CRICKET.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 773, 29 December 1904, Page 15

CRICKET.

Canterbury defeated Wellington very easily at Christchurch during, the week. The home team made 307 and 25S for six wickets, the innings being then declared closed. Wellington’s response was 221 .and 1-13, thus losing the match by 201 runs.

Otago beat Southland rather easily by eight wickets in a match played during the holidays at Invercargill.

The junior interprovincial cricket match, Nelson v. Marlborough, was won by the Nelson team, who made 62 in the first and 70 in the second innings. Marlborough made 41 and 23.

Mr J. C. Davies, the well-known Sydney writer who contributes to the columns of the “Referee” under the nom >de plume of “Not-Out,” was married last week. Congratulations.

The Melbourne Grammar School team, which was defeated in the annual match against the Sydney Grammar School, put up a fine performance in the final of the Public Schools Premiership Competition against Wesley College. Having dismissed their opponents for 99, the Melbourne players knocked up 518, C. W. Miller carrying his bat right through the innings for 231. Miller was batting 8 hours 40 minutes, and hit 24 fourers. He only made one mistake—a possible chance of stumping at 20. With Lewers, who made 119, he added 279 for the fifth wicket, which is a record for school cricket in Victoria.

The inter-State Grammar Schools’ annual match, which took place on the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday and Tuesday, was not favoured by the elements, Sunday’s rain making the wickets very soft (says the “Referee”). Melbourne could only make 5S in the first innings. Sydney nearly trebled their opponent’s score at their first attempt. Melbourne made 133 in their second essay, which left Sydney only 42 to make in order to win ; but the visitors played up so determinedly that the local team only won by four wickets.

It is twenty-four years since W. L. Murdoch first captained an Australian Eleven in England. He led the 1880, 18.82, 1884, and 1900 teams. With the exception of J- Darling, who captained the 1899 and 1902 teams, no one has been skipper of an Australian Eleven in England more than once.

The disqualifications in connection with the last Sydney Thousand in March were as follows : Floyd MacFarfand, three years ; L. Corbett, two years ; H. Downing, B. Kett, C. Bathie, D. J. Plunkett, 12 months ; H. Gordon, six months. All but Corbett’s have now been removed.