CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 30

CRICKET.

NOTES BY SLIP.

The annual meeting of Surrey and Notts on the Trent Bridge ground naturally exoited great interest among the Nottingham people. The home county won the toss, and went in to bat, Gunn and Shrewsbury, who have been the heroea of so many great partnerships, were the ohief contributors, with 82 and 41 respectively, to a total of 231 runs. When Gunn had scored 10 he was badly missed in the slips, but afterwards did not make a mistake. Sootton played a little more vigorously than usual for 38, while Shaoklook hit out freely for 25. Surrey could only reply with 153, barely saving the disgrace of a follow- on. Lohmann (not out, 34) and W. W. Read (26) were the principal rnn-getters. In their second innings Notts scored 182, the two great batsmen being again to the fore. Shrewsbury was bowled for 38 and Gunn was dismissed for 35 through Lohmann effeoting a fine catch. Surrey's eeoond venture realised one less than the first, and W. W, Read (46) and Lohmann (not out, 35) were again the only batsmen who seemed to know much about the bowling. Notts, it will be seen, won by 108 runs. Most of the wickets fell to Shaoklook, who scoured in the two inninga of Surrey nine for 145. Flowers, with four wicketa for 30, however, reads better.

After a very exoiting finish Derbyshire won their first matoh of the season, defeating Essex by eight runs. The sooring was moderate, Derbyshire getting 64 and 198, Essex 95 and 159. Piokett, bowling for Essex, got ten wiokets for 107. Davidson, performing a similar offioa for Derbyshire, securing eleven wioketß for 105 runs,

A most creditable viototy. was gained by Somersetshire, by 78 runs, over Middlesex, the metropolitan county playing their beat available team. Somersetshire raised 133 and 208 against 132 and 131 scored by Middlesex. H. T. Hewett (with 31 and 65), and W. O. Hedley (who got 35 and 41) were the principal scorers for the western county. T. O. O'Brien was the only consistent soorer for Middlesex, his con* tributions being 26 and 44, Mr W. G. Grace was to the fore in the match between Gloucestershire and Kent. The leviathan went in first for his side, and when the innings closed for 231 he remained not out with 109, made with only one semblance of a mistake—a difficult ohance to short slip— when he had made 42. When th 9 men from the hop county went in to bat the soorers had some work to do. At one time 277 runs were up with only four men out, but the other six wickets did not keep up the rate of scoring, and the last man was out with the total at 341. L. Wilson (86), O. M. J. Fox (58), and A. Daffen (52), were the highest storers. Gloucester in their second try fared worse than before, and only reaohed 209, Painter (83) and W. G. Grace (87) being top scorers. Kent lost five wiokets in knocking off the hundred runs required to win, G. Hearne remaining not out with 38. Martin's bowling was one of the best features of the match. In all he took 11 wickets at an average of exaotly 12 runs.

Gloucestershire next fell easy viotims to the Sussex Eleven, who scored 301 and 295 for seven wiokets, when the innings was declared closed. Towards theße totals Qaaife contributed 74 and 156 (not out) by brilliant bat ting, while Jesse Hide made 42 and 75. Tho Sussex oaptain declared the second innings closed when the total had readied 295. Gloucester, as a result of the first innings, bad a total of 227 up, and had to get 370 runs to win. This they were unable to do, the last wicket falling for 148 runs. W. G. Grace waß highest individual soorer for the losing team with 68.

Lancashire won with ease two matohea in succession, first disposing of Kent with an innings in hand, and then defeating the Marylebone Olnb and Ground byaeven wiokets. In the Kent match the Northerners ran up a score of 319, to whioh number F. Ward oon tributed 145 by free and vigorous hitting. His innings was, however, marred by three ohanceß, one when he bad scored 50, and the other two just be r ore he was out. Kent in two trieß realised 165 and 86, George Hearne standing at the top of the soorinpr list with 47 and 22. In the second innings of Kent two wiokets were down for 67 runs, but when Mold went on bowling a " a change came o'er the scene," for be clean bowled b!x of the remaining batsmen, and he came out with the fine average of seven for 21. In their matoh with the Marylebone Olub A. N. Hornby wao top of the batting list with 69 runs contributed towards a score of 229 runs. Marylebone mado a sensational start, seven of their best men, including Gunn and Ohatterton, being out for eight runs. West (of Northampton) and Flowers, however, stopped the collapse, and the soore was 100 when Flowers was run out for a well-made 44. West stayed nn till 139 was the tally, and then a oatoh by Sugg dismissed him with 74 runs sb his contribution The two innings of M.0.0. and Ground realised 139 and 180. Lancashire were thus left with 91 to gat to win, and they accomplished the task with the loss of three batsmen.

"I wonder how many realise the remarkable hold the game of oriofaet has outside of England. We at home are too apt to boliev? it is entirely English, and think it can be Been at its beet in England only; but by degrees the faot dawns upon us that an eleven of Australia has defeated more than one representative English teaja, and we have to admit tbat others can play the game nearly, if Dot quite, as well as we can. The time has gone past when we could look on without anxiety as to the result of a contest between England and Australia, or predict a certain win for the former." In this wayDr W. G. Grace introduces an article which be has contributed to the Juno number of Cricket, entitled, " Cricket : A Review of the Game, Paßt and Present, in Australia, Canada, the United States, India, and England." The place of honour is given in his review to Australia. He declines to b<\v anything as to the wisdom of "our Australian cousins " in visiting England so often j but asserts with emphasis that the visit of fcbo seventh team to the Mother Country is creating as muoh interest as any of thoae which preceded it, and that "before the season in over we are likely to have contests that will do honour to both countries." The writer thus sums up his views:—" When we make comparisons of play we have undoubted evidence that England ha 1 ) still a strong lead in batting, but that in bowling and fielding there is little to choose between the two countries. Murdoch, G. Giffen, M'Donnell, the Bannermans, and Moses have been a tower of strength in batting, but one dons not require to search far in England to find a large number of players who have performed ai threat things as they. Spofforth, Garrett, Palmer, Evans. Boyle, Turner, and Ferris are bowling naraeß to compare with oum, but we have only to pluoo opposite them tho namei of Alfred Shaw, Morley, Lohmaan, Pe&le, Attewoll, Brigsta, and Baracß do mftkn tbo scale hangs evenly. In fialding thare ia little to ohoose between uh, although I must in fairness say that at the present time the Australians can throw io eiecth.a.Qwegim,",