THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2207, 18 June 1896, Page 36

THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS.

. London, Jane 8. In the aotcb against an English '^leveo at Wembley Park M'Kibbin, Eady, and Johns stood out of the Australian team, and Whitehead and Maude replaced Mead and Hayman in the Home Eleven. The Australians batted first, bat as the wioket was playing very treacherous they* made bat a poor stand, and at the luncheon i adjournment had lost eight wiokets for 86 runs. Spofforth was the chief destructive element. The innings olosed for 106 runs. Tho attendance was only - moderate. Though the weather was fins the wioket was j heavy and in favour of tbe bowlers. The obief contributors to the Australian score of 106 were :— Giffen 13, Gregory 26, Tramble 25. Spofforth secured six wickets for 49 rans, and*Pickett two for 24. When the Englishmen went in they fared worse than the colonials, the last wioket falling at 65. Pickett scored 20, Trafford 13, Phillips (not out) 11. Giffen, who did the " hat triok," disposed of six men for 20 rans, and Tramble teok the other foar wickets for 24.

The Australians had to go In again on tbe bad wioket, and lost three men for 29 runs.

Jnne 9.

In the first innings of the Australians," Spoffortb, for tbe English team, disposed of Gregory, Giffen, Hill, and Donnan in five oven for 2 ram, Trnmble played a vigorous innings. In their first essay tbe home team bad lost eight wiokets when the board showed the small total of 26. Giffen bowled Nepean, Perrin, and Rawlin with oonsscntive balls, and shortly afterwards Spoffortb and Whitehead, these five being dismissed in fire oven forflrtnuu.

The seoond innings of the colonials finished for 131, Gregory being the chief scorer with 43. Gifftm scored 11 and Kelly 21. Spofforth again came ont with the good analysis of five wickets for 51 runs ; Rawlin took three for 11, Pickett one for 25, and Phillips on* for 3.

The English team could do nothing with the bowling in their seoond innings, and were all disposed of for 37 runs. Trumble took three wickets for 16 runs, and Trott four for 18.

The Australians thus won by 135 runs.

The attendance at the match to-day was small. The weather was again fine, bat the wioket was still heavy.

Kelly batted steadily for his runs. Gregory, whose wioket was the last to fall, played admirably on an unfavourable pitch, being in -for two hoars. Spofforth bowled Hill and Iredale with successive balls. The batting of the Englishmen at the second attempt was of tbe feabiest description. The innings only lasted an hoar. The fialdiog was excellent, three men being ran oat.

Jane 11.

The matoh M.0.0. and Ground v. the Australians began at Lord's to-day. The English Eleven are: W. G. Graoe, F. S. Jackson, F. Marcbant, D. Pougher, W. Attewell, J. T. Hearne, G. Davidson, A. E. Stoddart, G. M'Gregor, K. 8. Ranjltsinbji, and W. Gann.

Donnan, Jones, and Johns stood ont of tbe Australian team.

The attendance throughout the day was very large, the weather was fine, and a splendid wicket had been prepared, bnt the recent rains had made it rather heavy.

The M.C.O. team went to tbe wickets first, and before they were all disposed of the total reached 219. Stoddart and Jackson, when associated, showed excellent orickofc, and this pair of brilliant batsmen rattled up 76 runs in five minutes over the hour. Each, however, had a life. Tbe scores were :—

Trumble took six wickets for 81 runs, M'Kibbin three for 62, Trott one for 35, Giffen 0 for 32. The Australians in their first innings made the most feeble display possible, and Pfugher (the Leicester professional) made bavco among them, the whole team being disposed of for 18 runs. The scores were : —

Pougber took five wickets for no runs, Hearne four for 4 runs, Attewell no wickets for 14 runs. Jane 12. Twenty-four hours' rain had soddened the wioket, and the sun drying it mado it more difficult every minute. Jackson played a dashing innings, and Gunn got bis runs in a stylish manner. Their association added ii to tbe score. Marchant, too, played a lively innings. -After the luaoheon adjournment, Trumble and M'Kibbin were very diffioult.to play, and the home team were soon disposed of.

Boon uitspusuu vi. When the Australian^ took tbe wickets Hoatna and Attewell took up the' bowliDg, and there was trouble from the start. When the board showed 8, Grabam played a ball on. Trott and Gregory oarried the score to 14. Pougher went on at Atfewell's end when the score was at 18, and the bowlers— especially Pougher — getting tremendous work on the ball, finished the innings in three or four overs. When Pougher went on Kelly fell a victim to his first ball, and with tbe next Hill retired. Iredale lost his wioket the next over, and then eaoh bowler sent down a maiden. In Pougher's next over Tr amble played the seoond ball to the wicket, Eady was "yorked" with the third ball, and M'Kibbin was oanght at midwlcket off the fifth. Giffen, in addition to inflammation of the eyea, is suffering from sciatioa. The wicket for ths mat oh between tbe Australian Eleven and a team from the M.0.0. played much better to-day. The Home fielding was very good. Ths Australians, who had lost two wiokets for 25 runs at the end of tbe previous day's play, continued their second innings, whioh olosed for 183. They were thus defeated by an innings and 18 run?. Score : Australians.— Second Innings.

Darling and Eady showed fine defence, the latter being at the wickets half an hoar without-scoring. Hearne took the'whole of the nine wiokets at a cost of 73 runs, Pougher no wickets for 33, and Grace none for 21.

Jane 18.

Hearne was simply unplayable until Darling joined Gregory, and then Hearne had the bad luck to mios him in the slips, which was about the only mistake made in the field. Eady opened with extreme cars. Twice he was beaten, and narrowly escaped losing his wicket, but afterwards played freely, and was at the wickets two hours. Darling played a fine innings, but made a few uppish strokes— one in the slips being dangerous. He was the'ohief factor in putting on 100 runs in 65 minutes. His score included eight 4's. Giffen is reoovering.

The match against the M.C.O, has pro<fcicea another lurpriie, aid recalls the famous

match ia 1878 the same .club against Gregory's Eleven. Bain had ceased for the day about 11 a.m. At noon Gregory's team took the field. From the Sydney Herald's London letter published In "World of Cricket," we find that *' Graoe and Hornby were the first to represent M. O. O. Grace sent Allan's first ball to tog for 4. The next bull was pitched on the sauna spot, and Graoe treated it in a like manner, but it went into tbe hands of Midwinter, who had moved bis position for it. The next over another wioket fell to Boyle. .Mainly through Hornby the soore reacbed 25,, when Spofforth relieved Allan. Spofforfch's first ball was sent away for 2 by Hornby, but the next sent his leg stump clean out of the ground. Ridley was caught, and Wilde was dismissed by Boyle. Spofforlh then bowled Hearne, and Shaw, who followed, went out to a short-pltcbed one and was stumped by Murdooh. Vernon shared the same fate, and Flowers was caught and bowled by Spofforfcb, the innings dosing for 33. The Australians were disposed of by Shaw and Morley for 41, and there was no apprehension felt about the result of the match with an eleven composed of almost the bsst English cricketer* oppoied to the strangers. Play begins. Spoffoith's second ball found its way to Grace's .stumps, and there was a look of bewilderment on the faces of players and spectator* as Boyle sent Hornby, Booth,' and Ridley back to the pavilion — four wiokets for 1 run ! Spofforth dismissed Webbe, Hearne, and Vernon for 0 each,' and Boyle did as muoh for Morley, the only scorers being : Hornby 1; Wilde 5, Flowers 11, and Shaw 2— the total being 19 runs 1 "

The following shows" the results of the' matches played by the Australians up to date: —

May 11.— Australians (257 and 194) v. Lord Sheffield's team (194 and 180 for four wickets). Drawn.

May 14. — Australians (223 and 93 for three wickets) v. Essex (166 and 149). Won by seven wickets.

May 18.— Australians (379) v. Eleven of England (114 and 39). Won by an inning 3 and 226 rum. May 21. — Australians (328 for six wickets, innings declared closed) v. South of England (134 for five wickets). Drawn. May 25. -Australians (262) v Yorkshire (118 and 136). Won by an innings and 8 runs. May 28.— Australians (881 ' and 139) v. Lancashire (168 and 98). Won by 161 runs. June I.— Australians (303 and 69 for three wickets) v. Oxford (237 and 129). Won by seven wickets.

June 4.— Australians (382) v. Gloucester (110 and 181). Won by an innings and 91 runs. June B.— Australians (106 and 131) v. an'EnglLh Eleven (65 and 37). Won by 135 runs. June 11.— Australians (18 and 183) v. M.O.G. and Ground (219). Lost by an innings and 18 runs. Won, 7 ; lost, 1 ; drawn, 2.

Kelly, b Hearne 0 Graham, b Hearne 5 Trott, c M'Oregor, b Hearne 14 Gregory, c M'Gregor, b Hearne ,„ 28 Iredale, c M'Gregor,b Hearno... - .„ 0 Hill, c M'Gregor, b Heatne 4 Trumbl«, c ITGregor, b Hearne ... 0 Darling, c Stoddart, b Hearne ... 76 Eady, c Grace, b Hearae 42 M'Kibbin, not out M , .„ „. 3 Giffen, absent ... ... ... „. 0 Sundries „ .„ 11 Total 183

Australians.— First Innings. (Jraham, b Hearno • ... Trott, b Heatne Iredale, b Hearne , Gregory, b Hoftma Hill, b Pother ... Kelly, c and b Pouglrer ... ... ... Trumble, b Pou'K&er Eady, b Pougher ... M'Kibbin, c Davidson, b Pougher ... Darling finnings uaftniahed) Giffen (absent owing to inflamed eyes) 4 6 0 0 0 8 0 0. 0 0 0" •

M. CO.— First Inninga. W. G. Grace, b Trumble • ... Stodtiart, 8t Kelly, b Trott ... Ranjitsinhji, b Trumble Jackson, o and b Trumble „, Gunn, b M'Kibbin M'Gragor, b Trumble Davidson, b Trumble ... • ,„ Marchant, b M'Kibbin Pousher, not out ... Attewell, b Trurable ... Hearne, b M'Kibbin Sundries ... ... „. ... li ... • 5< ••• ' ... 61 ... 3! ... < ... ( ... 2] .^ li