CRICKET.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 9731, 7 January 1908, Page 4

CRICKET.

THE SECOXD TEST MATCH. fIJT Khncviiir, Telkcjbaph.—CormionT.] il'T.I Prfk« AsiOCIATION.) Melbourne, January 6. ■ The weather was hot, being 96.5 in the shade and: 140.5 in, the sun. The crowd numbered l 9099, which, with the previous d'ays, givtfi an aggregate of 84,386. The takings .were £376, an aggregation of £3590, "being £SO under the record. The wicket, notwithstanding the length of themateh, was in excellent order. The Australians' iinnings did not last long. Carter should have been out before ecoring, but Hutchings, in the i:!ips>. let him off. Cotter vs as the first to «a, losing his wicket leg-before to 'Crawford. Hazlitt and' Cart er were os-ociat"d ! for n very brief period until Barnes' bowled! the colt. The end' soon came. Carter was caught at mid-on by Fane off Barnes. He batted l 83 minutes, and l was very attractive, and l strong in cutting, tind reaching 'the boundary seven times. Australia's iimiiins occupied' six hours thirtyfive mint'tee.

England- were set 282 to win. Fane and Hobbs, ar. usual, opened, with Cotter and Saunders attacking. The batsmen' displayed cniiitior. and keenness, and the scoring w as verv slow, neither batsmen being out, and each with 10 to hio credit, when the luncheon adjournment was taken, the score then being 0 for 26. Way was resumed and' became very uninteresting. Changes were made in the bowling, Armstrong "and Noble goiiif- on. A separation win • soon effected' through Xoble bowling 1 lobbs, who h:id> been in 66 minutes for a patient, useful, if uneventful •innings., which included only two boundary strokes. Gunn- was next man, and had a rep'e tition of his first innings' misfortune, getting his leg befoer to Xoble without soaring. Hutchings was checrod on entering-, but the expectation of lively cricket was not fulfilled, both he and his captain playing correctly and quietly and makin-. ( the game exceedingly tame for the spectators'. Fane was first to go after 161 minutes' batting. His halfcentury included : two tourers. His dismissal was brought about in a peculiar manner. H'.e played a ball from Armstrong on to ms pads, whence it rolled slowly on to the wickets, dielod'ging the bails. Wiiii Braund'ra appearance at the wickeC.s Macartney relieved Xoblc. There was still very dull cricket, and the end' came Ivy Cotter catching Hutchings, who had 39 to his- credit, which had taken ! him 87 mini itcs to knock up. He nhowed I great restraint, but. although hi* batting was quiet,, it was not unattractive. He made only three foiu-ers. Hardstalf and Braund occivpied fifty minutes in reaching double figuvos. while the ordinarily rap'd Hardtetaff made a dozen in an hour. -Altogether it was a day of wearisome cricket, and at times painfully slow, and never brisk. ' It was inoffensive and quite defensive. The bowling was "excellent, Armstrong preserving an excellent- length and keeping down runs. Xoble and Macartney were also in excellent form, the former at one time having an average of two ■ wickets i for one run. XobleV, captaincy wasi excellent. The fielding, nowiths*tandinc- the heat, was smart. Hibford wara a n excellent outfield, caving many runs. The wicket is etill wearing well, and, considering the fluctuations of the game, England yet has a chance. ■Scores :

AUSTRALIA.—'2nd Innings. Trumper, b Crawford 63 Xnhle. b ',l raw ford! 6* ■Hill, b Fielder | Macalistrr, run out 10 Armstrong' b Barnes ... ••• iraca.rtney. Humphries, ii lirninKi... S? Kalis ford, <: Hutching, b lianics ... 18 Carter, c Wane, -b Barnes 56 Cotter, lbw, b Crawford Hazlitt, b. Raines £ Saunders, not out J ' . Sundr'lse Total 597 Bowling analysis.—Fielder 1_ for 74, Crawford' 3 for 125, {Barnes 5 _foi <', Braiimd 0 for 68. Rhodes 0 for _ne wic'iete fell as follows : Eight for 361, 9 for 392. EN IJL AN D. —2nd' Innings. Fane, b Armstrong . .... 50 Hobts, b A'oble G-unn., lbw, b Noble Hutchings, c Cotter, b Macartney ... J J Braund 1 , not outHardstaff, not out ... 1' Suindri«3s ... ••• ■ T<Vtal for 4 wickets 169 The wicl:ets fell as follows:—! for 54,