CRICKET.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 229, 13 December 1894, Page 9

CRICKET.

Captain Edwin favoured the local knights of z the willow with Queen’s weather on Saturday last for the beginning of the fourth series of matches in connection with the championship. The senior contests presented no point of interest worth speaking of outside the fact that the Auck-land-Parnell match should result in a close and exciting finish—similar perhaps to their former ■ meeting. At present the game stands slightly in favour of Auckland, who put together 94 for a loss of eight wickets, after having disposed of the Parnellites for a total of 81. However, with that well-known reputation held by the Parnell team for dragging almost hopeless matches out of the fire and converting them into victories, we may look forward to a bit of fun on Saturday next.

Three men only reached double figures in Parnell’s first innings last Saturday, viz., Hoile (21), Whelan, and Lawson (10 each), the next best being Wright’s 7. Thus this trio put together more than half the total runs. Hoile played a good innings for his 21, including a fine- 5 hit. Donald carried off premier honours in the Parnell bowling department, placing seven wickets to. his credit for a total of 31. Mills was the only other who did anything with the ball, getting one for 14. Lusk, Lawson, and Hoile did nothing. Lloyd Quentery was the only man who failed to place a score to his credit in the AucklandParnell contest, though J. Arneil and T. H. Wilson run him very close for first honours, with 1 each to their credit. ***’ Bob Neil saw seven of his club mates shoulder the bat and make for the pavilion before he had the misfortune to be given out l.b.w. His 34 were compiled in a most masterly manner without the shadow of an error, and included a nice hit for 4, besides four 3’s. J. R. Lundon and J. Arneil were the only other Aucklanders to reach double figures, placing 16 and 12 to their credit respectively. Neill, with, six wickets for 40, and Stone, with four for 31, bowled well for Auckland, the latter troubling the batsmen considerably. The Gordon-United match at present looks like a win for Gordon, but next Saturday may tell another tale.

United 11. v. Parnell II. —After putting 45 to their credit in their first essay, United dismissed Parnell for 42. Going in again the first-named put together 64 for the loss of six wickets. Bramley batted well for United, making 17 and 16 respectively. Gordon 11. V; Belmont. —Gordon knocked up 84 in their first attempt, Hume (not out 30) and Thomson (29) being the principal rungetters. Belmont following on made 119 for a loss of seven wickets, the most prominent in their batting department being Robertson (not out 34), Drum (18), Seccombe (18), and Brierly (12). North Shore v. Auckland II. —The Shoreites batted first for 128, their principal scorers being Denby, 34; Hume, 25 5 and Cuff, 18. Auckland have lost nine wickets for a total of 64, not by any means a bright outlook. Wanderersjv. Pitt-street Mutual —The Mutuals going to the wickets first were disposed of by the Wanderers for a total of 56, Rowe, with 24, being the principal run-getter. Wanderers followed with 85 —Thomas, 24; T. Mills, 19; and W. Mills, 10, being top scorers. W. Mills again proved bimself with the ball, capturing four wickets for 25, Waddington doing likewise with six for 31. Pitt-street, going in a second time, have lost six wickets for 28 runs.

In the second junior contests Belmont A. seem to have the Saints pretty well under the whip, making 131 in their first essay as against the 28 put up by the Saints. The North Shore-Auckland 11. match was completed, resulting in a win for Auckland by eight wickets; North Shore only put together 61 in their two innings, this leaving Auckland (56) with only 6 to make to win, which they did for a loss of two wickets. Scoring in the Selwyn-Belmont B. match .was small, Belmont batting two innings for a total of 76, whilst their opponents only made 27 in their first innings, which leaves them with 49 to make in their second attempt to win. In the Clarence-United match the former batted first for 78, United following with 18 only, the bowling of Wakerley and Sims proving too much for them. In their second venture Clarence have lost four wickets for 52.

In the return match, Canterbury v. Wellington, played at Canterbury, matters turned out entirely different to the result of the initial match —drawn in favour of Wellington-—Canter-bury winning comfortably by nine wickets and 25 runs.

The English eleven defeated the Queenslanders by an innings and 274 runs. The date of the Conference re the formation of a New Zealand Cricket Council has been postponed until December 27. Mr Cuff’s proposal that an annual North v. South Island match be played alternately in each Island under the auspices of the New Zealand Council was carried unanimously. This should prove an interesting fixture,'and will be looked forward to by enthusiasts from year to year. The sum of £1,037 was taken at the gates at the match England v. Victoria. A few more experiences of this kind (says a Melbourne writer) will relieve the promoters of all anxiety as to the financial aspect of the undertaking. Secretary McKinney forwards me the following fixtures for the tour of the Fijian cricketers, who arrive here oh or about January: —The team play Auckland on January 25 and 26, Otago on February 1 and 2, Southland on February 5, Canterbury on February 8 and 9, Nelson on February 12 and 13, Wellington on February 15 and 16, Hawke’s Bay on February 19 and 20, and Taranaki on February 22 and 23.

In commenting on the match between Victoria and the English team, a Melbourne writer says : —“ Blackham’s 28 not out naturally suggests how many years it is since the veteran first came to the front in cricket, and the many times he has upheld the reputation of Victoria and of Australia. Including the present one, Blackham has now played in 289 International and Intercolonial matches, and has batted for his side 456 times, and has been sixty-one times not out. He has made in all 6,581 runs, and his average for all his innings has been 16.66.” The Englishmen are back in Sydney, and will commence the first of the five test-matches tomorrow (Friday) The following team has been chosen to represent Australia : Turner, Iredale, Gregory, Blackham, H. Trott, Graham, C. McLeod, Lyons, G. Giffen, Readman, and Darling ; twelfth man, Jones. The match between Wellington and Canterbury, at Wellington, resulted in a net loss to the Association of £ll 10s., and the Southland in a loss of about £B.