THE SECOND TEST MATCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7294, 6 January 1902, Page 2

THE SECOND TEST MATCH.

The second cricket match between Maclaren's English) team! and Australia, which ended on Saturday, was in many respects as unsatisfactory as "tUie first. Nobody would! be so (foolish as to pretend that either furnished! ai true test of the comparative stoength of -tfhe two teams. In the first match th© Australians collectively, as. well as individually, failed, to sustain .th© reputations they have won both on tlheir own grounds and in England, and in last week's fixture they were the spoiled children of fortune. Two lessons may be learned from last week's contest. One is that success in a Test Match does not always depend" upon winning the toss, and the othep-that the time has arrived -when precautions should be taken in important cricket matches to protect the pitch from rain. In the past it has been the custom to regard the side which bats first in an international match as well on tibe road: to victory. It goes in on a new wicket, it is frestfi and vigorous, and fche result probably is that it makes a huge score. Its opponents, on th c other hand, are forced to. bat on a pitch which, well as pitches last in Australia, is seldom unaffected by tihe wear and tear of a long innings, and when they are tired owing to their exertions in the field. The consequence is generally that the team which bats firsifc establishes a lead in the first innings which it never loses. In some respects last week's game was no exception to this rule, and in others it was. The English captain wen the 'toss, but sent his opponents in. The latter won, and thus victory rested with ths side, Which went in first, but not with the team, which won the toss. With regard to the question of protecting thevpitch from rain, commonsense is certainly in favour of such an arrangement. Under any other conditions a cricket match very often becomes no test of the merits of the .rival teauna, but simply a question of luck. For instance, last week the Australians 'had the luck in tihe shape of a •few # hours' batting on the only dry wicket provided during the match, with the result that they won. On another occasion *he tables might be turned, and! then beyond all question the Englishmen would win. Under the conditions which govern them it can hardly be claimed 'that Test Matches are always test in more than name.