NOTES BY SLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2288, 6 January 1898, Page 36

NOTES BY SLIP.

" . • Keen disappointment will be felt throughout New Zealand at the exclusion of A. H. Fisher from the second test match, and I fancy that not a few will consider that he has not been fairly dealt with. The argument against his felection is, of course, the interrogatively put. '• Whom would you pub out for him ? " As to that, there seems to be the answer that M'Kibbin and his performances this season — I am writing after the second day'd play in the eeoond test match, and in the knowledge that tho Sydney bowler has cheaply secured one Efgli>.h wicket — cannot be said to have an undeniable claim upon a pace, aud that, in view of the way iv which the Englishmen slapped his bowling about in the previous matches in which th«y met it, it would have been wise to have discarded him, especially as the second ma'c'i was commenced in batsmen's weather. M'Kibbin is not the M'Kibbiu of last year. " Not Out," of the Sydney Ref-ree, sajs on that point : "There can be no doubt that, all round, M'Kibbiu at present is not in nearly as fine form a3 he was last year. Not only has his bowling gone off, but his batting and fielding have deteriorated. Hearne bjwled him in each innings of the test match with an easy ball ; and Mac used to bo frequently quite too late in going for the ball in the slips. He struck me .as requiring any amount of hard practice, not only in bowling, bub in general work — cateh'ng in the field from the bat, &c." II really seems to me that the selectors of the Australian team have missed the opportunity of advancing the federation of Australasian cricket by nob choosing Fisher in place of this man. Then it is asserted in Melbourne that Fi-her is "about the level of a fair metropolitan club bowler" — this about a player who in Dunedin last season <3ism ; S3fcd six of the Australian E'even for 30 ruus in their first innings against Otago, ai.d got five for 59 in the second innings. •' Oh," it

may be said, ** there were 15 fieldsmen to help him to accomplish that performance." Even that statement does not much help Fisher's detractors, for in the first innings he olean bowled GVffen, Darling, and Jones ; and in the second innings similarly dismissed Giffan and Iredale. The o'her batsmen whom he disposed of were Iredale and Trott by catches and Graham leg before in the first innings, and Hill, Trott, and Bady by catches in the second innings. It will be seen that each of the Australian Selection Committee this year — Trott, Iredale, and Darling — was a victim to Fisher. At that time they were greatly impressed with the Carisbrook bowler's ability. Probably they did not dream then that to them would this season be entrusted thß task of picking an Australian team, and that if they were to support their expressed, opinion oE Fisher's bowling by playing him against the Englishmen they would have to exclude a player belonging to the same colony and belonging to the exclusive party — exelutive in the direction of securing all that they could for themselves— that visited England in 1897. To intercolonial jealousy may perhaps most fairly be ascribed the utter lack of consideration that has been given to Fisher's claims, after he had been induced to go to the other aide on what amounted to repr«sent&t : ons that have not been fulfilled. One significant fact may as well be noted here. In the second test m^ + eh tint is now proceeding, the most successful English bowler in the Australians' first innings was Bfigg", a bowkr who is most to b» feared on bad wickets. H* is a left-handed bowler. There is not a leffc-handed bowler in the Australian team. Fisher is noi only a good b jwler, but is a left-handed bowler.

* . ' In tl c match at Napier between Hawke's Bay and Taranaki, M'Carthy, of the latter team, who played a vigorous second inning* for 52, hit several ball 6 out of the ground, one of which went through a shop window oa the opposite tide of Carlyle street. The incident caused some amusement, as the shopkeeper immediately came on the field and presented his " little bill."

" . ' Borne exciting c icket took place at Sydney on the 18. h ut., Paddinghon, who njaoV 201 in the first innings, beating Waverley by 4. For the letter G-egory c >nipilfd 96 an 1 AusMn 53. N"Me took five WaverJpy wickfls for 84. Smth. Sydney made 223, def*-a*in« Glebe, who made 136 F>r 'he former CC. Gregory made 66 aud W. SJS J übhins 65 The feature of the match was the fielding of Duggan for Glebe at c >ver. He thr^w out three of his opponents duriag th& innings. Centr.il CumberUnd, who bad 343 to their credit for one wifket from the previous da^'s play, declared the i< nings closed, and g"t Ei-t Sidney out for 201, despite the fact thnt W A. R cha-d«>n c mpded 101 for them. Wilson got thres for 42 and Huwell two for 48. Burwood (176) beat Leichhardt by 3 runs, through th<> i»s<rutnentality of H. Dot»n*n, who scored 103 Rfdfern won with a total of 156 from No*'h Sydney (114). For Redfern Civsvick took three wickets for 1, and performed the " hafe trick."

• . ' In the course of their tour of South Obago, the University team defeated Lawrence on the first innings. Lawrence pcor'-d 32 (&l«K«ich 17 not out) and 'V^sity 65 (Brodie 38). Lawrence in the &ecoud imiings scored 67 for nine wickets. M iga'i (<-igbt for 13) and Crawford (two f>r 12) were thY bist bowlers for the 'Varsity, while BUir bowled best for Lawrence.

" . ' At Ow«ka the University played the third m*teh of their tour, and were sucfiis^nl. Fatting firs'-, they put up 122 (Brodie 18, Rutherford 16, Moorel6, Morgan 29, A J. Cv -wford 19). The Owaka team replied wi'li on'j 36, Ab—x)r<'rabie (17) bc-.infj t li e high.st 60oier. Morgan (four for 21) and Mo-e'ny (ihree for 4) secured most wickete for the Uiiiverhifcy, while M'Lean bowled well for O>vaka. The Uuivernity speak in very high terms indeed of the manner in which thej were treated by the Owaka people and also by net Vitl, who, with his assistants, did his utmost to please the visitors. As at the other places the 'Varsity visited, they were entertained at dinner, and after that an impromptu concert was held.

* . • A combined team from Waiwera and Kaihiku defrated the University Even.E *-yen. Af er being entertained with true co'in«ry hospitality at Mr Watt's residence the University went in to bat, but being som-what troubled by the wind an^ ihe good b >-»lin£ of Edwa-ds, scored only 49 (Rutherford 12, Wilkinson 10). The c mbir.ed fceaoa easily topped this score, play ht-ing stopped by rain when K'-iihiku ctfOT-Waiwera had scored 56 for two wickets (And-"- H ,>n 16, Bunting 33).

" . ' Oa the 31sh the 'Varsity olayed a drawn match with Mikon, each 6 ; de scoring 56 For Milton, H. E Murray made 28 in good style, wb'l-i Morgan was the only doub'e-figurp fc irer foe th» University, with 12 no 1 ; out. M'GiU and Thow bowled we)l for Milton, whi'e Crawford (five for 23) was the besl of the 'Varsity bowlers.

The Hendley Club visited Shag Point on Boxing Day and plnyed the local club, the latter winning by 15 runs. Shag Point batting first rnide 60 runs (Gillanders 10). Moore (seven for 26) was the mosH succ ks'ul b uvler. Heiidley replied with 45 (Thompson 12 :md Smith 11). W. Torrance was very destructive, securing seven wickeLs for 19 runs. Lattiraer secured three for 15. The visitors enjoyed their outing very much. ■ . • A team from the clubs affiliated to the Sou l h Ot.a^o A«B' c : ation met a mix-id team from the Carisbi'o ikC'ubat <^ari*brook on Monday and succeeded in' pulHng off the raatoh by a m j irUy of 37 ruus on the fi-st innings. The vsitors went to the wickets, their first bi'smci b^ing Allan aud Murray, the bowlers being Snvth and Clatworthy. Off Smith's second bill Allan placed a catch into mid-< ff . bub it was nob. accepted. Tfie batsmen scored heavily notwith?tandiug several bowling changes With the score at 78 Murray wap caught for 15, and vtheutbetot 1 *! was 98 was bo«l"d, hiving scored 61. His innings was an extremely lucky one, as he was m'ssed no less than four times. None of the ofhts>- bat-unen sbapf d at all, and the remaining eight wickets fell for 9 runs, the innings closing for 107 C >risbronk's first innings prod"C?d 70, of which 11. Spraggon contributed 29, C"oke 15 and C. R. Smith 11. For the country team's second innings AUan was again t hf m unstay. as his share of a total of 110 was 42, his innings being marred by three chances. Ludbrook made 13 and Murray 11. Carisbrook, with 147 to win, ecoied 98 for eight w ; ck"ts when time was called, *lip chief scorers being Cooke 31, P. Spraggon 12, H. Smith (not out) 12, Stables (not out) 11, and R. Sp r aggon 10. • . " The representative cricket match Wanganui v. Manawntu resulted in ft -win for Wanganui by an innings and 108 runf. Manawahu went iv first and knocked up 6Q. Waiiganui followed with 256, of which K. H. Cave compiled 95. Manawatu ohly registered 82 in the second venture.

• . ' A Melbourne cable states that the Cricket Council meb on the 31st, bub owing; to oue of the Sydney proxi' s being informal adj-iurnod till Monday. Mr Hoyd, of New South Waif s, gave notion of his intention to move that the council be dUbindr-d.

The iuterprovincial match Canterbury v. Taranaki, played at Ilawera, waa won by the

former by an innings and 43 runa. Scores : — Cantsrbury, 260 (Wilding 60, Wigley 55, Garrard 34, H. C. Ridley 30, A. E Ridley 23, Pearce 17) ; Taranaki, 108 (Izird 24, Pratt 22, Crawshaw 12, Kaggott 12, Robertson 10) and 109 (Pratt 46, M'Carthy 33). CANTERBURY v. AUCKLAND. Auckland, December 29. The crickeb match Canterbury v. Auckland was concluded to-day, Canterbury winning by 126 runs. The following were the scores :— • Auckland— Second Innings. D. Hay, lbw, b Pearce 20 I. Mills, c Wilding, b Reese ... ... 1 W. Stemson, c and b Clark ... ... 73 Kallender, b Peavce ... ... 14 G Mills, c Fowke, b Rpese 80 A. M. Labatt, cA. Ridley, b Pearce... 10 It. Neil), cH. C. Ridley, b Reesß ... 1 1«. Wright, b Re.se 2 W. Lawson, c Cobcroft, b Reese „. 9 Dr Pabtt. b Pearce ... 5 F. V Kelly, not out 0 Extras ... 3 Total 218 Bowling Analysis. — Pearce, 31 '3 overs 8 rudns 67 runs 5 wkts ; Reese, 38 overs 13 mdns 106 runs, 4 wkts ; Clark, 9 overs 4 mdns 16 rung.l wkt.