CRICKET

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 439, 22 December 1898, Page 16

CRICKET

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Stonewaller.)

THE CUP MATCHES.

The interruption to our cricket season appears to have had the effect of robbing the contests of a deal of public interest, the attendance at last Saturday’s matches, when the fourth round was commenced, being meagre. The Parnell v. Gordon match, in which the former only succeeded in putting on 108 runs — though the weather was admittedly against the batsmen as the afternoon wore on—looks a fairly good thing for Gordon, provided they are favored with a fine day on Saturday next. Ohlson and Mills, usually the most reliable pair on the Parnell side, were disposed of for a total of 11 runs, the former getting 9 and the latter 2, and had not a tidy score been put on in a somewhat unexpected quarter, Thorpe getting 26, including some very nice strokes, Seager 24 and Woods 21, both playing good cricket for their runs, quite a collapse would have taken place. . For Gordon Sawbridge carried off the trundling honors with 3 wickets for 8 runs, two of these being clean bowled, while the ground fielding takbn all round was very good. The Auckland Fifteen seem likely to give the Eleven of the same club a pretty stiff task to surmount, as when the rain compelled them to draw stumps for the day they had scored 104 for the loss of 8 wickets. Stone was the hero of the day, contributing no less than 60 (not out) towards the total, seoring freely from all trundlers and playing sound cricket. The veteran, Selby, with 16, was the only other batsman to run into double figures, his score being the result of careful cricket. Had not this pair made a stand, the Fifteen would have made a sorry showing, as no less than 7 wickets fell for 27 runs. United, who are playing North Shore on the latter’s ground, seem to stand a fair chance of receiving their first check of the season, as although they have got on 115 for the. loss of 7 wickets, I understand they will be without the services of Marshall (5, not out) next Saturday, and probably one or two other batsmen. Brown played well for his quota of 40, and Lusk, who is coming on rapidly, made 30 in good style, while Walton batted carefully for a contribution of 24. These were the only double figure scorers. . I fancy last years’s champions were inclined to hold North Shore too cheaply, and made a mistake in going in on a bad wicket after winning the toss. They will be lucky if they escape paying the penalty.

The Association cup matches will be continued on Saturday next, December 24 Southern papers setm to agree that m appointing Mr Raphael to the management of the New Zealand cricket team for Australia a happy selection has been made. I have been watehing exchanges from the South Island pretty closely of late, and summing up the various comments that have appeared anent the probable personnel of the New Zealand team for Australia, it would appear that G. Mills is the only Aucklander likely to find inclusion. In connection with the visit of an Australian Eleven to England, two matches each have been arranged with Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, the Oxford University, and M. 0.0. and Ground.; single matches against other first-class counties, as well as the Cambridge University and the South of England. Several more matches are in course of arrangement. The following dates have been arranged tor the New Zealand team’s Australian tour:—Leave Dunedin, per Waikare, January 30 ; arrive

Hobart, February 4 ; play South Tasmanian Association at Hobart, February 7,8, and 9, and play with the Tasmanian Association at Launceston, February 11, 13, and 14; leave Launceston for Melbourne, February 14; play Victorian Association at Melbourne, February 17, 18, and 20; play New South Wales at Sydney, February 23, 24, and 25 ; Waikare leaves Launceston for Melbourne, February, and arrives Dunedin, March 4. Mr H. B. Lusk, the Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association’s selector, has chosen the following team to play in the representative match at Wellington on the 26th and 27th inst.:—Andrews, C. H. Cato, Fannin, Gore, Hallimore, Hill, W. Hughes, Lusk, Taiaroo, Wilson, and Wolstenholme. Owing to the inability of some of the most prominent players to get away, the team is not by any means the strongest Hawke’s Bay combination.