THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 7

THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS.

MATCH AGAINST AUCKLAND. LOCAL FIFTEEN SCORE 175. 1 The cricket match between the Aus- : tralian Eleven and the Auckland Fifteen •was continued in the Domain Cricket " Ground after we went to press yesierdav. The weather remained beautiful all*through the afternoon, nnd the light was perfect. The wicket wore very well, and the bowlers got little assist- j oner from it. As the afternoon progressed the atten dunce increased, and for an ■ off-day the attendance was remarkably pood." Thn ground, one of the most beautiful in the colonies, presented a ' very picturesque appearance, the slopes surrounding the. field being well covered with spectators, the summer, costumes of the ladies, of whom a large number were present, brightening the scene and j hreaking up the monotone of the gen- j oral green. Thfi local fifteen -were batting during the whole, of the afternoon, the hour for the adjournment, 0 p.m.. arriving just as the last wicket fell. The score bad then reached 170, a creditable total considering the strength of the Ausi tralians. F. R. Mason was the only { man of the. team to make, a good showing, and he played a very fine innings for 79, which took two hours and ten i minutes to compile. He went in first wicket down, and after playing carefully until he got his eye in, opened out and hit freely at anything loose, while playing carefully at the good stuff. He made a couple of uppish strokes, but they fell well clear of the field, and he did'nof give a chance. He hit ten fours and five threes, nnd was batting splendidly when he was run out, being called for a bye when the. ball was within rnach of the wieketkeeper, who flicked off the balls as soon as Mason's foot left the. crease. D. Hay. the Auckland captain, got. 15 runs by good strokes, bnt immediately after the tea adjournment he lost hjs wicket, yorked by Cotter, • whose pace beat the batsman. Oliff played very carefully all through, but •at the unlucky 13 he lost bis wicket, dean bowled by Hopkins off a ball which •he went back to instead of going forward for, and which beat him badly. ■ With the exception of S. .Tones, the. first man out, none of the others showed anything like decent form. Sale stayed for an over or two and was never at home, while Brook-Smith, who is usually a very fair hitter, was even more uncomfortable, though he did manage to get a couple. The bowling was remarkably good all along, and the fielding was very keen. Occasionally a man failed to pick up the ball cleanly, but he never failed to stop it. Hopkins was in splendid form, and with the exception of Mason he. had the batsmen tied in a knot all along. He bowled with great accuracy and came off the pitch in a 'puzzling manner. Noble was the luckiest of the liowlers, and the swerve at the end of hia delivery was very deceiving. He kept tho batsmen thinking, and veiy few liberties were taken with him. Cotter > may not be as fast as Ernie Jones, but he is quite fast enough for the Anck- , land batsmen. It was entirely his pace .' which beat them. Apparently he cannot keep a length, bnt he can send the ball down at a great rate. Some of his ■ deliveries bumped a good deal, and some 'i, were very poor «is to length, wit no rgreat advantage could be taken of these, and his five wickets only cost nine mns ■'tpicce , . - -Arnretrong -anA Mel»cod , both .bowled very well, the former breaking -a lot fconi leg off slow mediums. THE PLAY. , we went to press yesterday, was out for 13, and Oliff and Mason, who followed Jones, were at the wickets, the score being 33 with one wicket down, of which Oliff had made nine and Maeon five. An off drive, by Oliff added three runs to his total, nine runs coming . off the over. Hopkins' second over was a maiden. VV. \V. Armstrong took the ball from Cotter who had bowled eight overs for one wicket and 20 runs. Masou stole, a-run oft" -the newcomer's first ball, and r a couple of byes followed the next. Oliff brought 40 up with a drag to leg for one. The third ball of Hopkins" .-next over clean bowled OliiT, who played across it. lie had score. 13, and had been,at the wicket for 55 minutes. Hopkins' analysis then read 2.3 overs, 0 runs, and 1 wicket. Two wickets for 1 40. Oliff had uot scored quickly, Ant be .played v sound game all along and was good in defence: 40—2—13. ( Hemus filled the breach, and played out tils over. Mason scored a couple to j leg off Armstrong, who was bowling very well, llemus opened his score account off Hopkins willi a brace to leg. This i brought the score to 43 at the end of , an hour's play. Mason and Hem us each scored a single on the leg side off Armstrong's next over, and then Hemus reached out and drove him for three. The first ball off Hopkins' next m-pr beat Hemus all the way, and scattered his .Etunips. Hopkins was bowling with re- j Jnarkable accuracy, and had taken two' wickets for two runs, the batsmen finding him almost unplayable. The retiring .•batsman had marie Jons, and was suc.ceeded by E. V. Sale: 30—3—4. ■ Hopkins bowled his fourth maiden out «Jive oyuj-H, An uppish one from Mason ■ °ji Armstrong , * next over fell clear of *nc lield, and he followed iliis up with a nice hit to ]<.•<:, which was HeldcJ on the boundary for n single. Mason pufled Hopkins to leg for a nice, ill roe, and then drove Armstrong for a single. The ne,xt "all was fatal to Sale, who was clean bowled, and retired without scoring. Armstrong's wicket had cost twelve runs Hi live overs: 56— i —0. D ' Hay (captain) went to the wicket next, and played his first over through safely. Mason brought his score to 20 °v a fine cut to the boundary off Hop«M, and followed this up with a pull to kg tor f our! ~ii run Three byes and a S] ngle by MaSon came off Armstrong's Uexl over. Mason wa* playing carefully »ut confidently, fle got three off Hop-Kin-S the ball being stopped by Gchrs v • -n° n tlvC boundar y- ™s hit brought 'P '0. Hay opened out at one from Armstrong, and pulled it across over the boundary with a very clean hit, and 5 c °uple of byes were also scored. During the over Hay added another three off «opkins with a glance to leg, and then '. son P la ced one from the same bowler «cey through the field to the boundary. tm*v was responsible for another c °uple, and SS runs were registered at '" c end of au hour and a-half's play, - jason having made 3.5. Hay drove Arming nicely to the off for a couple, and ™ e n added a single on the leg side. «son got fairly on to one from ArmS n 2' w -hich was pitched up too far, m !?* Jt acro3e ths boundary with a thfl n 1 clean Ut - At °4 MeLeod took hih-. from Ho P ld n s , and Mason hit «ut « the OIT for a cou P le and a ' sin e le * c bowler. Hopkins had bowled •w overs, and had. had 25 nine scored

off him having taken two wickets. After t couple of singles o ff Armstrong, Maaon brought the hundred up with a nice leg drive over the boundary. The century had occupied au hour and 40 minutes, the rate of scoring being thus one per minute. Mason was playing splendid cricket, and was hitting freely at anything loose, but was keeping the ball down splendidly, not having given a chance. At 105 Cotter took the ball from Armstrong, who had bowled ten overs for 2» runs, and had taken one wicket. Mason cut Cotter for a brace, after two byes had been registered. Three byes off McLeod brought the extras up to 18, and the score to 111. The tea adjournment was then taken. Mason being 48 not cut. and D. Hay 15 not out. On resuming at 4.25 Cotter continued to bowl, and with is second delivery, a good length straight ball, he found' D. Hay'a wicket, the score being unaltered: 111—5—15. Cotter had then taken two wickets for 22. Haddon followed and opened his account early, snicking his second ball across the boundary. McLeod bowled from the Hospital end to Mason, who drove him past the bowler and across the boundary, bringing his total past the half century and the aggregate.to 119. Cotter sent down a maiden over to Haddon and in McLeod's next over Mason scored a single off a ball which he put up, but iii a safe place. The same* bat got one from Cotter prettily away for three and Haddon added a nice couple with a pull to the off. The next ball brought about his downfall, Cotier clean bowling him: 125—6— G. Cotter's three wickets had cost 31 runs. A. E. Sloman filled the vacancy and got Cotter's next ball away to leg' for a single and then McLeod sent him down a maiden over. Both bowlers were doing good work and were keeping the ruiiK down. Mason drove Cotter nicely for three, and Sloman faced Cotter." who clean bowled him next ball: 129—f —1. H- B. Luck came next and Mason brought his score to 60 with an off drive for a single off McLeod. A risky leg bye took Lusk to Cotter's end and after surviving a couple of balls he made the fact bowler's fifth victim: 131— 8-— O. The five wickets had cost 35 runs. He was bowling very well, much bettor than in the opening stages, keeping a better length. Brook-Smith played the remaining three balls of the over safely without the score being added to. Mason added a. single off MeLeod's, another off Cottor. Brook-Smith made, a single off Cotter, and Kelly appealed for a catch off Mason, but the ball had not been touched. McLeod, who was bowling very well, was treated with great respect by both batsmen. He sent down a maiden to Brook-Smith, who, after a single by Mason, took an over from Cotter without scoring. Mason got one from McLeod nicely over the leg boundary, and the next ball but one he pulled beautifully again, hitting over the boudar/ancl bringing his score to 71. The last bail of the over ho sent, across the off boundary with a clinking drive thus knocking a round dozen off the over. Another maiden was bowled to Brook Smith, who was not batting very well. McLeod. who had had 23 runs scored off him in nine overs, was then taken off, the score being 147, and Nob Jo went on again. His ilrst ball Miiaon sent across the boundary with a sweet well placed drive, which went nicely through the field. The end came next ball but one. Mason drove at and missed the ball, which Kelly stopped without holding. Mason stepped out of f his crease to run, Brook-Smith haying i called him, not seeing u-lierc the ball •was. and-before Maaon -had gone a. yard Kelly picked up the ball and whipped off the bails. Mason thus being run out. His score of 79 included ten fours and was made by beautiful cricket. He never gave a chance., while his hitting was clean and hard: 151—9—79. W. Stemson came next and with a cut scored a couple. Brook Smith then lost his wicket, clean bowled by a leg break from Nobl<»: 154—J0—2. N. B. Lusk tilled the vacancy and Noble's over watf a maiden. Stemson snicked Cotter across the leg boundary for four. Lusk just tipped one from Noble, off which four were run, the ball stopping just inside the boundary. A I smart run was scored off a hit' between ' the wickets by Stemson and the same player drove Noble for one. Lusk's end then came. Noble clean bowling him with a twuszler: ]64—11— i. Schtnoll went in and out, clean bowled in his first over by Noble, who .was bowling splendidly and was swerving in the air: 164—12-^-0. McNeil went to the creaae. and W. W. Armstrong again went on in place of Cotter. Stemson made a single off his first ball and AfcNeill followed suit. Stemaon was out Lb.w. off the last ball of the over: ](J6 —13—0. The retiring batsman had made his runs by careful play. Stevens, the last man in, went to the. ereaflc ut_a quarter to six, and McNeil lifted Noble to the square leg boundary. An uppish cut. off the last ball of the over fell behind the slips and three runs were scored. He scored a single off a bard drive, well fielded* by Duff. Stevens broke his duck with a single and then McNeil lost his wicket, clean bowled by Armstrong, the. innings thus closing at 3 7:>. Stumps were then drawn, the j adjournment hour, 6 p.m.,having arrived. The following arc the scores: — AUCKLAND—First Innings. S. P. Jones, c Kelly, b Cotter 13 ('. Oliff. l> Hopkins i;{ (■*. Ft. Mason, run out - 7!) L. <3. llemua, I) Hopkins 4 E. V. fcJalp, b Armstrong.. ; 0 1). Hay. l> Cotter ]5 A. Haddon, l> C0tter.............. (» A. E. Sloman, h Cotter . 1 H. B. Lusk, b Cotter 0 W. Brooke Smith, b Noble 2 \V. Stemson, l.b.w 9 N. B. Luck, 1) Noble ;.. 4 G. Schmoll, l>. Noble ~.. 0 V. A. McNeilJ, b Armstrong 0 \Y. B. Stephens, not out 1 Extras 19 Total 175 BOWLING ANALYSIS. I O. M. It. W. { Cotter 20 7 46 5 I Noble 11 2 20 3 Armstrong .... 11 0 ,'JS f> Hopkins 9 4 25 2 McLeod 10 3 24 0