CRICKET.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue I, 5 January 1901, Page 14

CRICKET.

The Goldfields' team which tried conciu.sions with an Auckland eleven at North fjhore last. Saturday gave a very poor account of itself, being defeated by innings ami 41 runs. It must be admitted that the visitors were hardly up to senior form, but ou the. other baud the team was greatly weakened by the inability of several. prominent players to take part in the game. Johnston, who obtained the highest score in each tunings, showed prpmise both as a batsman and a bowler, and with practice and a bit of coaching he ought to become a really good player. For Auckland the principal run-getters were Hemus, Hick)) and R. Neill, the last-named batting especially well. When put oe to bowl in the second innings the veteran showed great form, and tl»e Goldfields’ players found him a bit too good. The Auckland reps, have not had a very pleasant time of it in the early stages of their tour. To start with, they had a very rough trip down the coast to Wellington, and when leaving that port, in the Rotomahana, they encountered one of Wellington’s gentle zephyrs, and had to put hack. Consequently they missed their train from Christchurch to Dunedin, and the Otqgo match, which was to have been commenced on Saturday, had to be postponed until Monday. It is to be hoped that our boys are having all their bad lack to start with, and that good fortune will attend them in future. Some of the Canterbury critics considered their rep. team to be very strong in batting, and rather weak in bowling. Up here it was generallythought that they would be especially dangerous in the latter department.

strengthened, as they have been, by obtaining the services of S. Calloway. The Christchurch "Press” publishes the following batting averages of the team in eup erickrt this season, which shoaki prove interesting to local cricketers at the preseat time. It will be notjved that Caitoway is at the head of the list, with the fine average of 56.5, so this player promises to be of great assistance to Canterbury with the bat, us well as with t.he ball.

Canterbury has proved successful in their first interprovrnclal match, gaining an eaay vietory oyer Otago with an innings to spare. The result, however, cannot be accepted as a tru» test of the merits of the two teams, sc Canterbury luckily won the toss and had the benefit of playing on a perfect wicket, and Otago had to bat on one sodden by rain, and consequently they made a very poor showing. Q. Mills played for Otago against Canterbury, and in the first innings obtained IS runs, but in his second attempt he failed to score. By scaring 365 (not out) for South Australis against New South Wales Clem Hili • his created a new record for intercolonial cricket. The previous best was the 321 scored by W. L. Murdock for SAW. agaimst Victoria in 1882. Last season Hill was somewhat at a failure with the bat, and a good many cricketers began to fear that his illness, when at Home with the last Australian team, had resulted in the permanent loss of form of our admittedly best colonial bat. However, by his latest performance Hill ha* proved such conclusions to be entirely erroneous, and we can look forward confidently to a repetition of his best previous, displays when next he is pitted against the pick of English cricket talent.

Name. o Z ■ as s 8 if 3i2 I ... 4 0 226 100 54>.S Wigley 4 1 w 1«6* 51.3 Sims ... 5 a 234 108 46.8 KMley ... 31 89 27* 34.S Reese ... 5 96 57* 32 1 1W 4G* 24.2 Barry ... 5 0 90 28 19.8 Box shall ... i a XI 28 15.5 < Ircharil ..... ... 3 1 31 34* 15.5 Karuian i 4» 28 12.2 Malone ... 5 0 2!» 16 5.8