THE AUSTRALIANS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8249, 23 February 1905, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIANS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

TO-MORROW'S MATCH. AUSTRALIA V. CANTERBURY. Athletic sports of all kinds haye loomed largely in the public eye m recent years. Within the most recent memory is the great event of the football year, the visit of an English team. prior to that was the visit of an English cricket team, against which the colony gave a more than creditable showing, cycling has quite lately had its Major Taylor, athletics are to pe brought to a place of greater importance than ever before by the visit pf the world-famed Shrubb -and Duiiey, and just at the present moment cricket is in the forefront again with the visit ol the Australian Eleven, which is shortly to visit England with the intention of bringing back to Australia " The Ashes/' tne fruit of the Homeric contests- played annually between the Mother Country and the Commonwealth. That New Zealand haa been 'fortunate in obtaining a visit from a team worthy of such a purpose no one will deny, and the good fortune of the present-clay cricketer is the more emphasised by the infrequency of visits to the colony from teams of the best calibre. It is needless to say that the team which landed in Auckland less than three weeks ago is capable of giving an exposition of cricket second to none in tho world. It is tho fifth Australian Eleven that has visited the colony, and there are critics who say that the 1905 combination is as strong a bat-r ting sido as any that haa. represented Australia. The two matches already played would seam to show that this stat-ement cannot easily be disputed. The career of the team will proba&ly be a triumphal progress,' so tar as /New Zealand is concerned, and in that respect it will be not unlike its predecessors. Away back in 1878 Gregory's team visited the colony, and only tnree years later, in 1881, the combination captained bj Murdoch made a tour from Invercargill to Auckland. A feature of the tour for Canterbury was that the province played only fifteen men, while everywhere else twenty-two took the field. The surprise of the tour was effected in Wanganui, where the visitors were beaten by ten wickpt3, after making a poor showing. In 1886 the team which had gone Home under Scott's captaincy played a series of matches in the chief centres. On this occasion Canterbury played eighteen men and made a very creditable , draAv, the Australians having to get 137 runs with five wiciiets in hand when time was called. The fourth Australian Eleven was in the colony in 1896, and played live matches, winning liiree and drawing two,. Canterbury waived its claim to a match on that occasion ; in order that a Now Zealand match might be played at Lancaster Park, and the doings of that game will, be still fresh in the minds pt cricketers. Trumble's wonderful work all round, Gregory's lightning fielding, Darling's tremendous hitting, and the bowling ef Jones and Eady, almost too -fast to be seen, are still" matters of comment among followers of the game. New Zealand was beaten by five wickets, but was not disgraced, and for mauy years to come the team which did such good service for the colony will be spoken of as the representation of New Zealand cricket at its zenith. Now the fifth team is actually within the boundaries of Christchurch, carrying with it the record of victory in one match, . and moral victory in another. True to its traditions Canterbury has been bold enough to arrange to meet the visitors on even terms, and to-morrow at 2 p.m. eleven Australians and eleven of Canterbury's b&t will meet at Lancaster Park. It is a bold ventui'e, and one that has given rise to no little criticism, but, after all, the British spirit must assert itself, and the popularity of the decision to " scrap it out on even terms ' must be very strongly affirmed. Judged by the standard of Australian criticism, Canterbury's task is to be an arduous one, for it is pretty well agreed, as stated by " Not Out " in the Sydney "Referee" that "They (the Australians) are a very powerful batting side on good wickets, and very fair all-round on bad ones." The weak point of the team, compared with its predecessors, is bowling, and that especially on slow wickets. If appearances go for anything and if, again, the weather holds, Lancaster Park will not provide a slow wicket. It may be expected then that the scoring on one side at least will be heavy. So far as the tour has gone Trumper, Hill,, Duff, Gregory, Kelly, M'Leod and Armstrong have shown good batting form, and they may be depended on again.? They will have to meet bowling that cannot be beaten in the colony, and there is no fear of the home team'B batting failing. ' Its work with the bat this season has been quite up to the^best Standard of provincial cricket, and the team contains players of experience, who should give an excellent account of themselves. The criticism of the team may be summed up as follows: — . A. Sims (captain) is probably the best bat in the colony, having a great variety of scoring strokes. He can bowl a slow ball and fields smartly. H. C. Ridley gets wisdom with age, and is batting in first-class form. A3 a field he is one of the best points the province has had. C. Boxshall keeps wickets, and can make runs when the bowling gets tired. His hitting is always popular. S. A. Orchard hits "like a steam hammer," and is safe in the long-field, where he is famous for patches. H- Ellis has less experience than most of the others, but has been batting very soundly. He fields well anywhere, and can keep wickets. J. H. Bennett is a bowler who has done great service for his side, and is improving. He is a useful bat. S. T. Callaway is the first bowler of the team, and probably of the colony. He fields well in the slips, and bats' vigorously. He has represented Australia. A. Barron, a re?ont arrival in Christchurch, has T^oa showing excellent form with the b :>.':, x K. M. Ollivier, ponuiarly known as " the mainstay," is the best field in the team. He can stop anything between point and squareJeg, and likes to do it. He is a very patient bat. R. Reid, is new to interpitovincial cricket, having been promoted to first grade cricket this season. He is-'bowl-lng well. J. D- Lawrence has a record of representative matches that takes a lot* of oounting. When not troubled by nervousness, he is a sound bat. There is no keener field in the team, and he is a good change bowler. The match will begin at two o'clock to-morrow afternoon. Special arrangements have been made at Lancaster Park for the accommodation oi spectators, the ground has undergone a very careful preparation, and there is every indication of' an exceptionally interesting game. The Australian team will be chosen to-morrow morning.