ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 47, 19 November 1892, Page 1148

ATHLETICS.

LAST Saturday proved a very similar day for cricket to the opening day of the Championship matches, fine bright weather overhead, but with the ground still soft from the heavy rain the previous Wednesday and Thursday. Consequently scoring was slow, although a very fair number of runs were made all over the ground, showing that batsmen are rapidly getting into form. The senior match between United and Auckland, produced a capital contest, and United have, so far, made a very good show indeed against their formidable rivals. Auckland won the toss and sent their opponents in to bat, the wicket promising to favour the bowling. United, how. ever, batted in capital form and put up 138 runs, batting one short owing to Stevenson being too unwell to play. Anckland started their innings late in the afternoon and when the bell rang had lost 4 wickets for 15 runs. Yates was top scorer for U nited with 43. The veteran started rather shakily, though he gave no chance, but after getting set, batted in quite his best style, playing Neill especially with great confidence. D. Hay broke his ‘duck’ this time to the tune of 24, very creditably obtained. ‘Doug.’ faced the fast deliveries of Rowe

and Harkness with great pluck, and assisted Yates to put on nearly fifty while they were together. C. Harvie played a very useful innings of 19 in his own particular style, his favourite leg hit coming off frequently. McPherson, who has scored very consistently so far, soon rattled up 12, mostly from good off drives from Harkness’ bowling. The latter, however, bad his revenge by clean bowling the batsman. Carlton Hay made a good start, but got, unluckily, run out throngh slipping. Harkness was the most successful bowler for Auckland, getting 4 wickets for 44 runs. He kept a good length throughout and troubled the batsmen a good deal. He also brought off a very smart left-handed catch. R. Neill did not prove as troublesome as usual and his two wickets cost forty runs. ARNEIL again showed himself a useful change, and was the means of dissolving two long standing partnerships. Taylor brought off one smart catch, but was hardly a success behind the wickets. Wilson was expected to give some tionble after his performance against Parnell, but Miller dismissed him without scoring. Hawkins and Miller each captured 2 Auckland wickets for 6 runs. It is a somewhat unusual thing to see two lefthanders bowling at the same time. Onslow won the toss against Gordon, and sent the latter in to bat. Wickets fell pretty fast at first but the later batsmen put a different complexion on the game, and al though scoring was very slow Gordon’s total was 138 for 6 wickets when time was called. Onslow’s fielding was very weak, and their change bowling, after Walton and London were knocked off, seemed particularly harmless. Fowke scored 53 in good form, and was not out. * Johnny ’ played his usual patient game, taking over 2J hours to get his runs. Without him the chances are that Gordon's scoie would have been a small one.

Ansenne partnered Fowke for a very long time and finally took out his bat for 26. Though his scoring was painfully slow, bis innings was a valuable one and he and Fowke put on about 60 while together.

GOULSTONE played the most vigorous innings on bis sideand soon rattled up 30. He seemed to often mistake his bat for a scythe, however. Dave Meldrum was batting nicely when he played all ronnd one of Walton’s off-breaks and was bowled, while Moresby, after getting ten, suffered the same fall at the bands of Lundon. Walton bowled steadily for Onslow, and took the majority of the Gordon wickets, but the other bowlers had little success. The Onslow wicket keeper has a very bad habit of getting his hands in front of the wicket when taking the ball. This is entirely against the rules of the game, and will very likely lose his side some wickets if persisted in. Amongst the Juniors, Wanderers put up 113 against Gordon 11., who have lost 3 wickets for 49 so that the finish should prove interesting. Donald, who is in good form this season, played very steadily for 29, and Smith also assisted Wanderers’ total with a good innings of 27. Adam Kelly secured 6 wickets, and Gordon have evidently discovered a hitherto unsuspected bowler to fill the place of Kenderdine and be ‘ promoted.’ H. Mowbray batted freely and well for his score of 27 not out, and Dr. Egan displayed good form in compiling his Parnell 11. had an easy win against Pitt St Mutual. The latter could only get 21, the bowling of Edwards and Wesley proving too much for them. Parnell responded with 75, Brown, Brennan, and Buchan (3 B s) scoring 19, 15, and 12, respectively. Auckland 11. made a bold attempt to save their match with North Shore, but the latter eventually won by 6 wickets. Anckland scored 95 in their second innings, a considerable improvement on the first, leaving North Shore 37 to win which was obtained by the loss of 4 wickets. Harry Jervis batted very well for Anckland and his score of 37 was well deserved. Easton, who is a fine bat when in practice, played a good innings for 28, and also performed well with the ball. The first Junior Championship, promises to produce a keen competition this season, and the result seems very open. The defeats sustained by Auckland and Gordon 11. Elevens will tend to encourage the other teams, and hardly any of them can be said to be out of the rnnning. Fred Sloman scored 50 for Grammar School against Belmont 11. out of 90 obtained by his side. Sloman played in capital form, and is a very promising cricketer. It is a pity there aie so few like him left in the school, especially when last season’s boys are showing up so well in the senior ranks. The Williamson Opera Company were defeated by 1 wicket and 6 runs by the Wellington Cricket Club in a match played at the Reserve on the Prince of Wales’ Birthday. The scores, which were very small considering the excellent wicket which had been prepared, were :— Opera Company, 41 and 112 ; Wellington Cricket Club, 63 and 96 for nine wickets. In the second innings of the Opera Company, Mr Deane, who is a noted Australian cricketer, scored 38, and received a round of applause from the spectators for his scientific display. The finish of the match was most exciting, an easy catch being dropped by one of the Opera Company’s fieldmen when the scores were a tie. The Company’s team were entertained at lunch by the Wellingtonians, and adjournment was made for afternoon tea, in which the ladies of the Company, who were present in large numbers and took a keen interest in the match, partook. The weather was perfect, and a thoroughly enjoyable day was spent.

The first cricket match of the season in Marlborough eventuated at Spring Creek, and was played between the Picton first eleven and the Awaruas, Spring Creek Clnb. Mr Rutherford, captain of the Picton team, made the only good score (53) of the match, the next highest being 18 and

19, by Mathews and O’Dwyer, of the Awaruas. The match was a most enjoyable one and the first rate Innch provided by the Awaruas greatly appreciated. The Spring Creek ladies provided afternoon tea, and the Pictonians went home jubilant, boasting of their day's onting, a good lunch, a hearty welcome, and a win.

The Koromiko Club played against the Picton second eleven on Nelson Square, Pieton, on Saturday, sth November, when another win fell to the share of the local club, F. W. Andrews wiring in to a score of 20. The two Pughs made some lively running, and quite a little chap, Bragg, won kudo* innumerable for his manly play. The scores were, Koromiko 79, and Picton 88.

The New Plymouth Cricket Club played an alphabetical match on Saturday last, low scoring being the order of the day. Tn the first innings the M. to Z. made 53, Millar topping the score with 17. A. to L. team made 35, Allen, top score, 11. In the second innings M. to Z made 43, A. to L. 47 for two wickets, which were drawn because of the rain.

Cricket matches in Napier are the order of the day. The first Cup match between the Mercantile Cricket Club and the United Cricket Club commenced on the Recreation Ground. This was a capital match, and as the day was beautifully fine a great number of people journeyed as far as the Recreation Ground to view the proceedings. For the Mercantile in the first innings Messrs Bennet, Fannin, Macfarlane, and Jack Parker were the chief scorers, and for the United Lndbrooke and Cato played up well, they being the only two who obtained double figures.

Another match between the United and Union was played at Farndon Park, Napier, the ground being in lirstelass order. The Union won. This is a good beginning for the new made club. Messrs Watkins, Laws, Ashcroft, and Simpson played up well for the winners. For the losers Messrs Crowley, Cox and Martin did their level best. Messrs Holt and Cato bowled remarkably well. The fielding on both sides might have been better, but one must make allowarces for the beginning of the season, everyone is out of practice.