CRICKET CHAT.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10269, 11 February 1899, Page 3

CRICKET CHAT.

m [B* Dark Blue.] " Weekly Press and Referee." Christchurch cricketers were favoured with fine weather for Saturday's matches, and as _ hut little rain had falleu during tho week the wickets were in good urder for run getting. The contest between Lancaster Park and the United was continued at Lancaster Park. Tho Piu'k with two wickets down for 167 runs failed to make much of a stand, and the innings closed for 238, a much smaller total than at one time seemed probable. Orchard, who had made 121 on the first day. added, 19 to his score, and he was thou caught at tho wicket. l'avitt made 25 by free cricket, while W. Raphael, who was making his debut in Senior Cup cricket, knocked up 10 in quick time. The United holding was t good, and Collins and Clark each bowled well. The United were 116 to the bad when they began their innings, but Reeves and Wigley batted so well that it ap|>eared as if tho • deficit would be knocked olf before a wicket fell. With 83 on the hook, however, Reeves was run out for a well played 60. Ho had somo leg before wicket appeals made against him, which the umpire decided in his faovur, but on the whole his display was a good one. Wigley showed good defence in compiling his "50" but he let "off a. number of balls which lie should have scored off. He is one of the hardest men-to bowl at in Christchurch. but liis cricket is painfully slow at times. T. D. Hnrman and Smith made v useful stand when matters were going against their side, and both exhibited good cricket, and each aro not out. The Park fielding was fair, and Bennett was tho most successful of tho bowlers tried. The contest between the Midland and Sydenham Clubs was principally remarkable for the batting of R. W. Barry, who put up the record "score for a Senior Cup match in Christchurch by making 194, the previous best being L. A. Cuff's 170 forLancaster Park against) the United during the season of 1892-3. Barry's innings was by no means chtmceless; few innings of such a length are; but it must be classed as a. distinctly great performance. Fur hard hitting and good driving it was perhaps not to be compared with his two iunings of 61 against Lancaster Park and tho United. It was an innings of impregnable defence, and at the same time anything loose was quickly sent to the boundary. He made some line off drives, and his leg hitting was good. Pearce, who made 70, treated all the bowlers with scant courtesy, his on-driving being of a. nature seldnn witnessed at Lancaster Park. White. 0. Garrard, Lawrence, Wheatley and Miller all reached double figures, but there was not anything of special note in their displays. Malone bowled really well, but he did not have any luck. Fowke, who was put on late, secured three wickets at a small cost. Notwithstanding the long innings the fielding was good, though a few chances were" missed. With a deficit of 194 and in a bad light Sydenham again went in, but with poor results, three wickets falling for 37 runs, Barry capturing all three. Reese alone offered any resistance, and with 21, made in careful style, still remains in. • A number of cricketers met in Dunedin on Monday week for the purpose of bidding good bye to A. Downs and J. Baker, members of the Grange C.C., who were leaving next day with the New Zealand team. Mr A. C. Hamlon occupied the chair, and in his introductory remarks he said that Messrs Downesland Baker had done great things for Otago and Now' Zealand cricket,-, and-ho expressed his gratification that: they had been chosen as members of the New Zealand team. They had done credit to Otago, and he ventured to think that when the tour was over it would bo found that they hud worthily represented their colony. On behalf of a large number of friends and admirers, he took occasion to present Dow lies with a purse of sovereigns. Mr Honlon also presented Baker with a hapdsome travelling bag, a bat, and.a silver-mounted pipe, and in'doing so-eulogised the recipient's efforts in the cricket field, especially his recent meritorious score in the" Grange-Opoho match. "Mid On," in the Melbourne "Leader," writes:—The New Zealand Cricket Council seems to ho no happier than its contemporary institution over here. It appears that the selection of the New Zealand team to visit Australia this season has given a good deal of dissatisfaction. As the Australian team for England are to play tliree matches before sailing, it would have been , well if the New Zealand visit could have , been deferred, as it cannot possibly be - a success. . The other day (says the Melbourne correspondent of a Sydney paper) Major Wardilf received a letter from Air F. E. Lacey, secretory to the Marylebone C.C., inviting the opinion of the M.C.C. as to the advisability of altering "laws 10 and 48 of the game, and making it optional for either umpire to no-boll a. bowler. He particularly requests an answer by the end of February. The idea is Jim Pliillips', and reading between the lines of the communication I am afraid it pre- • sages trouble for the Australians. If tlie proposed idea is carried by the Marylebone committee (and I hope it will net be), there may be some peculiar situations evolved, as, in the event of a fast bowler, the . umpire at hia end may call wide at the same time as the other umpire calls . nohall. At any rate, the idea is to receive oarncst consideration before the commencement of the next English cricket season, tho Australian trip, no doubt, hastening matters.. . , * > , It is stated that thafc once brilliant .batsman C. Bannerman will very likely accompany the Australian team on its* English tour. Bannorman, it' may be remembered, was the first Australian batsman to score v century against an English team in Australiu, and the first to accomplish'- the feat in . England. W. Frith, well kpown in cricket circles throughout the. colony, sccured-etght wickets for 10 runs, playing for Featherston against the Masterton Midlands on January 28th. He clean bowled seven of his victims, and the eighth man was caught off him. The Ron. Necrptnrv nf the Junior ("Vi Committee of the Canterbury Cricket Association requests mc to draw "the attention of captains of Junior teams to the .following resolution, which was passed at a meeting of the Committee acid on October 13th, 1894:—"That the secretaries of clubs be'instructed to call attention of the captains of junior teams to rule 28 of the Junior Cup rule, which reads as follows: —The captain of the winning team in each match shad forward the result of such match to the Secretary of the Junior Cup Match Committee within three days after the completion of the match, ana to intimate that strict compliance will be enforced by the Junior Cup Committee.' The secretary informs mc thafc the only Vice-.fresident's team which he has received any results from is the United C.C. W. Mendelson scored 53 out of a total of 80, made by Temuka against Gerald ine on January 26th. £he latter made 109 for five wickets, and thus won by 29 runs and five wickets.