A FAIR START

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7961, 18 November 1911, Page 1

A FAIR START

THE ENGLISH CRICKETERS OPENING OF MATCH AGAINST 'VICTORIA MS [TOILS BATTING By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrt;Sl (Received November 17, 9.20 p.m.) AIEFBOURNE, November 17. There was perfect weather for tiie match between tho Alnrylcbono cricket team and Victoria, which opened today. Tho wicket was in good order, und tho attendance was moderate. Warner, Barnes, Gunn, Strudwick, j and Vine were omitted from tho English team, which was captained by | Douglas. Warner is still in bed, but is | recovering from his attack of gastritis. Douglas won the toss from Armstrong, tho Victorian captain, and elected to bat. Hobbs and Kinnear opened the Englishmen's innings, with Maorow and Laver bowling. Hobbs scored quickly with clean, crisp, ■well-timed cutting, but in attempting a drive off Matthews, who had relieved Mncrow, ho made a miss-hit, and Laver made a magnificent one-handed catch at point. Rhodes i succeeded Hobbs, and tho scoring slow- j vd down, 50 runs occupying an hour in the getting. Kinnear was seventy minutes in reaching 19. Rhodes scored 19 j in twenty-eight minutes, and at the luncheon adjournment tho score was 70, with ono wicket down. After resuming play was characterised by steady, cautions batting, keen attacks ami smart • fielding. Kinnear gave a chance, when ho made 28, off Aiacrow to Carkeek. Tho century occupied 163 minutes. Rhodes was beaten by Laver, getting his leg in front. Mead replaced him, and soon lost Kinnear, who had batted carefully, scoring mostly by leg-hits. Foster made a single, and was badly missed by Mncrow at mid-on off Kyle. Mead was batting freely, a feature of his play being his lino placing, chiefly on the on-side. Ho batted for seventy-six minutes and hit four fourers. Kyle bowled excellently. At ono stage his analysis was 13 overs, 8 maidens, 11 tuns. Kylo is a fast, medium bowler with fmo length. On resuming after tea tho batsmen were watchful. Foster, with a lovely., back cutoff Laver for 3, secured 35, tho top score up to that time. One hundred and fifty occupied 180 minutes in getting, and there' was nothing attractive about tho batting for a long period. Foster reached 50 in ninety minutes, when ho was badly missed at mid-on by Smith off Kyle. Ho then livened up slightly, and made some pretty cuts and glances. Two hundred appeared in 240 minutes, Douglas in seventy-four, minutes scoring double figures. The spectators cheered ironically, but Doaghis w - as unperturbed. Foster was now attractive and stylish on both sides. 8.0 reached the century in 134 minutes, during which ho hit twelve fourers. Fie was caught in the clips off tho next ball. AVhen stumps were drawn for the day tho visitors had lost six wickets for 247 runs. The wickets fell as follow: Ono for 32, two for 81, three for 83, -four for 113, five for 139, six for 246. The attendance in the afternoon was 6000. The weather and the wicket were still perfect. On tho whole tho Englishmen’s batting was unimpressive, and at times tedious and lacking enterprise, csjiecially before tea. Tho opinion of experts, like MacLaren, is that older players are preferable to so 'many young ones for a tour. Scores; ENGLAND First Innings. Hobbs, c Laver, b Matthews 21 Kinnear, c Kyle, b Ala crow 32 Jtbodes, Ibw, b Laver 28 I Mead, o Carkeek, b Kylo 34 Hearno, b Matthews _ C i Foster, c Armstrong, b Laver 101 Douglas, not out 13 fdinith, not out 1 Extras C | Total for six wickets 247 MAITLAND MATCH CANCELLED. SYDNEY, November 17. The Maitland match in tho English cricketers’ itinerary has been cancelled, as tho playing of it would involve too much travelling.