The Star. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1894. Cricket in Canterbury.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4868, 6 February 1894, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1894. Cricket in Canterbury.

Some five years a 3 'o it »vas confidently affirmed by those who claimed to be authorities teat public interest in cricket was fearfully tick and the resuscitation of the noble game to public favour perfectly hopeless. There is nothing, however, certain in cricket, and the truthfulness of the adage has been verified by its sudden and complete revival. Never, even in its most palmy days, have bo many people i been gathered together in Canterbury to witness a cricket match as a36embled in . Lancaster Park last Saturday, and never ' in all her honourable cricketing annalß has Canterbury been so ably represented in the field. The memorable match against Auckland eerved to open the • eyes of the public t:> the fact that Christchurch possessed playerj of more than ; ordinary ability, and enthusiasm over the performances of Messrs Cnff and Lawrence i had not died away before a feeling of high expectancy was aroused as to what our • representatives were capable o£ accomplish- , ing against much more formidable antagonists. That the Chrißtchurch eleven 1 would keep green the cricketing laurels i so worthily won on many a hard-foughi ' field was confidently anticipated by - all New Zealand. When the New , South Wales representatives defeated . the Auckland playera they were in- • genuously told to "Wait till you get tc ' Christchurch." When they achieved theii "x victory over the Hawke's Bay cricketerj ' they were again eerioußly advised tc 1 "Wait till you get to Christchurch." Al • Wellington, the counsel passed into a ■ song, " Wait till you get to Christchurch !' ! Christchuroh, therefore, has been, and it • regarded as the stronghold of cricket ie New Zealand, and, in the recent match, \ our players have been charged with the duty of maintaining not only their loca. - reputation, but the cricketing honour oi \ the colony. How far our cricketer hav< j ustified the confidence bo lavishly besto wee upon them, all Australasia by this tinu ■ knows. The New South Wales playen [ knew that if they were in danger ol ■ Buffering defeat at the bands of anj ' provincial eleven, it would be at Christ \ church. They were led to expect, by the general voice aa well as by recani 1 records, high-clas3 cricket at Chriutchurcb and they can scarcely aver that they hay« been disappointed. In cricket, as in al! outdoor games, there is an element oi char.cc or lack — it constitutes one of th< charms of the pastime— but the teat ol ability on the part of a batsman is t< avoid giving chance*, and on the part of £ fielder in accepting them. In the receni match the luck appeara to have beei pretty fairly divided, whilst in the varioui ■ departments of the game — in battiog. bowling, and fielding— the Chrhtchurcl players have proved themselves superior To win by an innings and seven rum speaks for itself. A doubt may be expressed as to whebhei the combination team which it is proposed t) pat into the field on behalf of New Zealand is really stionger thin the eleven which represented Christchurch. Onlj threa of the Christchurch batsmen failec t> attain to double figures, and of tho3( three two were eood bats, whilst the third waa "not out." It can ecarcely be expected of the combined team that thej will improve upon thiß performance, Powke may be a better wicket-keepei than Collins, and if he is sent to the wicket as oae ol the firdt to wield the willow, he may be expected to render good service in Btonewalling the bowling, but it is vain to hope that he will contribute substantially to the score as Collins did. Again, it may be anticipated that the combined team will rely very largely upon Labatfc and Robertson &c bowlers, bowlers markedly different in theii style, and consequently, when together, very effective. It in addition to these two players further bowling talent iß necessary, it is doubtful whether amongst the substitutes for Chrißtchurch players better bowlers can be found than Messrs Palmer and Pearce, both of whom took three wickets in the second innings of the visitors, besides contributing to the Canterbury score. In every team a greai deal of strength is derived from the players working together and knowing each other's play, and to a considerable extent thie element will be wanting in the combined team. The New South Wales captain proposes to strengthen his team by the substitution of either Newell or Coninghom for one of the players in the recent match, and failing these, there is mention of Turner. New Zealandera have already had Home experience of Newell's quality, although doubtless he has much improved since bis last visit. He has recently been added to the first flight of New South Walee cricketers, and has signalised his advent to that poaition by Bcoring sixty in the second innings of his colony against Victoria. Coningham went to England last year as h member of the Australian team. He is a fast bowler and a good batsman. Either of these two players would unquestionably add very materially to the strength of the visitors. Notwithstanding this, however, New Zealand should win the match, and should it do so we venture the opinion that the time has arrived when, in the interest of colonial cricket and intercolonial gocd fellowship, a team should be sent from this colony to measure its strength against the first elevens of Australia. One striking feature of cricket in New Zealand must have forced itself upon the notice of our visitors, that is the absence of the "barracker." Neither on the field nor amongst the onlookers ia the "barracker" to be found in New Zealand. In this colony the players and the patrons of cricket conduct themselves

as gentlemen. In this colony there are c not wanting slangy wits of a low order g but they confine their eccentricities to a fields that ara exclusively their own. ! £ — — ♦ -^