CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7446, 28 December 1885, Page 2

CRICKET.

CANTERBURY v. OTAGO.

The Inrerproviucial cricket match was commenced on the Carisbvook ground on Saturday, under very favourable conditions as regards weather. It was a bright sunshiny day with a cool breeze blowing, and the late rain had brought the wicket into first-class order. The gathering of spectators was notnumerous, probably owing to the fact that most people preferred to go farther afield to spend the most popular general holiday of the year. Still some few hundred mustered on the ground in the course of the afternoon, and there will no doubt be a better attendance on the subsequent days. Canterbury started decided favourites this year, being known to have a particularly strong batting team, among then our ox-Otago player Craivsbaiv. The respective captains this year are .Millton (Canterbury) and Austin (Otago), Messrs G. Clarke and H. Rose act as umpires. Canterbury won the toss, and shortly after 12 o'clock Millton and Wilding went out to face the bowling of Austin and Frith. Matters did not promise well for the visitors at the commencement, as after both men had played a few overs cautiously. Austin sent down a. ball with a strong break from the off, which bowled Wilding before he had placed more than three to his credit.' s—l—3. W. J. Cotterill filled the breach, and after standing on the defensive for a bit, began to hit pretty freely, raising the score to a dozen. Then came some slow play as both bowlers were well on the wicket, but Millton, by occasional singles, and Cotterill by clean well-judged . hitting gradually added to the score, the latter giving one difficult chance to Austin off his own bowling which was missed. The total was brought up to 33 by a fine driv; to the rails by Cotterill, the third four that figured hi his innings, but the very next ball finished his career, as he was caught by Colliuson at long-on after a pretty innings which added 15 to the Canterbury total. Two for 33. Crawshaw, who then joined Millton, made no sign for two or three'-overSj but he then started business with a few singles off both bowlers, and sent"4o up by a fine leg hit for 4. He soon after repeated this performance off Austin's bowling. JSeither batsmen seemed inclined to take many liberties with Frith for some time, until Crawshaw made a well-meant drive to the on, but an excellent bit of fielding by Collinsou prevented damage. With the score' at 50, an adjournment was made for lunch. On resuming play, Austin gave way to Dixon at the pavilion end—a change that had been expected for some time, as, although both the wickets so far were credited ' to Austin, he did not seem likely to come off again. Dixon started with a maiden to Millton, and very little was done with either bowler for half-a-dozen overs. Crawshaw then ■ stepped out to Frith, but missing his drive snicked him for a couple. He followed this up by one or two drives off the same, which, however, only.added two to the score, and he also managed to get Dixon in the slips for four. Then his time came, as he played forward to an awkward one from Dixon, and was clean bowled after a useful and carefully-played innings of 22. Three wickets for 57. An obstinate stand was looked for from the partnership of two such bats us Fowko and Millton, but they had barely faced each other when Millton was dismissed by Frith leg-before, having made one of his usual patient defences, and scored only 14 after an inpings of over an hour and a-half. Dunlop joined Fowke, and the latter immediately gave Frith in tho slips about the. only chance he offered daring a long, steadily-played innings, which was not held. The score was raised to

60 by byes off Dixon's fast bowling, and after 10 minutes of very slow play Dunlop retired without opening his account. He attempted to get Frith away to leg and skied him into Hope's hands. Things now lookeddecidedly brighter for Otngo as three wickets had fallen Sin",e lunch time for only 10 ruus, and supposing the Canterbury team to have anything like a " tail " the innings might have been expected to finish for abont a century; but with the next! man Uayner a season of trouble setinforOtago. The new-comer, a stranger here, soon showed himself a remarkably free hitter, and commenced treating Dixon very roughly. He drove him finely to the off for four aud cut him-twice for a «mplo in the same over, sending 70 up. He was almost as much at his ease with Frith, driving him once to the rails for four, and getting one or two singles. Fowke continued adding slowly andsteadily to his score, aud when 80 was reached by Rayuor placing Dixon neatly to mid on, Austin resumed the ball at his :

former end. This by no means stopped tho scoring howevor. Raynor sent Frith to squareleg for four, and slipped him for two, clanging the total to 90, and then both batsmen drovo Dixou nicely along the carpet for singles. At this time, Drabble at the wickets, was injured by a ball from Frith, which struck him on tho

eye, and unfortunately obliged him to leavo the field, Bpclc took In's place at the wickets, and Barnes (Canterbury) kindly volunteered to field for Ohigo. With the score at 92, Rayner's promising innings came to a very unsatisfactory termination. He put a slow one from Frith to square-leg and attempted the run. Fowke (whose call it undoubtedly was) refused to leavo his ground, ami although the hall was muddled by the field, Rayuer was unablo to get back in time. Ho had punished the bowling a good deal during his short stay, nnd retired with 22 to his credit. Then came B. J. Cotterill, and commenced what will probably be the innings of the match. After a few overs, he gave his only real chance to Beck at the wickets, but unluckily for Otago he was let off. The pair put together what was wanted to complete the century mainly off Austin's bowling, and the latter then*took himself oft' for the second time, and gave the ball to Hope to try the effect of his left-handers. Neither batsman succeeded in, inflicting any punishment upon him, and in fact of the nine overs he sent down six were maidens, but uci wicket fell to him. Fowke, who was now well set, continued to add slowly to his score, and

CotteriU, who played remarkably good cricket throughout, drove Frith very prettily every now and then, and got a few to square-leg, but still the scoring was slow about this time. Another change being evidently wanted, Austin put Dixon on again at the pavilion end. He bowled a good deal to leg, but he was fortunate in repeatedly escaping punishment. The score still mounted, and at 140 Harris was given tho ball at Friths end. This proved a very expensive experiment. The new comer in his first over was cut by both batsmen for a single, and slipped by CotteriU for three, while iv his second and last he was knocked about terribly, the over yielding nine runs, inclusive of a wide. Fowko scored his only big hit (a three) off this over of Harris. This naturally brought Frith back again j and as CotteriU was treating Dixon very lightly, Carson was put on at tho pavilion end —a step that might well have beeu taken before. CotteriU here sent Frit'u beautifully into the stand to square-Jeg, bringing the total to 169, and. then thn long partnership between him and Fowke was dissolved, the latter cutting the first ball of Carson's second over into »Wyin'ks' hands al cover-point. The retiring batsman had done a lot of work for his 20, and kept up his wickots at a most fortunate juncture for Canterbury. CotteriU on being joined by Loughnan continued hitting with great freedom, driving Frith splendidly twice in one over. Ho skied one of Carson's to the on, but Collinson was unable to get to it. Loughnan managed to put lire together, and was then clean bowled by Frith, and yielded place to Barnes, with the'score standing at 183 for eight wickets. Barnes commenced operations by giving » chance at the wickets which was not taken, and after a few unprolific overs he got Carson neatly to leg for four. CotteriU, evidently anxious at this stage ot the game to make hay while the sun was shining, followed this up by a fine drive off Frith for four, and an equally useful square-leg hit off the same bowler. Then Barnes' wicket fell to Carson, and Lougden filled his place with tho score at 196. AVith the kiss of saving the 200 if possible, Austin went on at Friths end, but CotteriU drove his first ball very nicely for a single. Longden then ran out to him, ami narrowly escaped being caught in the slips. CotteriU got a fine cut off Carson's next over, but a smart piece of fielding by Wyinks prevented more than a single resulting. But the 200 was bound to come. CotteriU got one in the slips, and," then a nice drive by Longdeu off Austin changed the state of the telegraph board, amidst a lot of applause from the spectators. CotteriU now showed that ho had thoroughly mastered the bowling, but the field were well upon tho alert, and when only 4 more had been added to the total, Carson brought the innings to a close at 20 minutes past 5 by bowling the last man, leaving CotteriU to carry his bat, after compiling 75 by sound and pretty play. The Canterbury men took the field at 20 minutes to 6, Wilding and Dunlop opening the bowling to Harris and Beck. After a couple of maidens, the left-hander commenced business by cutting Wilding for a single, and in Dunlop's next over he opened his shoulders and drove him to the rails for four. Beck followed suit by getting Wilding away to leg twice, and then the play became very fast, Harris beginning to hit in his very best style. He drove Dunlop to the pavilion for four, and sent his next baU to square leg for the same, and Beck kept matters alive by a pretty drive for two along the carpet off Wilding. This sent 20 up in a twinkling, anil the spirits of Otago began to revive. Another four to Harris off Dunlop drew a burst of applause, but this was his last performance, as he was immediately afterwards taken by Barnes in tho slips off almost the last ball of day. His 19 had been put together iv wonderfully quick time, as is iipparent from the fact that it included no leirer than four fours, all obtained in an over or two. Grieve joined Beck, and timo was called at the finish of the over without an addition to the score, which stands at 25 for one wicket.

The following are scopes:— Canikhbuuv. First Innings. WVMillton, 21121111211, lbw, b Frith ... 14 y Wilding, 111, b Austin ... ... ... 3 W J Cotterill, 11211111114, c Colliuaon, b Austin 15 W Crawshaw, 111114141214, b Dixon... ... 22 J Fowke, 22211111111111211131, c Wyinks, b Carson ... ... ... ... ... 2(j D Dunlop, c Hope, b Frith ... ... 0 Gltayner, 4211134.31, run out, ... ... 22 B J Cotterill, 121121241314241141313113342-111441 111, not out ... ... ... ... 75 H H Loughtifin, 1121. b Frith ... ... 5 B P Barnes, 14, b Curson ... - ... ... 5 I A Longden, 211,.b Carson ... ... ... 4 Byes ... ... ... ... 11 | Leg-bye ... ... ... ... 1 \V7ao ... ... 1 Total . ... ...j ... ... 201 BOWLING AXAI.VSIS. Balls. Huns. Mdns. Wkts. Wides. Frith ... 296 86 42 3 0 Austin ... 152 48 14 2 0 Dixon ... 88 20 13 1 0 Hope ... W 12 ti 0 ii Harris ... 0 13 0 0 1 Carson ... 41 12 6 II 0 Otago. First Innings. L M Harris, 1<114414, o Barnes, b Dunlop 19 C Beck, 212, not out ... ... 5 A Grieve, not out... ... ... 0 Extras ... ... ... 1 Total for one wicket... ... 25