THE AUCKLAND CRICKET TEAM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 796, 18 November 1882, Page 2

THE AUCKLAND CRICKET TEAM.

[“Lyttelton Times.”] The following is a sketch of the capabilities of the Auckland cricketers, which will be some clue to their prospects when they, meet the. strong el4v®£l Canterbury will be able to put in the field. On paper it will be found to be a remarkably good team. Only three of the team came down on the famous trip of 1873 : Arneill —A good bat, and a determined hitter ; fine change bowler, and a sure field. Blair.— Lately from Victoria, having been : ore6f-tbe'South Helb6u#ne Eleven some seasons ago; is a fipp,,bat, his cuttingbeing first-dais ; cari be relied on fora score, and is.a good field. : Buckland. j —Well khbvttl aa an old and experienced cricketer ; a yery.good bowler and fine bat and fielii ; / vi-ltfed Dunedin with the Auckland team in 1873 ; was, in fact, the promoter of the last trip through New Zealand.

Barton, G., hails from ‘ Wanganui, where, it will be recollected, he won the match for Wanganui against the last Australian Eleven, making 44 runs at a criti-’ cal period of the game ; a really fine bat, being considered by the Australians one of the best men they met during their tour in New Zealand ; is a fine field. Dufaur. —A good bat and field, and fair change bowler; a brother of Mr Dufaur who visited Dunedin in 1873, Gill, J. G. —An importation from Victoria, and considered to be the best bowler in Auckland. Is of medium pace, and makes great pace from , the pitch ; did some splendid bowling in the recent trial match, his average being six,''wickets for four runs ; is likely to prove destructive if the ground is fast. Lankhau. —A rising player; a fine bowler, bat, and field. O’Brien. —Good bat and field, with a splendid return. Robinson. —Best all round man in the team, and will most likely be captain. He visited Dunedin in 1873. »•' Tkstro, —Splendid bat—the. Barlow of the team —and invariably ’adores,- being a most difficult wicket to get; made large scores recently. Yates. —Fine bat and bowler ; one of the team in 1873; possesses a thorough knowledge of the game, and is a cricketer of old standing and reputation. Of Gardiner, the twelth man, we know nothing. In Dunedin .the /Aucklanders meet a team drawn from a small, and that the weakest, section of the local players, and the eleven will contain about one good bowler, C. Frith, and one decent bat, Harris. The result, therefore, does not want much prophesying. As far as we can see at present, Canterbury is the only place likely to hold its own, and ‘with the memory of the defeat in 1873 still fresh and keen, we sincerely hope burcricketers will strain every nerve to reverse the positions. ;