MELBOURNE PRESS COMMENTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11151, 18 December 1901, Page 9

MELBOURNE PRESS COMMENTS.

(Received December 17th.., 10.14 p.m.) MELBOURNE, December 17. The "Age," commenting on the match, says it was undeniably a great win, achieved . by sheer merit. The victors showed superiority in every department of the game. It ifl useless talking about the Australian battiog being a failure. Credit must be given unstintedly to the expert bowling and <"' fielding by which such failure was brought ' pibout. -;■' The "Argus" suggests that a cable message be sent to Lord Hawke assuring ham ■ • that no anxiety is felt over the absence of Rhodes and Hirst. "No real plea' is producible," the paper continues, "in mitigat- j ing of the Australians' defeat If Australia '. hopes to beat the redoubtable visitors, a /new eleven should be picked immediately, 'jtm as to enable them to train together. Lord Hawke, as the most prominent mem- /. bw of the Yorkshire County Club, declined *' to allow Rhodes and Hirst, the crack York.A-, ihira bowlers, to join MacLaren'a team be> sautt it w«e not of a representative chery otago-cantSury match. '-? • (SPSOUi TO "VOX- FRSSS.") • r i>\. , DUNEDIN, December 17^ interest is Being taken in the Otst&oC&nterbury match, j^re )„ the ktters victory over Wellington. . The :". Otago team, which will be picked this C;wc«K,.now promieee to be weakened through >M£Qe aad Broad being unlikely to , play. former has had the top of his finger -'\mt off, while - Broad goes to Nelson tol>eThe certainties are:-~Fish«r, Austin, . • Siedeberg, Burt, WilUams, Geddee, Wilkte. The other places will prob- § Ably be filled by either Gunthorpe, Monk ;$ (bowlers), Beardon, or Kilgoor. '; s (noses tranuMXAv.) ,;, , WELLINGTON, December 17. £, Albert Trott, the famous cricketer, en- ?'. gaged as coach by the HawkeY Bay Cricket V;. Association, arrived by the Waiwara to-day. ,'f -He states*, that he can only remain in the ■. % colony till next March, as he in ctoe back in jrjEngland for cricket in Mfty. f ; >- $ x ~ Proctice wiM be.resumed tbJs evening at Park nets for th*-match with gfc, Otago, which will be< played at Hjigley Park s|<W December 26th, iSTth; and 28Ox. The team will be selected on De»; 2srd. -' " ■ ' • 1 %{-jJfa Friday tRe cricket matoh, Chriet'e f-SCofieae v. Otago Boys' High School, will - . , rine match, ten men aside, seven ebote at 200, 200, and 500 yd*, was started #»fc Aahburton on Monday, between Ran'%pom Rifles and Aebburton Guards. Half-§-*&s through the 300yde range the matoh '; fcad to bo declared closed, wfien ihe Ran-. «jw» w«re leading by 40 point*. * >-~. The Military School of Instruction- closed nij^»t. ;«; \ Ashley County won it* matoh by 4 runs f *b4 -mx wicketi with the Midland Club. >2Jl* ecos»*-Firet iiminge 120 (Clayten l-i M> Eneor 24, Smith 14, Gower and Cwe- t ;;. Welt 10 each); second innings 82, with loss four wickete (Hehnore 27, Clayton 24, 11). Midlead icorea:— G-;Jtt* inninm 85 (Ward 20, Prebble 19/ [irepeneer lJTnot oofc, Whitta 10); second fefeninge 113 (Prebble 35, Barry, jun., 14, 13, Raphael 10). J *