THE LATE CRICKET FARCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 45, 22 February 1905, Page 10

THE LATE CRICKET FARCE.

(To the Editor.) Sir. —Shortly before the recent visit of the Australian cricketers you were inconsiderate enough to publish a letter by mc on the subject of the alleged match I'M between them and Auckland, which was thru drawing near. 1 indulged in what 1 thought was a little playful badinage on the subject: but, alas! I aroused the gorge of a Mr Phwilson, who rather brutally suggested that [ was a lunatic ;it large, and cruelly impeached my veracity as to the wager made on the Domain Cricket Ground many years ago by a member of a visiting English team. As to the latter charge. I do not know whether Mr Phwilson was present at the match or not, but as I was there perhaps he. will permit mc to know something about it. Tf your irate correspondent chances to be a Spiritualist, let him at his next seance summon 1o his circle the late Mr Pooley, who made the wager referred to. Unless Mr Pooley since his departure from this sublunary sphere has abandoned his former truthful habits, and fallen into those pernicious practices of prevarication so common at seances, he. if he obey the summons, can afford Mr Pbwilson "confirmation strong as proof of Holy Writ -, of the story as I have narrated it. with other interesting details, such as the fact that he kept a copy vi the list of Auckland players, with the prophetic scores opposite their names, in his cap during the innings. However, let thnt pas.->. if Mr Phwi'.son likes to consider th? story apocryphal, he is perfectly welcome t<> hug 1 he pleasing delusion to his incredulous soul.

Rut about that march? It is all over miw. aiid even your reporter wa? cruel but truthful enough to describe at least the latter port ion of th? affair ;is farcical. 1 was there, and admired the manner in which the enreruriso was engineered. The Auckland men were allowed to run up quite a respectable score on the first day. and their last wicket fell just before time was railed. This allowed the Australians to hat on Saturday, and it was their hatting

which th' , public, who arc free on Saturday afternoons, desired to μ-o. The public rolled up accordingly, iind the -hokels Tolled in. (.'7lO Ru-ket was left over for Monday, otherwise the whole proceedings woiii.l has'o collapsed ton early on the Monday to attract many people lo thi> "round. Tiion came t.he final It was entenainin^ , in the extreme, for the only solemn faces to Im> 9f>en were those of th<» Auckhmd fifteen, their jrirls. their and seirOTvd best their sisrers. their cousins, and their I am not goin™ to claim to rank as an inspired prophet on the strength of my predict innv prior to the match, because it would be just as absurd for mo to do cs for n man w> claim the prophetir innntlp on the hum rising in accordance with his prediction on the previous d.iy. Tint I <lf> rhink thnt v.-hen a team or' Australian or Knp:li-:i cricketers descend on us atriiin ny that Auckland should pl:*v eleven men for every one of their opponents should receive serious consideration. With kind regards to my friend. Mr Phvrilsoii. I am. ere.. iriDDLi-: sTL Air.