CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 12764, 17 March 1906, Page 6

CRICKET.

M.0.0. V. OTAGOi ' , Qtggp only put up scorp yesterday against the ; Melbourne d.G^^even"'^iCfc the: whole, it 'was a'natfoei 1 HfeleJg eihibitdpn, of-batting on. ah \easy wicket." : .■"Arrasii'paig "certainly was- breaking from leg, but mast of tie batsmen,'sepmed "#pyer-astmiate tW bowling," if'they were not a trifle Tawed by it. inning? was the feature oi r -sfe day. H<e. was a good -fpbile putting together his chanceless 55 {in which there .were three; s,'s three 4's), hey was He was caught at full tpss. Pqwn.es showed a gpad deal $ vigor, "and helped Baker "tp' put 'on '2B 'ruiraV' whjle .Torrance, another of the;' men. batted nicely,' and showed better form.' by far 'of"'the men-higher up'oh the batting list. Armstrong kept- himself' and Af'ieod on bowling unchanged, ah<l'■though, some: people ,'iliought lie might have'trad a change or two, it is questionable whether Otago would have been, got "rid of more easily had he don© so. fielding was very good. Only on© chanoe—adifficult one t.cj Aitken at point, given by Dpwn,eis P|P M'JiCpd—was mijsaed. took nq less than, four catches, ' and altogether shpwcd' brilliant fieldiiig fprni." i\t 5.30 yesterday's "dull weatber thickened to a wetting drizzle, and after Mailer and Aitken • had knocked up 13 "off" two overs stumps were' drawn for the day. ' —To-day's I'lay.—

The game was resumed to-day qb. noon in absolutely perfect- weather". Fisher and Downes were the bpwlpi6. Aitken" for a long time_ got most of the fowling, and s?ot with it an unpleasant' body blow 'off a ball frpm the" first one tkarhad buntped so far in the match. When he • had made' 20 he gave 'in the long field a chance off Downes, but it was not taken. Bplh men were' batting with con I fidence, though Fisher got one' very close I to Aitkgn's wicket, and Downes stuck Mailer up a. pouple of times in. one over! Runs came rather slowly,' as both bowlers kept a good length. The" batsmen tried' to force matters by stealing runs," and v?ere successful for a while, but they tried puce top often, as Siedeberg,'running in from cover and picldng up "dean, returned to Fisher, and Aitken failed to get home by a yard. The first wicket fell at 3,7,- out-, of which Aitken had made 24 in a little over forty minutes. He slipped a. nice'style, and gave pop chance.. The field opened out as Ranaford, the young" left-handerwho was talked about for the Australian Eleven, came in, but he only lasted three balls to Downes, who fairly heat and bowled him, the batsman playing very late to it. Armstrong got an encouraging cHeer as he came in. After an hour's play 50 was hoisted, and then Armstrong reached double figures by opening his shpuldefs and' sweeping Fishes beautifully to'long-pn for 5. "Slailer by this t%e had phjy'piit together 2i," obtained by quiet cricket, with now and again a pretty, late cut. Armstrong again let put at Downes, but only snicked him to leg, 3 resulting. At 66 Torrance relieved I Figher, who had had 21 scored off fifteen overs. Armstrong reached his 20. by turning the new bowler prettily to leg for 3." At the other end Graham went on in place of Downes, who' had takeu one Vipket for 42. Mailer, then 23,' gave' the easiest of phanpes $' stumping pff 'Graham's third bali, but the wicket-keeper missed taking the ball altogether. Gj-raham was unlucky, as he had Armstrong in trouble next over, and Very nearly' bowled' him. After" a straight bpujidary drive by Mailer off 'Graham the "players adjourned at 1.30 for lunch, the score being 82' for three wickets (Mailer 32 and Armstrong 21). After lunch the attendance was much better than the. previous day, when only £3Q odd was taken at the gates, representing between 600 and 7QO people, whereas at 2.20 to-day there were oyer' 1,50Q present. Downes and Torrance *topk' up the bowing. It appeared a mistake on Wilson's" part 'vfii to keep Graitan; on, as neither Mailer nor Armstrong shaped well to him. The latter batsman' indeed is reputed to. have a distinct aversion to his own type of bowling—leg breaks. He "drove Torrance beautifully"along the grass to the off boundary, and Mailer repeated the stroke with even more vigor a couple of overs later. Armstrong brought 100 up at 2.30 with au off drive for 3 off Downes. Annstrong rapidly overhauled Mailer and kept Adams and Wilson" busy in the long-field, although he was not showing the hitting powers the crowd wanted to see. There was a naxow escape frqm a run-out at 106 crying to a between the batsmen, but for crape in a way Siedeberg's | ietuni was rather "wil4, and Armstrpng got home safe, though Williams very nearly threw Afaikr's wicket down at the other end. Torrance got" a reminder of Armstrong's driving power in trying to stop a hot one off his own bowling. There was a constant'duel going on between the batsmen and SiedeAiexg at cover-point over short runs, about which the batsmen were very daring, and 5 runs came from an overthrown shot at the wickets. At 118 Fisher replaced Torrance, and Austin dropped Armstrong, who was then 42, off a high drive, which rolled out of his hands over the boundary. This bad fielding on Ota.go's part was aggravated by some very loose ground fielding, both Graham, and Siedeberg lettirig drives past them. This brought 130 up, and Armstrong' reached hi? half-peutury in one hour and a-quarter, after which he drove Fisher twice in succession. The first went to the boundary, but Austin brilliantly saved the 4 off the r -ond. jailer" bad been the first to reach 50, but Araisfap.D.g left him standing,' and reached 6.0, in'a 'few strokes. "Armstrong diil hot get any further, as at 144 he drove Fisher hard to Siedeberg at cover-point, and was held. He hail played a fine free innings, with only the chance mentioned when he was 42. MTjeod joined Mailer, who reached Armstrong's score with some very flukey strokes in the slips. M'Leod was very nearly bowled by Downes, who by nqw had had 82 runs knocked off him for qply one wicket. A| 160 Graham reHeye'd'him',''and Mailer got the new bowler to leg for 4,' but clean bo'yled the same over. Mailer had batted about two and, a-half hours for his runs, and gave two ' chances", at 23 and 44. It was a patient but by no means cramped innings. Wilkinson joined M'Leod, who was very lame, and unable to make much pace between the wickets. Wilkinson made, one or two nice cuts, and was then taken at the wickets. With five wickets down for 170, Henty then came in, and was at once missed by Adams in the long-field off Graham. The newcomer seemed to be a hitter, for he promptly drove Graham "tp the. boundary. He kept on, jumping out at the leg-break, and Williams missed a. chance of stumping him. Wijtli the next ball Adams again dropped Henty in, the long-field, the fieldsman l»vinsr to run sp,me distance for the catch,/whiph was not an easy one. Henty drove freely every"ppportunity Ue'go.W thfe being evidently' hi§ favorite' stroke. He gpt'fairly on. to 'Fisher, whom lie lifted straight over the ipernbers' pavilion,'for a beautiful hit.' He brought 200 up. at 3.40 by turning Graham- to leg for a single; Otago.—First Innings. H. G- Siedeberji, b Armstrong „ _ 1 T". Adams,'c Aitken, "b M'Lebd ."_ _ 0. H. c Hentv, b Armstrong _ 16 G. Austin,'"c 'Raiisford,*' ... 16 C. G. Wilson, c Rausford, b Armstrong 2 J. Bafer, p Bansfprcl, b Armstrong ~ 55 p. E. HowflSQj'ibw, b Arnistrorig _ 0 A. It. Fisher, c V jf 'Lepd ... 2 A. Dpwnjs," b Aripstroug ..'. ' '...' ... 18 S." c Jfetns|prd;j b F. Williams, not puji" ™'„.' .T' ._ '4 gtxrajs... _ „'„_„: 4 Total ... ... „ ... ... _-lio Bqwling Analysis.—-Arms|;rong, 204 balls," 7" M'Lepd, &0S balls, 1Q niaidens, 51 rjine, 4 wipkets*.' " : '--.•■• •-''■- m .i>.Thp; icope atfpnr p'plpck was:n-: M.G.G.—First Innings. . A. Aitkp n , run put ... ... _. „. 24 D.'Mailer; b Graham .„ .„ ... 69 Kansfprd, b Downes ... ... .- 0 W. Arinstrpng, c Siedeberg, b Fisher 60 G. Sfacleod, b Downes ...•' ... ... .„ 18 ,W : Wjlkujsptv, p* Wiiiikms, b Fisher _ 4 6. Heirty/'b'Downes < '2: „.' J." „ 4p E. Jennings, b Downes ... „, „v „. Q M. Irwiny not oixt i„ ...' „. ... .;]' (j, Total for eight wickets tr 250*

NEW ZEALAND* Wilsqn (Gtogo) intimated* ha jnability to talje narfc rp tKe jp#tch, Bfsginrunga at on,' E#dsy, agairiat the Melbourne team., In of his admirable innings against tne visitors yesterday, it is that Baker will be selected to fill the yacancy.