CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 13003, 24 December 1906, Page 6

CRICKET.

OTAGO v. CANTERBURY. First Day.—Monday. In perfect weather and on a good wicket the annua] match between Otago and Canterbury was begun at Carisbrook to-day. livery tiling wa& in favor «i heavy scoring, the outfield being particularly fast, as a. result of the spell of dry weather. The now smokers' pavilion, just erected in the corner of the ground near the caretaker's cottage, was available for use for the first time, and the erection of several more seats under the trees along the western fence eives a few of the public moro comfort than has hitherto been obtainable- for lookers-on at this ground. At noon there were only a, few dozen spectators. Wilson captained Otago, and wan the loss from Sims, who captained Canterbury. He naturally elected to bat. l'lay was nearly twenty minutes late in starting, although the umpires (Messrs Jelly and Cooper) were out sharp to time, and did their best to ensure punctuality. Wilson took Ackroyd to tlie wickets with him. Bennett opened the- attack, ami his second hall went very close to Wilsons -wicket. Malone, who bowled so well last season for New Zealand against the. Melbourne C.C.'s team, and who only got a placo in the Canterbury team at the eleventh hour, bowled at tho other end. His length was erratic at first, and Ackroyd swept a fall toes to the on fooundarv. Ten runs wero posted in as many - minutes, all off Malone. Wilson broke Bennett's sjxill of maidens bv Jato-cutting him to the boundary. Malone got a good ball close to his wicket, but Wilson jumped out to his slows and drove him twice in succession. Ollivier at mid-off fielded the first brilliantly, but the second went humming to the boundary. The scoring rate. was still a run a minute, 20 being hoisted in twenty minutes. Ackroyd reached double figures by hitting Malone to the 'eg boundary. The same over he lifted Malone jnst over mid-off's head, getting 3 for it. When Wilson was 10 he gave Boxshall a very difficult ch.-i.nco of stumping off a leg ball from Bennett, but tho wicket-keeper did not kJso the ball. Malone's break howling still contained loose ones, and Wilson swept a ball to the leg boundary and off-drovo a full-toss to the op.' boundary, but the same over he was given out lbw—a way in which he often loses his wicket. Ho batted half an hour for 18, in which wero four 4's, and looked fairly well set. The score was then 27, and Read took up the bowling for an over to allow MaJono aid Bennett to change endsAfter a slow spell Ackroyd brought 40 up by hitting Malono to the leg boundary. This brought Ollivier on vice Malone, and Austin, who had been batting carefully, opened his scoring account by driving the slow bowler to the off boundary. Sims cam© up to silly point when Ackroyd was playing Ollivier, the Dunedin colt being inclined to poko at tho slows. At 50, made in exactly fifty minuto=' play, the second wicket fell ;i« "Austin cut one of Oilivicr's off-theory balls tamely within reach of Whitta's left hand, and retired for 5 Tin.%, made in twenty-five minutes. As soon as Siedcberg joined Ackroyd, the latter batsman did exactly the sime thirty with Ollivier, bur this time Whitta dropped the catch —a very easy one. Siodebnrg began with a forward cut to lite boundary off Bennett, who had bowled an hour and had only had 7 runs scored off him. Ollivier troubled Siedeberg also, tho Carisbrook man putting one up softly in front of him just out of reach, while at 8 he gave a onehanded chance at extra-cover off Ollivier. Ackroyd only pot a .single for a perfect carpet drive, Canterbury's fielding being particularly smart, but he got 4 for an o:i----drivo off Patrick, who had relieved Bennett. After an hour's play 60 was hoisted, the run-getting all through having been at the rate of one a minute. Both men opened their shoulders to Oilivier, but Giving to good fielding only occasional singles resulted. At 1.5 D the lunch adjournment was taken, the score being 81 for two wickctfi.

After lunch Malone and Bennett bowled. Siedeberg brought 90 up v.-ith a forward cat to the boundary, but three nins Ir.trr Ackroyd stepped out -to drive one <>£ M.ilone's slows, and was easily stumped. Eo showed solid defence in wlir.t was a vcry successful debut in rep. cricket, and occasionally drove with freedom, while his Je£ hitting: was excellent. He bailed 85 minutes for his 42 runs, which included four 4's. Graham came in, but with only ' one ran added Bennett knocked Lis stump back with a good length ball. The few rainutes' play since lunch had put rather a different complexion on Ota zo't> pood start. Siedeberg, when joined by Baker, brought 39 np with a peculiar" Lit to the 'leg boundary, and Jfaiono made it the century by bowling a wide. Yet another fell within twenty mirrutes after the resumption. Siedeberg stepped out oik! drove Malone hard and low on tiie off, and OllivLer, who had boon doing c;rcat work at mid-off, took a. good catch. Tiie fifth wicke't fell at 101, Siedeberg taring compiled 24 in 40 minutes, with a chanco when he had made 8. -Baker and Howden were now associated, and the latter glanced Bainett prettily to leg for 4. Baker brought 110 up with a. powerful on drive, which he followed with n characteristic off drive, both Teaching tho boundary through rcisfjeldißg in the long field, where hitherto the work had been very good. Howdeu lifted Malone to long-off'for 4 and brought 120 up. htrt just after tried to cut Bennet and was taken behuJd the wickets off a faint snick, having just reached doublr figures. Fisher cam© in and back cut Bennett prettily to the boundary. Ollivicr was given another try in place of Malono, and Bafcir got 3 off him for a lucky snick past wicket-keeper and eiip. Fisher's back-cutting off Bennett was pretty but mostly unproductive. Getting opposite Ollivier Fisher drove on© hard to the off, and the bowler took a splendid left-hand catoh. Seven for 135. They pnat three men. in the- long-field when Dowries came in, but ho lifted one safe to the boundary between them. Baker, when 17, gave Oilivier., at_mid-off, a hot left:handcd r chano»-

off Bennett Yery similar -to one iSi» Christchurch man had just taken off bis own bowling, but this time. Ollivier dropped it. Dowries hit out at nearly everything, and when liis score was 7 he gave Sims at mid-off a chance off Ollivier, but for the second time to-day the Canterbury captain declined a catch. Both batsmen kept on driving Ollivier in the air as well as along the ground, and the bowler's hand suffered in trying to catch a hot return by Baker. Dowries brought 350 up with a straight drive for 5 off Ollivier, which Read in catching went over the boundary, tie batsman beirtg given not out. The batting was full of uppish strokes, Baker finding a gap in the field with a mishit. At 166 Downes hit oco into Read's hand? at cover-point, and retired for a briskly-played 25. Baker welcomed Williams by driving Ollivier over tho track for 5, which Williams followed by hitting the same bowler on to the new, pavilioa for 6. Scores:—

Otaco. —First Innings. C. G. Wilson, Ibw, b Malone ... „. IS Ackrovd, 6t Boxshall, b Malone „ 42 Austin, c Whirta, b Ollivier __ ™ 5 Sicdebcrg, c Ollivier, b Malone .„ _ 24 H. Graham, b Bennett .„ ._ „ „- (J

Baker, not out. - - 4a Howden, c Boxshall. b Bennett ... ._ 10 Firhcr, c and b Ollivier A. Downes, c Read, b Bennett ... Williams, b Bennett ._„._._ 9 Eckhoff, b Bennett ... _ Extras... ... Total ._ _. ~. - -- - 20? Bowi/iNO Anaitsis. Bennet, five for 55. Malone, three for 62. OHivier, two for 65. Patrick, none for 11. Reid, none for 9. [Later scores will be fonna under Stop-Press News f on Page 12.] SENIOR GRADE. Oahisheook A v. OroHO. This match was continued at Opoho on Saturday. In their first innings Opoho had made 57. Carisbrook had responded with 79, and Opoho in their second venture had two wickets down for 47. Continuing, and batting onlv nine men, they took the total to 90. Carisbrook made the required runs with the loss of five wickets. Details:— Ofoho. First Innings ~ Second Innings. •Tames Timlin, c Howden, b Butler Kenny, hj Butler Turnbull. e Harraway, b Butler ... Kvann. c and b Butler Kilcour, b Butler , -. Eckhoff. b Fisher ....._.-. 0 not out - 11 M'Gavin, b Fisher Mackcy, c Howden, b Bntler Extras —• • «* Seven wickets for ... - SO Bowling Analvsis.—Fisher, 21 overs, 32 maidens, 32 runs. 2 wickets: Bntler, 19 overs. 7 maidens. 37 runs, 6 wickets; Watson, 4 overs, 4-maidens, 0 wickets; Howden, 5 over?, 8 runs, 0 wickets. Cabisjtrook A. First Innings Second Innings. Howden, hit wickrt Adams, b Chadwick „ ~ 27 Watson, b Eckhoff ._ ... .- Fithor. b M'Ga-rin ~ Uttley, lbw, b M'Gavin ... ._ _ _ 1 Butler, not out ... Lyttelton, not out „ Extras _ _ xl Total for five wickets ... G9 Bowling Analysis.—Chadwick, 8 overs, 1 maiden, 18 rone. 2 wickets; Eckhoff, 7 over.%, 1 maiden,23 run?, 1 wicket; M*Garoi, 4 overs, 1 maiden, 12 runs, 2 wickets. SECOND GRADE. The Dune4in No. 1 sustained their fiwt defeat on Saturday at the hands of Mormngton. The latter team on their own ground aro 20 or 50 runs better in the field than any other team in Dunedin. Dunedin mada 5l" in thfir first inningr, and Morningtcn rcnlifd with tho ram?. On Saturday Dunedin reached 123 run.% and Morningtoii pul on that total for four wickets, winning a yood came bv six wickets. Stalker made over 50 not out, and won the game for his side. THIRD GRADE. Cavorsham defeated Dunedin by 102 runs. Duncdin made 27. Caversbam 129. batiks nine men (Forrester 46. Jefferson 41. Jones 21). Forrester six for 9, Leith three for 12 bowled well for Caversham, and Wetherstor and Torrance bowled best for Dunedin-