TRIUMPH OF THE KANGAROO.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7391, 18 February 1902, Page 2

TRIUMPH OF THE KANGAROO.

The result of the fourth test match is now so far a foregone conclusion that it is safe to say Australia will to-day win •' the rubber," and the general judgment must undoubtedly be that the best side has won Maclaren, owing to circumstances pretty well known, was unable to bring some bowlers he would have chosen, and therefore -from the outset was regarded as weak in this department, but really, on the whole, the failure has been less marked in the bowling than in the batting. The bowling has proved stronger than was expected, and, but for the accident to Barnes, would have been on the whole very successful, while the batting,]from which 30 much was anticipated, has been a comparative failure. Maclaren and Hayward stand out conspicuous for their success, but the "tail" was too long and too weak, and any reverses early in an innings have been generally fatal. On the other hand, if Australia made a bad start, and it has done so several times, the later batsmen have usually managed to pull their side cut of difficulty. This contrast of the batting of the respective sides has been remarkably illustrated during the present match, and has proved quite conclusively tbat Maclaren's team is a long way behind the best that Australia can put in the field. Whether an Australian team on English soil can hold up its end against England's best is the problem that has to be solved next summer. A home team, constantly refreshed by new men, and purged of those who have met with accident, become stale, or lost "form,' ? always must have the advantage, and Maclaren has been singularly unlucky in loss by reason of accident and failure of some of his men to come up to English form.