CRICKET

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 461, 25 May 1899, Page 5

CRICKET

LBs-

Stonewaller.)

THE AUSTRALIANS IN ENGLAND.

The third match of the tour, that against Surrey, was commenced on Monday, the 15th inst. Overnight there was a heavy rainfall, and at noon on Monday the wicket was so wet that the start was postponed for an hour or so. Surrey batted first, and considering the state of the pitch, did fairly well in scoring 59 for two wickets by lunch time. On the resumption of play the batsmen found that the sun was affecting the wicket, thus giving the bowlers great assistance. From this time to the conclusion ef the innings Howell proved simply unplayable. He had the batsmen fairly tied up, and one after the other they went back to the pavilion, every member of the team being fairly convinced that the New South Wales bee-farmer had plenty of sting. The innings totalled 114, the run-getters being Abel 22, Brockwell 29, H&yward 16, Jepneon 16, and Hayes 12. Howell captured all ten wickets for 28 runs, thus accomplishing a feat never done by any other Australian in first-class cricket. Of course Howell was greatly favored by the stickiness of the wicket, but all the same his performance was a very good one. The Surrey team is not up to the high standard of a few years ago, and in the match against the Australians had the bad luck to be without Lockwood, who on a bad wicket is about the most certain scorer in the Surrey ranks. the Australians batted the wicket was perhaps a bit better. At any rate, the visitors played with more confidence than the Englishmen, and play for the day ended with the score at 122 for the loss of four wickets. Darling 10, Worrall 22, Hill 29, and Gregory 36, did not hesitate, but played a vigorous game, and made runs while they could. On the second day rain interfered with the play considerably, and after the total had been carried to 165 for the loss of another wicket the game had'to be abandoned for the day On the Wednesday the Australians continued batting till 249 was on the board. Kelly, with a vigorous 50, was mainly responsible for the respectable addition to the total. He played a dashing game. In a minority of 135, the Surrey men did worse than at their first attempt, and though Hayes showed excellent defence, the score was only 65 when the last wicket fell. Howell was again a thorn in the side of the batsman : he captured five for 29, the other wickets falling to Trumble, who also bowled very finely. Ido not think there can be much opinion as to the merits of the teams. The Australians certainly had all the best of the luck, but they proved that they could do fairly well on a wet wicket against one of the first-class counties. By beating Surrey by an innings and 70 runs the Australians scored their first success

On Thursday the Australians met a scratch lot, under the title of South of England, at. Eastbourne The following made up the English team: —F. G. J. Ford, J. Hearne, A. Trott, Middlesex; W. Attewell, A. Shrewsbury,' W. Gunn, and A. O. Jones, Nottingham ; C. J. Burnup, E. M. Braybrooke, and Alec Hearne, Kent; and A. Lilley. Warwickshire. The Australians batted first, and though at one time the board showed only 97 for the loss of six wickets, Jones and Laver saved the side. The former gave a dashing display, scoring 54 out of 66 in a little over half an hour. Laver stayed the innings out and played very carefully for his 32, not out. In the end the total reached 222. The English team, in reply, only made 171, Gunn being the principal scorer with 52, not out. The Nottingham man went in third wicket down, so the value of his display is easily estimated. Bowling for the Englishmen, Hearne took three wickets for 48, Trott two for 105, Attewell two for 48, and Jones one for 16, while for tne Australians Howell captured three for 48, Trumble four for 35, Jones two for 57, and Noble one for 11. Going in a second time with an advantage of 57 runs, the Australians had all the best of the wL-ket, and at the time of drawing stumps had 214 for |the loss of six wickets. Darling made the first 15 runs scored, and then was cleverly caught and .bowled by Trott, who dismissed him in a similar manner in the first innings Iredale made 27, Hill 32, Trumble 25, and Laver again showed good form in getting 39, and young Trumper made top score in the score in the match wtth 64. He gave an excellent display of batting] and was congratulated all round for his capital performance. On the Saturday morning rain again fell heavily, and after losing two more wickets for an addition of 13 runs Darling declared the innings closed with the total standing at 227 for eight wickets. This left the scratch team with 276 to get to win. It would have been almost a hopeless task for a far better batting team, and with the eleven in question the result was a foregone conclusion. The soddened wicket suited Trumble admirably, and the big Victorian came out with the good record of seven wickets for 37. Howell took two for 35, and Noble one for 16. Shrewsbury was the only batsman to make much of a stand against) the bowling, and made 31. by good play. The other double-figure scorers were Gnnn 18, Jones 11, and Ford, not out, 17. The total made by the Englishmen was 107, which left the Australians winners by 171 runs. The record of the tour now stands at two wins, one loss, and one draw. On Monday the Australians commenced a match against the Yorkshire eleven, last year’s champion team. This match will be a far keener struggle than any of the previous contests, and should the Australians come out on top the victory will do much to encourage them in the contest against AU England, which commences on June 1.

The Australian team which visited the Old Country in 1896 won one out of the three test matches played. The results of the “ fights for the ashes” in that year were as follows : — June 22, 23, 24, at Lords, v. England : Australia, 53 and 347; England, 202 and 111 for four wickets. England won by six wickets. July 16, 17, 18, at Manchestor, v. England: Australia, 412 and 125 for seven wickets ; England, 231 and 305. Australia won by four wickets.

August 10, 11, 12, at Kennington Oval, v. England : England, 145 and 84; Australia, 119 and 44. England won by 66 runs