CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 11132, 6 January 1900, Page 3

CRICKET.

CANTERBURY v. OTAGO,

[From Our Own Reporter.]

' CHRISTCHURCH, January 5. Owing to "a misunderstanding play did not conimence this morning till 11.30. The weather was fine overhead, but a cold sou'wester blew nearly nil day. The attendance was again limited. With the score at 34 for one wicket Sims and Ridley opposed Fisher and Downes. Run-getting was painfully blow at the stait. Wrun the board showed 50 Eckhoff replaced Fisher, and had three singles scored olf him. two by Rdley and one by Sims. Ridley scored a single off Downes's firßt ball, followed by a leg hit to the boundary by Sims. The latter drove Downes's last ball of the over for a single, and hit Eckhoffs first to leg with a like reeult. Ridley took advantage of a poorly pitched ball of Eckhoffs by driving it to the boundary. A bye followed. Dawnes bowled a maiden. Sims hit Eckhoff for a single, bringing his 30 up. Ridley glanced Eckhoff for a single, and Sims drove him for a single ; but, off Downes's first bill Sims was caught by Fisher in the slips. He had played well and carefully for his runs. 08—2-31. Wigley followed, and 4 for a leg-bye was scored. Ridley drove Downes for 1, and Wigley drove Eckholl' for a single, but Ridley was beautitully caught next ball at the wickets. 74—3 -16. Barry filled the vacancy. Wigley hit Downes to leg for 3, but Eckhoff bowled him with his first ball. 77—4—5. Cobcroft, who was almost without the use tf the left eye, came next, and cut Eckhoff'd first ball for 2 Off his second ball Downes got Barry lbw. 79—5—0 Frank'sh filled the vacancy. Coboroft hit KckhofPs first ball for 2, and three bye! followed. Another bye, and Cobcroft hit Eckhoff for'a single. Downes bowled a maiden. Frankish hit Eckhoff for 3, followed by auother maiden (rom Downes. With the second ball Eckhoff bowled Cobcroft. 89—6—5. Wilding, the incomer, drovo Eckhoff for 1. From smart fielding by Austin, Frankish was nearly run out. Wilding drove Downes for a single, and then skied Eckhoff, the ball falling into Mie safe hands of Gedde?. 91—7—2 M done followed, but next ball Eckhoff clean bowled Frankish. 91—8—3 With his first ball of the next over Downes clean bowled Malone. 91—9—0. Fowke cut Eckhoff to the boundary for 4, and feored 3 off the next ball.' Then Reese was stumped by Williams, and the innings closed for 98—an unexpectedly small total after the good start made by Canterbury yesterday. Otago, on the whole, fielded well, the return being very clean, while Austin specially distinguished himsilf, eiroiog round after round of applause by his smart work, which wis the means of saving lots of iuqs. Eckhoff at the outset sent; down some stuff of a poor quality, but once he found his length he was very destructive, as the analysis shows. The wicket did not play nearly as well as that provided for Otago. IJownes, who bowled in quite his old form, was responsible for three wickets at a cost of 21 runs, sending down thirteen maidens. Fisher got one wicket for 3S and Eckhoff six for 27.

Otaeo commenced their second innings at I 15, Frankißh bowling a maiden to Baker. Johnston hit Malone's first two balls for 2 each. Biker drove FraDkish for 1, and the cut Malonn for 3. Bak»r was birily mißsed at, mid-off by Reese off Prankish, but, in justice to the fieldsman, it must be acknowledged that the bill had some work on it. An appeal for stumping Baker off Malone waß negatived, the batsman then bringing 10 up by a drive for 1. Next ball Malone had his revenge by clem bowling Johnßton. 10—1—4. Austin filled the vacancy. Three Binglea were scored off Prankish. The next over was a maiden to Malone, and a single to Austin off Frankish was followed by a boundary hit to the off and a single by the name batsman off Malone. With his firßt ball Frankish had the satisfaction of getting Austin caught at the wickets. 19—2-7. Fißher, who came next, hit Frankish to leg for 3, which was followed by a maiden by Malone to Baker and by Frankish to Fißher. Baker drove Malone and Frankish for 1 each. It took him forty minutes to reach double figures. Two singles and a bye followed. Fisher was beautifully caught by R dley off Malone's second ball. 28 -3—4. Siedeberg played out Malone's over. Two singles and a 2 eff Frankish followed. Siedeberg drove Malone's first ball to the boundary. Two leg-byes were followed by a single by Sicd°berg, who cut Frankish to the boundary, but next ball he was caught by Sims in the slips. 43 Liggins, the incomer, soon lost his partner, whotuccumbedtoabillfrom Malone thatbroke greatly from leg. 43—5-14. Baker took sixty-five minutes to make his runs. The tide of disaster was now in full flood, for Liggins immediately came to grief, and six good wickets had fallen for 45. When Downes partnered Geddes the telegraph showed an unpromising outlook of seven for 62. While the Duncrtin man played a cautious game, playiDg everyingthat was well on the wicket and launching out at only those that deserved punishment, theGrange'bowler went in foe vigorous hitting, and soon passed his companion's score. Neither fast ones from Fraukish nor Molone's insidious deliveries came amies to him, and he was delighting a knot of O;ago barrackers by the amount of wood he was putting into his work. So well set did he appear to be that there seemod every probability of him making the top score in the match; but at 131 Frankish confidently appealed to the Canterbury umpire for leg-before, and to Downea's disgust he received his conge. It was a most serviceable partnership for his side, and had added 69 to the score, and completely altering the aspect of affairs. Williams, the new comer, began by pulling Frankish from the off to the long field for 4, but at 135 the left-hander had his revenge. Eckhoff initiated his account with a couple of 4's, while Geddes, opening his shoulders to Reese, paßsedDownes's total, and immediately afterwards cut Frankish to the boundary for the Bame number. At 152 D. RseEe went on at the pavilion end. His second |ball the Opoho man snicked, and it waß eagerly snapped up by Fowke. Geddes, who was heartily applauded on returning to the pavilion, played a sound inning?, taking no Bemblance of liberty, and making clean hits and Borne pretty strokes. His score included Bix 4's. Frankish secured four wickets for 50, Malone four for 37, Wilding one for 20, and Reese one for 12. As on the previous night, with about an hour to go, Coboroft sent Sims and D. Reese in to oppose Downes and Eckhoff. The lefthander did not feel particularly at home to the Opoho man at the start, and a prompt appeal for leg-before was as decisively negatived by Mr Frith, the umpire. Ruob coming quickly, nearly all to Reef", Broad replaced Eckhoff by Fisher at 25. Five runs later Reese returned one cf Downes's—a regular hot 'un. Tbo bowler could not bold it; but there was no excuse whatever for Liggins, who in the out-field got a neat bull right into hiß bands, and, to the astonishment of his comrades, let it slip through his fingers. At 36 Sims - gave a

hard chance in Ihe slips off Fifher, and at 39 Reese, as in the first innings, was grandly caught at fquare-leg on the edge of the grass when trying to lift Fisher out of bounds. He made his 26 quickly and with some capital strokes. Ridley partnered Sims. The former opened his account ' y snicking Downes into the slipß, where Biker should nave prevented more than a single instead of letting the ball go past him. This pair played out time, with the score at 44 for one wicket. The following are the full scores for the day's play : Otaoo.—Second Innings. Baker, b Malone ... ... ... ,„ 14 Johnston, hj Malone... ... ~'. ~'. 4 Austin, c Fowke, b Prankish ' '..' '." 7 Fisher, c Ridley, li Malone ... ... ... 4 Siedeberg, c Sim, b Prankish 10 Liggins, c T. Reese, b Malone 2 Geddeß, not out ... ... . ... 41 Broad, c and b Wilding ." "' "' )i) Downes, lbw. b Prankish ... ." ." 34 Williams, b Frankisb ... ." ,*" 4 Eckhoff, st Fowke, bD. Reese ... ... i) Extras ... ... ... ... ..] 13 Total Ik Bowline Analysis. Frankisb, 132 balls, 4 maidens, 5H runs. 4 wickets; Malone, 8-J balls, 4 maidens, 37 rims. 4 wickets ; D. Wilding. 24 balls, 0 maidens, 21 runs, 1 wicket; D. Reese, 14 balls, 12 runs. I wicket; Cobcroft, 30 balis, 2 maidens, 19runs, 0 wickets. Cantkrhury.—First Innings. D. Reese, c Eckbolf, b Fisher 17 A. Sims, n Fisher, b Downes... . 3i A. E. Ridley,.-. Willinms, b Eckhoff Hi W. 0. If. Wigley, bEckhoff ' ... 5 R. Btrry, lbw, b Downes' ... ... .. 0 C. T. Cobcroft, b Eckhotf . 5 v . S. Frankisb. b Eckhoff " 3 F. Wilding, c Geddes, b Eckhoff '. 2 'I. Malone. b Downes ... ... ... 0 J. N. Fowke, not out - "" '" 7 T. W. Reese, st Williams, b'Eckhoff' '.'.'. 0 Extras ... ... ... ... ... 12 Total % Bowling ADalysis.-Downes, 132 balls, 21 runs, U maidens. 3 wickets ; Fisher, 6S balls, 38 runs, 3 maidnns, 1 wicket; Eckhotf, 05 balls, 2 runs, 1 maiden, 6 wickets. Second Innings. D. Reese, c Broad, b Fisher 2G Sims, not out ... ... ... ... 5 A. Ridley, not out ... ... ..'. ..'. fi Extras ... ... ... ... M [ 7 Total for one wicket... ... ... 44