CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11843, 21 December 1901, Page 7

CRICKET.

The fourth scries of championship matches in the first-grade competition wore completed last Saturday, when the Auckland, United, and Parnell elevens defeated North Shoro, Gordon, and Ponsonby . respectively.

United, after compiling 92 for tho loss, of but threo wickets, lost the remaining wickets for an additional 37 runs, S'.oman (not out, 45) going first ball, while Lusk and others followed in quick succession, the only pair to reach double figures being Walton and Stem&on. The former opened out for his runs, hitting about right merrily, while Stemson's quota was added by careful cricket.

Gordon's second innings was a decidedly feeble exhibition of batting, King being the only man in the team to show anything like senior form.' Kallendor put together 15 runs, but gave two or three chances, while Hicks, who scored a. similar number of runs, gave no less than four ohances during his stay at the wickets. *•„ ■ -

Stemson was in great form with the ball, getting no less than seven wickets for 41 runs. The United trandlor kept a good length throughout. - In making the. runs required by United, Stemson (21, not out) and D. Hay (17, not out) both batted nicely, considering the state of the wicket. • • •

Parnell experienced no great difficulty in defeating Ponsonby, the latter making but a poor stand in their second : innings, the batting being" very : weak, considering 'the bowling, which was oertainly not of the ■quality account for the small total compiled by the players from the western suburb. Lusk and Gavin were both bowling short.

' The} difference that has' always existed between "the ! Auckland Cricket Association and the Auckland . Umpires',.. Association as : tof the right of appointing umpires for the several; matches in each successive round has at last resulted io the members of the latter, body L declining to act in any match unless selected and appointed to such match by the committee of their ' owe association.*

The appointments made by them (the committee) to the matches in the fourth round (just completed) were not agreed to by the Cricket Association. The selection was referred :back to the umpires,* who declined to alter it in any way, and their decision is the outcome. In the interests of the game I it is ;■ sincerely;: hoped that an arrangement agreeable to both the bodies interested will be made so as not to deprive cricketers (particularly . the juniors) <: of the services of those ■ qualified and willing to act as arbiters: of the game, and who give their time and services gratis. The first of the five test matches between Maclaren's English team and the Australian Eleven was ;■ concluded on ; Monday last, when the' Australians, who had only responded with 168 in then first inninge .to . England's. 461, concluded their second innings for 172, thus suffering defeat by an innings and 124- runs. The remarkable collapse of the colonials has formed food for comment on the part of the big Australian dailies, and although it is contended in some quarters that the team was badly chosen and the captaining not good, the general consensus of opinion is that tho victory was well deserved. The success of Maclaren's team' appears to have been due to sheer merit of the victors ;; and their superiority over ; their colonial opponents in every department of; the game, particularly the bowline and fielding, which brought about the failure in batting on the part of the Australians. Great credit is given to Macla re for the manner in which he handled his team, but the papers hint that even al- i lowing his skill as a batsman ' and captain and, all the resources at, the comma,nd of the eleven he led, the victory would have been discounted had the team chosen to represent Australia been worthy of its ' proud position. It is ! anticipated that there will bo several changes in tho team to play the: Englishmen in the second test match, which commences at the Melbourne C.O. ground on January 1, a match that will be looked forward to with the keenest interest throughout the Australasian colonies.' \ : The match which was concluded on the. Sydney ground last Monday _ was the 34-th test decided in Australia, 10 of which were fought out by Stoddart's last two teams. Seventeen of the 33 played resulted in victory for Australia, and 14 for England, tho other two being drawn. .

- Writing of the Australians before the re-' cent test match, the well-known Sydney writer, "Not Out," said:—"There arc more reasons than one for the feeling that the match is likely to stir public interest to a higher degree than most persons thought likely. immediately after Maclaren's team succumbed to two of the three State teams, the most general being that the Englishmen are expected to exhibit batting form more in keeping with their reputation as run-getters : than anything they, as a team, have yet managed to show. Another reason is that while vtho Australian team is undoubtedly powerful, most people are a little dubious as to run-getting form of several of t7ie men. A third- reason is that, despite its aspect on paper, the Australian bowling is not really great, and assuredly is wanting in variety against a first-class batting side, on a good hard, wicket. This, I think, will be admitted, when it is remembered that .Tones is not the fiery bowler he was; that Noble's ability to keep up a sustained effort with the ball is doubtful; that Trumblo and Howell ore less clangorous on the Sydney ground than elsewhere, and that thero is on the one side no bowler of the stamp of G. H. S. Trott." The writer's views have been fully borne out with regard to the batting and bowling.