BIG CRICKET.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 1136, 17 March 1910, Page 4

BIG CRICKET.

Australians on Tour.

AGAINST MANAWATU.

Get om* Men on a Bowler's

Wicket,

Thirteen for 87 Rims

Of Which Five Feilclmgites Make 50.

Cobbe Top Scorer

There was a very fair attendance yesterday afternoon at the opening of the contest between Bardsley's Australian XL and McLean's Manawatu XIII. The game was played on the Sports Ground, Palmerston, and, the wicket being all in favour of the bowler. Bardsley, who won the toss, sent Manawatu in to bat. As sixteen wickets fell during tbe afternoon, the spectators certainly got the value of their money, although they did not appreciate the procession their representatives made to the batting crease and back again. Some of the displays of batting—or lack of it—was really shocking, and quite unworthy the mon and tbe occasion. Had they played their ordinary game, and notbeen beaten by an attack of nerves before they "took block." the result would have been somewhat different. Dick Cobbe, of the Feilding Club, was an outstanding exception. He appeared to be the coolest man on the ground, he played his own natural game, he was encouraged by that little bit of luck that comes even to a Bardsley and a Warne, and he got in some good strokes. His boundary bits (nve of them, no less), brought the crowd to its feet with great enthusiasm and ready yells which were good to hear. McLean set his men a good example by stubborn play, although he poked rather than played bis way along: but tbe rest of the team were out before they went in The break-both-ways bowling tied our men up in a knot.