First Day.

NZ Truth, Issue 80, 29 December 1906, Page 2

First Day.

_ The weathef was fine and warm, and the wicket. a batsman's paradise., so to speak, being fast and. true ; indeed some of ; thc Englishmen aver that it was the best wicket.they had; y-laycd on for aome time. . .': '

Over 5000 -people paid for. admission and Secretary Salmon aiid trear surer Burton calculate on scooping m somethin-c like £275. ■•■>'..-' '■• -.'-".- '

Wynyard- beat Williams in-the'spih--ning.of the coin and the local skip-: per was promptly notified thai vt]ic ; homers, would have to *t-ake ; the. field.'* Douglas shaped gingerly dur frig- his stoppage at the batting c'rease,' : ;Upi. .ham stiekinf him up repeatedl^ ''and: ultimately setting him lbw/ His cbii--: tribution was 5. The outgoing bats-k ;nan survived a Ibw. appeal -off Upham 's first ball of the luateh.ivv;: "-' ' Harrison came oh ' the scene" r but quickly lost Johnson,- who cut Tucker--in the direction of; Hav/tihorrie-' The ,-3atter reached forward and* took -ri .smart catch— rolling over m the* attempt. Johnsons-s trokes were.hard. hard md clean, and -marked withv'eaie and .finish. :.-.;..•.£ .,. '■.;., ; -;_v. ';,.-. -, ■ " C.'o'~' :-■'■'■■ S-" W^iexi^JSurns .appeared therteiegraph heading ..was, 2<t, arid. the soPf6;',was" caffied ; to 90 liefote Harrison stepped put to- Upham and Williams lifted his .; bails .-^ The. -departing batsman had i : scored .slowly.' His .'. on-plav was ths: j Uest feature of his batting. ..-f v j ...-.Page stepped into tlje breach,' -but "Monaghan floored hi_*_ tifirbefs.-^wit'h a dlinkei; which beat the batsman /all the ■way. The amount to his credit on 'the slate was a modest ij, SimpsonHavvvard, who replaced 'Hi'iiV;. fared;c'ven >vorse as he reached, forward. t O .. ;bne from Coberoft, missed- ;'ot,/_'a_nd/ 'paid -the penalty/ ., ■ //."•"; ''o\'.'.o'' // i : . WiUi_,ily(e .w'iokets-dbwn/'fpf \0h1y. 9.3.L .' on such a' superb: wicket, : matters werq,' ;looking.~ anything' b.tit ' brif^it /for ,ihe/ .;visit-prs,"'lnit the ElfanSton-B'u.rr.s part-r jiership bromrht the .century -^ pn -...tlie^ "board and aidcled' li /ni'orey,!td.tlii;-tptai" '.before Monaghan <acce:pte ; d ashort -. ye-/ 'turn from Burns; :., „ .'-. , „: . v , . ■ 0.;-, „,-- -:■; Burns shaped brightly for his 'com-' (ii.ilation . of '51:' His driving,, cutting /and hooking were ja-d-isticaily-cxecavt^ fed 'and his defence was .very/.. squn<J. He drove with great power 'and repeatedly, found the boimdarv.. He lifted Cpbei-6'ft.'rigli^; oyer >the^pe|3%.fft£ six and.;th_t_i,ce..suc(^ssfupy/lVit|ißt^ice"^ the ;, boundaTv. 'c.hn' to v ' 1& fbe^ig ..-i^Cfj beauty;; _■ ■ ; ./-i!sLl together ;? Burns' .display wasl/ffefreshingty.:clea.i and iksri^p ,ja.rid chahc^lfe_.S:- j oo: ... . r o<s.} \ Tpireiis • .'assisted/; f&i;p/# .37 > : ,6h.-:' the ''felat§ ; ;at v K^iyi;^stag| i: Monaghan •was'-iii^at^ase^to^e Old-- B6ssfe;r& preseritative ffbin ' Hearty : --h£ndclappiiig.._ gi^^^v^Oaptj, Wyhya.fd's ! ''affivai '-"on^'iihe""''' scene: Branston's : downfall cam.e,/w:l)en..,he.. ;'cu'tf ones ■ from; Monaghan .lhto' Hick-; son's hahds;- : - r - : " O 1 \ . :\.oO Cs ;O0;:O:O , '0Ot Br'anston played yaluable if iiot-for-cible ci'icket . He lias some good -scor- - inccstrokes / on both sides, pf t)ie wie- : ,ket : arid ■' ls': : seemingly a riin-getteii;. of the. solid type. * He gave Beebhey ;a .very difficult chahce... at square /leg . pfi Menaghah; .The" fieldsman made/a; brave: egoft tP' (hold, the ball. .//;:.. ;;:-.-;' :.,The .next manias. EoicV Who'ijifds>Td: plenty bf : -life i 'intb his movements - tip : • to the time 'of /Williams , smartly stumping him : off Moha;ghah-. '■"•'■ the Englishman. stepped, out with the, intention of lifting "the bowler m '- the .. direction ; of the "Cale. ■■ ;; :' v : -'---" : 'o

/. ' May • was the last man 'and 'prompt- : "lv - .gave/ :Bf ice-a,, not p vef ; difficult : chance, .also: ofi : Mbnaghanv ■ -May --Kit - 'oiit freely" and the _.ecbnd >:; century, came vii iii vquickrtin^-'-'He : hit I 'hard ; .and -often- "atid ; • drove K cleaWy^:and crisply. . .It was the- most punishing, display- lof' the afternoon.^ -•..Wynyard' s Was a solid. display. ' '.^oo-r-, 00-... .Tlie Englishineh's- inning^-; occupied just -'ion- tw^;iotirs',and:/a half. The first hundred 'of / their ■ siebr^ took;;- 7 75 minutes- to compile ;/ • With v the ; exceptioh of the exhihit'ibn given'by'BUf hs l , Bfanstbh', Johlisph, v^yiiyatd May, there was'vtiocthing; -of-' special brilliance m the batting "<>f ' the ;visi--tota, • seyera,! of 'whom simply; scratched; for their ,funs.' .The wicket was worth- moire than 204 -runs. *. -- - : Monaghan, who_ always comes pff'in big ' company, secured 'the '.' splendid, ; avef age/ of : 7 f or' 50. The lad failed tp get m many of his deceptive-: off swerVes, but he kept a capital; length and varied his .pace with judgment. Tucker , Brice. and Coboi-oft failed ; to make any impression on a wicket which did not certainly suit the deliveries of the slow bowlers. :" '■■■] Upham kept the batsmen- quiet during his ten overs, which produced 18 runs for one wi.cket. The Wellington skipper/might have used.-the Midland'6r oftener, particularly: m the . latter stages of the Bnglishmari's innings, when Coberoft and Tucker were- being dealt with pretty effectively..: Upham . however, is 'averse to bowling with the wind behind ■him and, as Monachan was: trundling so -well against the breeze. . Williams of course- could . n6t mit him onl a,t the southern end. ' 'Wii'liaftns did some neat work behind the sticks, and his stumping of Fo:c was a smaft piece of. work on theparl; of/the Midlahder: The fielding of tjie homers, was sure, and every man was as keen as nuistard: "Coberoft ortd Mahoney singled themselven out ror special mention. Collins missed ■ a chance of dismissing Harrison when/the visitor, hit Monaghan '$ second : ball iritcV: the co.untrv. " ,The : lad was hardly riimMe enoupJi oh his pins m .i;ettin.e; .off the in£irk and failed to get prpperl v under the ball. : :...o'-' ..,-/"•/".-: At 5.15. Wellington opene^l with Collins and Hickson. The latter started briskly and' auspiciously." plaoinvc Douglas tsyice m feucccss'icn to tlie j

leg boundary. The English bowler -wag ; *ficlvi!ng-:>Uieni m at a great pace and eycntually .Hickpon touched one , which./ went r .-into the wicketkeepei's hands/; Hickson had been somewhat at sea to Simpson-Hay ward's coosly" ..underhands. The latter hail r*?lievpd-v .'firanston when 23 appeared on the isborie '.sheet.-'

Coberoft joined Collins, but three k runs later lost the company of tha? yountrer man. who was stumped bvl box— x doubtful decision. Thc young-] ster was shaping m promising style} up to the time of his dismissal, hi**' late-cutting strokes beina; a markeifeature of his play. ] ; Mahpney, with Oobcroft's assistance} the score then beinjf