CRICKET.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 938, 27 February 1908, Page 12

CRICKET.

EDEN BEAT PARNELL. Saturday saw the conclusion of the seventh round of the district competi* tion, and the result helped to make Eden certain winners of the championship. They played Parnell, and ran up 313 for eight wickets to Parnell’s 144 compiled on the previous Saturday. Relf played a fine innings, and, in conjunction with Stemson, put on 130 for the eighth wicket. The best scores were: Relf, 85 not out, Stemson, 58 not out, Elliott 42, BrookSmith 39, G. Mills 30. CITY GO UNDER TO PONSONBY. Ponsonby had a fairly easy win over City, thanks to the wretched batting display by the latter in their first innings.. In this City could only make 76 on a good wicket. Ponsonby replied with 127 (Gallaher 27, Robinson 21, Jacobsen 20). ) In their second attempt City’s only chance was to go for the runs, and, taking liberties, all were out for 128 (Beechy 33, Ellis 27, R. Neil 25). This gave Ponsonby 78 to get to win, and this they managed with the loss of four wickets (Woods 27, Gallaher 22). GRAFTON TOO GOOD FOR NORTH SHORE. Grafton had a try . for a three-point win against Shore, but could not bring it off. Grafton compiled 215, and against this the Shore men .could not do better than 127 (Haddon 33, Philson 32). Grafton made a big effort to knock up rims quickly, and. ,with 89 for two wickets, declared (Graham, 39 not out, Sloman 27). North Shore easily played out time; however, losing one wicket for 67 (Philson 27). FAST SCORING BY EDEN A AND GRAFTON. In this first junior match, Grafton had. made 168- and Eden A 138 for. six wickets on the previous Saturday. Eden took their score to 192. Grafton went in to hit, and knocked up 164 for six wickets (Horspool 84) and declared. The effort was well meant, but failed badly, Eden A replying with 143 for two wickets (Somerville 41 not out, Bridges 38, Kavangah 34). Eden won by eight wickets.. THE GAME AT CHRISTCHURCH. The ninth round of the first grade cricket matches - was commenced on Saturday, the results being as follows: —St. Albans, .146, v. Sydenham, 189 for six wickets (W. Patrick 95, not but). Riccarton, 292 (E. R. Caygill 55, A. Parker 63) v. West Christchurch, 100 for one wicket (H. B. Lusk 55, not but, D. Reese 31, not out). East Christchurch 94, v, Linwood, 262 for nine wickets (R. Read 67). DUNEDIN DOINGS. The district cricket matches were continued on Saturday. Carisbrook B made 141 against Carisbrook A (Siedeberg 56). Adams took three wickets for 3 runs. The A team lost five wickets for 46. In the Albion v. Opoho match, the former were disposed of for 123 (Williams 48), while Opoho made 124. In the Grange v. Dunedin match the former made 117, the latter only getting 68 (Eckhold ■2B). THE WELLINGTON FINAL. The final match for the senior championship was commenced on the Basin Reserve on Saturday, between Old Boys and Midlanders. The wicket was in good order, and the attendance large. Old Boys compiled the fine total of 345 runs for five wickets. Beechey played splendidly, contributing 158 runs. Tucker made 60, Monoghan 38 (not out), J. P. Blacklock 32, and S. Jacobs 26. In the other senior matches Phoenix, playing against Petone, put up 205 runs in their first innings, including 121 not out by Laws. Petone has four wickets down for 67 (Taylor 24, not out). Playing against Wellington, Gas ompany made 174 in their first innings (Tapp 36, Hodge 48). A WONDERFUL VETERAN. Mr. Charles Absolon, the famous English veteran cricketer, died on January 4 at his residence at Hermitage Road, Finsbury Park. In 1832, when he was 1' years of age, he scored 137 runs for Wallingford against Berwick. In those days, it should be remembered, wicket's were not good, and a century was a comparatively

rare feat. In 1893, when he was 76 years of age, he took with his lob bowling, 209 wickets in club cricket — a truly extraordinary performance. What he did in the interim can be fairly well estimated from his form at these two extremes of his career. He gained just about every distinction that could fall to the lot of a club bowler, and, between the ages of 50 and 80 (he did not retire until he had completed his four-score) he made 26,000 runs and took 8500 wickets. Once, when he played for A Twelve against Three of All England, he dismissed the three, W. G. Grace, W. R. Gilbert, and H. Charlwood (a truly formidable trio in 1873) for 6 runs. Two testimonial matches were held at Kennington Oval in his honour. At the time of his death he was in his 91st year. —“ I.S. and D. News.”

Ponsonby 11. defeated Parnell B by 104 runs. Scores: Ponsonby 160 and 84, Parnell B 77 and 63.

Parnell A beat North Shore 11. by no less than an innings and 67 runs. Scores: Parnell A, 243; North Shore 11., 112 and 64. Eden B beat City 11. by 228 (Gilmour 48) to 154 (Laird 35, Goulding 33).

In the Eden A v. Grafton 11. match, 361 runs were scored in three and ahalf hours. This is the sort of cricket to draw a crowd. Bowling for City, Grainger took 7 wickets for 57. A good performance on such a true wicket. Against North Shore F. R. Mason captured seven wickets for 60. The return match between England and New South Wales was. left drawn at a very interesting stage. England made 294 and 456 to N.S. Wales’ 368 and 370 for nine wickets. N.S. Wales (who should have won easily but for bad fielding) wanted 12 runs with one wicket to fall when rain stopped the Play- .