CRICKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11986, 7 June 1902, Page 7

CRICKET.

The Australians commence the match against the Cambridge University eleven at Cambridge on Monday next. Oxford University has only once defeated an Australian team, the 1884 (Murdoch's) being beaten by seven wickets. . . ■, Practically the whole of the provincial associations interested (including Auckland) have now definitely guaranteed the amount required by th" Now Zealand Cricket Conncil' in connection with the visit of Lord Hawke's English amateur team to this colony. , , ~ , The half-yearly meeting or the Auckland Cricket Club was held at the rooms of the Amateur Sports Club last evening. The report for season 1901-1902 congratulated the members on the results and stated that the committee again found it necessary to enter five teams in the four championship competitions, and was again successful in two of them, viz., the, first and second grades. The success of the first team was a subject for special congratulation, as owing to the absence or inability to play of several of the old senior players it was thought this team would be Weak, and the nrospect of their success was not bright, but by filling the vacancies with recruits from the junior ranks an eleven was formed which, ably led by Mr. R. Neill, and playing well together, proved equal to securing the premier ulace with a clear lead of two points, which honour the club i had not gained since 1891-2. Mr. Evan MacCormick again headed the batting average list with 29" (as against 51- last season), closely followed by Mr. Neill, with 27.41, and these two batsmen held good positions among the first 12 batsmen of Auckland. In bowling, Mr. F. J. Cossey led with an overage of 8.51 for 41 wickets, which, besides being the best for the team, was also the best of all clubs in the grade—a very creditable feat to mark his first season in senior cricket. He was well supported by Mr. St. Paid (38 wickets for an average of 13.71), who figured well among the leading dozen trundlers for the season. The wicfeetkeeper (Mr. Schmoll) also deserved special mention, his work for the season proving that they possessed a man for the position without a superior in Auckland. The following trophies were awarded: —First grade, E. MaeCormick (hatting), F. J. Oossey (bowling): second grade. "A" team. W. T. Dazclcy (batting). 8. A. Farkes (bowling); second grade, " B" team. Maxwell Walker (batting and bowling). Mr. Geo. C. Creagh's trophy, for the member showing the most improved all-round form, was awarded to A. Francis, of the second grade "A" team. THE FIRST TEST MATCH. The extraordinary failure of the Australians to make a stand in the first test match at Birmingham must have caused a good deal of disappointment amongst supporters of the colonials. The reason of tho phenomenally low scoring is not far to seek. The Englishmen had all the luck, for, winning the toss, Maclaren sent his side to the wickets when good weather conditions provailed, and after compiling 351 for nine wickets, declared the innings closed. Heavy rain and the cutting up of the ground made the wicket almost impossible when the Australians started to bat, and they found Rhodes, the slow bowler, absolutely unplayable. Trumper, with 18, was the only ono who made ' any kind of a stand. At first _ it looked as though the Englishmen were going to do badly, Fry and Maclaren being quickly disposed of, but reaching 69 Jackson and Tyldesley put a different complexion on things, 1 their partnership, despite the superb fielding of tho colonials, adding materially to the score. After Jackson's dismissal Hirst was the next to make a stand, he and Tyldesley staying together till the board showed ! 212, of which they added 91 in 80 minutes. Tyldesley gave two chances when he had but 43 to his credit, being lot off both times. His century appeared after he had been at the wickets three hours and a-lialf, during which be put in some brilliant cutting work. He was finally got rid of when he had made 138. Look wood and Rhodes, the two last men in, added 56 runs in 33 minutes before stumps were drawn. The rot in the Australians' first innings commenced at the outsot, three wickets falling for 14 runs. Darling was dismissed Ihreo runs later, and Noble, who followed, only stayed till 25 was totalled. Trumper was meanwhile ideying cautiously on a soft wicket. At 31 he followed Armstrong out, the latter having failed to score, and the eighth wicket fell at 35. The next two wickets only added one run, and so the sensational collapse ended. More rain fell, and the follow-on necessitated the Australians batting on a soaked wicket, despite which they rallied well, knocking up 46 for two wickets before slumps were drawn. As it was, the match had overlapped the prescribed time, rain having interfered considerably. As the colonials had all the worst of the wicket it was some compensation that the result of the match was a draw. Tho Australians' score of 36 recorded above is nearly the lowest yet recorded in test matches, the only lower score being that of 32. scored t>v Australia at Sydney in March, 1888. Then comes 44 scored by Australia at the Oval in 1896. In January, 1887, England was dismissed for 45 nt Sydney, and for 53 at Lord's in July. 18R8. It is worthy of note that in 1899 the first test match took place at Nottingham, and was drawn, the Australians scoring 252 and 230 for eight wickets (innings declared closed), while En eland made 193 and 155 for seven wickets. The record of test matches. in England (including the match of last

week) is: 25 matches, England won 12, i Australia won four, and nine drawn. While I the 1882, 1888, 1896 and 1899 teams each ! defeated England, the only teams to bring " the ashes" back were those of 1882 and 1899. In Australia 37 test matches have taken place, Australia, having won 18 and England 17, the other two having been left drawn. Of the last 10 matches England won two and lost eight. These records do not quite indicate tho relative strength of England and Australian cricket of the present day, in proof of which it may bo mentioned that of the last 16 test matches Australia won nine an( lost two, the other five being drawn. Thus to some extent the defeats of the '80's and earlier ! 90's have been wiped out. The results of matches played by the Australian eleven to date are as under: — May 5, 6, 7: Against London County, at Crystal Palace, drawn. Australia, 117 and seven wickets for 213; London County, 235. . May 8, 9, 10: Against Notts, won by an innings and fou; runs. May 12, 13, 14: Against Surrey, at Trent Bridge, won by an innings and 78 runs. May 15, 16, 17: Against Essex, at Leyton, drawn. Scores—Essex, 178 and two wickets for*l3; Australia, 249 (innings closed with eight wickets down). May 19, 20, 21: Against Leicestershire. Won by seven wickets. ; May 22, 23, -.Against Oxford University. Won bv an innings and 54 runs. May 26. 27, 28: Against M.C.C. and Ground, at Lord's, drawn. Scores—M.C.C, 240 and 280 (Closed with eight wickets down) ;* Australia, 271 and 217 (for three wickets). May 29, 30, 31: Against All England, at Birmingham, drawn. Scores—England, 376; Australians 36 and 46 (for two wickets). June 2, 3: Against Yorkshire, at Leeds,' lost (Yorkshire winning by five wickets). Scores—Yorkshire, 107 and 50 (for five wickets); Australia, 131 and 23. Under date of April 25 our London correspondent writes: Both the new Australian team and the All England team which Mr. Maclaren took out to Australia have arrived in England. As to the former, Mr. Maclaren says it is not equal to the previous team of 1899, having no new bowling or better batting. That does not seem in itself to imply inferiority, but I understand ho means that English players are familiar with the style of bowling and thus will not find it so difficult as in 1899, when Noble and Howell were new to them. And he, either inadvertently or intentionally, ignores Saunders, the bowling newcomer. But the Australians assert that they themselves are quite as good as in 1899, if not better. Clem. Hill declares that Jones has lost none of his extreme,pace; that ho has his "on" and " off" days like most other bowlers, but is, as a rule", still as fast and as good as ever. We shall soon see. I seem to discern symptoms of quake in the feverish anxiety of the English papers to persuade the Home cricketers that there is nothing to be afraid of. Again Maclaren vows that his team had the best bowling ever taken out to Australia— largo order that, when one recollects Jackson and Tarrant, and Tinley and Caffyn, and Bennett and Griffith, and Sewell, and Lillywhite, 'and Shaw, and Lohmann, and Briggs, and Bates, and Peate, and Richardson, and Hirst, and Grace, and Ullyett, allof whom bowled in Australia at various times—and maintains that he and his men were only beaten by " sheer ill-luck" Sir Redvers Buller, by the way, and his very words ! The English cricketers, however, read all this, but shake their heads rather ruefully and murmur, " How is it then, that We lost four ' test' matches and won only one in each of the last two tours in Australia, and could not win even one during the Australians' ' last visit to England ?" , But cricket has many chances, and one of those hangs on the weather.