veteran, in expressing thanks for the' kind reception of the team, spoke of the great ability of the young players, Darling Hill, and Jones, and predicted that their performances on the cricket field would outshine any of his or others of the old players* There is no mean jealousy about good old i George. [ "*Y" ftrretfc ,)as been appointed as the I Aew South Wales representative on the Selection Committee-to pick the team to play for the Rest of Australia against the Australian team. In mentioning that Blackham had been chosen as tho Victorian member of this committee last week by a slip of the pen I said for the Rest 0 f England instead of Australia. High scoring prevailed in the First Grade / matches commenced in Sydney on January 14th. Paddington playing Redfern nut up 3.57 for nine wickets, Tuunper making 103 Noble 62, Mackenzie 61, and Alec Banner' man 47 not out. North Sydney did even better against Central Cumberland, scoring 386 for five wickets, A. J. Hopkins contribilling 137 and W. S. Duff 120. South Sydney totalled 257 (C. Gregory 110 and Stroud 55) against Wavorley, whoVesponded with 61 for no wicket. Glebe made 311 (Conningham 73) against Burwood, who dii not bat. East Sydney scored 235 (\V Richardson 93) against"Leichardt, who put up 25 without loss. , J n the Second Grade competition the University made 400 fob | nine wickets against Randwiek, H. C. Delohery making 102. At Adelaide, on January 7th and 14th, East Torrens met a mixed team of East ■ Torrens Juniors, and the former made the largo score of 606 (D. Dawson 206. J I Edwards 142, and i J axton IC6).