AFTER THE RAIN WELLINGTON BATTING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 68, 21 March 1914, Page 6

AFTER THE RAIN WELLINGTON BATTING

"AGAINST THE AUSTRALIANS. Sunshine early this morning promised ( good weather for to-day's cricket, but the j wind was too threatening for cricketers | to be at their ease. Towards noon, the j sky darkened, and jiifct befoie 12 o'clock ( rain, came down. The match was fixed - to be resumed at noon. The rain caused a little delay, but at 12.15 a start was £ made in the presence of 100 people huddled in the shelter of the grandstand. ( The wicket at the Basin Reserve had ( been dried considerably by the wind of ( the morning, but the latest shower had | not been without its effect. It was on ] a considerably damper wicket than yes- t tei'day that Beechey and Baker went in' t to bat again for Wellington. Crawford ' sent down the first over for the Aus- I trahans. and with his last ball got i Baker's wicket. 93 — 5—60. .No runs had f been added to the total scene, and Bakei' f had gained no further laurels. _ Mis total } included seven fot>rs. which just about ' indicates the lively nature of his batting, j M'C-irr joined Beechey, who took the 1 bowling ftom Armstrong. The score t was still at, the same figure, when the I Old Boy player lifted a ball right into ( the long-field, where Cody was waiting < for it. 93— G — 7. _ Brice AVas next man j in. He and M'Girr could be relied on, i under ordinary circumstances, to put ] tip a good fight together, and they did. j Both hit out mer,rily for a while. One ; chance was given by Brice off Crawford j to Armstrong in the slip^. but the . long batsman was let off. Brice i hacl another let-off when his score was < ten. A ball slightly to leg from Craw- 1 ford he turned and _ hit _ with his full i strength. It went right into the hands j of Noble, who was fielding close in. It i was a hot ball, and the fieldsman juggled ' with it, touching it three times and 1 then dropping it. Many players would i have been certain to drop it, but so stir- j prised was Brice at being let-off by < Noble that he was almost run out through ; a fast return to the bqwler. Brice waa playing a- lively but very risky game, and many of his strokes were lofty. Except in the two instances mentioned, however, none was near enough to ii fieldsman to be called i chance. Mostly with driving strokes he brought his score up to thirty. Crawford, whose record was two wickets for 48 runs, was replaced by Noble at the north end. M'Girr, batting steadily, but not slowly, had compiled 19, when lie pulled a ball across to Layer, who was fielding in exactly the same position as that from which Noble had refused M'Girr. The chance was not so decided, and Layer could only touch it Avith one hand. Brice's end came a few minutes later, when he skied a ball from Armstrong to Sims at squareleg. 140 — 7—32. The innings had been lively, but not by any means sound. Grimmett joined M'Girr, who got a boundary. The first ball of Noble's over took Orimmett's wicket. 144—8—0. Saunders made a single and then was caught by Noble in the slips off Armstrong. 147 — 9—l. Soothall opened with a boundary for 4 to the great delight of the crowd, but liis j third ball bu spooned to Crawford at mid-on. The innings closed at seven minutes past 1 for a total of 151. Following are the detailed scores :— WELLINGTON.

AUSTRALIANS BATTING. Cody and M'Kenzic opened the batting for the Australian* at 1.25. 'Brice bowled irom the north end and Saunders from the south. Two runs had been scored by Af'Kenzie off Brice when the luncheon adjournment was taken. Saundors's first ovei* waa a maiden. The attendance was much greater when the game was resumed at 2.16 p.m. In the first few minutes there was nothing of particular interest in the play, Botlt M'Kenzie and Cody batted with care, and did not hurry to make runs. M'Kenzie having made 6, tipped a ball from Brice. He started out of his crease not knowing where the ball was, and before he could get back Howe lmd whipped the bails off.— B— l—6. Dolling was next man. Cody and Dolling were just getting into their stride when the iormer lifted a ball from Uiicu lound to square-leg. C-rinimeit ran for it. and just managed io take the catch. 27—2—11. Armstrong, with Dolling, carried the f<core on t0 .50. 'llien Sottthall was put* on in jilace of Saunders. AUSTRALIA.

First Inmngß, D. Hay, b Crawford 10 G. Howe, c NobJe. b Layer ... 0 W. Baker, b Crawford 50 W R. L. Gibbes, Ibw, b Armstrong 0 J. S. Hiddlestone, st Waddy. b Armstrong 12 E. M. Beeehey, c Cody, b Armstrong ... 7 H. Al'Girr, not out 19 S. Brice. c Sims, b Armstrong ... 32 C. Grimmett, b Noble ... ... 0 J. V. Saunders, c Noble, b Armstrong . . ... ... ... 1 T. Southall. C Crawford, b Armstrong ... ... 4 .Extras 16 Total 151 Bowling Analysis, Ovrs. Mdns. Rns. Wig. W. W. Armstrong 21 6 48 6 f. La-ver 6 1 27 1 .T. N. Crawford... U 2 48 2 M. A. Noble ... ?. 0 4 1 A. A. Mailey ... 2 0 8 0

Fiisfc Innings. Vl'Kenzie, l'ltn "Ufc ..♦ ... 6 3o<ty, c GnmmeU, b Brice ... ... 11 Ddling, not out 22 4.ttnstrong, not out ... 9 Extras 2 Total for two wickets 50 At aAo the Australians bad lost three ivickets for 5G runs. Dolling c SoutlwJJ, b Saunders ... 22 Armstrong. Jiot out ... 18 trumper. not out .... i 1