CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 437, 20 February 1909, Page 7

CRICKET.

- HAWKE'S BAY V. WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, 204; HAME'S BAY, 21 FOR 1 WICKET. Tho interprovincial cricket match, Hawko's Bay v. Wellington, was begun on tho Basin Reserve yesterday afternoon, \ Tho weather yras excellent, a light northerly breeze serving: merely to keep things cool. The-wicket ■ was in good • condition", and tho outfield: iairly fast. The following wore the teams :— Hawko's Bay: P. Aslioroft (captain), J. Hindmarsh/ G. Hawke, A. Fenton,-W. P. Redgrave, B. Bailoy, J. J. O'Brien; J. A. Botts,: W. H. Lee vers,' I l '. A. Nelson, and P: R. Fulton. ' Wellington i D.iCobcroft (captain), F. Xaws,:. J. Mahoney. J. >P. Blacklook, W. 8. Brice, .A.''Brucey F. Midlane, D. Naughton, Payne, Rogers, and T. Connolly. The umpires. were Messrs. D. M'Kenzio .and W. R. Book.

The .gamo commenced at 2.25 p.m.", when Cobcroft and Laws wore, sent in by Wellington, and Nelson-and Fonton took up tho bowling.: Nelson, who is something of a "battery bowler" with -a fast." dolivory, opened, and his first over was carefully mot by „ : Cobcroft. : Tho first ball of Fenton's first over : —a fast one —took Laws's wicket.' He was replaced by Mahoney, ; He plodded slowly up to 977 a two arid a, fourVbut at that stage a : characteristic ball from Nelson sent'down his "leg stump, 1 . Cobcroft by.this'time had put up 6, and the score, after twenty minutes 1 play, Btodd at 16—2—0. A,The- next man was J.-P.' Blacklook, and - " the".' local; rdprfesOntatiyes'JV sent : : their . best . wishes with hirnj- for the opening, so far as it , went, had not : been' .promising. Blacklock commenced carefully, but ho had not been long at tho picket-before he had . taken the measure of Hawko's Bay's attack, and he tlien began to lay on the wood.' By freo' cricket and smart backing up arid running between-" the wickets tho batsmen kept the . telegraph .plates' moving, 'and at' 3.15 p.m. the total had : gono up to GO. At this 1 point, Tiowever, disaster overtook Blacklock. It Wjis a.fast ball-from Nelson, and, as it rose, Blacklock touched 'it to the short slip,: where Botts took a.neat catch.. 62—3—24. •Brice followed, and for gome timo seemed far from comfortable,. At 3,30 a change was made in the -bowling,- : Redgrave replacing Fonton. The latter had taken 1 wicket (that of Laws) for 35 runs,;; ' Cobcroft, meantime, :. was- playing .: consistently, v rjid the 1 scoreboard showed 100 at 8.45 o'clookj after an ; hour and' twenty minutes of play—Cobcroft • .17; : Brice was dismissed shortly afterwards through, a. high hit off Redgrave. Hindmarsh caught him easily, l and: the position of tho team then stood at 103—4—20.. ,: Bruce . followed Brice,' and for' the next few balls Cobcroft had 'the game to him-; self. He did just as 110 pleased with Redgrave's bowling. , l But ho survived a' good attempt by Hindmarsh to take , him in the fieldj .but 'his' dismissal came shortly af-. '.-/'terwards,' iAshcroft' taking him at .-the wicket.. 112—5—46._. Cobcroft, -in: tho course; of an innings which lasted two and a half hours, : made four fours' and threo threes. . ;Next came the. YiM.C.'A, player. Midline, and he opened cautiously, tafting his runs off . - Redgrave. . His partner, Bruoe, looked less anxioiisly upon Nelson's attack, and secured four fours: in succession.. Fenton • resumed bowling with tho score at J3l, and at tho third ball, of his second over Bruce went ; : out l.b.w. 142—f1—21. The six wickets fell in exactly two hours. Naughton, partnered :Midlane, a out ■ for. fourj by, .the:,latter^;raised'the :total to 50; Midlane'ls,'Naughton 4. At/154 O'Brien took the) balL fromi; Nelson, -whose • average worked out -at _3 wickets for 68. - After a" . short partnership; Midlane's. off-stump 'was taken oyiFenton—his third wicket—and tho board showed 157—7 r_ X7.: Payne -filled tho . vacancy, and. the score rose'at-onoe to'l6o, ns the result of. a drive by Naughton. • Al-■-.,though>the ; not':dangerous'-lobk-' ing/: Payno* played, a defensive: innings, and, " after_a!;; brief; spell, iri, which -he made ■: two ■ u \-liis; ibiff stump Fentoh; ; ■ 163—8—2. The . services' of Rogers (Wai- : .wetu) ,were required^'at'4.4s,; and »his opon- ;, ing -.was.'.'produotivo' ofvthree 1 "fonrg; ■' Twelve was ?t,ill-;'Ms -';-';frhen< 'Naughton,; ■ hie* partner, - -M-as' dismissed. Redgrave was- tho - boiler; '.''and' Naughtbn drove -2a' ball fairly •high and-witlr some'foroe. '-,: Tho bowler essayed a catch, but-missed it, knocking tho ball up.v Turning- round just in timo to see 1 the. falling ball,, he thrust out his left hand ••••: and .grasped-,.it.- v This;;was the "best little 1 ; bit of play seen during the afternoon, and ..the spectators fully appreciated it. The /tally was. now 170—9—16, and Connolly, the last-man, commenced, operations at 5 o'olock. Both he and Rogers hit <Sut to some purposo:, . At the' second .century,. Nelson', relieved Fenton at .the, city end, and only four more runs wore added before tho ■ innings con- , eluded, Connolly skiea a ball from Nelson; and ...'.O'Brien,, at mid-on, for it to. come-down. -The side was-finally dismissed at 40-minutes past fivo for 204 (12 extras), ; the innings-having- lasted three hours all but' . fifteen.minutes. -•..S-;':'.-'.y;.. On the whole,-the fielding of the Hawko's Bay team was, not rem&rkablo, but the captain, (Ashoroft) -proved: himself >a■ capable wioketkecper. - . . The Wellington playorß were ratJler token .' .aback: at tho onslaught made by the northern bowlors. iTho fast and oonsistont bowling of : Nelson-, in particular was not to their liking, and in obtaining'his average of 4 wickets for 72 runs he causod more trouble than his figures would seen to indicate. Only, twenty minutes, v.-c.ro loft to Hawke's ' Bay in whioh to commenoe their innings. • Redgrave, and -Hawke opened, with Connolly bowling. The fourth ball of the Petene ;. man's first over/ was hit: by Redgrave into • the hands of Laws' at mid-on,lnilton re- . plaoed Redgrave, : and met , Brioe's bowling, ' and tho batsmen stood steadily to their wiokets without' accomplishing much; With five minutes to go; Rogers and Laws took the bowling, but:,failed to dislodge oither of , the batsmen,' (whose partnership yielded'2l. The scoring was as follows:-- •

"WELLINGTON, , ' . ■ First Innings. ' V Cobaroft 131131H18U114U121411241, o. ■ • Ashoroft; b. Poison , ...48 . ."Laws,-by Fsnton ... 1 ... ... ...; o . JlahoiNsy,' 21411, b, Nelson- ■ ■ 0 J. P. Blackleck, 11244142221, o. Jietts. b. '.Nelson , m ~ Brice, .111141131123, o. Hindmatsh, 1). Red- - gravo 20 .Bruce, 214441311, 1.b.w., b. Fenton ... ' ... 21 . Midlan®, ■ .41111111411, b. Penton ... '17 Kaughton, 2U1213U1U, o. and b. EedgThve 16 ■ Pnyno, 11, b. Fcnton ...; .... ■... 2 ■ Kogers, 44412124, not ■ out ■ ■ 22 Connolly, 141411, o,: O'Brien; b. Nels'oh '15 Extras 12 " Total „Hoi : BOH'UKO Anamsis, 1 Nelson, 23 overs. S balls, 5 maidens, 72 runs. 4 wickets j Ronton, 20 overs, 2 .maidens, G3 runs, . 4. wickets, ■ 1 no-ball; Redgravo, 14 overs, 49 : rung, 2 wiekotsj Q'l3rien,-S overs, 8 runs, HAWICE'S BAY. i i'lnsT Innings! ■ Bedgrave, c. Laws, b. Coupojlv ■■■„■, • o Hawko, 2121212122, not out. ....> ... • ... J6 'i. ' Fulton, 21, not out . , ;.. 3 Extras ... - ... ... 2 •Total for,one wicket ... ... 21