AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12818, 18 March 1905, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS.

SECOND TEST MATCH.

GRAND BATTING DISPLAY.

TRUMPER AND HILL MAKE CENTURIES.

[BT TELEGEArjH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Wbllixgxox, Friday. The spectators at, the ."second day's proceedings of the test, match wero treated to the finesc, exhibition of batting ever seen in this city. IVumper and Hill punished the bowlers t:nn*erciful!y, and their clean and forceful hittuag was hugely tßJoytd by the crowd. The •partnership produced 253 runs, and art idea of the rapid rate of the r.'tv getting &i this redoubtable pair may be gauged by the fact of their putting on 100 runs in 55 minutes, and 150 in 55 minutes. The bowling was dammed all over the field, boundary hits being as plentiful as blackberries. Trumper executed all there strokes for which he is -world-famous, -while Hill's hitting and driving were superb. The pair aroused the enthusiasm of the crowd by some terrific bitting. the ball going over '.he ropea on nine occasions.

As at Chris-tchurch, the catching of the New Zealanders vraj atrocious, and bad one-half of the catches offered been accepted, the Australians" score would not have reached 250. Mason dropped two, and Upham. Sims. Bennett, and Ollivier one each. The ground fielding could only be put down as fair. The wicket played well, though it was on the slow side. Daring the earlier stages of Hie play the attendance was estimated at- between 2500 and 5000.

As twenty-five minutes to six p.m.. offing to the light pet ting very had, the umpires decided to suspend play for the day. Play W43 resumed punctually at noon. Cotter and Newlaad, the lot outs of yesterday, facing Callaway and OlliYier. Cotter scored a couple off Callaway, but lost Lis partner, "who made a terrific slog at Ollivier's second ball, and was clean bowled: 53—2—4.

Gears replaced him. and the latter brought 60 up by off-driving Callaway to the fence, and he treated Ollivier in a similar fashion, repeating the doso in Callaway's next over,, bringing 70 in view. At 88 Boxs-hall nude an unsuccessful appeal for stumping Cotter off Ollivier. Cotter was hitting freely, and the score of •New Zealand was passed when he drove Callaway to the boundary. At this stage Upham relieved Ollivier. Cotter's merry display finished when Siedeberg, at deep mid-off brought off a nicely-iudged catch off Callaway: 105—5—44. " Duff, who partnered Gehr*, scored a single, and gave Upham a fairly easy chance in the slips; off Callaway. Ollivier had another chance . of seeding Duff pavilionwaxds. but- repeated his mistake of yesterday by failing to return the ball quickly to "the wicketkeeper. Grateful for these let-offs. Duff i drove Callaway to the fence, and 110 was ; hoisted. Upham gave way to Ollivier at. i 118. At the luncheon adjournment the ! sscore showed 120. On resuming Duff drove Callaway to the fence. Ollivier just failing it: reach tire ball in its flight. Duff bore a charmed life, as Boxsliall missed an easy chance of stumping him off Ollivier. The batsman rewarded the bowler by :i ; tti>:v Jiim three times tc the boundary in the following over. Callaway was also subjected to severe punishment at the hands of the Sydceyite. who Lad rattled up 21 in five hits. In half-an-hour he had placed 51 to ids credit. He made no more, as Callaway bowled him. with a leg-break: 165451. A round of applause greeted the advent of Trumper. who started briskly, his late cutting and placing to leg being strongly in evidence. Ollivier gave way to Upham at 184. The new bowler's first was cut grandly to the boundary by the champion. When within one of the second century, Gehrs, who had batted very steadily, was caught •by Sims, off Upham. His innings had been a chanceless one: 199552.

The Hill-Trumpcr combination now presented itself to the spectators. When the score was 214 there was a strong appeal for ■Trumper, leg before wicket to Upham, but Banncnnan answered in the negative. The batsman hit t he bowlers next ball to Mason in the outfield, but the offer was declined. Trumper's score was then 33. Bennett relieved Callaway, and his first was cut by Hill beautifully to the ropes. The telegraph then showed 229. Fourers to each batsman was now the order, and the tens went up rapidly, Hill scoring slightly faster than his colleague. At 225, and when, his own score was 27, Hill was missed by Sims in the outireld, off Upham. The chance was not a difficult one. Sims had- injured his finger in the attempt, and Gregory took his place in the field. Trumper made the biggest hits of the match at this stags. He clouted Bennett clean over the ropes, and followed it up with a sweet cut off the same bowler to the fence. Bennett's one over had put IS on the score-sheet. Trumper lifted Upham twice in an over right over the fence, the crowd applauding vociferously. A double change was made in the bowling. Siedeberg and Ollivier relieving Bennett and Upham. The run-getting was not. checked, and Trumper put 300 on the score-sheet with a beautiful carpet- drive to the ropes. The next he smacked over the ropes, both at the expense of Ollivier, who had had 17 knocked off him in the over. Callaway took Siedeberg's place. Hill was partial to Ollivier, and clouted the Canterbury man over to the ropes, and to the fence, in successive balls. A roar of applause followed the signalling of Trumper's century, obtained by 80 minutes' batting. Hill dealt out terrible punishment to Ollivier, notching three sixers and two tourers in one over.

"At four p.m., when the tea adjournment took place, the telegraph reading was 395— Trumper 127. Hill 93. When operations were resumed Hill lost no time in nutting the fourth century to his team's credit, and registering his second century of the tour, a task which had occupied 85"minutes. The .bowling changes were repeatedly rung, but without stemming the run-getting. When Hill's score was 114 Mason again, dropped an eajf- catch off his bat, Bennett being the sufferer. The total was then 440. The great partnership, which had produced 269 runs, was severed by Hill jumping out to Bennett and Boxshall brilliantly stumoing him. Hill bad been batting 110 minutes for his runs, which included five sixes and 10 /ours: 468—6—129.

As often happens in a big partnership, Trumper soon followed Hill to the pavilion, Mason making amends for his previous failures by catching him in the outfield off Bennett. Trurnper was at the batting crease two hours and 35 minutes, and his score including 20 fours and four sixes: 479—7— 172.

Noble partnered Armstrong .and had two singles to his credit when Ollivier dropped him in the slips off TJpbam. The hoisting of 500 raised' applause. Noble returned a fairly hot one to Bennett, -who failed to hold it, and Armstrong drove one hard hack to Ollivier, but again the opportunity was declined. -

; At 535 the umpires decidedd that the light was too bad to permit of the game being •proceeded with, and stumps were drawn for the day. Scores: — .

- - AUSTRALIA.—First Innings. Mcleod, st Boxshall, b Callaway ... 12 Newland, b Ollivier 34 Cotter, c Siedeberg, b Callaway ... 44 Gehrs. c Sims, b Uphani 32 Duff, b Callaway 51 Trumper, c Mason, b Bennett 172 Hill, st Boxshall, b Bennett 129 Armstrong, not out ... ... ... 22 i»oble, not out 16 Extras . 7 ,' Total ior seven wickets 519