AUCKLAND CRICKET.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 17, 29 April 1893, Page 390

AUCKLAND CRICKET.

LAST Saturday was the end of the Auckland Cricket season, Belmont 11. and Grammar School finishing

their deciding match for the Second Junior Championship. The ground was ir a very bad stateafter the recent heavy rains There were about two hundred spectators present, amongst them being a considerable number of senior players. On the previous Saturday Belmont had scored 67, and the School had 69 for 9 wickets. The last wicket added two more runs, the School being thus 4 runs ahead. Belmont started their second innings with Seceombe and Thomas, both of whom, as in the first innings scored very freely, Seceombe making 28 and Thomas 25 Belmont closed their innings with 4 wickets down for 66, leaving the School 63 to get in an hour and ten minutes. It was manifestly impossible for them to get the runs in the time on such a wicket, and their only chance was to play out time. This it was thought they could do easily, but after the first two wickets fell a regular rot set in, and 5 more wickets fell in less than a quarter of an hour, so that with half an hour to play the school had only 2 wickets to fall, as one of their men was absent. However, as this stage Harrison joined the younger Speight, who had gone in just before, and the pair stuck together for 25 minutes, when Harrison was bowled, having scored only 1 run. Pope, the last man, joined Speight, and succeeded in keeping up his wicket till the bell rang. The finish was watched with the utmost excitement, and Speight, who is quite a little fellow, received very hearty applause as he took out his bat after being at the wickets 35 minutes for 3 runs, and fairly saving the match for his side, of course with the assistance of Harrison and Pope. It looked a hundred to one on Belmont when Speight nnd Harrison commenced their stand. The School only got 17 for 8 wickets in their second innings, but they won the match and championship on the result of the first innings.