The Second Great Cricket Match.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6294, 15 February 1892, Page 4

The Second Great Cricket Match.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports :— A dull day broke, and when play started it was at once apparent that the wicket was pracically on its beat behaviour, exception being of oourae taken for a solitary ball that got up at long intervals. The number, 229, had become a charm ; it had gained a mystical power that people could neither avoid or shake off. Hardware, softgoods, scrip, stock, and all the serious responsibilities of commerce and professional duties were for the time laid aside, and the only calculation that men seriously took up was, " Can the Englishmen make the runs?" Taking the average throughout the innings, the old country team required just under 23 runs per wicket to win ; and never once did they reach that average. Bub it wanted very little play yesterday to show that three wickets would never again fall in that innings for 11 runs. The English batting was not yet broken, and for the start it remained to be seen whether Maurice Read and Stoddart would worthily fill their places, and whether Read could do anything worthy of his big score of 133 against Yorkshire or against the North of England last season. He and the^ Middlesex man made a powerful combination such as would quickly find out a weak spot in the bowling. At once the batsmen showed that they intended to take no risks, for just now a wicket lost or a few runs put on might turn the scale to defeat or victory. Blackham placed his men to a hair's breadth, gave the bowling to Turner for the opening with Giffen as his partner, and THE DUEL TO THE DEATH commenced. A leg ball was always looked on as good for runs, a straight one was played, and an off theory watched carefully as it went by untouched. The batsmen could not afford to try experiments, and yet they were doing well. How fast the runs seemed to mount up on the scoring board. Up go 20 and 30. This will never do for Australia, and Blackham tries what resources there are m his change bowling. What a pity McLcod had to go away on Tuesday ! He took rive wickets for 53 runs in the first innings of the test match in Melbourne, and now he would have been invaluable at first change. But the batsmen are merciless, and 40 go up. No, the numbers are taken down ; true, but only to give place to 50. By some mysterious chance a ball gets clean past Blackham, and the Australian captain watches three byes run with a look of melancholy. Probably lie is giving himself a severe lecture. The bowling is too good to go without results, and when George Giffen scooped up the ball from a low, straight drive by Reed, the South Australian had well earned the wicket. The spectators liked it well, but still there was reserve in their applause, for had not THAT WICKET TUT OX OVER 50 RUXS ? Peel trudges across from the pavilion, and shows that he will either do or die. He dies. Did he care so little for the watchful eye and quick hand of Blackham that he must jump out at two successive balls — one hit to the fence, and another intended for it ? But good intentions fail, and the error of the second cost him his life. With the same swing of his bat as that with which he made the hit, he threw himself round again for his crease. Quick, certainly- The stroke and the after swing of the bat could not have been made with greater speed, but thei-e was a move like a flash behind the wicket, and the bails went flying to right and left as Blackham performed a marvellous piece of stumping. Five for 83, and still the issue was doubtful. Would Stoddart never go ? He was the rock against which the bowling was now breaking. There was neither peace nor safety for the Australians while he remained. Next Lohmann played his part, another costly wicket. Six for 117. Now the end began to show itself, for even with Stoddart the remaining bats were not worth another 112 ; but ■v THE END WAS HASTENING more rapidly than was expected. It seemed quite a simple ball that Turner sent down to Stoddart ; he played at it apparently in an easy manner, and yet his wicket was spread out like a fan, the ball slapping the^stumps with a sharp rattling sound. Then at length the spectators gave vent to their pent-up feelings in a riot of excitement, for they knew that the last sound piece of the defence had been beaten down. No longer did that terrible number 229 haunt them, and, undisturbed by fear, they were able to look on in comparative complacency. Giffen faced McGregor, and came down with his customary sharp run. Immediately he delivered the ball the South Australian sprang wildly in the air. McGregor had driven the ball back above the bowler's head. True, but not safely. x\s high as he could reach, Giffen threw his handsin the air. Was there a spice of luck in it ? Perhaps. The biill should have gone for a couple of runs at least, but instead of doing so the check sent it into the air almost directly upwards, and Giffen had the pleasure of seeing it sink down into his own hands. The average was now Coming down with a vengeance, 8 for 140. Again Giffen made his run, again the batsman played forward, another catch, this time an easy one, and Giffen received an ovation such as he will not forget for many a day a» he disposed of AttewelL LAST .SCEMi OK ALL. Sharpe and Briggs at the wickets, and the Englishmen nearly 90 runs behind. The suspense was soon at an end, Brigys being the victim, and the innings closed for loG runs, the Australians thus winning the most excited match ever played in Australia by 72 runs. For a time the spectators rushed about as though demented, such hand-shaking, such congratulations, such cheei-ing and waving of hats, canes and umbrellas. In town the scene was repeated, and throughout the day the newspaper offices and other sources of information were surrounded by impatient crowds. A presentation of nearly 100 sovereigns was made after the match to Lyons and Bannerman conjointly from the public, and the healths of the two teams were drunk very warmly, Grace expressing the opinion that but for some chances missed by his men in the field the finish would have been closer. It would be ungenerous and unjust to refer specially to any particular colony as having contributed a greater or lesser share to the victory. The batting of Lyons, Bannerman, and Bruce, the bowling of Turner and George Giffen, the wicketkeeping of Blackham, and the fielding of the whole team, all had their place and helped to win, whilst amongst the losers honorable mention must be made to Abel's score of 132 not out. There was a tendency at times on the part of some of the spectators to display hostility towards Grace, but it is only fair to the English captain to state that the incident out of which this feeling sprang was founded on fiction.