CRICKET.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10258, 29 January 1894, Page 6

CRICKET.

[Special to Pbssb Association.! SYDNEY, Jan. 27. Owing to rain the cricket match. New South Wales v. Victoria, has been postponed. :■ , ■ : NEW SOUTH WALES v. WELLINGTON. [Feb Pexss association.! WELLINGTON, Jan. 27. Heavy rain this morning promised to stop the match with New South Wales, but the clouds cleared, and the sun came out strongly, drying the wicket rapidly. It played well all day, though a little slow at the start, yet the scoring was more rapid then than at any other period of the game. There was an excellent attendance during the afternoon, and some capital cricket was seen. New South Wales made a good start, but then fell off, and recovered again after luncheon, the last three wickets putting on 75. When they took the field matters promised badly for Wellington, but Holdship and Blacklock made a fine stand, taking the score from 17 to 184. The latter had the bad luck to he run out in the last over of the day, after making 65 without a chance. Ha has lost some of his old dash, but has gained in defence, and on bis recent form is the safest batsman in Wellington. ' Holdship had a fair share of luck, being given not out for what was generally believed to be a catch, and also being missed once or twice. He was eventually given run out when, as it afterwards appeared, the wicket-keeper had really knocked the bails off with his arm before taking the hall. Still, his innings was a very good one, and taken with hia performance against Auckland stamps him as a reliable bat against strong bowling. The score'now stands at 157 for five wickets, so that the game is in an even state. Young Ashbolt should be commended for his bowling, and might have been used more in the stand made at the end of the New South Wales innings. The visitors’ bowling did nob seem very formidable when played with ordinary care. The game started at 11.5 a.m. Holdship, the local captain, won the toss and after consulting the ground-keeper decided to put the visitors in, in the belief that the wicket would be at its beat in the afternoon. The wisdom of this decision at first appeared doubtful, as the early batsmen had no difficulty in making runs, and the turf, though a little slow after the heavy rain, played excellently. Cowley and Mackenzie, the big men of the New South Wales team, were the first pair to bat. Frith and Fitzsimmons being the bowlers. The former, who had been put in to strengthen the bowling, proved completely out of form, and sent down long-hops and leg-balls. Fourteen runs were scored off him in one over, and Upham relieved him. Fitzsimmons dropped a smart Return from Mackenzie, which proved rather expensive, and at 40'Ashbolt took the ball from him. Cowley hit him high to square-leg, and was caught. 47 — 1 — 35. There were five fours in his quickly-got score. Moore joined Mackenzie, who continued with great steadiness and wrist power. Upham was severely treated, 14 being hit in the over; but at 72 the youngster cleaned bowled Moore for 6. Walford, the next comer, caused great amusement by his smothering action, which did not betoken a batsman of the reputation ho enjoys, but he stayed for nearly an hour and showed that he could hit when a loose one came. Mackenzie brought his score to 40 by a cat to the fence, but two rans later stepped out to Ashbolt and was easily stumped, 83—3—42. Austin and Walford made another stand, though the latter was in some time before he opened his account. He scored fast, and then Holdship and Fitzsimmons went on. Frith missed him at mid-off, and Walford was nearly stumped. Next over he was clean bowled by Fitzsimmons, 121 —4—l7. Then three wickets fell in quick succession. Austin was caught, like Cowley, at square leg, and A. Noble was bowled. His brother, after being missed off Ashbolt, fell a victim to a fast one from the youngster which appeared to take him by surprise. At lunch time seven wickets had gone for 135. After the adjournment Searle and Davis put on 11 runs, and the latter then got hia leg before Ashbolt. He claimed that he had played the ball, but if so the snick was very fine. Gould became Searle’s partner, and an excellent stand followed. The bowling was rapidly changed, but to no purpose. Frith came on again, and though his bowling was better than before it was of no use. Upham relieved Ashbolt, and was sent to the fence for 4, but at 181 got Gould’s wicket with a long hop, the partnership having put on 36, of which Gould made 21. When Miller came in Searle scored very rapidly. Fitzsimmons had another try, and was hit for 11 in one over, with 4to leg. Searle took hit score beyond Mackenzie’s, and then Miller was run out in attempting a' second run. Searle has succeeded in carrying out his bat in every innings he has played in the colony so far. • Hia 44 included three 4’s, a 3 and eight 2's. The total reached 209, the last 75 being made in an hour. Ashbolt came out with the excellent average of six wicketa for 52. The Wellington fielding was not so good as in the Auckland match, and again several chances were missed.

At 3.35 Cross and Gore began the Wellington innings, the former facing the alow bowler Austin, whose fourth ball he hit to the fence for 4. Miller, a lefthander, went on atthe other end,and had all the field brought close up. Cross hit him hard towards the fence, and 5 could have been run had the batsmen persevered. Miller struck Cross a severe blow on the leg, and next over bowled him with a breakback, which came across from leg on to the off stump. 15—1—S. Gore soon followed, l.b.w. to Austin. 17—2—9. Blacklock and Holdship showed better form. The latter hit Miller twice for 4, and his partner sot Austin fairly to leg for a clean run 5. E. Noble, however, missed Holdship in the slips before he had reached doable figures. At 48, A. Noble relieved filler, and 7 were bit 9S bis first over,

besides a couple of leg byes. Gould took Austin’s plaqe, and had eight men placed on the off-side and only one on the other. A single, obtained with some difficulty, brought 60 up. Gould’s slow breaks stuck the batsmen up, but they played him carefully, and singles came slowly, and at last a full pitch to leg was 4 hit by Blacklook for 4, and supplemented by 3in the same direction. This caused a couple of men to be brought over to leg. Gould made several appeals for Ibw without avail, and then Holdship returned the ball to him, which he took either on or close to the ground. The umpire ruled against the catch, at which the fieldsmen showed some dissatisfaction. It certainly was a very close thing. The next ball Holdship drove to the fence, bringing 90 up. Miller came on again in place of A. Noble, but Gould persevered and twice shaved Blacklock’a wicket. In the next over, however, Holdship dropped heavily on him, and brought 100 up by hitting a full pitch to the fence. The appearance of the century was loudly applauded, the fine stand by these two men being much to the taste of the spectators. Moore then took the ball from Gould, and each man out him for 3. At 113 Cowley displaced Noble, being the seventh bowler tried during the partnership. The 120 went up after exactly two hours’ play, and Blacklook completed his 50 by the help of two cuts off Cowley, having Aiored rather faster than his partner,-despite the fact that the latter usually makes runs very rapidly. At 134 Austin came back to the crease in place of Moore, making the eighth change in the bowling, and a separation then came through Holdship starting for a run which Blacklook refused. Holdship slipped in turning, and just failed to get back in time. 134—3—45. Holdship’s 45, which included six 4’s, was comoiled with some luck, but showed capital defence and less desire to hit than is usual with him. Wynyard was quickly stumped without scoring—the first “duck” in the match. Burton started in good form, hitting Austin along the turf to the ropes; and Blacklook being busy with Gould, who had replaced Cowley, 150 went up, but six runs later Blacklook was badly run out by Barton, who called him for a second run and then refused to go. 157—5 —65. Blacklock’s innings was without a chance, and though his running between the wickets was very deficient, it was hard lines to be got out in the last over of the day.' There were one 5, two 4’s and seven 3’e in hia score, which had taken him nearly two hours and ■a; half to/compile. The stumps were then drawn for the day. The decisions in both Holdship’s and Blacklock’s cases were very close things, but were by the Wellington umpire. Score and analysis NEW SOUTH WALES.

Vigorous and well-sustained practice for the forthcoming match against New South Wales was held on the College ground on Saturday, and in the evening Mr Ollivier selected the following team to represent the province in the contest:— J. U. Collins E. V. Palmer L. A. Cuff (captain) W. Pearce H. De Mans A. E. Ridley A. Harman W. Robertson A. M. Labatt P. Wilding , J. D. Lawrence The eleven is identically the same as represented Canterbury in the late match against Auckland. A mixed team of the Midland Club journeyed to Woodend ou Saturday and played thirteen of the local clut. The game was won by the home team by '8 runs on the first innings, although it must be said that the Midlanders had very bad luck ou account of a heavy showe? which fell just before they were called upon to take the field. Scores—Midland 66 and 57 with seven wicketa down. Woodend 74 and 21 for six wickets. Macdonald 17, Wheatley 13 and Spencer 11 scored best for the town team, and Judson 16, Garrard 15, Bramley 13, Smith 10 and Uru 10 for the countrymen. Wheatley bowled best for the Midlanders, and Urn, who clean bowled seven of the visitors in the first innings for 22 runs, was a tower of strSngth to the Woodend men. NORTH CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION. The only match played on Saturday m the above Association’s cup series was between the Ashley County eleven and Oust, and victory went with the former on the first innings by 34 runs. The county, in its first innings, scored 78, Helmore making 47, and in its second 101 for six wicketa, the highest scorers being Helmore 40, Banks 16, F. Clayton 11 and Gulliver 11 not out. Cust made 44, Sale not out 12 and Chapman 10 being the highest scorers. For the county Banks took six "wickets for 10 and Gulliver three for 29, while for Oust Chapman and Blundell had the best analysis.

First Innings. Mackenzie, st Niven b Ashbolt... ... 42 Cowley, c Gore b Ashbolt ... 3o Moore, b Ashbolt ... 6 . Walford, b Fitzsimmons ... 17 Austin, c Gore b Ashbolt ... 21 E. Noble, b Ashbolt ... ... ... 4 A. Noble, b Fitzsimmons ... 1 Davis, Ibw b Ashbolt ... ... ... 6 Searle, not out ... 44 Gould, hUpham ... 21 Miller, run out ... ■' ... 8 Extras ... 8 Total ... 209 Bowling Analysis. —Ashbolt, 132 balls, 52 runs. 4 maidens, 6 wickets; Fitzsimmons, 90 balls, 43 runs. 2 maidens, 2 wickets; Frith, 72 balls, 43 runs; Holdship, 36 balls, 16 runs, 1 maiden ; Upnam, 84 balls, 51 runs, 1 wicket. , Wellington. First Innings, Cross, 1) Miller ... 8 Gore, Ibw b Austin ... 9 Holdship, run out ... ... 45 B. Blacklock, run out ... ... ... 65 Wynyard, st Searle b Austin ... ... o Burton, not out ... ... 14 Extras ... 16 Total for five wickets ... 157