CRICKET.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6534, 4 February 1882, Page 5

CRICKET.

THE INTERPROYINOIAL MATCH. [Bx Tbi^gbaph.] [PBOIC OUB SPHOIAIi OOBBBBPOKDBKT.J DUNEDIN, Fbb. 3. The Inte.’provinoial match commenced today, in spite of the threatening weather and the state of the ground, which was only some degrees better than a swamp. A drizzling rain fell at about twelve o’clock, but the captains, Messrs Spring and Ashby, nevertheless decided to make a start. Canterbury lost the toss, and were relegated to the field, where the men took the following places Ashby, shortleg and mid-off; H. Fowler, wickets j Watson, long-stop | Wilding, point; Beeves, third man and mid-on; Fowke, short-leg and midoff; Philpott and W. Ootterill, long-leg and cover, J. Fowler third man and mid-on, Chapman and Fuller bowler and slip. Mr H. M’Neil umpired for Otago, and Mr Q. Clarke officiated for the visitors. . . Bose and Davenport were chosen to begin the defensive, and Puller, bowling from the east end against a strong southerly breeze, delivered the first over to the former. Bose skied the second ball to longon, but the fieldsman did not start soon enough, and a two resulted instead of a catch. Buns then came pretty quickly. The batting was bad, but the fielding worse; indeed looser work has seldom been done in an Interprovinoial match. The ground, however, which was not only wet, but rough, rendered clean picking up almostan impossibility. The bowling alone was good, and the batsmen seemed a good desl stuck up by it at times. Bose, alter several shaves, was well caught at cover-point. Spring and Oollmson both ployed on, and Dawport was splendidly caught by Philpott, off a leg-hit. Four wioksts]wsre down for 21; then Harris and

Orawshaw made a stand, and hit with some freedom, trotil the former was caught by Ootterill exactly a* Bose had been—s6—s— Haskell joined Orawshaw, and Chapman who had begun to overpitoh his bowling, woe shunted for Ashby. With the score at 72, the luncheon adjournment put a stop to play. On resuming, the weather promised somewhat better, though the wind still blow strongly, and the pace of the scoring at once became smarter. Both men let out at Fuller and Ashby, and several threes and fours were quickly registered. Sharp runs were also (he order of the day. One or two of these were particularly well stolen. A good deal of applause greeted the hoisting of the century, and 121 had been reached before a double change had the effect of disposing of both batsmen. Fuller went on with the wind and Wilding against it. The former induced Haskell to lift a slow one into J. Fowler’s hands; the latter clean bowled Orawshaw, who retired, after playing a fine innisgs. Haskell also performed well, and their united efforts quite changed the look of the game. W. Frith’s stay was neither long nor profit* able, but Mitchell and Cooke hung together for some time, and forced one or two more changes. Mitchell is quite a young player, but, both with the bat and afterwards at the wickets, he showed himself a capable per* former. Cooke remained at the wickets dor* ing a good many orers, and was finally dismissed by a grand catch. The bowler (Fuller) stopped a hot drive with one hand nigh up and then secured it a* it came down. 141—9—6. 0. Frith made a couple of good leg hits before he gave Wilding, at point, a chance, of which that excellent fieldsman of course availed himself.

The Otago score, though good, was nothing to bo afraid of, and Canterbury, undismayed, prepared to go in and do their best, yet seldom in the annals of Interprovincial matches has a more disastrous downfall been the lot of a respectable team. The light wai certainly dull and the wicket dead, bnt it had been dead during the Otago innings. The bowling was good, bnt not unplayable, for Frith, who bowled for an hour and a half, and took four wickets for six runs, did not put very much break on the ball, though he was extremely straight and shot occasionally. The fact was that the batting was not quite good enough. Canterbury players are so much accustomed to faet, true wickets and plain bowling, that adverse circumstances seem to tell against them in a fashion unknown in former years. Beeves ar.d Watson started for the visitors, Cooke bowling the first over to Beeves, who hit the last ball for two. W. Frith, who was put on at the east end, began with five maidens, bat so well did Watson play him that a stand seemed quite on the cards, when a fast yorker from Cooke sent Beeves to the pavilion. 12—1—9. Fhilpott should have been stumped bj Mitchell, who afterwards caught him, and Wilding succumbed to a trimmer. A very queer decision dismissed Fowke, but over W. Ootterill’s fate there could be no dispute, his stumps being scattered by a yorker. Little was expected of Ashby, bat he agreeably disappointed expectations by playing some o£ the beat and steadiest cricket he has shown for years. With him stayed J, Fowler, and. the pair, blocking maiden after maiden, managed to play out time. Of course the match is not lost yet, and the Canterbury men mean to put their best foot forward to-morrow. At present, however, it must be admitted that Dunedin’s prospects look extremely rosy. Score and analysis:— OTAGO. First Innings. H. Bose, c Ootterill b Fuller II B. N. Davenport, c'Philpott b Fuller ... 11 E. T. Collinson, b Chapman 0 J. P. Spring, b Chapman 5 W. J. Orawshaw, b Wilding ... ... 39 L. Harris, c Ootterill b Chapman ... 15 O. H. Haskell, cJ. Fowler b Fuller ... 34 F. H. Cooke, c and b Fuller 6 W. Frith, c Chapman b Fuller... ... 1 D. Mitchell, not out ... " ... ... 10 O. Frith, c Wilding b Fuller ... ... 9 Byes 6, leg-byes 5, wide 1 ... 12 Total 153 Bowling Analysis. Balls. Buns. Mdns. Wkte. B.T. A. Fuller 162 63 14 6 A. Chapman 108 49 5 3 D. Ashby ... 28 18 10 P. Wilding ... 40 12 2 1 CANTERBURY. First Innings. W. P. Beeves, b Cooke 9 G. Watson, c Davenport, b W. Frith ... 10 P. Philpott, o Mitchell, b Cooke ... 5 F. Wilding, b W. Frith 0 J. Fowke, Ibw, b W. Frith 0 D. Ashby, not out 9 W. J. Ootterill, b W. Frith • J. Fowler, not out 7 Byes 1, leg byes 2 S

(Total for six wickets ... 43