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Free Lance, Volume VIII, Issue 400, 29 February 1908, Page 19

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few opportunities of showing his expeitness at lifting the bails, and although he reckoned he should ha^ c got the verdict on one occasion, it was only a man of his powers who would have been in a position to make the appeal. Given fine weather, the remainder of the play in this match will be decidedly mteiesting, and there should be a good muster of spectators when it is resumed to-morrow (Saturday) afternoon. • • • The other two senioi games at the Basin Reserve were only in the nature of side shows to the big match. It would have made practically no difference to anyone if the players in them had been amongst the spectators — that is as far as the interest taken in them by the spectatois is concerned. Beg pardon, though, the notching of a century by Fred Laws, of the Phoenix team, did cause some little excitement. I was told that Laws is keen on the representative team being sent to Hawke's Bay, and to that end was m favour of the three senior games being played last Satuiday. If this is correct— and I have no reason to doubt my information—his chances of selection in the touring team were gieatly enhanced by a slashing display of vigorous cricket. A small amount of interest was taken in the first appearance of the ex-Sydney player — Connolly— at the bowling ciease. I know not whether he has been indulging in much practice, or whether he bowled in anything like his true form on Saturday. But he did nothing sensational— in fact, his work was quite ordinary — against the Phoenix team, and said Phcjemx team had no less than four junior players in the eleven that took the field. Connolly bowls left-hand slow medium round the wicket. The Phoenix score amounted to 205 — ■ Laws 121 (not out), McLennan 12, Waters 12, Porteous 12, and Crewes 14. When the stumps were lifted out of the ground Petone had put 67 runs to their credit for the loss of four wickets— Taylor 24 (not out), Cobcroft 16, J. House 11 (not out ) • • • The Wellington and Gas Company teams had a lonely time on the No. 3 wicket, the players themselves and the spectators caring little how things went. The " smokewheelers " batted first and gathered together 174 runs— Hodge 48, Topp 36, Ashbolt 23, Waters 15, and Spottswoode 15. Naughton 6 (not out), andftiehaidson 3 (not out) just started the Wellington innings when stumps weie drawn. • • • Up to the fourth test match the Englishmen's share of the gate money amounted to £6000. Frank Glasgow, the "All Black'" footballer, was a member of the Southland team recently defeated by Otago. It is expected that the Cricket Associations of Australia will have to make up about £2000 io the Marylebone Cricket Club out of their profits from the English matches. The Bey. E. F. Waddy made a century on his first appearance for New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield match and repeated the performance in his first match against an English team. He is considered a certainty for the next Australian Eleven that tours England. An Auckland item :— " Wellington having declined to tackle Auckland this year, it is to be hoped that they will put in an early challenge next year. Canterbury and Otago we have disposed of, and cricketers would like to see the remaining central team have first chance next year." M. A. Noble's batting average in test matches against England is 32*49, bowling 24-29 for 107 wickets. George Giffen — the great all-round South-Australian — had the following figures in similar games when he retind from big cricket :— Batting, 23 25; bowling, 27-09 for 103 wickets. W. G. Garrard, well known through the Dominion as the secretary of the Canterbury Eugby Union, plays third class cricket in Christchurch. So far this season he has scored for his team — St. Albans III — 984 runs, and should easily reach the good total of 1000 before he takes up his duties once again in connection with the Buggei game. Some people have been asking whethei the stand for the second wicket by Beeehey and Tucker for the Old Boys against Midlands last Satuiday constituted a record. They gathered together IG9 while togethei, but two Midlanders hold the second wicket recoid — viz., A. B. Williams and F. Lash— who aggregated 213 runs against the BivaL team in 1895 90 Dan Beese, the populai captain of the Canterbury representative team, has made 1002 runs and taken 87 wickets in all matches he has played in this season — interprovincial and championship. As they have three Saturdays' moie cricket in Christchurch, he should go very neai being the first New Zealander to score 1000 luns and take 100 wicketb in a season. Only two bowleis besides L. A. Minnett have secured seven wickets in an innings for New South Wales against England, these two being E. Evans and C. T. B. Turner, two of the greatest bowlers ever known. Evans captured seven for 60 against Shaw's team in 1881. Turner gbt seven for 77, eight for 32, seven for 106, seven foi 117, eight for 39, and eight for 40, the last two feats taking place in one mateh — that is, he got 16 wickets for 79 runs.

L. A. Minnett, the New South Wales colt, who bowled so well against the Englishmen the other day, is said to be the son of an ei-Aueklander. The English team leave Perth on their home journey on the 16th Maich. The remaining matches of their tour are . — v. South Australia, February 29, March 2, 3, and 4 ; v. West Austialia, March 12, 13, 14, and 16. Jim Baker, Otago's veteran cricketer, has almost recovered from the operation lie had to undergo after having contracted a poisoned knee. A Dunedin writei says there is just a possibility that he may don the flannels next season. An Auckland papei publishes a photograph of A. E. Belf, the English professional who is such a power in cricket in the northern city. The photo is labelled " The man Wellington are afraid of." It would have read much better if the title had been vaned to " The man Auckland are pioud of.' That would have been nearer the truth Eelf leturns to Auckland next season undei engagement to the Eden Club, the Auckland Cricket Association giving what assistance is possible. This is good news, says an Auckland writei, and cncketers will be glad to welcome him again. The English professional is timed to leave Auckland on his return to Enpland eaily next month. Says a contemporary — The white Australia theory got a nasty knock on the Melbourne Cricket Ground mst week. The brown skinned Fijians were batting and doing well. Individual scoies of 63, 52, 35, 33, 24, 22, and 20 were recorded, but at length the scoring board was disfigured by one solitary "duck" — made by the only white man in the team. It is said that previous to Beechey's great innings last Saturday a centuiy has not been scored by an individual batsman against the Midland team since the days when Hairy Moorehouse was a power in Wellington cricket. The old Phoenix captain had the honour of making a three figure score for his side against Midland something like sixteen years ago Conyngham, for Newtown a couple of years ago, played a fine innings for 92 (not out), that being the nparest approach to a century against the many times champions for a number of years. The members of a political party in a certain county were holdiDg a convention to nominate a candidate as treasurei. One of the applicants for the post was a man who had formerly been noted as a cucketer. He had made a great ) ecord as a batsman, but was notoriously slow in making his runs. The man who nominated him made a very eulogistio speech, and as he was followed by others in the same vein things seemed to be going smoothly enough when one of the delegates rose and said "Mr Ghanman, are good men so scarce that we have to choose a cricketer for the most important office in the county, involving the handling of thousands of pounds 9 " " Mr. Chairman," replied the original mover. " it is true that the candidate I have nominated was a cricketer ; but let me ask you, Mr. Chairman, is there a man here who ever saw him steal even a run 9 "