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Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 802, 17 January 1903, Page 4

amazement an Bosanquet lifted Trott two a,id three times in almost every over out of the ground. Trott bowled unchanged while runs were hit oil him, and sent down 41 overs. Hawke’s Bay’s only other bowler was Torkilson, a left-hander from Norsewood, who bowls a good ball, hut is quite inexperienced. He bagged two 00 odd, and should have been credited with a third nad an easy catch in the slips been held. The other bowlers appeared to send down the simplest of stuff. The Englishmen’s total of 4GI is the largest they have made yet on the present

tour, and speaks well for the Napier wicket, though the small boundaries there are admitted to favor long scores. Ilawltc, Cotter-ill, and Macassey made a decent stand for Hawke’s Bay in tho second innings, but few of the others at any time looked like making runs. Tho Englishmen won by an innings and 198 runs. The fielding of the visitors was good, but several chances were missed. Whatman and Taylor were sound behind the wickets. The Hawke's Bay men were smart at ground-fielding, hut their faulty catching cost them scores of runs. Neither Warner, Burnup, Dowson, nor Thompson should have made half tho runs they did. The long scoro of 461 put up by tho Englishmen was not so much due to good batting on a perfect wicuet on a small ground as to lamentably weak bowling, and faulty catching. There is no doubt that Hawke’s Bay are wofully weak

this season, and cannot be at all compared as a side to tho teams which represented tiie province three seasons ago. No one has come on to fill the places vacated by 11. 0. Wilson, T. Dent, G. Marshall, .1. M. Hussey, and A. H. Goro. Of course it must be admitted that tho Napier men were not seen at their best, hut the form exhibited at the net 3 was not brilliant or encouraging. In howling particularly they are decidedly weak, and I have not tho slightest hesitation in expressing the conviction that a representative team from Poverty Bay could quite hold their own with them, The matches against New Zealand will bo looked forward to with tho greatest interest, as wo fear the Englishmen are altogether too strong for any of the individual provinces. The visitors will leave New Zealand earlier than they at first intended, and will play matches against New South Wales and Victoria before returning Home. Although many people are inclined to laugh and sneer at the efforts of the colonials against the Englishmen, the visit will do a world of good to cricket in Now Zealand. It is not so very long ago since English players played witli Australians as Lord Hawke’s men are doing to-day in New Zealand. It is only by rubbing shoulders with first-class players in any branch of sport that the national standard can he raised. What a revolution the English llugby football loam that visited this colony in ISB7 caused in tho standard of play. And who doubts that the drubbings our men are getting now will bo salutary and highly beneficial to the game throughout the colony.