LORD HAWKE’S ELEVEN.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 802, 17 January 1903, Page 3

LORD HAWKE’S ELEVEN.

THE MATCH AT NAPIER

'Specially written for the Gisborne Times, |By “ Biffor.”]

It is fifteen years since people in this

colony had an opportunity of seeing English erieketers perform on New Zealand

wickets. Though English teams come out and tour Australia at frequently regular intervals, all that is lift for the cricket enthusiasts of this colony is to read of their doings, and regn ; that they are denied tho privilege of secii g them at tho wickets and in ihc fiold. Tho first

team of English cricketers to visit New Zealand was Lillywhito’s combination, which toured the colony in 1876-77. This team was too strong for the colonials, and defeated Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, Invercargill, and Nelson by over an innings in each instance, though -Canterbury made a good fight and were onlydefeated by 24 runs. Alfred Shaw brought out an English team to Now Zealand in 1881-82, and played seven matches, of which the visitors won three, and four were drawn much in tho Englishmen’s favor. Otago were beaten by ten wickets, Oamaru by an innings and 29 runs, and Auckland by ten wickets, while the matches with Timaru, Canterbury, Wellington, and Waikato wore drawn. The last English team to tour Now Zealand was Arthur Shrewsbury’s combination, composed of Alfred Shaw, Shrewsbury, and one or two other players, who came over from Australia at the close of the season of 1887-88, and joined forces with an English Rugby football team which was touring this colony. Only three matches were played—two at Christchurch and one at Wellington—and all were left drawn.

During tho interval, it was thought, cricket had made advanced strides in this colony. The grounds are greatly improved, and there are many more followers of the game than there were fifteen years ago. Naturally, tho Now Zealand cricket authorities were anxious to secure a visit from English cricketers. Frequent requests were made to the controlling powers in Australia that the different English teams should include this island in the Australian tours. On Major Wardill’s advice, the New Zealand Cricket Council approached Lord Hawke with a request that he should bring out a team of English amateurs, and the Yorkshire captain, who has done so much for cricket both at Home, and abroad, readily assented, and thus it is that tho present combination of English players are with us to-day. As Napier was tho nearest point to Gisborne at which the Englishmen would touch, I was commissioned by the sporting editor of tho Gisborne Times to attend the match there in order that the readers of that journal might be presented with an estimato of tho individual and collective merits of Lord Hawke’s team.

Exceptional interest attached to the match against Hawke’s Bay at Napier. The easy manner in which the Englishmen had triumphed over Auckland, North and South Taranaki, Wanganui, and Manawatu, in most cases against long odds in the number of players opposed to them, pointed conclusively to the fact that the visitors were a powerfully strong side. It was fondly hoped that Hawke’s Bay, on the perfect wicket which is always obtainable thero, and with Albert Trott, the renowned Anglo-Australian professional, to assist them, would make a decent fight of it against the all-conquer-ing invaders. Thero was a large attendance when the match opened on Saturday, and an even larger on the Monday, when a half-holiday was observed in honor of the occasion. Cricketers wore present from far and near. I noticed Messrs A. W, Bees, J. W. Nolan, and Cotterill (Tokomaru), from this district among tho spectators. Tho weather for somo wcoks priorto the match was exceptionally dry, and it was imagined that tho side winning the toss would possess a groat advantage in .’getting first strike on the perfect wicket Fauknor, the Hawke’s Bay Association’s groundman, -had provided. Thero was great satisfaction when it became known that H. B. Lusk, the local captain, had won the toss. All the fondly cherished hopes that tho Napier men would make a creditable stand were speodily dispelled. Hargreavo and Burnup opened tho attack. The former is certainly ono of tho finest bowlers who has over visitod the colony, and this will bo readily understood when it is romcmborod that he was reserve man last season in England for one or more of the test matches against the Australians. Playing for Warwickshire against the Australians at Birmingham last season, he bagged nino wickets for 50 odd runs, andjlismissed jTrumper in each innings before ho had notched double figures. He has a most attractive delivery, and bowls with a perfectly natural action. He worked from both sides, and maintained a perfect length, and the Napier batsmen treated him with the groatest respect throughout. Burnup takes a long run, and the merit of his bowling is that he swerves in the air at times. He had a strong off field, and bowled to it. Young fell into the trap straight away, and Lusk had some miraculous escapes, sending several uppish strokes through the slips. The local men were palpably suffering from paralysis through norvousness, and, with tho exception of Lusk, none of them played in anything like their form, even allowing for the undoubted merit of the English bowling. Lusk, after ho settled down, batted splendidly, and made some oapital strokes, his late cut bringing him most of his runs. Bosanquet is a slow bowler of a most dangerous type. He stands at the creaso, and delivers a slow leg-break which tempts tho wiliest batsmen in England to their undoing, it is said. He has tbe knack of bowling an oil-break with a leg-break action, and tho batsman has to watch for this ball like a fox. Thompson, the Northamptonshire professional, is tha fast bowler of the team, and uses his head well, mixing them up with judgment. Ho judiciously employed a fast yorker with destructive effect. Naughton, the erstwhile Wellington representative, played what many considered the best innings on tho Napier side, and was unbeaten after a confident and attractive innings, unmarred by the semblance of a chance. Tho spectators soon realised that all hopes of respectable score wore out of the question, and the innings was soon over for a total of 106 runs. Trott, who for three years in succession, scored over a thousand runs in first class cricket, did not last an over, putting tho third ball he received from Hargreavo into Lcatham’s hands at long-off. , ti i When Warner (tho captain) and Burnup oponed the Englishmen s innings, the spectators looked for something a long way out of tho ordinary. Personally, I was somewhat disappointed with their display, and expected to see them exhibit a greator variety of strokes. Both batted confidently, aud the runs came fast enough, but they employed the off and on drive, the cut, and only the strokes with which colonials are familiar in making their runs. Trott bowled finely, and had tho cruellest of luck in having both batsmen dropped off him twice by Lusk at the responsible position of mid-off. A curious coincidence was that when the first wicket had put on exactly the Hawke’s Bay total of 106, Warner was dismissed by a beauti- , ful ball from Trott, which nipped across

from the off, struck the bat hard, and scattered the wicket. This was a fine start, but the spectators could not help remembering that Warner gave his first chance when the total was only 3D, and three easy chances had been missed of separating the partnership since then Fane was clean bowled by a fast one on the le" side from Trott before he had got a sight of the ball. Taylor, of Yorkshire, did not stay long, but his strokes were suggestive of high-class form while he rattled up 28. His play on the on side was perfect, forceful, and beautifully placed. Dowson (Surrey) caused some amusement by letting out and getting the first three balls from Trott away in an effective, but decidedly crude style. He settled down to work, however, and soon proved that he was picking the balls to bang at. He scored very quickly, and had 41 opposite his name under the halfhour. He sent an easy catch to Lusk at long-slip off Torkilson, but the Hawke s Bay captain declined that he had done the others. The finest stan.i of the innings was made by Bosanquet and Thompson when the game was resumed on Monday. Bosanquet started to work as soon as play was called, and gave an exhibition of fearless and systematic hitting that will be remembered as long as those who witnessed it shall live. The Hawke s Bay captain, everyone thought, might have worked tho little bowling strength he had at his disposal to better advantage. At all events, few changes were made, and Bosanquet and Thompson hammered the ball to every part of tho playing field, and to many parts of several adjoining fields. They roused tho spectators to cheers time and again ; but soon theso died away, and the spectators sat in silent