CRICKET.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 2, 12 January 1910, Page 10

CRICKET.

THE PLUNKET SHIELD. Retained by Auckland. Canter-O-iry's challenge to Auckland for piesession of the Ptunket Shield was decided at Victoria Park. W. B Smith oral D Reese captained the Auckland ami Canterbury teams respectively. Reese won the toss, bat Canterbury failed to make the n-.cat of their first use of the wicket, bein g all out for 140 ("Patrick 22. Lusk 3S. Orchard 21, and Addison 101. The destroying elements were Howden. who took four for 60. and OtHtf. four for 27. Auckland's first ininnas realised 275 (Anthony 30. Iteraw 16. Sale 15 Hadden 21. Relf 37. Olliff 43. Sne-Wen 56 not out. N. Goode 321. The last wk-ket pr-xlueed 77 runs, the score Heine carried by the not-out batsmen, Soedden (16> and Goode (1, rrom 3'l to 275 oa Saturday. Sn-ddeti is a youth of 17, and cave an excellent display. At one time it looked as If the match would terminate on the second day. but Canterbury made a good re.-vrery ia their second inoina*. ami were all out for 238. teavipc Auckland I'M t« win. The chief scorer* In Canterbury's second lonincs were W. Carlton S 8 not out. Reese I* Lusk 17. Orchard 36, Crawshaw 36. Bennett 17, r-vysball M. The match, ended sensation, ally With a dosen runs fKinired. BrookeBmlrh let out at one of W. Carlton's, which went up high between the wickets, and Orchard secured an esay catch. Brooke-

Smith -bad riven a display of fine cricket for his runs, his late cutting especially toeing very toe. «aie titled the gap and p>ajred, xne remainder of the over quietly, BeiLuga >£eo created a sensation by lifting Orchard out of the ground twice in succession. .and .the* Shield still remains in Auckland. the local team winning by 7 wickets and 1 run. In Auckland** Feeoad innings Hadden scored 21, BrookeSmith 31, and Hemus 45 not out. Chriitchurch. The fifth round of grade matches was commenced on Saturday in fine weather. The play was robbed of a certain amount of Interest owing to the absence in Auckland o f representative players. Most of the teaur 'erz places for their erack players, who -*HI be available next Saturday. In the Dry* grade St. Albans put up a good score against West Christchurch, compiling 219 (T. Reese 61. Bishop 40, and Ackroyd 37). One hundreu and thhtyeight was up for the second wicket. Milea ako made 36 (nou out) and Wilson 26. West Christchurch responded with 100 for six wickets. Linwood fared badly against being dismissed -for 143* of which number Howell made 40, R. Ridley 36, and Owen 22. The firs, pair for Riecarton — Alf. Norman (69i and E. R. Caygill (73, not out; — put on 126 for the first wicket. At the call of time the team had made 179 for three wickets. Sydenham and East Christchurcfi played a very even game. East Christchurch made 101 and 67 for four wickets in the second innings to Sydenham's 105. Sims, of East Christchurch, made 52 (not out). Welliagtoa. The sixth round of the Wellington senior cricket matches was commenced on Saturday in splendid weather. East B made 83 against East A (Bowies 17 and Dickson 12). Hales took three wickets for 14 runs and Gibbea four for 20. East A lost three wickets for 276 (Midlane 111 not out, Mahoney 62. Tucker 33). North, playing against Victoria College, were all out for 156 (Hickson 38, Sherendeu 34,i. Monaghen took four wickets for 26 runs and Dempsey two for 8. College scored 155 for six wickets (Foster 50, Finlay 20, and Berindsen 29 not mut). Central made 171 against f*etone (Birch 46 not out, Beechey 32, and Mahon 24». Petone lost seven wickets for 96 (Brice 37. Isherwood 22, Freeman 21). Kinvig captured two wickets for 2 runs. Dunedin. The senior grade matches, begun before the holidays, were continued on Saturday in fine weather. Carisbrook A made 246 in response to Opoho’s 124. Albion scored a four-point win over Grange, the scores being Albion IS2. Grange 60 and 83. McFarlane captured, four wickets-for 20 runs, and Wordsworth five for 32. Carishrook B, 232, defeated In>pedfa. 195. McKersey scored 57 in the innings, w Noble Retires from Firsi.class Crieket. During the course of his remarks ia proposing the health of Noble and Trumpet at a “welcome home” in Sydney last week, Colonel Neild, who presided, said it would be a deplorable thing if, a* rumoured. Noble were to retire from firstclass cricket. Mr. Noble, referring to the matter of his retirement, said this was a very grave question for a man to tackle. He recognised, as every man must recognise, that ■ time eame when he must give up cricket. “Cricket does not keep a man,” the Australian captain went on to say. “There are times when he must consider himself. There have been things done and said which render it not conducive to a man’s interests to remain there any longer. Cricket or business? My vote goes with business. No man in this club, or any member of the public, will blame me for that. My associations with the Paddington Club have been such a source of pleasure to me that I do not intend to give up cricket so far as that club is concerned. I only hope that my associations with the Paddington Club will remain with me so long as I remain on this earth.” (Cheers.) The tour in England. Mr. Noble said, was a very difficult matter to talk about —primarily, because they were successful. That was the time they should shut up. He could not help saying, in reviewing the events of the past nine months, that he admired the men who went Heme in Ims charge. Every man Jack of them was a fighter. He had captained many teams, but he never knew of such a fighting team as the last Australian combination. If a cricketer was not a fighter he was no good. Mr. Trumper. who followed his captain, ■aid they could not afford to lose Noble in inter-State cricket, and he did not think they would lose him.