Cricket.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 199, 17 May 1894, Page 2

Cricket.

The attendance at the Domain on Saturday to witness the final heat between Belmont A and All Saints for the Second Junior Championship bears out my prediction that with the opening of the football season the interest which has been manifested in cricket contests would experience a speedy death. There was hardly a spectator present; not even the usual crowd of supporters who invariably follow to a finish the fortunes of their favourite teams. The players themselves took little or no interest in the contest owing to the unfavourable state of the wicket and their desire to end the season. In a conversation which I had with several members of the contesting teams they complained bitterly of the action of the Cricket Association in prolonging the season, and especially in ordering the matches to be continued on the Queen’s Birthday. I maintain that it was unwise of the Association not to close the season on the sth inst., and to ask cricketers to play on May 24th is unreasonable in the extreme. The latter day has always been looked upon as an off day in all branches of athletic sport, and the players are naturally indignant at being compelled to put off arrangements which they have made to go elsewhere. Several mambers of the Association’s committee are enthusiastic cricketers, but in common with all lovers of the game thefr enthusiasm is on the wane. It is the duty of the committee to decide whether the ground is fit for play, but I would like to know if a quorum was present on Saturday to decide this question, had either team refused to play. I hope that on May 24, a quorum of. the committee will attend at the Domain to say whether the ground is fit for play, for if it is reasonable that the matches should be continued so late in . the season, it is also right that the committee should carry out its duties. On Saturday last the ground was altogether unfit for cricket, and I* have many a time seen matches postponed on an infinitely better turf.

Belmont batted first, and knocked up 50 runs. Of this total, Totman, who has batted well throughout the season, contributed 25 by careful play. Thomas, 10, was the only other Belmont player to reach double figures. - In their first venture with the bat, All Saints have made a rather poor start, and will require to show different form on Saturday next if they desire to win. It is only fair to mention that the wicket was in a terrible condition by the time Belmont had completed their innings, and the wonder is that All Saints have scored at all. The Saints have lost six wickets for 16 runs, leaving them 35 runs to make on Saturday to win. The following are the scores:— BELMONT—Fibst Innings. Thomas, b Langsford 10 Spurway, b Langsford . 3 Totman, b Langsford 25 Grindrod, b Langsford 5 Gillespie, c Peacock, b Mackie 1 Parker, c Peacock, b Mackie 0 Cowan,' b Mackie . 0 Molloy, not out 2 McKilley, 'b Latagsford 0 Jowitt, b Langsford 0 • Stubbs, c Arey, b Langsfrd 0 Extras 4 Total 60 ALL SAINTS— Innings. Robertson, ,b Gillespie 0 Merritt, b Gillespie 0 Pillinger, b Spurway 3 Crookes, thrown oat 2 Mackie, not out 6 Speight, b Gillespie 2 Arey, b Gillespie 0 Langsford, not out ; 2 Extras 1 — Total for 6 wickets 16 Mackie and Langsford, the two not out Saints, are both good men, and may yet drag the game out of the fire.

Spurway and Gillespie each bowled well for Belmont. The former secured I wicket for 4 runs, and the latter 4 for II Crookes had hard luck in being “thrown out” after making two. He was a most likely man to have run up a good score. . Of the Saints trundlers “ Vic ” Langsford again proved the hero, bagging seven wickets for 27 runs. Langsford has been very destructive this season amongst the junior batsmen, and should finish up the season with a fine average. He is a fast bowler, and dismissed one batsman on Saturday with a beautifully pitched ball, knocking' one of the bails nearly 30 yards. Peter Mackie was also in good form with the ball, and secured three wickets at a cost of four runs apiece. For the second season in succession Dr. Egan tops the list of batting averages in the Gordon second division. Eight innings, 173 runs, and an average of 21-6 is not a bad performance. The successful team in the match between Koller Mills and the winner of the All Saints v. Belmont A contest will annex the second junior championship for the seasons 1893-4.