CRICKET.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10600, 8 March 1895, Page 5

CRICKET.

THE TEST MATCH, EXCITEMENT IN AUSTRALIA. [Special to Press Association.! SYDNEY, March 7. There was tremendous excitement here over the cricket match yesterday. Immense crowds again blocked the streets watching the returns which were posted every few minutes. The tension became intense as tho Englishmen steadily overhauled their opponents. Wild and continuous cheering greeted their brilliant victory. Both the morning papers have leaders on the match. They admit that the game was a thorough test of the calibre of the two elevens under equal conditions, and that tho better team won. The fall of the Australians is chiefly ascribed to the weakness of the bowling, in which tha Englishmen have an undoubted superiority. The visitors are complimented on their pluck in playing an uphill game. The Herald says that viewing tho series of matches as a whole they must be regarded as remarkably successful. They have attracted and maintained a larger measure of interest than was ever before exhibited ia international contests, and never were more splendid displays given of the national game in the highest perfection. MELBOURNE, March 7.

Stoddart’s team came very strong at the finish after all, and won with any amount in hand. Among the Australians there was a want of confidence. “ I think with equal chances our fellows ought to win,” said Blackham just before play began; “ 297 is a big score to set a team in the last innings. For my part I would rather have them on the slate than have to make them.” Being asked whether he thought the Australian bowling strong enough : “There’s plenty of bowling there,” he answered, “Ithink you’ll find it enough. Of course, if Turner had been in form he must have been picked, but he has not been bowling well all this season, and wa could not leave out M’Kibbin,” “Our match,” was the universal cry when the English captain left ‘ first ball yesterday. “ Who have they got to make tho runs ? ” was asked, with a reservation in favour of getting Ward out. There was a general feeling of satiofsetion, but when Brown went in and began to bang the bowling all over the field, comfort began to fidget in its seat. How the little Yorkshireman did hit! He ran up his first 40 ia eighteen minutes while Ward was cautiously making 8, 50 in twenty-sis minutes, and 102 in eighty-five minutes. All the bowling seemed alike to him. He cut, drove and dragged for two hours and twenty-seven minutes, while Giffon, M’Kibbin, the Trotts and Bruce exhausted the whole rSpcrtoire of wiles known to bowlers. It was one of the very best exhibitions of dasbiag batting these test matches have developed. Lees showy, but equally effective, was Ward’s performance. Both had the bowling completely at their mercy, and after their departure all was soon over. Peel made the winning hit, and M’Kibbin, who fielded the ball, put it in his pocket. The weakness of the bowling principally accounted for the victory. Albert Trott was the only one who had any considerable speed, and there was evidently not sufficient variety. Trott’a best ball, moreover, is a slow one. Except that M’Kibbin’a methods are peculiar, it might bo oaid that on a good wicket, when ono is collared all are collared. The ground fielding was good enough for anything; Gregory, M’Kibbin, A. Trott and Iredala saved many runs by sheer brilliant and desperate vigilance. The bowling was undeniably weak, and not up to the previous form of the same man. The crowd was extremely generous. Nothing deserving notice passed i unrecognised* There was a strong English connection among the spectators, but among the supporters of Australia there was no stint of fair play. When the winning stroke was made the people stood up and cheered as heartily as they could have done had the result been otherwise. Sfcoddart was naturally delighted with the victory, which after his own departure had not seemed likely. In his opinion his men are just a little above the best Australian Eleven, but they showed so much tail in the first innings, and 297 seemed such a big task, that he was doubtful about the issue* To defeat such a side as the Australians pat in the field, he said, and beat them on Australian soil, too, is an achievment which tho very best team England can produce would have occasion to feel proud of. Both sides tried very hard to win, and the losers have nothing to be ashamed of. Stoddart said a very significant thing to Turner as he was bidding him goodbye “ I ought to shake hands with you sincerely,” he remarked, “ for you helped uo to win the match.” This was in reference to Turner’s non-iuciusiou in the team. Giffen said, “ The defeat of the Australians was due to the batting of Brown and Ward. It was a phenomenal performance for two men to go in and make those runs; absolutely phenomenal.” Asked about tho Australian bowling, he said, “ did not bowl as well as they have done, not even Albert Trott. He was not at all in hia best form.” He thought a fast bowlormade a lot of difference to a side, but admitted now that the team would have been stronger if C. M’Lsod or Be.dy had been included. It is freely stated that tha bowling was not up to the standard. During tho speech - making after tho game Giffan good-humouredly said that he was not in great form, as he had prepared a winning speech. He gave tho Englishmen every credit, and only hoped that some future team would turn tha tables. LONDON, March 6. Remarkable interest; was taken in tho cricket match, and the victory of tha Englishmen was received with great enthusiasm. The Globe praises Giffan as the G.O.M. of Australian cricket, and condoles with him in the recent defeat sustained, despite his judicious captaincy and personal skill with the bat and ball. March 7. The Daily Chronicle, commenting on the final test match, considers the victory of the Englishmen a brilliant one, and believes that tho omission of Turner from the Australian team was a mistake. George Giffsn, it adds, is clearly the champion of the cricketing world, and it eulogises Brown, Ward, M’Luren, Stoddart and Peel, who so ably assisted towards the win; also Albert Trott, Darling and Iredale, who, it says, occupy a position equal to tho highest in the Enclifih Eleven. The Morning Post, Daily News and Daily Telegraph extend praise to Brown, Richardson, Ward, M’Laren, Stoddart and Peel. The Times says that the Australians accepted their defeat with true English generosity. Tho Sportsman coasidere, in view of the mental etrain cast upon them, that the stand made by Ward and Brown is the

finest performance ever witnessed in the cricketing world. The Standard says that the victory saves the tour from being a failure, and, referring to the omission of Turner, adds that in England no Australian team would be regarded as complete which did not include Turner in its ranks. A match was played at Hagley P ftr k yesterday between the Hairdressers and the Bakers, and was won by the former. Scores : Hairdressers, 126 and 88 for seven wickets. Bakers, 81. Robertson 23 and 11, Cusack 22 and 11, H. Deal 19, G. Deal 17 and 19 and Empton 24 not out scored best for the winners, and Gibbs 24 and Bailey 16 for the losers. Cusack, Bodgers, Petrie and Hanson bowled well. The Christchurch Veterans and the Rangiora Club played a match at the Eangiora Domain yesterday, with the result that the visitors won by 21 runs. The Veterans scored 123 (Murphy 79, Blake 13) ; Rangiora scored 102 (H. Cave 37, W. Brown 20, J. Judson 14, J. B. Wilson 13). In the bowling for the winners Blake, Goring, Taylor and Hooker did host, and for Rangiora H. Cave and J. Reynolds.