CRICKET.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 881, 24 January 1907, Page 10

CRICKET.

The weather was beautifully fine for the resumption of the cricket competition on Saturday, and the attendances at the Domain arid at Victoria Park were excellent. * * * * Grafton did very well against City, knocking up 243 runs. Towards this the Grammar School crack, S. P. Jones, made 84 (not out), an innings quite reminiscent of the ex-Sydney man at his best. Kallender gave a bright display for 51, while Forster (31), and Horspool (21) did best of the others. City had made 9 without loss when stumps were drawn. The wicket was not too good in the Eden and Parnell match, and runs were hard to get. Eden batting first made 93, the Sussex professional Relf top scoring with 31, while G. Mills (19) and Elliott (18) were the only others to reach two figures. Thanks to a stand by Sale (41 not out) and Robinson (15 not out), Parnell had notched 87 for six wickets when stumps were drawn. * * * * For the first time a senior match was played at Victoria Park, Ponsonby and North Shore being the rival teams. The former batted first and made a poor stand, all going out for 71, Woods top-scoring with 17. With North Shore at the wickets Haddon and Hussey gave a splendid display, hitting the bowling all over the ground. Haddon reached 110 be-

fore he was bowled, while Hussey was 95 not' out. The score at the close was 245 for four wickets. * * * * ’North Shore 11. made 187 against Eden A, who replied with 77 for one wicket. * * * * Grafton 11. made 136 (Kissling 71 not out) against Parnell 11., who have 40 on the slate for six wickets. * * * * Eden B. are playing a very close game with City 11. The former made 129 (Freeman 73), and City have lost eight wickets for 106. * * * * The return match between Auckland and the M.C.C. Eleven will be commenced next Saturday on the Domain. Judging from the result of the former match the coming encounter promises to be very close. The Auckland team is a strong one, and if the members will only play up with confidence, there is no reason why they should not give a good account of themselves. Certainly there was not so much of the feeble pottering we have been accustomed to in former big games, but even now there is too much of the “out-before-you-are-in” style of batting; a fact which was rather painfully evident when Simpson-Hayward was sending down underhand lobs. If our men could only be induced to play their own game than we need have no fear of the result; but as experience teaches us there are always a few with a bad attack of stage fright; then it may be the task set the others of “carrying the baby” will prove a trifle beyond them. * * * * I hope the executive will have the scoring board altered, for last time it was virtually useless. It was not the size of the letters and figures that was in fault, but the fact that they were in white on a narrow black ground with white at the back. They should have been in black letters on a white ground. * * * * The Englishmen play a return match again at Canterbury on February 2, 4 and 5. * * * * The programmes issued for the last match were some of the best I have ever seen in any part of the world. No doubt a similar lot will be sold at the coming match. * * ♦ ♦ The Thames Cricket Association will be pleased to receive visits from any of the Auckland district clubs during the season. * * * * The Englishmen played a drawn game against a Nelson-Marlborough fifteen. The latter going in first

made 98, to which the visitors replied with 149 (Branston 55, Harrison 30, Fox 20). The Nelson-Marl-borough men did little better in their second venture with 121. This left the M.C.C. eleven 71 to get to win, and they had lost three wickets for 29 when time was called (Johnston 21 not out). * * * * The Selection Committee have Selected the following players to represent Auckland against the English cricketers on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday next: —A. Haddon (North Shore), L. G. Hemus (City), D. Hay (Grafton), A. Howden (North Shore;, J. Hussey (North Shore), R. Mason (Grafton), E. MacCormick (Citv), C. Olliff (Parnell), E. V. Sale (Parne 1 !), W. Robinson (Ponsonby), W. BrjokeSmith (Eden); emergency, Cummings (Ponsonby). It will thus be seen that the only alteration in the team from last time has been the substitution of Hay and iMacCormick for White and Kerr. This will have the effect of strengthening the batting, which was good, at the expense of the bowling, which was weak, and hardly seems a good move. White bowled splendidly in the first match, but his services were not available for the coming contest. With a good wicket and equal luck it should be a very keen fight.