CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 60

CRICKET.

NOTES BY LONG SLIP.

Mr IT. S. Bak«r, the late master of the Boys' High School Rectory, whose death occurred on Tuesday week last, was a fine all-round athlete. Besides distinguishing him=elf at Oxford, which university he represented in the "Oxford Eight." the late Mr Baker was an accomplished cricketer. He was a member of the Canterbury Fifteen which defeated the First Australian Eleven which came to the colony, and formed one of Ncilson's team which visited Victoria in 1878.

In the Review cf the River Plate, of April 26, the batting and bowling a\eragea of th« past cricket t>pasnn arc published. The name of an old Dunodinite— Andrew Macclonald, now representing: the New Zealand Insuronce Company at Bueno* Ayies. — appears prominently in both list". He was one of nine batsmen to scors over 300 runs in the season, and he is ninth in order in the> batting figures, his average being 20.25 runs per innings for 17 innings (once not out), in which he scored 324- runs. His highest score ir mi innings was 81. He i 3 tenth in the bowling averages, having obtained 1 36 wickets for 700 runs in 244 over 3 (59 maidens) — an average cost of 19 H runs per wicket.

Anglo-Australian Albert Trott was in good form with the ball for M.C.C. against Lancashire, concluded on May 10. The exHawke's Bay coach bagged five Lancashire wickets for 73 runs.

It is reported from England that G. L. Jessop, the English cricketer, becam-e engaged to be married to Miss Osborae, of New South Wales, while voj-aging to England in the Omrah.

Yorkshire and Sussex played a drawn Kamo on May 14. Yorkshire 302 and 182 for five wickets. Tunnieliffe 10 and 79, T. L. Taylor 74 and 28, Denton 99 and 17, Hirst 21 and 27 (not out), and Rhodes 25 were top scorers for Yorkshire. Sursex 232 and 126 for three wickets 0. B. Fry 68 an-1 70, Vine 52 and 0, Marlow 18 and 31 (not out).

Essex and Yorkshire played a drawn game on Saturday, May 10; principal feature of an otherwise uninteresting display waa 101 (not out) compiled by Yorkshire amateur cricketer F. S. Jackson. On-ly 13 wickets fell. Eleven Essex bats could only put together £9 ; York-hire 171 for three, wickets.

M.C.C v. Lancashire, concluded on May 10, was drawn. Chief feature wa= the batting of W. G. Grace, who compiled 24 ;n MC C. first innings and carried out his bat for a ma=terly 61, and ex-Australian W. L. Muidoch, who made 0 aud 68. Murdoch's hits included a. 5 and soven 4's. M.C.C. S7 and 151 for three wickets. W. G. Grace 2A and 61 (not cut). Albert Trott could only put together 7 runa. On Lancashire side, ouf of a tota> of 194, Cut tell 39. Eccle* 36. and Ward 30, were top scorer? As events turned out, Marylebone comfortably saved the match. Ihe famous vetorans, W. G. Grace and W. 1,. Murdoch, playing remarkably fine crick?-t on a rapidly wicket, p.nd actually clearing off the arrears without los 3. The eA-cellon.cc of tlua performance readily brought to mind the fine form shown by the same pair against Surrey at the. Crybtal Palace afc the end of April. On that occasion each came within a few runs of the century and on Saturday oaoh exceeded 60. That the respective captains of England and Australia in the !on« ago should have retained th-^ir ski'l at a time* when thfir united ages exceed a hundred years, is (=avf London Sportsman) truly wonderful, and he wouM be a captious critic indeed who could find fault with Saturday's display, when Murdoch and Grace rattled up 120 runs for the firaf wicket in 90 minute=. One- mighty hit by "W. G." sent the ball eloan oV"er the grand stand into an adjoining Rarrlr-n, but, o'l the whole, it was Murdoch who played tho brighter tho Australian indulging in a greater variety of strokes, and making many a delightful cut and innumerable brilliant hits on the leg side.

In their match against Warwickshire at Birmingham on Saturday, May 10, Surrey had an uphill task, as, after 'being led by 98 runs on the first innings, they v/ero eventually set the task of trying to get 201 to win in two hours. Two wickets fell for 22, but Abel and Lockwood wore down the attack and effected a draw.

The Cambridge cricketer, Mr C. H. Ebd*>n, who batted bo well for the University in the first innings against the Australian Eleven, is a grandson of Mr Charles Hotson Ehd-en, an old Victorian politician aud pioneer. He was a large property owner in Melbourne at on© time, and is said to have been the first man who crossed the Murray River with a mob of cattle. At the beginning of May a complimentary dinner was tendered to L. C. Braund by the Richmond Town Cricket Club in honour of his great succors with Maclaren's team in Australia. In the course of the evening he was presented with a silver cigar and cigarette case.

The honour of obtaining the first century in first-class cricket in England this season fell to Lockwood, who made 102 for Surrey against Worcestershire afc the Oval. Quite a number of men ran him exceedingly close, Dr Grace, V. Crawford, and C. J. B. Wood having each scored 97, while W. L. Murdoch made 92.

The comparative rates of scoring of the most prolific batsmen in the opening match of the Australians at the Crystal Palace are here 6hovm : —

Lord Howe, a« president of the Marylebone Club last season, nominated as his successor Mr A. G. Steel, the famous cricketer, who will be remembered aa the great all-round player at the Hon. Ivo Bligh's teanr out to Australia about 20 years ago. He was on« of the unbeaten Cambridge University Eleven of 1878, which

Gregory's Australian team. One can. quite understand, says> Sydney Referee, the im--mense satisfaction, felt in cricketing circles by this appointment of Mr Steel to the presidency of the M.C.C. An English paper, published just before the Australians commenced their first match, says: — "Clem Hill, the brilliant Australian left-hander, has put up quite a record at Lord's. It was he who drove the hissing ball that split and dislocated Trumble'3 right thumb, incapacitating the long Victorian proba-bly for -two or three weeks. His next deadly performance was to hit a ball on to Syd. Gregory, inflicting a bruise which will not fade for two or three days. Hill was 'awfully sorry,' but on Friday he pursued his decimating career by sending a bumpy ball on to the chin of little Carter, the second wicketkeeper. Carter had his hands up to his face in a flash, apd actually held the balJ, but the blow on his chin was terrific, and shook him up badly. His face feels very sore. Truly, the Australians are in the wars. Curiously enough, the destruction ha 3 all come about in their owa camp." Since that was written, it has unfortunately transpired that Trumble's injury incapacitated him for five weeks, and that; continued bad luck has come to the Australians from outside their own camp in the shape of colds and influenza.

The Australians seem to have already settled down into a first-rate and well-bal-anced team. Their brilliant and unexpected viotory over Surrey, with weather and tho clock both against them, at onco starons them as a formidable side (say 6 London Sportsman), and even in- the frequently interrupted play on the first two days, they made a far better impression that a.t tha. trial trip at the Crystal Palace. All tho men who went tn the wickofc at the Oval appeared anxious to falsify the forecast that they would prove a slow hatting side. A far more attractive game is played than in 1599, so we need anticipate no renewal of the whimsical but artistic performance of tho "Dead March" m "Saul," whistled by the crowd at Lord's when Darling and Iredale were batting at what one spectator called "the giddy pace- of four runs an, hour! "

Panegyrics on Trumpor must be abbreviated, else- adjeotives will be exhausted before the close of the season. His innings was superb, and ths way in which lie effected hooks to l?g wsu simply masterly. Hill hit clean and haul after starting shakily. Duff did not make many on Monday, and the way in which he grasps his bat — close to tho handle — tends to shorten, his reach. Prior to the decision, most judicially arrived at, Noble and Armstrong gave a capital display. There was a ripple of interest when Saundera started to bowl under the eye of Phillips, but on Tuesday evening, whilst there was no suspicion about his delivery, he merely k^pt a good length. Next morning, by mixing up his balk, he managed to effect the commencement of the Surrey collapse. Armstrong looked more difficult, and with three consecutive 'ballsabsolutely beat Abel. His delivery iv at times dubious, and Alfred Sha-w might have boen justified in penalising his very; first ball, by far his least orthodox. liowell bowled superbly, recalling hia. work in the companion match three years ego. The balls of "the bee-farmer" were either dead ou the wicket or ehs broke quite two fe-st from the off, but his occasional le^-ball seems less" formidable. Noble was equal^to his colleagues, and puzzled those> he did~To6 capture. Carter is a capital wicketkefper, quite acrobatic in his agility. He earned a special cheer from tile spectators. und directly after the match shook hands with Darling. That wily ok! pkiper modified his field with consummate judgment, and all the men were very smart.

AUSTRALIA v. SCOTLAND

LONDON. June 30.

The following is the Scottish cricket team to play against the Australians: — i R. H. Johnston, Tom Johnston, Jupan, Sharp, Anderson, Stevenson, Hole, Campbell, Downs, Hunter, Pepall.

Jessop Darling Trumper Braund "i Runs. .. 47 .. 92 „ 64 .. 104 Time. Average. H. Mm. per hour. 0.40 70.50 1.45 52.57 1.15 61.20 2.10 48.00