PLAY THE GAME!

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6452, 25 February 1908, Page 5

PLAY THE GAME!

FIFTH TEST HATCH - ENGLISHMEN WANT OPPONENTS IN ON BAD WICKET. BOTH SIDES FINESSING. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 24, 7.47 p.m.) SYDNEY, February 24. Rain greatly interfered with tho test cricket match, which entered upon its third day to-day. Frequent squalls prevented play being resumed till 3.30 o’clock ; but the wicket, considering the soaking it had had, playod fairly well. Gunn and Hardstaff resumed the batting for England, who continued their first innings (which stood at 187 for throe wickets on Saturday night). Gunn maintained his place at the wickets right through; but there was evidence that the Englishmen were anxious to get their opponents in on tho heavy wicket before it recovered. Barnes really threw his wickot away, making no attempt to get back to his crease after starting on a second run which he found he could not make.

The crowd was not too well pleased with those tactics, and invited tho Englishmen to “Play the game!” Tho innings closed without any interesting feature, from the cricket point of view. Noble and O'Connor commenced the second innings for Australia. O’Connor gave a chance to Braund shortly after starting, but it was not taken. Both batsmen were out to play out time, in the hope that a hotter wicket would he theirs to-morrow. Rhodes, Crawford, and Barnes were tried in quick succession with tho object of upsetting the Australian captain’s tactics. Then Noble broke his bat, and a few more minutes were consumed, and stumps were drawn without the loss of a wicket.

The attendance to-day was very small. Tho weather is overcast, but there are indications of its clearing. Following are the scores: —