Cricket.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 150, 21 December 1907, Page 18

Cricket.

(By "Over.") [Contributions to this column should arrive ou or befqro 'Wednesday. 1 * The drawing of slumps at a quarter to seven last Saturday afternoon was practically a call of half-time in the crioket season. From that time on to the first Saturday in tho Now Year club cricket will take a spell to recuperate from its arduous labours of tho past three month". Then will commenco the fight for the championship aimong tho leading teams in tho competition. Meanwhile, c\en the present matches will stand in abeyance, and wo shall have to wait until the 4th .January has patsad before we can bo quite certain whether Midland will beat Phoenix or old Boys carry off a four-point win over Gas Company. The interval is> v. long one, but in it important events in the cricket world will happen, and the crown of the season's glory will be bestowed on the winners of the representative matches between Wellington and Olago and Wellington and Canterbury. What prognostications to hazard on the uncertainty of these games is at present too much in the nature of "tips" for tho races, aud "Over" has no c'.opire just now' to '< incur tho wrath of the law, as foreshadowed in the Gaming Act. To return to the matches on Saturday la*>fc is tho best course under tho circumstances. Gas Company, on No. 2 wicket at the Basin Keseivc, gave an admirable lesson of patience at the crease, but it was not very illuminating and inspiring to the onlooker. The wicket was bumpy, and- deprived tho batsmanßhip of that element of accuracy which is essential to clean hitting, but Ga3 Compamy lacks tho quality of aggressiveness. Cobcroft last Sulurday \weok demoralised their batting, and, if Tucker had been in anything like rfip normal form with the ball, a, similar . stale of things might have again been seen. As it was, Dredge, by long endurance, succeeded in making a stand, and carried ihe scoru to a respectable total. Towards the end of his innings Drcdgo opened his shoulders a little, and puuiihcd Monaghan with dome good ttraight driving. M'Kay threw a bright gleam on tho prevailing grcyness by a, lively innings of 23, of which a six, iwo fours, and ai three composed tho backbone. Wnugh batted with judioious caution, and Uaced the bo\*ding for over an hour to secure liis nineteen. He fell to a neat catch by Monaghan, off a nevA bowler, Lomert. Ashbolt was still pursued by his peraistent illluck. Mason's firot ball to him proved his downfall. The captain of tho Gas Company has belied his reputation this season. Gourlay plugged hoird at tho ball, but did not succeed in getting it away so often as usual. Somehow or other, ho failed to hit cler-nly, and his innings of 26 was not brilliant. Waters fell, without scoring, to a beautiful ca.icli in tho slips. Meanwhile, Gourlay was making some dangfei'ously uppish strokes. Ishcrwood, who is a brother of the Pctono Taherwood, and a member of a well-known family of cricketers, opened his innings ! in nice etylo, but was well caught by B. Jncobs at mid-on after making lour. Church hit up 10, and was caught by Monaighan off Mason. Then came a bright little interlude. Topp and Burke, the two last men, hit at nearly everything, and, strange to say, almost invarii abiy scored. Buike did most of Iho hitting, awl had made 19 when he put one into M'GilpH hands off Mason. The innings closed for 160. Old Boys, who had fieldod brilliantly throughout, did not depond for their bowling so much on 'luckcr, who took not a tinglo wicket, but on I 6omo of. tho younger members of Iho ' team. M'Gilr, with fo\u* wickets for 31, topped the bowlinif average, and Mason I was a good second with 6 for 28. Iho bowlers were also met successful in tho I field. Maeon and Monaghan had two i catches apicco to their credit, while Tucker and M'Gill each secured a batsman in this way. ' . . „ Old Boys commenced auspiciously— ott Gom-lay's first ball Beechy n\ado teven— five for the hit to leg— aincl two for the [ overthrow. Gourhiy was tho unfortunate bowlci. Birch ijavu Aehboll a olmnce, which was not takon, but a few ruus later the eamo batannn. was beaten by ai good ball from Topp, and lost his wicket.. Gourlay oowled very ferociously, but Jus pitch was sometimes so short that Iho ball went right over tho batsman's head. Birch and' Btjechy retired with 14 apiece. Tucker maintained his reputation, and hit the bowling right and lelt. Somo of his hits wero most vigorous. When Etumps were drawn ho had made 46, with his wicket still intact. Two sixes, three four?, I a thvee, and sis- twos were a tribute to the battnian's hard hitting. He was raiESod onoe by Gourlay at third man. G. i. Blacklook was caught in the slips by Wau^h— through a bad stroke oft AI Kay. Old jioys, with only Ihvco wickots down for 95, stand in a iayourablo position. The Midland-Phoenix match \vas characterised chiefly by admirable fielding. Midland began slowly, even tho redoubtable Ilickson confining his range to singles. After baiting nearly on hour he was given out lbw. to Moore. Quce just reached the unlucky number, 13, and was bowled by a good ball from Hickey. Williams was getting act, and had scorod J.B, when Crewes disposed of him with a smart catch. Wynyard ".vent out to an exceedingly bald stroke off Moore. The batsman scooped it up into tho bowler s hands— an easy catch. Next cdmo Bruce, who opened well and maintained surprisingly good form all tho afternoon. The improvement in tho scoring led to a trial of Wilson, the footballer, as a bowler. Wilson was not found wanting, liia first two balls beat the batsman, and lus third was snicked into Gibbes's neighbourhood in the slips, and that player brought off a, neat catch. With his sixth ball-r-Wilson disposed of Upham, who played a btroko similar to that which brought about tho downfall of tho player thac had just retired. Upham seemed amazed at, the umpire's decision, but it appeared to fpeclator to bo a clear enough tip. In his third over Wilson sent down a splendid ball, which tore Patrick's legElump out of tho ground. It was. certainly a scnsatinonal debut for Wilson, who continued to bowl a good length all tho rest of the afturnuon, and often beat the batsmen. Meanwhile Bruce was playing excellently. A high drive nearly cost him his wicket. Tho ball soared up lownrds M'Lennan in the long field, and a catch Faomed quite possible. When, however, M'Lennan found himself prepareel to take tho desconding skier, he also found himself in the ecreen behind Iho Gas Company's wicket, and the catch did not come off. That was tho only chance that Bruce gave all tho afternoon. Manson, who succeeded Patrick, and met with a round of applause, did nob slay long:. A ball from Hickey took hie wicket. Neither Mitchell nor Stephonson delayed tho end long, and soon Bruce was left to carry out his bal for an innings that deserves all iho more credit as it was plnyed in the* face of good bowling and fielding, when tho baUman's partners did not give him much support. Bruco richly deserves his placo in the representative team against Dingo on tho strength, of his performance last Saturday. The Midland innings closed for 131. Hickey, with fivo wickcls foi 43, and \VilBon, with 3 for 23, shared the bowling honours. At five o'clock Phoenix sent in Bur> ton, sen., and Dakin, to face the bowling of Uphain and Mitchell. No doubt tho supporters of Iho Phoenix eleven felt their champions had no uood for alarm with a mediocre total of 131 to bea.t. Both batsmen opened with some pretty strokes. The wily Mitt-hell, noticing what Dakin was driving at, motioned Patrick to a little narrower angle with tho wicket at long field. Ti.e iii>.u ball proved the value of this piece of taeticb, for Dakiu lodged it nicely into Bruoe's hands. Burton, jun., won bowling without scoring in Upfiam's succeeding ovor. Tho- log stump it was that went. Burton, sen., was the next to go. Ho lashed out to Mitchell, and gent the ball hard and fat-t to Biucc, who took a hot catch. Both Burton and Dakin played somo very pretty leg stroke, Fomrtliinpf rather unusual to soo on the Ba?in lU'^rve. Three wickets were down for 18. Tho next batsman, Gibbcs, comrr.cnrpd vnry wcnlcly with a numbm of bad t-trokfn, but hick enabled him to oullnht flu- other*, and in time he improved very much, lie got oik) very pretty leg ctrokc av.r.y for 5 oIV nickson, and ua«. then c night at ilil- wickef by William?. Waters did not Make many before ho was caughi. jimrtly by Upliam at mid on. Hickson was now the au,cce«lul bowler. After

bowling M'Lounan for a duck*, ho took Little's wicket, through one of tho prettiest catches ever seen on tho reserve. Littlu slipped the ball a good deal to tho left of Mitchell, who stretched out as far as ho could, took the ball low with his left hand, and rolled over, but did not, lose the ball. "The fame fielder caught Crowes without so much difficulty, and then Hickey and Moore played out timo. Mooro punished Upham in the last over of tho day by driving him into tho thrubbery. Hickson's average, 3 wickets for 17 runs, showed that as a bowler, no less j than as a batsman, he is not to bo do- j With fight, wiokets down for 76, Phoenix will contemplate the resumption of the match after tho New Year, with some trepidation. j Of the Nf.wtown v. Petono match, little need be said. Tho wicket was in a vory j bad condition, and players must have been j reminded of the winter pastime by the , bruises and abrasions they carried home. | Tilyard'a innings for Newtown was meritorious. He batted freely and confidently for his 38, and deserves praifo for the promise shoxn.. Tho fieklme o£ the NeWtown te»m was faultier than even tho ground could excuse. Barber had quite a, romp.ntio career for his 34, with its adventures and hair-breadth ctcapus in the field. I'-iherwood's innings was much betfcv. ' ISO was lixtvati', but tfyo N'cwtown wicketkecper was much battered about the fingers at this time, and was nbt able to take the hot ones. Petone, with 219 for eight wickots, aro in a favourable position. Cobcroft again proved tho deadly onerny to tho hpsilating batsman, and took 8 wickets for 53.