CRICKET.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14143, 1 March 1910, Page 7

CRICKET.

AUSTRALIA V. CANTERBURY. A DRAWN GAME. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 28. Lancaster Park has never been the ecene of a match more eventful and interesting than that which ended in a draw, the Australians requiring 34 to win with two wickets to fall. Play was continued till 6.15 by mutual arrangement. The play, like that of the two preceding days, was full of interest from start to finish. First there was a very spirited wagging of the Canterbury tail, when Borne batting as brilliant as it was unexpected was witnessed. Then after" lunch there was a prospect of seeing the Australians facing a total of 340 with four hours to get them._ An exciting hour followed, in which oome of the cream of Australian batsmen were mown down for the small score of five for 89. Then followed a memorable and magnificent display of batting which was uphill all the way, for time did not permit of a win—a draw was the best that could be looked for. The Australian skipper's feat of playing throughout the afternoon in the face of such odds will long be romembered by those who were fortunate enough to witness it, and it must be voted as one of the soundest innings ever played in a big match in Christchurch. The Canterbury may ho considered fortunate in having such fine weather throughout the match. To-day the bright sunshine wa» tempered by a light easterly left nothing to be desired. Considering there was no holiday in town the attendance was good; indeed it is doubtful if a cricket match ever drew such a crowd at Lancaster Park on an off day, the gate takings amounting to £lO3 14s, thus making the aggregate takings for the match £342. . The game has been a most enjoyable one for both players and spectators, the arrangements made being complete in every respect. The Canterbury men showed by their good batting that their good score of the first innings was no fluke. Both Reese and Sims batted excellently at the start, making their runs by irreproachable strokes, and Ridley was going exceedingly well when he fellfrom a splendid hit into the long field, but Bennett really carried off the batting honours among the local men, and Eb contribution of 37 was got by good allround cricket. He made no mistake in picking out the hitable balls, and he was fully proof against all Armutrong's wiles. He made his runs by clean and forceful strokes, his driving in particular being marked by good timing and great force. Boxshall contributed a useful 20, and he made them by a combination of careful defence and nice hitting. There was general regret that the innings closed before Sandman had a chance to further show his hitting powers, for the only two balls he got he sent clean over the boundary with lovely strokes. It wns generally expected that the Australians would make a big effort to got the 341 runs required, and doubtless they would have done so but v series of reverses in the early part of the innings and the slowness of the ficdrinp as a result of good bowling and fielding during the first hour, practically -left the visitors without hope of making the runs in the time at their disposal. Had the ArmstrongMnyno partnership commenced early in the innings there is little doubt the inns would have been hit off. Ab it was the batting lacked the brilliancy that would almost assuredly have been seen had the side been playing with a fair hope of getting the runs.

Nevertheless the partnership between i Armstrong and Mayne was a tine ex- ' hibition of sound and stylish batting, j Anyone who saw Armstrong batting | can as easily understand how he got i his reputation of being at his best when there is the sorest need for it. | To attempt to eulogise his strokes would be like attempting to paint the lily. For 3£ hours he batted without making a bad stroke. Defence was his first consideration, and it was impregnable. He took no risks, and until the last half hour's play he hardly lifted a ball off the ground; his strokes in all directions were for the most part faultless, and under ordinary circumstances his' 149 would have been worth very much more, for with about three men near the long field boundary very many of his best shots only brought singles. He never gave a semblance of a chance until he had made 145. Mayne was an admirable second to his skipper. He was not nearly so solid in "his defence, but he scored faster, and from start to finish he made his runs by masterly strokes, as varied as they were skilful. He had two or three lives. He was missed at mid-on when he was 66. and should have been run out a little later. Notwithstanding these and a possible chance in the slips, he ulayed beautiful cricket right through. Of the other batsmen, Simpson and Kelleway alone reached double figures. The former did not. impress one with the , idea that he was anything more than an average batsman, whilst Kelleway's play was cramped, as though he was unduly harassed by the gravity of the situation. Canterbury's out cricket was very fine; it never flagged, and the home side was never really "rattled." Bennet bowled magnificently; no liberties could be taken with him at any time, and the fact that he sent down 29 overs and was bowling just as well at the finish as at any time, stanins him as a great "stayer." Carlton bowled very steadily, but at times lacked the accuracy of length and direction of Bennett. The local men gave a most creditable display of fielding. They had a tremendous quantity of "hot stuff " to stoo, and they came through the ordeal with all credit. Had it not been for two or three missed chances towards the close of the ulay, the exhibition of fielding would have ranked with the best ever seen on the ground. .Boxshall was at the ton of his form with the gloves, only letting two balls past him for bves. The scores were as follows: CANTERBURY.—Ist Iniings, 321. a Second Innings. W. R. Patrick, c Kelleway, b Armstrong ; 22 H. B. Lusk, b Emery 35 W. Carlton, b Emery 6 A. Sims, b Hopkins 33 D. Reese, b Armstrong ..> ; 41 A. E. Ridley, c and b Hopkins ... 15 S. A. Orchard, b Armstrong 0 T. Carlton, b Armstrong 2 J. H. Bennett, b Whitty 87 ,C. Boxshall, b Whitty ~.!. 20 |D. Sandman, not out !!!!!!! 32 Extras /'!!!!!! 36

_ ~ T °tal 259 Bowling analysis.—Whittv 2 for 31. Armstrong 4 for 83, Kell'ewav 0 for 13, Emery 2 for 22, Simraon 0 for 7 Facey 0 for 22. Hopkins" 2 for 45 AUSTRALIANS.—Ist Innings, 240. Second Innings. \\ Bardslay, st Boxshall, b Bennett t n W. W. Armsra-onff, not"out".""" 149 C. E. Simpson, b Carlton IS D. Smith, b Bennett o A. J. Hopkins, 1 b.w., b Bennett"! .2 8 Emery, b Bennett o F. R. Mayne, 1.b.w., b Reese '.'.'. 102 C. Kelleway, c Box-shall, b T. Carlton 17 N. Dodds, b Bennett".!!!!!!!'.!!!!!!! 5 A. C. Facey, not out !.!!! 7 Extras '/ 7 Total for eight wickets ... 307 Bowling analysis.—J. H. Bennett ■'!- for 87, T. Carlton 3 for 75, D. Sandman 0 for 57, D. Reese 1 for 58, S. A. Orchard 0 for 6, W. Carlton 0 W 17. The following will represent South End in the match against Timaru C, on Thursday on the Park ground, play commencing at 2.15 sharp:—Cave, Cornish, Douglas (2), Hill, Hedges, Kane, Malcolmson, Manly, Moore, Warburton; emergency, Latimer. Any of the above unable to play are requested to inform the secretary early. The following will represent timaru C on Thursday against South End, at the Park: —Bain, Cox, Fisher, Gibson, Glasgow, Gresson, Guinness, Holderness, Raymond, Tennent, and Wright; emergency, J. Lynch. On Saturday against Temuka, at Temuka: —Bain, Cox, Gibson, Glasgow, Guinness, Holderness, Meechan, J. Lynch, Raymond, Tennent, Wright; emergency, Donohue.