CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 13013, 7 January 1907, Page 4

CRICKET.

M:O.C. v. OTAGO. SATURDAYS COLLASPE. i t"p to a certain point on Saturday Ot ago seemed to be doing reasonably -well. After, that the. team' snddenly appeared to Jje smitten with an attaek of nervous prostration. They got 9 of the. Englishmen out for 193 in the second innings, and there did not seem reason to fear tliat the Maryteboh'e scorewould be much different from their first innings tally. But onco more the Englishmen showed that there t is no batting tail in their team. Tufnell arid Fox took the iscore from 198 to 278—a, lastwicket partnership of 80. Their runs were got by good cnoket, both of the team's wioketkoepers showing that they know how to handle a bat. Fax's innings was rather tlie bettei; of the two, He made light of jail the bowlers that were tried—and Wilson rang the changes pretty. frequently—«nd he made- light of the field as well. Neither r men hit many to the ■ boundary, but they scored singles and couples off nearly evory ball, except for a time when Austin was bowling. They tried any amount of short runs, some of them very risky, and finally they succeeded in demoralising the field, who seemed exasperated at the prolonged stand by the last wicket. Otago'a best fieldsmen seemed the "worst affected. Even , Williams, who had hitherto done Buperh work behind the wickets, went right off. Before Tufuell had reached double figures he gave a very easy chance of stumping off Eckhoff, and. For when 34 gave almost, as easy a chance off Dowries, but in neither case did Williams take the ball. Siedeborg made a most gallant attempt to Overtake and catch, a high hit on the off by Tufnell off Fisher. Bo chased it from cover to near the boundary, and got his hands on it as it fell. But running lull speed with the head craned back watching the ball makes the' taking of the catch a matter of sheer luck, and Tufnell ©scaped. These were tho only chances the batsmen gave, and as they seemed to have all the bowlers collared, and as the scoring was going on merrily towards 300, there seemed nothing for it but a run out to end the innings. Moro than once the batsmen courted this, but the home team's fielding had become so unreliable that even this seemed a faint hope. At last At came. Austin, one of the few men in the team to escape the fumbling epidemic, returned a sharp cut smartly, and Williams put,, Tufueil's wioket down with something to spare.

The wicket roßed out for tho fourth innings better than over, and seemed quite fit to stand having the 327 runs required by Otago made on it—if the team'* batting was equal to the task. But Otago'e batting Went to pieces worse than their fielding. De TraSord started with May and Branston at tho bowling crease. Branston" bowled much faster than in the first Innings, and Pox stood back to him as well as to May. Baker and Graham came in first, and both , started well enough. But with the score at 9 Graham drew an off ball of May's into his wicket, and Howden, the next man, touched a long hop and was Out first ball. Siedeberg followed. Ho got 4 through tho kindly offices of Simpson-Hayward in the slips, who missed catching a enick off Braneton, but atoned for it next boll- with a good catch. Three wickets for 14 was not an inspiriting score when 327 were needed; but worse was .to follow. At 22 Baker touched ono of May's and was held at short stop, and Austin succumbed first ball to a fast yorkor from May, who had then feecured four wickets lor 7 runs. Ackroyd and Wilson became associated with tie score at 22 for five wickets, and they let the off-theory balls severely alone. May, who had been bowling faster than in the first innings—though possibly the livelier wicket accountedfor this—was given a rest at 28, his average being four wickets for 11 runs. Sknpson-Hayward took his end, and by slow play,, enlivened by an .occasional pretty cut by Wilson, the score was taken to 47 (in which there were 9 extras) for five wickets, at which stage stomps were drawn. ENGLISHMEN WIN BY 232. Play was resumed at 11.40 this morning, when Wilson (14). and Ackroyd (12) resumed their innings. May and Simpson-Hayward took up the bowling. Wiison scored a couple off May and drove the slow bowler hard to the outfield for a single. Then lw jumped out to hit a high lob. He hardly got to the pitch of. it, missed it, and was easily stumped. The sixth wicket fell a£ 52, the partnership being responsible for 30. Wilson was in half an hour'on Saturday, and only a couple of over* this morning. Fisher and Ackroyd slowly took the score to 60, when just at noon Ackroyd turned one into the dips and retired. He had been in a long tune, and tho most notable thing about his innings was the way ho let May's bowling alone, passing about 80 per cent, of the fast bowler's deliveries.. Fisher adopted a different method from Wilson to the high slows, waiting for litem and occasionally pulling them round''to leg. Dowries, who was now associated with him, swung vigorously at May's off 'Dalle without result, until lie back-cut May for a single. Fisher followed suit with a 4 and a single the same over, both very nice back-cuts. May wsis nattily so fast us on Saturday, ami both Fisher and Dowries kept Page busy at very deep third man on the boundary saving fours otf pretty back-cuts. At 75 Fisher, who was then 9, \tad a life off May, as Fox at short-stop failed to hold'a very palpable snick, wnich he made three tines to hold. At 79 Downes tried to hit Simpson-Hay-ward, but got under it, andl Burns at mid-oil took a very soft catch. Fisher was joined by Wiluams, and got 4 for oil uppish snick that caught the men in the slips napping. Wilhams started by turning May to leg for a couple, but as soon as he got opposite Simpson-Hay-ward he had hia leg stump yorked. They still wanted 12 for Um oentnry when the last man came in. Eckhoff made one, and then gave Tufnell at mid-on a hot chance off May, bringing 90 up. Four runs later Eckhoff ran half way down, tho wicket to Simpson-Hayward, and wns stumped. The innings* closed after fifty-five minutes' play this morning, leaving the Marylebone eleven easy winners by 232 runs. Fisher carried out Ms bat in both Otago's innings. Messrs J. Moss and J. West umpired the game satisfactorily, and Messrs A. E. Titcbener and G. Wyoheriey looked after the scoring. The gate takings for the match totalled £163. Scores: M.C.T). First Irmings - ... 224

Second Innings. Johnson, c and b Downes ... _ Harrison, c Wilson, b Dowries Burns, c Ackroyd, b Fisher 47 Page, st Williams, b Downes .„ .„ 0 Simpson-Hay ward, b Fisher „. 41 Curwen, c Eckhofi, b Fisher 4 Branston, c and b Eckhaff .- ... ... 21 De Trafiord, b Downes May, o Austin, b Downes ... ._ _. 27 Tulnell, run out ... Fox, not out Extras ... ~ - _. «. 11 Total _ 278 —Bowling Analysis.— Balls. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Downes _ 162 7 85 ' 5 Fisher .- 150 4 107 3 EekhofT • ... 24 0 13 1 Graham _ 18 0 20 0 Austin ... ... 56 3 34 0 Siedeberg .-.. 28 2 8 0 Fisher bowled a no-ball. Otaco. First, innings ' Second Innings. Baker, c' Fox, b May ._ ... _ ~ 3 Graham, b May ... ... .-- 4 Howden,. c Fox, b May.- ..'. ... ... 0 Siedeberg, . o Simpson-Hayward, b Branston - ....... ... ......... 5 Ackroyd, • o Burns, b May ... _. ~. 16 Austin, b May ... 0 Wilson, st Fox, b Sinrpson-Hayward' 18 Fisher, not out ... ...... ... ../ 21 Downes, c Burns, b Simpson-Hayward 8 Williams, J> Simpson-Hayward 3 Eckhoff, sfc Fox, b Sunpson-Hayward 2 Extras... ... ...

i —Bowling Analysis.— Balls. Mdne. Runs.Wis. May ... 90 ;3 • 37 5 Simpson-Biayward 67 2 31 4 Branston ~. ... 48 3 12 1 May bowled two no-balls. " The return match against Otago will be played on February 8, 9, and 11. ■ ; Results of the tour to date:—. • December 14, 15, and 17.—Drawn game against Auckland. M.0.G., 172 and 241-, Auckland, 195 and 131 for five wickets. December 21 and 22—IWt Wanganui by an innings and 224 runs. M.C.(X<_453 {declared closed for nine wickets); Wanganui, 124 and 95. December 25, 26, and 27.—Drawn game against Wellington. M.C.0., 204 and 259 -, Wellington, 211 and 148 for five wickete. December 29, 31, and January 1, 1907. Beaten by Canterbury by seven wickets. M.0.C., 202 and 156; Canterbury, 241 and liß for three wiefcete. January 4, 5, and 7.—Beat Otago by 232 runs. M.C.C., 224 and 278; Otago, 176 and 94. INTER-STATE CRICKET. The -match between New South Wales nnd South Australia was continued at Sydney on Saturday. Ne<v South Wales in their first innings havo lost eight wickets for 538 runs (Diamond 138, Hopkins 108, Noble 99, and Blasiand 75). Tho Wellington senior cricket matches woro,continued on Saturday. Wellington, playing against Phoenix, made 225 in their socoixf innintts (Hickeon, not out, 91). Phcenix, in their eocond innings, have no wickets down for 109. Midland, in their first innings against Old Bovs, made 215 (Williams 75), and the Old Boys in their second innings compiled 117 for two wicket*. In the match Gasworks v. Newtown i tho former's first innings closed for 213 (Waogh 14), and in the second innings 15 runs have been made for the-loss of one wicket. Newtown made 173 in their second innings (Watens 50). The second round of the Christchurch first grade cricket matches was conTmenoed on Saturday, whop the weather was beautifully fin©. 'St. Albans mad» 141 in their first innings against West Christchurch (B. H. Wood 45), and West Christchurch compiled 105 for the loss of six wickets. East Christchurch made 330 in' their first innings against Lin wood (C S. West 53, H. A. Bishop 111, and E. T. Moroney 76). Linwood Tiave made 71 for two wickets (A. Coetello 42. not out). In the match Sydenham. V. Riccarton the former made 163, and the latter have mad* 98 for three wickot*.