CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 12

CRICKET.

AUSTnALIAN TEAM IN NEW ZEALAND. February in, H, and 13—Play Auckland, at Auckland February 17. I*. and CO—Play Wellington, at Wellington February L' 4. 25. and 27—Play Canterbury, tit Christchurch Mai-cU 3. 4, anil G—Play Otago. at Dunediu March 10. 11. and l:>— Play New Zealand, at Christcbureli March 15. 16, p.nd 18—Play New Zealand, at Wellington ; March 20—Leave Auckland for England, via Vancouver The Australian cricket match, one of the most important events in the annals of local cricket, is proceeding on the Domain to-day. That the visit of the redoubtable Australians will do something to improve local cricket is the earnest hope of all concerned; that, it will help to increase interest, in the grand summer game is equally desirable. The eleven took the opportunity of visiting the thermal district and seeinc the wonders of nature in the neighbourhood of Kotorua. Thereby the}" lost a few days' practice, but having coroe away from a full season's cricket they were quite prepared to forego the opportunity. A correspondent, who signs himself "Spectator." and who is also a member of the Umpire*.' Association, cavils at my last week* suggestion that Messrs Stephenson and Watts should be asked to umpire in the present match, and goes on to declare that there are twenty members (himself included, presumably) who arc quite a.s tit to umpire as Mr Stepbenson. There are but. a few over twenty members in the Association, and nobody with commonsense- would contend that all arc on v level. 1 believe the members of the Association to be conscientious and painstaking, bnt from my own observation and experience 1 do not believe that all are the equal in ability and knowledge of the game to the members to whom I referred, although 1 do not for a moment say that soror are not. After going out of his way to declare. that he is a judge of the game, and 1 am no), the writer makes the remurkable statement that- if a favourite batsman is dismissed by a smart catch the umpire is at oneo classed no good. A greater confession of ignorance could not be imagined, and my correspondent puts himself entirely out of court as a judge of the game. No Auckland batsman will acknowledge being out 1.b.w.. says my correspondent. Thai i* an unwarrantable statement, and is not correct. An Auckland batsman i> quitr as ready to admit that his leg was in front as is the average bat anywhere else, but a man cannot be blamed if be indulge in a mild grumble when given out when a bowler i- bowling round the wicket, and 1 have seen thai occur .several times this season. North Shore bad a srrea'. <Tay's leather hunting with Parnell at the wickets. The wicket was in grand order, and it was quite impossible for the bowlers to turn the ball more than a couple of iiK-hes. white the outfield was also fast. H. B. Lusk :>n<] l>l iff opened the innings, the former losing his wicket off a ball which bumped slightly. He played forward to it. and spooned i) up to Jovre. OlifT was disini>s<=-d almost inunediatelv after, c-lean bowled by Hu.-wey. The game was then in a not too promisiug stage, two wickets beinc down for 27. Mason and Sale then became partnered, and runs began to enin£ freely. Mason played the best innings he has yet been responsible for. driving and hook ing remarkably well. He brought forty up in a dozen hits, hitting ten boundaries and two singles. Sale did not start too well, but after be got going was responsible for some tine drives, the wicket suiting his style of play. He did not get well on to one from Prime, and was caught in tbe outfield. X. B. Lusk came. next, and after making 11 was fj-umped by Grace off Haddon. Barry followed, making 27 by good cricket before spooning one back to Hrtssey. Murray filled Ute breach. Mason who was hitting freely, being six off the century. A four, a one, and another boundary brought up the covrted three figures, the first century in Auckland senior championship cricket this season. Murray did not stay long, being clean bowled by McNeil in the first over. Philson, who came nest. Parted badiy. and was missed off bis third ball from an easy chance behind the The mistake was a costly one, ac he struck form and registered a century, not out, making some fine cuts to the boundary. Mason drove in great style, and kept everything down till be was about 130; the pa«e then began to tell, and at 161, when he was getting beat, he gave Haddon a hard dhajioe on the boundary, which was not accepted. He continued to bang the bowling about, and at lf)3 was caught at mid-off by McNeil, failing to get on to one from Hussey. His total included 34 fours. McNeil 1 did not come out with the best analysis, but he bowled very well, and did not get too much assistance from the field, a number of runs being scored which should have been stopped. Haddon also bowled well, there being nothing loose about his deliveries. No records are kept, of local cricket beyond the icore-books and the newspaper reports, so that it is impossible to give a definite statement as to previous big scores. The only larger totals with which I am personally acquainted are the 217 of Geo. Mills and the 201 of D. Hay, both scored on the Norths Shore ground, and the 195 scored by Barton on the Domain. Mr. J. Roberts has presented Mason with a bat in recognition of his score. Mr Roberts is making a bat for Victor Trumper. In the matdi between Poneonhy and Eden on Saturday the former team batted first, and made a very unfortunate start, losing Frauds and Wilson when the total had only reached nine. Francis, one of the most promising bats on the side, was caught behind the wicket by Elliott, off Smith. Lusk, the other Eden bowler, then began to do well. One of his leg-breaks clean beat Forster, and the- promising batsman retired without, brea-king his duck, the total being IS. Gavin and Woods were then together, and the partnership looked likely to improve the poor position of Jtic £«am; a* Woo<le bit, * cwjte of

\ boundaries in succession. These, however, proved to be his last contribution. (Jne of Lusk's broke clean across his wicket, and. fortunately for him. it was Oil the off stump: but the next ball be drove hard into the hacds of Douglas, at niid-on. The fieldsman stopped it. and the ball spun in the air. Douglas holding it when it came clown. Woods bad quickly hit up 10, and the total for four wickets was 4T>. Gavin stayed in until the century was reached, giving a lino display, nnd spoiling the excellent appearance of Lusk's average, lie drove ten balls to the boundary, and was eventually taught at niid-on by Douglas, after making a weak stroke off .Kreeman. Ponsonby had then lost seven wickets for 110 runs, of which the retiring batsman had made Co. Without this score Ponsonby would have been in sore straits. Oallag'her made 20 (not out), and M. Walker 21; and the innrags concluded for 154. which was not unsatisfactory, considering the lameness of the siart. H. B. Lusk bore the brunt of the bowling for Eden, taking live wickets for 4V> runt. Eden commenced their innings soon afterwards, and made i>4 for the loss of four wickets. R. Woods being successful in getting three wickets cheaply for 27 runs. The other senior ma-leu commenced on the Domain ou Saturday was Grafton v. City. The latter lost the toss, and Graft-on -baited on a nice wicket, t'ity tielded tnn men. and their opponents, as did I'oTisonby on tho neighbouring pitch opposite the pavilion, made an unfortunate .star!. Bswr-Brown secured a wif:ket in his first over, 1). Hay being out for a duck. Kalk-nder and Jones came together, and the former commenced to knock Ban-Brown's deliveries about nicely. The partnership lasted until 48 had been scored. Then Kallender played on one of Taylor's after contributing 22. .loces had made one less when, at 53, he also johied the home-ward-bound. Ta\-lor had bad quite a day out up to ihis point, his analysis reading: 4 overs, 2 maidens. "2 runs. 2 wickets. J!p continued to bowl with good success, the scoring being kept down until the fifth wicket t>ll, -with the score at 7- r >. Then D. L. .1. Clayton made Ihe inning* livelier by hrtting out nicely, scorim: 3ft before he was disposed of leg-before. The (.Jrafton total was 15". and City made a third of this amount wTTTiont losing a "ivieloei when they went in. Barr-Brown and Taylor oiK-h took ihrec wickets against Oralton, lite former at a cost of 43. and Taylor ."10. runs. Magce. secured two wickets for ;>0 runs. The Phocnis-llidland match, at Wellington, was won by the narrowest margin po e «ihlp. .Midland having a majority of one when their last wicket fell. Tbe Crk-kei Associations of Xew South Wales aud Victoria are strongly in favour of establishing a Board to control International cricket iv Australia. j An English professional bowler named YV. 11. Mill.-., residing at Daunevirke, lias been endeavouring to secure engagement as a coach in ("hristebureh. A reception to the Australian team lias been arranged by Australian residents in ChrisUhureli. It is to take the form of a smoke concert aud conversazione, to bo held in the Town Hall on the evening of February 27. The Minister of Railways (Sir .losepii Ward) will preside over the function. R. A. Duff completed bis thousand mii* for \ow South Wales against Victoria in t'iic last match, fie has scored; 1017 runs in 111 completed innings, averaging 53.02 per innings. Some year- have r-'apscd since an Otago cricket tfam toured 2sew Zealand. ;;nd the Otago Association quite progressively argues that it is nearly lime 10 do it again. 1 bear there i> a prosI peel of an Otago eleven being sent round the colony next year on a cricket scalping expedition, provided the year (lids satisfactorily from the treasurers viewpoint.— in the •'Witness." The Australian eleven propose? to make some slight alteration in the pro- ! gramme of matches when the team reach j England. For instance, thoro are two engagements against Scotland, one suej i-eeding the other, and an endeavour will I be made to substitute another fixture for one of them. It is also likely that a match will be stayed at Dublin. The board of control to manage the test matches during the coining Knsrlish season will consist of six representatives of tbe Marylebone Club and a like number acting on babalf of the six leading counties. The representatives of the M.C.C. are: The Marquis of Granby (president). Lord AVverstone. Jjord Lichfjeld. Lord Harris. Mr R. E. Forstcr. aud ]\lr A. G. Steel. K.C. The counties will be represented by Mr -1. Hollier (Lancashire). Hon. F. S. Jackson (Yorkshire), Mr J. R. Zvlason (Kcntl. Mr G. MacGregor Mr W. E. Denison (Notts), and the Earl of Wintcxton (Sussex). Mr F. E. Laeey will act as secretary. The board held a. meeting at Lord's on February 7. 1005. Among the subjects discussed were tbo appointment of a selection committee, expenses, and the question as to tbe time of the declaration of an innings if the final test match has to '»c played out. The board also considered the question whether it would not be advisable for the two captains to toss only in the first match and the fifth. In this case the captain who lost the toss in the first match should have choice of innings in tbe second and fourth matches, the captain who won the toss having choice of innings in the third match. This proposal was rejected, and it was decided I that matches should be played on. similar terms to last tour.