INTER-PROVINCIAL CRICKET MATCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1350, 9 February 1865, Page 4

INTER-PROVINCIAL CRICKET MATCH.

OTAGO AGAINST CANTERBURY. This match, the first innings of which took plaje on Monday, was resumed on Tuesday morni , when the Otago Eleven went in for their sec innings. The day was as brilliantly fine as ep ■ ceding one; but the wind had increased and blew with a disagreeable and persistent streng ng t down the wicketß. With this exception the weather was all that could be desired. The groun 9 course suffered by the preceding day's play, an showed more dusty and worn patches than was esirable. It wasalso rather harder than it had been, and in consequence the bowling was comparative y ineffective for taking wickets, and at the same xme the hitting was very much interfered with. w circumstance goes far to explain the excessive number of catches made in proportion to wickets taken. Some of the Canterbury team were a little behina time in coming on the ground; the wickets were pitched and play commenced about a quarter to ( twelve o'clock. At two o'clock one wicket only remained to go down of the Otago eleven; but nevertheless an adjournment was made for luncheon at the time appointed, after which the second innings of Otago was concluded, and that of Canterbury commenced, and lasted till a quarter past five o'clock. The result was that Canterbury came off winner by four wickets to go down, after as nicely contested a match as has been witnessed upon the Canterbury ground. The attendance of spectators at the match was far from numerous, only some three or four hundred visitors being present during the second day, although the cricketting was as good as need be desired by way of exhibition of colonial play. The following is the total score, and a brief description of the second day's play :

OXAGO. Ist Innings. 2nd Innings. Mr. Cairns, bJ. W. Stevens 8 st Tennant, bJ. W. Stevens ... ... 3 Mr. Chapman,b lance ... 0 runout 12 Mr. Hope, c Tennant, b . Dickenson ... ... 17 cSale,bJ.W.Stevens 14 Mr. Borton, bJ. W. Stevens 5 c Sale, b J.W. Stevens 0 Mr. Worthington, b Harley 13 c McDonnell, bJ. W, Stevens ... ... ® Mr. Pulton, c Tennant, b Cowlishaw ... ... 22 sfc TGHnantj b Lance 7 Mr. Murison, run out ... 0 c Dickenson, b Lance 1 Mr. Maddock, b Harley ... 0 b Lance ... ... 0 Mr. Crump, not out ... 2 bJ. W.Stevens ... Mr. Hendley, c Dickenson, b Cowlishaw 0 c Bloxam.bLance... £ Mr. Parker, c Tennant, b • Cowlishaw 0 not out ... ... 1 Byes, 4; leg bye, 1 ... 5 byes,4; leg bye, 1... 5 Wide ... ... 1 wides 6 73 a Total Ist innings 73 Grand total 134 Cantebbuby. Ist Innings. 2nd, Inmng6. Mr. Bloxam, c Hope, b • Hendley ... ... 10 c Hope, b Fulton ... 18 Mr. Sale, cHope, bHendley 16 Ibw, b Borton ... 7 Mr. J. W. Stevens, c Hope, b Hendley ... ... 3 b Hendley ... ... 2 Mr. Tennant, b Borton ... 1 c and b Hendley ... 2 Mr. Lance, b Hendley ... 13 c Hope, b Borton ... 12 Mr. Wilson, runout .... 2 not out ... ... 3 Mr. Harley, c Cairns, b Hendley 0 not out < 2 Mr. E. C. Stevens, run out... 1 Mr. Cowlishaw, not out ... 12 c Hendley, b Borton 4 Mr. Dickenson, c Cairns, b Worthington ... 8 Mr. M'Donnell, c F.ulton, b Borton 6 j Bye, 1; leg byes, 3 ... 4 ! Wides 4 wides ... ... 5 80 55 Total Ist Innings 80

Grand total 135 The second innings began by Otago sending to the wicket Messrs. Cairns and Crump, the latter gentleman having carried his bat out on the previous day. The howlers for Canterbury were Messrs. Dickenson and Stevens, who kept the same ends respectively as in the former innings. The first over from each end was a, maiden; and the score began in the third-over with a bye, which gave Mr : Crump the opportunity of playing to Mr. Stevens' bowling, off which he made a pretty two to midwicket. In the following over Mr. Cairns drew the ball away for two; and, after another maiden, the same gentleman got one for a very neat square leg hit from Mr. Dickenson, and Mr. Crump made two from the same by a cleverly placed cut behind point. In the seventh over Mr. Cairns gave the smallest possible opportunity to the wicket-keeper, by reaching out of his ground, which was seized by Mr. Tennant, as a matter of course, and he gave place to Mr. Hope. One wicket for eight runs. The next over Mr. drump got a single, thus giving the ball to Mr. Hope, who lifted it high in air, to leg, but beyond the reach of the field, and scored two for it. From the next over of Mr. Stevens' bowling, Mr. Crump got one to slip, Mr. Hope two to leg, and also a little single to square leg which was magnified by an overthrow into three. The same gentleman made a good two to square leg, hitting the ball straight through the field; and, after an interval, a couple of singles to cover point. A maiden over preceded the next wicket, the taking of which was accomplished by Mr. Crump playing a ball from Mr. Stevens on his own knee, whence it reached the stumps. The second wicket for 21. Mr. Borton, left handed, followed, and got through a maiden over, but in the next, lodged a catch in Mr. Sale's retentive hands at point, and gave his place to Mr. Worthington. The third wicket thus fell for the same total as the second. Mr. Hope cheered his comrades a little by another of his leg hits for two, after which all scoring ceased for a time. Seven consecutive maiden overs occurred. The bowling had all along been exceedingly true to the wicket from both ends; but the state of the ground made it very difficult to get the ball, however well pitched, into the stumps. At the same time the batting was confined to the most upright and forward style of defence; for if the stumps were tolerably safe, catches were easily given off such lively bowling. At last Mr. Hope got one of Mr. Dickenson's away to leg for a single, and Mr. Worthington did the same with the following ball to slip, and then, the ball changing ends, made another to leg from Mr. Stevens. In the following over Mr. Hope got a handsome two by a drive. Mr. Lance then took the ball at Mr. Dickenson's end; and in his first over Mr. Worthington got a drive for two, a bye was rnn, and a wide ball was scored. In revenge for" this bit of scoring, Mr. Worthington was put out next over by a catch skillfully made in the long field by Mr t M'Donnell off Mr. Stevens. Mr. Fulton then joined Mr. Hope, and before long, played a ball from Mr. Lance forward for a single, and hit one of Mr. Stevens' away to square leg for a safe three. The dangerous partnership at the wickets was quickly dissolved by Mr. Hope giving a catch to Mr. Sale at point off Mr. Stevens. Five wickets down for 36 runs. Mr. Murison followed, and stood manfully for three maiden overs, after which, a neat drive off Mr. Stevens gave him the only score to his name in this match, for in the next over he lifted a ball from Mr. Lance to square leg, where it dropped into Mr, Dickenson's hands as if it had been thrown there.. Mr. Lance's fortune as a bowler culminated in this over, for another ball from his hand rattled into the stumps of Mr. Haddock, who followed Mr. Murison with as little fortune in this attempt as in that of the previous day. He, alone among the Otago team, returns without a figure to his name. Mr. Chapman succeeded to him, A wide and a bye were scored in Mr. Steven's next over; after which Mr. Cowlishaw took the ball at his end for a few overs. A

single and a two to leg were soon scored by Mr. Chapman, and four maiden overs succeeded with only one little break. Mr. Fulton cut the ball away for a single to coverpoint, and this ended his score, for he gave Mr. Tennant a chance at the wicket, which was put down without a moment's delay, Mr. Lance bowling. 8 wickets for 47 runs. Mr. Chapman was joined by Mr. Hendley, and added a single leg hit to his score, following it up by a three between point and slip, which was, on the whole, the best hit of the match in our judgment. Mr. Hendley got the ball away to slip for a couple, and then managed to give Mr. Bloxam a catch at longstop. 9 wickets for 53. Mr. Parker took the bat for a few minutes, and then, the time being two o'clock, an adjournment of an hour took place for luncheon. The match was resumed at 3 o'clock, when Mr. Stevens and Mr. Dickenson went on to bowl, as at the beginning of the match. In the few overs which remained Mr. Parker got a single to leg. Mr. Chapman did the same twice over, besides a drive and a cut, each for a single, vefr well played, and was then run out, having scored 12. The total, with wides and byes, showed as 61.

Otagothen, without delay, took the field, and Canterbury prepared to make the 55 runs necessary to win. Messrs. Cowlishaw and Bloxam went to the wickets, to the bowling, as before, of Messrs. Hendley and Borton. In the first over, from Mr. Hendley, Mr. Cowlishaw played the ball forward for a single; and in the next over, from the same bowler, Mr. Bloxam got a single to leg, and Mr. Cowlishaw achieved a drive to the off for a three. Several maiden or very modest overs followed, till Mr. Cowlishaw gave a catch to slip (Mr. Hendley) off Mr. Borton. This gentleman is a left-handed bowler, with a low delivery, and the pitch of his balls is accordingly very puzzling; but in other respects the style is not, in our judgment, to be commended. He bowled a great number of maiden overs, both in this and the previous Canterbury innings; but we fancy that the way to deal with him might soon be found out, and the undoubted present effectiveness of his bowling lost for ever. Mr. Tennant. who joined Mr. Bloxam, did not give himself time to make the discovery, for, after a couple of singles made by him, he returned the ball into Mr. Hendley's hands, and went out, the victim of an easy catch. 2 wickets for only 8 runs. Mr. Sale came in now with some steadr play, and got a two in slip at once, after which Mr. Bloxam insinuated a single a little before the point, and then made a drive for three to the off side from Mr. Hendley. Several maiden overs followed ; nine without a hit scored, though one wide ball and a bye for two added to the total. Off Mr. Borton, both Mr. Bloxam and Mr. Sale then made successive threes, one to leg, the other to slip ; and then matters again became more quiet. Mine more overs had only a mid-wicket hit and a drive for two by Mr. Bloxam among them all. Mr. Sale then fell a victim to Mr. Borton by leg before wicket, in which no doubt he esteemed himself as unfortunate as in the previous innings, where he was given out for a catch made off his elbow, by a decision admittedly wrong. Three wickets for 27. Mr. Lance on joining Mr. Bloxam put new life into the score, by adding a leg hit for four, then a single to square leg; shortly after which Mr. Bloxam also got the ball away to leg for four, and to cover point for a single. Mr. Fulton then took up the bowling as a change for Mr. Borton, and in the next . few overs, only two singles and a two were scor«d. Another catch by long-stop (Mr. Hope) off Mr. Fulton put Mr. Bloxam out, with a score of 18, for which he received the plaudits of the field. Four wickets for 45, and ten to make to win. Mr. J. W. Stevens then took the bat, and Mr. Lance scored a neat three to leg from Mr. Hendley ; but on the over, Mr. Borton resuming the ball, Mr. Lance gave a catch to long-stop (Mr. Hope), and -retired with a score of 12 to -hi& name, for which he deserved and obtained the cheers of the pavilion. Five wickets for 48 runs. Mr. Wilson went to join Mr. Stevens, who made a two to leg, and played the next ball from Mr. Hendley down at his feet, whence it ran into the stumps in a manner simple to look at. Six wickets for 50 runs. Mr. Harley, who took the bat, and Mr. Wilson had now five only to make, all which were scored by leg hits, a two and a one by the latter, and a two by the former. The scores now stood 135 to 134, and game was called, Canterbury winning with four wickets to

go down. This lias been the quietest and most uneventful match that we remember to have seen or read of. The highest score in an innings was 80, and the largest individual score was 22, by Mr. Fulton. Only ten wickets out of the 36 were bowled down, including a leg before wicket, while no less than 18 were caught out. The most noticeable features in the whole game lay in the field, where Mr. Tennant's wicket-keeping, for Canterbury, and Mr. Hope's longstopping, for Otago, were models for the young cricketer. The umpires throughout the match were Messrs. Kissling and Young; and theirs was by no means the easiest task in the field. The hot sun, driving wind, and lately the clouds of dust which accompanied the play, rendered their two days' work a most disagreeable duty. The scoring on the part of Canterbury was conducted throughout by Mr. Hassal, a veteran of Kent, whose residence in the province ought to be in favour of all working cricketers. The other scoring-book passed through various hands. The refreshments were provided on both days by Messrs. Morton and Robertson, in a spacious tent divided into numerous compartments, in one of which the two elevens, their friends, and some of the illustrious public sat down to capital luncheons on Monday and Tuesday. Everything was done by them in the best style. The following is an analysis of the bowling:— Otago First Innings.—Mr. Lance, 12 overs. - maiden overs, 1 wicket, 21 runs. Mr. J. W. Stevens, 22 overs, 5 maiden overs, 2 wickets, 30 runs. Mr Dickenson, 6 overs, 2 maiden overs, 1 wicket, 13 runs. Mr. Cowlishaw, 5 overs, 1 maiden over. 3 wickets, 6 runs. Mr. Harley, 8 overs, 3 maiden overs, 2 wickets, 3 runs, 1 wide ball. Otago Second Innings.—Mr. J. W. overs, 10 maiden overs, 5 wickets, 17 runs, 1 wide ball. Mr. Lance, 11 overs, 4 maiden overs, i wickets, 14 runs, 2 wide balls. Mr. Dickenson, 18 overs, 9 maiden overs, no wicket, 20 runs, 1 vide ball. Mr. Cowlishaw, 5 overs, 2 maiden overs, no wicket, 3 runs, 1 wide ball.

Canterbury First Innings.—Mr. Hendley, 27 overs, 6 maiden overs, 4 wickets, 37 runs, 3 wide balls. Mr. Borton, 26 overs, 10 maiden overs, 2 wickets, 30 runs. Mr. Wortliington, 9 overs, 4 maiden overs, 1 wicket, 4 runs, 1 wide ball. Canterbury Second Innings.—Mr. Hendley, 24 overs, 12 maiden overs, 2 wickets, 26 runs, 2 wide balls. Mr. Borton, 20 overs, 9 maiden overs, 3 wickets, 22 runs, 2 wide balls. Mr. Fulton, 3 overs, no maiden over, 1 wicket, 3 runs, 1 wide ball.

The meeting ended with a scratch match between picked elevens on Wednesday ; and in the evening (yesterday) the Canterbury Eleven entertained their opponents at dinner at Messrs. Morton and Robertson's.