INVERCARGILL V. CAMPBELLTOWN.

Southland Times, Issue 4491, 1 December 1882, Page 2

INVERCARGILL V. CAMPBELLTOWN.

[By Long Stop]. The return match between these clubs was played yesterday on the Eastern Reserve, and resulted in a victory for the Bluff players by 16 runs, the I.C.C. making 45 in their first innings, and their opponents 61. In the second innings the local men were scoring fust, but time did not permit the game to be continued, the wickets being by arrangements between the respective captains drawn at 3.15 p.m. The main feature of the match was the determined play of the visitors, who showed the local men how much can be accomplished by defensive tactics. The I.C.C. players need to be reminded that to play cricket tolerably well it is absolutely necessary to keep a, few of the straight balls off the stumps. At practice it may be very well to lunge at every inviting ball, but in a match the circumstances are different, for no second chance is then forthcoming. The I.C.C. committee have evidently underrated the strength of the Bluff players or they would surely have put at least three or four first eleven men in the team. Due courtesy to the visitors required that this should have been done. The idea appears to have been that any eleven members of the I.C.C. are capable of competing successfully with the Campbelltown players. Thursday's match will teach that this notion is decidedly erroneous. A bowler like Wilson, who can vary his pace and pitch with excellent judgment, should have two or three batsmen against him who know how to defend their wickets. When the noxt match is played against the C.C.C. the committee of the local club will do well to put as many of their best players in the team as possible.

The play may be very briefly described. Kingsland, the. I.C.C. captain, won the toss and , decided to take first innings — not a wise decision, for the wicket was all in favir o£ the bowlers, Qalbraith aod Mori*

son took strike, and having made 4 and 2 respectively, allowed Wilson to reach their stumps. Kingsland scored 3, and found the same bowler too much for him. Hamilton batted well for 10, and none of the others, except perhaps Morgan, who handled his bat with some little skill, didanything worthy of mention. The innings closed for 45, of which 11 were extras. Wilson and Lee proved very destructive bowlers, the former getting 7 wickets for 14 runs.

• With such a small score to exceed the Bluff batsmen commenced their innings with confidence, all the greater because Mitchell, the I.C.C. wicket-keeper, was unexpectedly absent. The batting was not brilliant, but it was patient, dogged, and, in the end, successful. Kingsland was the only bowler who obtained wickets, but he did not come up to his usual form. Nevertheless he secured 7 wickets for 26 runs. The highest scoiers were Young with 8, Henderson with 6, Lee with 7, and Ryan with a very creditably obtained 21. The total was 61, or 16 more than that secured by the I.C.C. team. In the second inniogs,lhe local batsmen showed much better form, Kingsland getting 17, Galbraith 9, and Morison not out 20, v or 50 for the loss of two wickets. Time did not permit the innings to be coucluded, S0 one can only speculate as to what would have been the issue of the game had both innings been played out by each side. The third match for the season between the two clubs will be played at the Bluff, but the date has not yet been fixed.