CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 36

CRICKET.

*•• * The following tribute to Howell's display in the Becond innings of New South Wales iv the return match against the English team is paid by K. S. Kanjitsi?it]"i iv the Review of Reviews : " The performance of the last player, Howell, to a great extent dwarfed the capital displays of the others, with the great Bcore of 95 in the exceptionally quick time of 69 minutes, and more vigorous, well-timed, and superb hitting it would be difficult to imagine ; it would bear comparison with the displays of any hitter the world has ever produced. He bit Briggg, Hayward, Hearne, and Stoddart over the palings and all round the wicket, and it was as sensational as it was fine ; and he worked the spectators lo the highest possible pitch of enthusiasm and admiration. His opponents, and the bowlers particulsirly, were bewildered and astonished, and gazed with admiration and almost joy at his grand batting. His batting, although fearless and risky, considering ths pace v/iih wLich he was scoring was astonishingly sound. With the exception of the glance and the hook he showed nearly every stroke, but his high driving was undoubtedly the feature of his innings. It would be impossible for anyone to give a correct idea of the brilliance cf his play in writing, and those who missed sfeeing him on that day undoubtedly mh?ed a great cricketiDg feat, for never could such bitters as Maasie, Lyons, Bonnor, Thorijtou, or Jessop have surpassed that innings of lii; in superlative merit." In the same article Ranjltsrafaji resents the action of the New South Wales captain in putting Donnan on lo b>vri at the commencement of the last day's pUy. Donnan'o method of running after delivery tends to damage the pitch, and both MacLaten and Kanjifcsinhji himself got out within a few minutes oi' each olber at the end from which Donu&n was bowling, and immediately after their dismissal Donnan was taken off, having then bowled eeven overs for nine ruos.

I • . • The Indian Pricco is evidently displeased with the decision that gave him out as being leg before wiuket in the second innings of tbe last test m'.tch. " I refrain from making any I comments*," ho says, "for fear that my judgment may be prejudiced in this caac, as it concerns myself. However, I must, add, without in any way wishing to compare myself with either Dariing or Clem. Hill, that I was curious to know how the crowd — which, by the way, showed its sympathy with me by the extreme aud unusual silence at the incident — would have acted under similar circumstances if eithtr of the Ssuth Australian cracks had been shen out by one of the umpires in a test game." He also inferentially impugns the umpire's decision trhen, in the Australians' second innings, "a most confident appeal by tbe bowler and wicketkeepe'-, when the sc'oie had reached 45 to Darling's name, was answered in the negative." Itf girding Darling's gi\afc innings of 160, which he rightly describes as tha deciding score of ths match, he saya : " It was one of thoae scores during the compilation of which three essentials are necessary — nerve, ability, and good iuck. Darling possesses aa a batsman the first two ; the goddess of cricket gave him ths lant attribute." It is noteworthy that Raujitsinbji hold/} that tha result of the final test match. th.:-ugh favourable to the Australians from a purely cricket point of view, reflected equal ccerlit ou tb.3 members of the losing side for their excellent exhibition.

• . * The visit of the English team to Australia has resulted ia the promoters netting £9000 clear. It is not likely that less interest will be manifested in the visit of the next English team to the colonies, especially es it may ba taken for granted that, after the dieastroue defeat of tha team of 1897-8 in four out of the five test matches, no effort will ba spared at Home to m»ke the team as thoroughly representative as possible. Iv may therefore bs estimated that a large pivfib will be made also on the next trip; whenever it taks3 place. That leads mo to make a suggestion. I am not disposed to think that the cricketing authorities in Australia are altogether indifferent to the desirability of fostering the great mimmer pastime in the smaller colonies, and if I am right in supposing that they would like to give an impetus to the game in them they can easily give an evidence of that. Let them therefore arrange that in the height of the Australian ( summer, when tbe beat must ne-.cessarily bs"' very trying to the Englishmen, both teams for the testm&tehes be sent asjpasaengers from Sydney to New Zealand, with the view of playing one of the contests at Christchurch, where a ground is available that is as good as can be desired, and then let them return to Victoria via Tasmania, ] playing ano'hor test match in the " tight little ; island." Tasmania, New Zealand, and West Australia a>:a the thras colonies that at present do not derive any benefis from the visits oi" i English tasms to the Australian continent. ] West Australia is open to the climatic objsc- i tion, but tbe trip I suggest would give the Englishmen a pleasant relief from exhausting weather such as must have handicapped Stoddarfc'a last team, and the trip would give a welcome res'; also to the pick of Australian c-icketers, who are exceedingly hard worked in i (he seasons in which visits are mads by English teams. The travelling would take up little j more tlnn a fortnight, and there can be no j question of the ability of the promoters to j bear the extra expanse that would be entailed, j Th« Australian public would surely not be so j selfish as to grudge us, the benighted islanders, j tho chance ot seeing a test played in our j colony. ]

WELLINGTON v. HAWKE'S BAY. Napiek, April 9.

The interprovincial cricket match Wellington v. Hawke's Bay was commencod to-day on tho Recreation ground, a perfect wicket being provided, which was all in favour of tha batsmen. The visitors were the first to go in, occupying the crease from 10.30 a.m. till 4.15 p.m., by which time their first innings had closed for the substantial score of 246. All the local bowling was exhausted, Marshall doing btsfa with four wickets for 46 runs, and G. Whites took two for 11 runs. Hawke's Bay commenced their inning* in a bad light, and by tho time stumpa were drawn had lost four of their beet wickets for 22 runs.

April 11. The match was brought to a close this afternoon, the visitors winning by an innings and 43 runs. With four wickets down for 22 on Saturday, Hawke's Bay resumed their places at the wickets. Cato (with 23) and Wilson (with 14) for a short time mado a stand, but the remaining wickets fell rapidly to the bowling of Ashbolt and Opharn. lfawke's B»y on going in again did a litlte iMte a^d

NOTES BY SLIP.

1 1 compiled 134, but they could do nothing against i the bowling, Ashbolt especially distinguishing himself, taking eight wickets in the second innings for 58 runs. Wilson played stubbornly for 27, Lusk making a like number, bat none of the batsmen felt ab home at the wickets. Scores :— Wellington.— First Inninga. Ashbolt, lbw, b Tannin. ,. >„ „, 0 Weybourne, c Lusk, b Wilson,;*, tf, 47 Tucker, c Cato, b Hughes ,',". ,t, 1 Richardson, cA. Gore, b Marshall {"« 73 Holdship, lbw, b Lusk ... «,'.' v, 1 C. Gore, b Marshall ... .-{; k. 35 Burton, c Wilson, b Marshall ..i L 23 Waters, b White ... ,„ M ,v. 6 Howard, b White... «$ ,j,f j ; ,, 14 Upham, b Marshall ,51 ,V, y,> 6 Niven, not out .„ ly M ft, 5 Extras „. Si H| $ (X 18 Total ,M, M ,;!," %, & 246 Hawke's Bay. First Innings. Wolstenholme, b Upham ..'. ',& 4 Lusk, c Richardson, b Ashbolt „, 5 A. H. Gore, b Upbam ... f<4 Jft 0 Marshall, b Upham ... «,, ffi (> Cato, c Gore, b Ashbolt «*, 23 Wilson, c Richardson, b Ashbolt ;;, 14 Staite, c and b Ashbolt 4 £ 0 White, c Richardson, b Upbam 7 Fanuin, b Ashbolt „4 { . ,"i 0 Canning, b Upham jj", t A {„ 0 Hughes, not out „-. \>.l g, 2 Extras „. ,v» .;. if. % 8 Total „ „-. ... 69 Bowling Analysis. — Upham, 15 overs, 5 wickets, 12 runs ; Ashbolt, 15 overs, 5 wickets, 39 runs. Second Innings. Wolstenholme, b Ashbolt „, ... 14 Lusk, b Upham „ ... 27 Cato, b Ashbolt „. 21 Marshall, b Ashbolt ... ... ... 6 Gore, c Richardson, b Ashbolt. . ,;, 0 Staite, c Gore, b Aehbolt ... l,", 5 White, st Niven, b Ashbolt 9 WilsqD, not out .- 27 Canning, c Upbam, b Ashbolt 1 Hughes, b Waters ;'. 18 Fan n i n, b Ashbolt ... k ;> ;.. 3 Extras i, „. „. 3 Total ' 134 Bowling Analysis. — Ashbolt, 24 overs, 8 wickets. 5S runs ; Upham, 23 overs, 1 wicket, 38 runs ; Waters, 3 overs, 1 wicket, 11 runs ; Richardson, 5 overs, 13 runs ; Holdship, 4 overs, 8 runs.