CRICKET

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10847, 12 March 1921, Page 10

CRICKET

: AUSTRALIANS AT CHRISTCHURCH. SOUTHERN MEN M AKE GOOD START. FIB FRES3 ASSOCIATION. CjiKitoiOliußOH., march 11. The Auswalian-Canterboiy match commenceU. tins aiuiiuouu at wau,.,:. , L .. oeiora a uisiippommig attendance. XJie weather was perlect and die wicxet played very true. lt,e-Australians were without the services of their best bowler, Hornilwook:, tnrouyu ihuispos-tiuh, Due when the calibre ol their bowling is considered, it was a very creditable performance for Canterbury to put up 234 tor the loss of only five wickets. None of the batsmen had any difficulty in playing the howling, and eo far not a batsman has been bowled.

Blunt was the bright star among the Canterbury men, and though he has many fine batting performances to his credit to-day’s innings will rank among his best. H« did not give the semblance of a chance and hardly made a weak stroke. His defence was of th© soundest and right through the innings he looked like a stayer. Blunt scored at a lively rate, at one time having got about seveneighths of the total vans to his credit. He was batting for an hour and a half Hayes gave a very good display of sound and. careful batting for his 52. He played the bowling soundly, and. wa« an hour and a half at the wickets. Page gave a verv creditable display, and for just over an hour and a half played the bowling correctly and confidently. He bad bad luck in being dismissed, for it was a catch that would probably not have been held once in twenty times. Of a good lot of bowlers Ironmonger looked the best’, even though he did no! get the best figures. The fielding of the Australians was quite first-claso. Verv few mistakes were made, and they stopped the ''hot stuff" with ease and apparent unconcern. The wicketkeeper. Ratcliffe, gave a fine exhibition, and the speed with which he fielded anything and everything within six or seven yards of the wicket was an eye-opener. The match will be resumed to-morrow. Scores CANTERBURY—First Innings. Blunt, c Ironmonger, b Lampard £0 Brcsnahan, lbw, b Forssberg 5 Page, c Pellov, b Ironmonger 27 Patrick, c Richardson, b Lampard , J 5 Reese, o Lamipard, b Lflddiout 16 Hayes, sot out .............. 52 Worker, not out 23 Extras 16 Total for five wicket® 234 Bowling analysis.—Forssberg took one wicket for 23 runs, Liddicut one for 40. Ironmonger 1 for 51, Lampard two for 45.