NOTES BY SLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 46

NOTES BY SLIP.

The following have been the winners of the Sheffield Shield:— ,

The number of matches each colony has played for the Sheffield Shield is 32. In the eight years of competition Victoria holds the best ail-round record, as in addition to winning the shield, oftener them either of the other colonies, the Victorians have won. most and loat fewest matches. New South Wales is a good second, as will be seen: —

The return match between Naseby and Weddevbum resulted in the former team scoring its iirsl Tvin of the season. Wtdderburn made 40 (Lewis 25) and 39 (Bailey 17), while Na,eby scoied b7 (Malcolm 2b, VV. Aiarslin 20, Aioa 13). A match between the Bannockburn and Clyde teams was won by the former by 29 runs_ on tlie fiist innings. Scoies:—Clyde 57 (Preston 12) and 73 (K. Moft'att 18, Laidlaw 17, Pitches 17); Uannoclcbuni bb (W. Crombie not out ob, Craobe 13. J. Crombie 12). The English papers record the death of two celebrated professional cricketers of bygone days—J. Rowbotham and J. Thewlis. Kowbotham's death revives recollection:; ot the dayp oi George Parr's All-England Eleven, of which he waj one of the mo«t regular and consistent members, as he rendered useful service in :ts ranks ior about a decade. Althougn he letired from county cricket in 1875, his career was one ot considerable length, connecting the era of Messrs Grace, I. D. Walker, A. J. W'ebbe, and Lord Harris with that of Alfred 3iynn, Tarrant, Jackson, and John Lillywhite. JTrom the time of his debut down to that of inS retirement, at the age of 44, his batting showed steady and continuous improvement, and for many seasons he usually held an early place in the batting order of his county (Yorkshire) and the AllEngland elevens. Some of his best scores were made against Surrey, but he also gained much credit lor a finely-hit hundred against Netts in* 1569. In the previous season he had been one ot the party that visited America and won brilliantly all its matches, with the exception of one thai, though left unfinished, was virtually a most decisive victory. He was noted not onty for batting Imt also for his fielding, and was regularly employed in the difficult and responsible position of long-stop, at a time when bowling was very fast and grounds very rough. .Thewlis was, in his rime, an excellent batsman and a most useful member ot the Yorkshire eleven, iqr which he fuv>t played about the time of the institution of the county club. He was able to contribute scores of 46 and 17 to Yorkshire's eighv-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire at Bradford in 1863, and at Huclder^fisld against Surrey, in 1E63, assisted E. Lockwood, his nephew, to make 176 for the first wicket, his own score amounting to 108. To attending the funeral of Thewlis, the death of W. Bates, the news of which was cabled to us at the time, wn= due, as Bstes then contracted a chill that terminated fatally. Our Auckland correspondent telegraphs; — The Melbourne Cricket Club Eleven came, saw, and conquered—or perhaps it would be nearer the mark to say smothered—the Auckland reps., i\s they won by an inning i and 5C5 runs, and c\en then might have added to their splendid firct innings sora of 554, to which li.c Aucklnndeis respor-dtd wi:h the feeble totals of 85 and B't. Ti'at the visitors would notch -victory was expected from ths jump, but even the greatest detractors of tho local side never in their wildest dreams conjured tip the terrible drubbing that was to be inflicted on the Aueklanders, who, metaphorically speaking, \\ ere in a numl er of instanceout again nelore they went in, so badly did they lunk the reputation of Trumble and Co. in the bowling department. Winning the toss the visitors elected to take the strike, and Trumble and Mailer, who opened the proceedings, ran up 211 before a "separation was effected, and might have added more runs hud they not treated'the bowling with scant ivspp'cl. Trtiml'h's exhibition was the fuif^t seen here for years, the long Victorian shoeing a complete mastery over every bill, while his leg glancing -md late cutting \vere a re velation to Auc.danders. His contribution of 135 included 16 boundary hits. Mailer, though lacking the brilliancy ot his great club mate, i-., nevertheless, an exceptionally foui-cI bat. He excelled in a forcing back stroke which proved very efficacious. Graham, who is perhaps the most dashing bat on the side, kept the Aueklanders very busy. His hook stioke accounted for many of his runs, and his stay at the -wickets fully confirmed the statement of Australian critic's that he had regained his old form. Russell, the boy of the team, al*o played very free cricket, and his stand with Aitken proved one of the most interesting bits of cricket during the Australians' innings. Jacobs had a somewhat lucky career, being twice missed very badly. This batsman shows a good deal of -tonewalling, and lost many an oppommity of making runs which another batsman might have availed himself of. AUken is a bat of somewhat similar order to the last-mentioned player, but at time^ h Q «ho\vs great 'utting power=. Ross (captain of the team), who contributed 4-2. to the Mol bourne s-corp, show-, that he i« cuioien as much for his batting as for his vickel-keeping. Ho played a nice free innings, and everyone felt sorry when ?ie was cautrl.t otit. The remainder of tho i.ittmi fall? for iil'le comment, but the howling is certainly strong; in fact, in

conversation with Mr Ross I learned that the ■visitors considered themselves stronger in this department than the eleven that recently represented Viotoria against South Australiaand New South Wales, this being due to the inclusion of the two professionals, Cave and Fry. Cave, who is a left-hander, came out top of the bowling figures, taking 10 for 77 in the combined Auckland innings. Bowling left-hand round the wicket he is very puzzling-, and seldom puts xrp a loose ball. He has the gift of concealing his break, and this probably makes him the best bowler on his side. Trumble (6 for 52) did much as lie liked with the ball, and probably would have come oufc with a much better analysis if it had not been for a few loose ones to leg. Taking full advantage of his height he keeps an admirable length, and changes his pace without any change in his action. Graham (3 for 23) has a big leg break, but is not in the same class with the two bowlers mentioned; but iry, 1 for 12, is another excellent bowler, and in the opinion of Melbourne critics as good, it" not better, than Cave. Right-handed, over the wicket, with a remarkably easy action, he whips off the pitch at a great rate. The ' fielding of the visitors is excellent, and every man is well placed, while such stumping as that of Ro-jS has seldom been seen on the Auckland Domain. Of the locals the Melbourneites consider Hay the best batsman, but his persistence in that fatal "drag" again accounts for his dismissal in both innings, while of the others Stemson, Wynyard, and I. Mills were the only bats at ease to the bowling of- the -"Victorians. The Auckland ground fielding was good, but several catches were missed, while of the'bowling the less said the better, as it was patent from the outset thafc it would cause little trouble to the visitors, being lamentably weak, lacking variety and pitch. With an old general like R. Neill to lead them in this department they might have fared better. In the course of a conversation with Mr C. H. Ross during the Aveek, I lcarneri that should the present tour of the Melbourne Cricket Club Eleven prove a pleasurable and satisfactory one we may hope to see the tour repeated a year or two hence, while it is also quite on the cards that at some future data the M.O.C. will send across a football, tennis, lacrosse, or bowling teams to New ZealantLSpsaking about the English team to bo brought out to Australia next season under the auspices of the M.C.C., that gentleman informs me that if the New Zealand Cricket Council felt disposed to make overtures the Melbourne authorities might find it possible* (tue Englishmen willing) to include New Zealand in the tour. The following players have been chosen to represent Wellington in the match with the Melbourne Club on the 24th, 25th, and 27th. inst.: —Upham, Ashbolt, Holdsworth, Hales, Richardson, Tucker, Midlane, Gore, Quee, C. Hickson, and Niven. The following team will represent Canterbury against Victoria on MaTch 2, 3, and S:—JR. W. Barry. L. T. Oobcroft, ¥. S. Frankish, J. W. Fovke, D. Reese, H. C. Ridley, A E. Ridley", W. Robertson, S. Orchard, A. Sims, W. H. Wigley. The selector (Mr J. Baker, of Dunedin) has chosen the following team to represent New Zealand against the Melbourne Club: —W. Stemson (Auckland),. H: &. Link (Hawke's Bay). IC. Tucker, A. Williams, E. Upham, C. A: Richardson (Wellington), L. T. Coborofl, F. S. Frankish, D. Reese (Canterbury), A. Dowr.es and 3. Baker (Otago).' : The selector of the New Zealand team does not lay his work open to very serious criticism. * But J do marvel greatly. at - his selection of Arnold Williams, apparently.as the wicket-keeper of the team. The fact .that Williams has failed to get a place in the Wellington team should have disposed entirely of any pretensions on hio part to, the securing of a place in the New Zealand team, for I take it that the Wellington Association knows best \ihether he is or is not, on this season's play, inferior to Niven. It is, however, notorious that he rarely scrapes up a run in club cricket —that, as a batsman, he has gone clean off. Take away the batting abilities that he used to possess, and he is not the nvperior of the wicket-keeper of any of the provincial representative teams. His inclusion seems to me to be the great blot on the team. The exclusion of D. Hay will be regarded in Auckland as a mistake, and I defer to that opinion, but in the weakness of the toam in bowling I am unable to see that the selector went wrong in preferring Stemson. Frankish ha<* improved so much as a bowler since last seiPon that the objection I then expressed to his inclusion in the New Zealand team does not apply so strongly, but I have not much hopes of his success with-the ball — it wiu not surprise me if he makes runs instead —and Ido not at all like Upham's inclusion. Still, the attack had to be provided for somehow, and the selector has made a fair job of it.

:892-3 ... Victoria .B<j3-4 ... S. Australia .fc9l-S ... Victoria £95-6 ... N.S. Wales 1896-7 ... N.S. Wales . 1897-8 ... Victoria j 1898-9 ... Victoria ' lfc«J9-0 ... N.S. Wales '

/''ctoiia... SJ B. Wt.leB sou'.h AuhtiM .Uia Matches. ... 3d ... 32 ... 32 Won. 19 17 12 Lost. 13 15