CRICKET.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 119, 15 November 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

CRICKET.

IBs Ye Knight ] Last Saturday's cricket' on the Basin P.e i orve was as interesting as a. young man's Srst love affair. Monotony was impossible, and the blemishes and mistakes were overlooked and forgotten for the £i>ke of the merits. Especially vas this the case at No. 1 wicket, where the Wellington-Phoenix match was in progress. The bulk of the spectator matched that game with unflagging interest from the first ball until clo-e of pi.n . With 343 runs up for 8 wickel.s in the first innings, Wellington has given Phoenix a problem which they probably couldn't solve to save themselves from the attentions of the hangman. They started away so, well, loo; Richaidson. C. Gore, and Hickson wete out and only 3 runs were up! Then came Maiiony and one or two kindred spirits, and Phoe-

nix grow very tired. Fielding was too much fft;;a t ; ; the»c men with the tireless l)Hl» weio bound to get out somehow they would hit their wickets, or retire lunl— Utfy couldn't stop there always. Cliinlmlm was the only trier in the field. Atuliuiiy i« a big acquisition to local crickol. Me is a most attractive batsman ; pluyH all round tho wicket equally well, and felclicd continued applause from the crowd an a sneaker of short runs. His score of 158 not out was entirely free from fault, but that was of little consequence save lo the Phoenix, and the spectators gave him a flattering reception as he left the field. When his century was hoisted 170 was* the Wellington total. Weybuurne made things unpleasant for the Phoenicians also. He banged away merrily, and while ho was with Mahony they put on ]£2 runs. There were only 14 singles in Weybourne's score of 55. After Wcybomne came Latham, who learned lm cricket in the Old Country. He is not a, pictty bat, bat when he Mis the ball it gets over the country rapidly. He makes little apparent effort with his haul htrokes, but his liming does tho trick. Hickey's figures read best among the bowlers, and at present he has bowled Z6 overs (8 of them maidens), had 106 mns knocked off him, and bugged 4 wickets. Old Boys showed that they have leal good qualities in their game with the Midlands, and perseverance never yet loht a race. Their batting is improving each week; Tucker has added great weight to the bowling ; and if the fielding it,- looked after carefully the senior shield will one day hang from the ridge-pole of their wigwam. Holdsworth made 24 runs for {he Midlands in a hurry. There were only 3 singles in the bunch, and when one wicket was down for 29 he had made 24 of them. Upham and Smith made 34 while together, and showed that almost ""any hit, and often no hit, may be made into a run. Williams had an off day with the gloves — 28 byes. Tucker's average of 6 wickets for 52 was a top-notch performance, but it is a pity there are not some more bowlers in the Old Boys' team, as it looks likely he will be bowled to pieces this season. V. Sanderson, who it was stated had retired from the game, was playing for the Old Boys once more. So far Wills, with 23, tops the Old Boys' batting against Midland. This is his second senior match, and much is hoped from him. J. P. Blaffliiock lias returned to Wellington, and will play for Old Boys in future. Norman Ebsworth, in compiling 104 runs in 42 minutes at the Sydney Cricket Ground recently, started with a four and two hits out of the ground for six each. He made 34 in 15 minutes, 64 in 25 minutes, 81 in 27 . minutes," 97 in 37 minutes, and 100 in 41 minutes. G. L. Jessop in 1897 made 101 iv 10 minutes against Yorkshire. Ebsworth used a bat weighing 21b lO^oz. When lie had made about 50 Edsworth hit one to a tremendous height, at extia long-on. The bail soared' up until, in the deep blue sky. it was lost to the sight of the spectatois. Harry Donnan was stationed near the fence there, and the people kept their eyes on him as, with face turned to the clouds following the flight of the ball, he wobbled about. It went to such a tremendous height that I ("Not Out" in the Referee) really believe they could have run four for the stroke. At last it came down with astonishing, pace, and Donnan missed it. It is likely (says the Referee) that another team of Engli&h cricketers will w visit Australia next summer, arriving at* Adelaide early in November. Captained by Mr. A. C. MacLareu, one has reason to believe there is every probability of their proving a very powerful party, greater in batting than tlie last team, and poswbly greater in bowling. The project wilf "commend itself to Australians for more reasons than one, not the least important being that it will pi event a repetition of an Australian eleven sailing for England immediately »after finishinga campaign against an English teom here. It is in the interests of cricket that at least one season should be allowed to lapse between the visit of an English team ?nd the departure of an Australian team. It is ako understood to be practically certain that another Australian team wilJ leave for England three seasons hence. F. S. Jack&on wos married at the beginning of this month. The only county to beat the Australians was Yoikshire, who disposed of the colonials at Leeds for 25 runs. Only one ball was used in the innings, so Lord Huwko had it halved, handsomely mounted, and a half presented to each of the successful bowlers. Each bore the following inscription : — "Yorkshire v. Australians, Leeds, June 2nd and 3rd, 1902. Hirst five for 9, Jackson five for 12. Yorkshire won by five wickets." The name of Prince Ranjitsinhji, the well-known cricketer, Kumar slvri Ranjit Sinhji, when literally translated (says the Otago Witness) re&olves itself into "The Honourable Young Man Ranjit. the Lion." What has happened to the honourable young man lately? O Ciicky !— Tlie .Australians, playing a Western Province (Cape) team, made 172 and 274, and the Westerns 84 and 80. Thnfs nothing. At Westport the other day, in senior cricket, the Mokihinni te-»ra were all out for 14, while the While Star boys actually made s—all5 — all byes. One trundler took five wickets for 0. This should make Lord Hawke turn in his tracks. M. Moorhouse, who some years ago was well known in cricketing circles in Canterbury and -Wellington, played for Sixteen of Mitch am against Tom Richardson's Eleven on 20th September, and scored 25 before being bowled by Clode, the Surrey professional. The sixteen I scored 130 to 207 for nine wickets by the elevn, for whom E. Hay ward scored 83. H. Carpenter, the Essex professional, is acting ?s coach on the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He will return to England iv March next. Mr. F. C. Raphaal, the hon. secretary of the New Zealand Cricket Council, has received a communication from, the New South Wales Cricket Association, asking him to place the Trumper Testimonial Fund before cricket enthusiasts in New Zealand.