CRICKET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11027, 16 March 1914, Page 5

CRICKET.

TO BIG GAME. OUR PRESTIGE RESTORED. COOD BOWLING, FINE FIELDING. (By SQUARE LEG.) •_ . The question most often hoard in ;he streets on Saturday morning was: What will they make? And, in tlio light of their recent achievements, it would have been difficult to find' anyone silly enough to prophesy that Canterbury would dismiss the powerlul Australian' eleven in two hours and, three-quarters, or thereabouts, for 13(3 runs. But that is what actually occurred on Saturday ; for .it will bo remembered that 57 of their total of 213 had been made on Friday evening, and i'no wickets had fallen; therefore the ' wholo team had to be got out. on Sat- ! urday. and they only added' 196 to ! the 57 previously made. I think it 'will be conceded that on Friday the 'Australians eased oil' somewhat in their attack. ! tlad they played throughout tnat ,' day us keenly as they began, Cantcr- | bury's scoro might have been lower I thaii it was. However, it is inevitably i that nnv team that goes into the field ' knowing, or thinking itself to be much superior lo its opponent team, slnck- ' ens off somewhat: and the Australians have had such a siring of huge successes to their credit that they may bo pardoned' for thinking they had a soft thing on when meeting Cunter- , bury for the §»cond time. Had they I not' given us a. thoroughly sound drub- ' liiug when they met us a fortnight < ago? And had they net beaten a New Zealand team comfortably last week? And when three good Canterbury wickets had .fallen for ten runs in tins match, a certain amount ol slackness uas bound to creep m. However, there was no suspicion of slackness in Saturday's same. Ihoy had not only bo beat' Canterbury's score, which did not seem to be a great ta.sk. They know that a great concours-e or people bad gathered together to sec champions bat, and' they intended to disport their prowess to the utmost. | GOOD OUT CRICKET. I To good judges of the game, however, it became apparent early in the day that every run scored would he well earned. Ido not suppose that we have, ever seen a Letter exhibition of fielding than that seen on Lancaster Park on Saturday before lunch, indeed, the' general fielding was good all the innings, but in the moriiing it was absolutely flawless. Bishop was like a ■ cat, and on one- occasion gave M'Ken•sde'such a shock that caused him and the other batsmen to treat him vvith the greatest respect thereafter. M'lvenzie made a brilliant cover stroke wide of Bishop's right hand'. It seemed to he quite out "of his reach, and the hatsman called a run. The St Albans iudiarubber man, however, sprang to it, and not only stopped it, but picked it up cleanly and returned it truly and quicldv to Monaghan, the bowler. He also 'did his part well, am} M'Kenzio, after a great effort, justgot home. Woods, at mid-off, also did great work, and these two thoroughly deserved' the rounds of" applause meted out to them, by the spectators. I have singled out these- two for special mention, because they had most to do, but there was not a- weak man ,on the side, and, contrary to the ' usual experience-, the returning to the wickets was for the most part accurate. Box-shall put up another good performance, ■He took.the only chance given, a low catch on the off, which got M'Kenzie out, and he only allowed four byes (three of which were given on Friday evening), though he had several wide-ones to stop on both sides of the wicket. THE BOWLING. ,

Our old friend, "Joe" Bennett, Again carried off the honours. How often ho has done it! Before the New Zealand _ team left foi'■ Australia I stated', in answer to criticisms about Bennett's inclusion in tlie team, that lie was howling better, batting better and fielding better than at any pre- j vious period of his career. His per-1 formance since there sentiments . were i expressed hare fully borne out my! opinion, as in the four big matches in which he has played since his return from Australia he has secured the ; the trying ordeal against the formidable Australians with a greatly enhanced reputation. Monaghan did excellent service in dismissing Waddy and Mailey. "Waddy hit outside a swinger, and dragged it into his wicket. Mailey hit one back- very hard, Monaghan brought off a good catch shoulder high. He was punished' <i good deal after luncheon, when ho appeared to he 'howling too much on tbe leg side. Sandman was not bowled a. grcat_ deal, hut he did good servho in getting rid of Trimmer with a straight one which the batsman mistook for a breaking one. and played too late. Carlton also did his share in getting Collins wben well set. Ho howled a lot of good stuff, syid was unlucky in that a mishit 'or two off lm deliveries did not go to hand. THE BATTING.

Collins had bard luck in trussing the ' century. He played for keeps all tbe',' , time and took no risks. He is very watchful, and is clever in placim; the I ball. His style is not too attractive, as he appears to fall- over the ball in • making his strokes. It will be remembered he made a century against New Zealand in Sydney this season. "Waddy is a brilliant bat, and his display was greatly enjoyed by the spectators. He gets great power into his strokes, and kept "Wood and Bishop i busy. Mackenzie was of a more solid |'type, but was going strong when ho touched a swerver from Bennett, which Boxsha II picked up. Trumper was getting dangerous. He played line free cricket while m and scored off nearly everything sent i.oira to him till "Sandy" trapped him. The local side had real luck when the giant Armstrong made a bad call ami was run out. Laver and Noble belli had hard luck, as they each played outside swervers from Bennett and puiiod the ball into the wicket. Sims got the not out, so that his old province has not had. the pleasure tit' getdug him out in the two games played. In this game ill-luck dogged the Australian, no less than four ot the players played on though m jl'Gregor's case he would probably have been bowled had he missed the ball—and one was run out. This was in great contrast to the former game here, when all the luck wont with the visitors, aided by a few dropped catches. THE CAPTAIN. Patrick made, a good debut as Canterbury's captain. Ho changed his Lowling with good judgment and altered bis field to suit the different batsmen's Strokes intelligently. CANTERBUEY : S SECOND INNINGS. It was, of course, (juitc on die o-irdj, : seeing that Canterbury had two hours to bat, ill at they might nil bo dismissed cheaply, and "the Australians, w.ch a bit of brilliant batting, the (Tame into an outright win. Hut Wheels niid 'Caygill played stubbornly, and reduced the chances of this occurring to b. practical impossibility. Tlio game thereafter for the most part- developed into an exhibfeion game, nearly every man trying to force the game and ma lie. it livel'v for the onlookers. Patrick was'must successful in this respect, his 26 containing two sixes and three fours. NOTES. Armstrong did not appear to observe