Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 74, 30 November 1901, Page 6

Cricket.

THE weather was all that could be desired for the resumption of oncket on Saturday. Good wickets had been prepared, but the scoring ■sv as not as heavy as was expected. • * * The fact was, that the bowlers had the better of the deal The wicket was fiery and the ball came very fast from the patch, and at times turned a lot. The wind helped the break bowlers, so much so as to disconcert the batsmen at times • • • Midland's first innings totalled 138, to which Wellington replied with 80. Robertson (32), Williams (23), C Hickson (22), Holdsworth (14), and Upham (12) assisted materially to the former total, the double-figure scorers for Wellington being S Hickson (23) and Ashbolt (22) » • • Pho?mx, mainly by the instrumentality of Midlane (80 not out) registered 187 for four wickets, as against a total of 86 bv the Old Boys. Saunders (30 not out) Benbow- (31), Blacklock (19), and Clark (17). assisted Midlane. Jacobs (34) and Staples (lo) scored between them more than half of the Old Boys' total • ♦ • Williams made one fine hit to leg for five in an innings not generally as lively as his displays are as a rule. Robertsons stay at the wickets was marked bv interesting and forceful battin? his runs being scored in quick time Hickson, Holdsworth, and Upham got their totals in their usual styles, the former opening out, perhaps, more than is generally his wont. Staples was the only Old Boys' batsman beside Jacobs to make any headway against the Phoenix bowling, his contribution being 15 Jacobs batted with his usual consistency, and made runs when they were badly needed bv his team I noticed one fine hit to leg by him. Tucker was quiet, and was beaten when he had scored eight by a ball from Connell that came right from outside the off wicket to the leg one. Holdsworth made one particularly fine hit, the ball sailing over the fence by the Caledonian Hotel, and in the bounce nearly reaching the top of one of the residences on the side of the street. ' Benbow had a good time. He scored 31 off the bat in an appropriate style, and bowled one over only — but he bagged two wickets in. it. Charley's bowling average must be a pretty interesting one so far Saunders made a creditable debut in Wellington senior cricket, his total of 30 (not out) being the result of very fair cricket His work behind the sticks also compares favourably with other of our senior wicket keepers Midlane is well on the way towards another century, although on Saturday he did not appear to be anxious to force the pace, scoring rather slower than is his wont. Fred has made so far this season 202 runs for twice out. Wicketkeepers, please note 1 The English team scored 332 against New South Wales, and yet only two of that total were extras Wicketkeeper Kelly must have surpassed himself. Passing thought — What would be the number of extras in a similar score in Wellington 5 Hutchings, the co^t of the Midland team gave promise of developing into a sound batsman He played himself in by real defensive cricket, only to be tempted to make a hit off one he should have played back to Barring this one slip, he showed all the resource of a veteran and his debut in senior cricket w as a success. Tucker's slows were full of tricks and turns, and he came out with the splendid average of seven wickets for 26 runs — three no-balls being debited against him. The ball that took Izard came right round the batsman, who made a bang to leg at it At one time during the innings Tucker performed the hat triek — Taylor Izard and Hales being dismissed with successive balls Weybourne donned his cricket flannels for the first tame this season on Saturday, and the work done by him in the field was of a very high order, indeed, and was deservedly applauded on several occasions When "Barney" cut Tucker's first ball to lum for»four, m his wellknown aggressive style, the hopes of his club's supporters went up a long wav, but the next ball — the only "shooter" of the mateh — was too good for a first appearance and he had to retire.

Like his Jonathan, Frank Ashbolt came back to cricket, and made his score in his known plodding style, but he electrified nearly everybody on one occasion bv banging TJpham to the deep field with a hit which produced five — all run out When he went on to bowl firsi Ashbolt could not keep a decent length, but being brought on again he accounted for two of his opponents. Stan Hickson found cricket no pleasure on Saturday , in fact, ho appeared to be suffering so much that it was painful to w atch him at times. It is all the more to his credit, therefore, that lie scored as many runs as he did, although he lost a lot by not being able to run them a,U out By the way, he dropped a chance from his brother when the latter was battiue. but Claude did not return the compliment — a hot one fiom Stan was well held by him. Naughton deliberately threw his wicket away Starting for an almost impossible run, he did not make the least attempt to get back. From where I was standing he appealed to have eivery chance of savmg his wicket, but the 'tired feeling" came over him, and he stood and watched his wicket get knocked down. A player of his experience should know that he is "not out" till the umpue lias said and he ought to do his utmost to keep his wicket up for the sake of his team. * « * A few paragraphs from the "Adelaide Critic," commenting on the EnglandSouth Australia match — "McLaren and his men started the match under unpleasant auspices. They felt the heat terribly, and not half of the team had any sleep the night before. "Barnes, of Burnley, is a promising bowler, certainly the best on the English side. He makes hard work of it, and this will tell on him in. the big test matches when Noble, Tiumper, Darling, Hill, and company are going at him He has great stamina, however ''John Gunn reminds one of Jack Ferris m his run, and his action also reminds of Hirst. A O Jones is another bowler with an eccentric action, his run to the wicket in bowhng his fast ball very much resembling the antics of an excited kangaroo "Never has better wick et-keepmg been seen on the Adelaide Oval than Lillev's The Warwickshire professional's stumping of Leak was magnificent He is as strong on the leg as the off, and gave the spectators a treat. "George Giffen.' s great performance certainly eclipsed the expectations of his best friends, but it was known that he was in form. For the last two months George has been doing long walks, hill climbing, and has assiduously trained with the club and dumb-bells "When Giffen went on there was quite a murmur of dissatisfaction amongst the spectators, but when he came off he received tremendous cheers. Such is fickle fame." • • • A probable Australian team. — Giffen, Hack. Hill (South Australia), Noble, Trumper, Kelly, S. Gregory, Clarke, (New South Wales), Trumble and Stuckey (Victoria), and Darling Fisher still continues m a batting humour in the Scotch city, his average now being 101. He scored 94 in his last innings. Other batting averages m Dunedin are — Mills (44), Austin (3.j). and Siedeberg (33) George Mills, an. erstwhile Auckland player, is batting well in Dunedin this year — 67 being his total in the first innings of the Carisbrook team on Saturday week. The "Witness" says he has a very marked partiality for the "onside " Though not so attractive from a spectator's standpoint as the other, it is undoubtedly the best scoring side. The "Otago Witness" reprints a paragraph from the "Referee," but makes something sensational of it at the same time Howell is credited with the following — "Of his 2 overs, no less than 113 runs were hit, and only one wicket was captured." Twenty-two was the number of overs that should have been stated The Carisbrook Cricket Club (Dunedin) arc asking tho headmasters of the thirteen largest schools in Dunedin to nominate the best cricketers in their respective schools for free membership in that club for one season A splendid movement in the interests of the game, and one that could be well copied by tho leading clubs in the other centres It is perhaps univei sally agreed that the number of really good batsmen m Sydney is gi eater than perhaps ever before But it is quite evident, on form to date, that the bowling needs further strengthening Hopkins is not bowliti2 well, and Trumper's form is a good deal below his best Howell will probably run into fair to good form with more practice, and Clarke is likely to improve a little. There is a ereat opening for a really good left-hand bowler who is at the same time a keen and reliable field. — Sydney "Referee." [Continued on Page 19.~]

Three moire of the uncertainties of cricket — In his first innings this season Midlane crossed the century (122), but in the following one was dismissed for a 'blob." Richardson scored 120 (not out^ in his second turn with the bat, but in the third had to be content with 3. Quee scored 174 against Old Boys, but his succeeding innings — against Wellington on Saturday — resulted in an 0 going on the sheet opposite his name. Thus the "Referee" .— "T. Connell, who used to trundle with great success for Leichhardt about six years ago, is now engaged as ground bowler to the Wellington Club (N Z.) " Connell bowled splendidly in the WellingtonMidland match on Saturday, his average being seven wickets for 71 runs, and then a couple of chances were dropped off him. His best ball is one that comes from the off, and keeps fairly low — ]ust such a one as accounted for Quee's wicket The 'Canterbury Times" says — The dates of the "rep " games are not yet settled In previous years Canterbury has been wont to accept whatever days were suitable to her opponents. At present Otago wishes to come here at Christmas, when Lancaster Park is not available, and Wellington would hko our team to play at Wellington on the same dates If the Otago playeis could see their way to> journey north a week later it would solve the difficulty. [Since the above was in type the WTel-lmgton-Canterbury match has been arranged to commence on Boxing Day.]