BACK FROM THE FRAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1011, 29 December 1910, Page 6

BACK FROM THE FRAY.

—- -t- ... CRICKETERS' RETURN. IMPRESSIONS" OF THE CAPTAIN.,' The Wellington representative cricket team;, which lias just concluded a rather sensational - Plunket • Shield contest at Auckland,-returned to town.by tlio. Main Trunk express yesterday afternoon.,' The players wero welcomed at Thorndon station. by .a.-small' party. of friends, among them, Mr.' W.. Stevens,- secretaryS of- ■ the Cricket •Association. All tlie representatives appeared in excellent fettle, except Saunders,, who looked'far from well. The Australian, ricked, li'is back towards the close .of Auckland's first spell at' tho wickets,' and;has not yet recovfercd from the effects'of the" injury.. i '/. ■■ • ■ /

,' Asked' to say. ;a 'few 'words :as- to his' impressions of the tour, the captain: of the eleven (Mr.' J. 'P. Blacklook)' stated that the-team pulled together'all-through. Its .members pisjtjsed hard on two. daj-s before the matcl§ and commenced the game .at Auckland really thinking that, they could W'in. At four, o'clock on the final day. the. crowd, and, in'-'fact, everybody, on'the ground, thought Wellington had -won the match. Just about that time, Mr.' Blacklock continued, a-mistake was made, 1 in the'field, which cost . Wellington' the -victory. A coUple of chances were given by: Brook Smith,- and one, at least,- was badly missed in the'field,. Had either been taken . the fate of the game .would have been then, to all intents and purpos.es, decided.' The-'Auckland "batsman: at this ■ tiiiie had only eleven runs on the book. , His splendid batting. performance!'afterwards ' wis : the all-import-ant.factor that gavo'the victory to .Auckland. ,The'achievement'of Brook Smith is: classed by. the .Wellington skipper as .the finest -inniniCi,-of the match./ . Once started, the AucSander settled down to solid, powerful,off-driving,:, and changed the'whole complexion of'the game. - V The wicket,: Mr.' Blacklock states, was rather slow oh', the' second playing day, as a result; of .rain which, fell,.;continuously on Sunday- It' rapidly-improved, however,'as. it . dried, and was in firstclass order "on the final day of play. Right through l thO'game the. wicket I played true,arid,-; in--its average state , while tlie' match, was in. progress/ it could , not be called slow. .......

As to tho Wellington players, Blacklockand Gibbes, in ,tlie first -innings, saved the situation, and arrested a "rot" that had set. in. '. In. the., second .inmngs ■Mnhphy plied' a* useful bat. ;Gibbe.S;, top, batted, well, and had .hard, luck in being stumped. He,": over-reached; ' : himself. Hickey ,'wciit in when .things were very ib'ad,-and put .up a hard-hitting innings, giving no chances; ■.• - -Findlay and Hickey between them put on .10 runs . for the --.ther.,: left''.the..wickets,- Wellington apparently' held a winning 1 position.;' ; Saunders and Monnglian divide the ;bowling;averago'between them. "It was a : sportsmanlike contest:, all through," the Wellingtbn captain remarked; ' "We have nothing to complain of at.all."' The team; lib stated in conclusion, was'well 'satisfied with the. manner in which it'was entertained at Auckland, "and- the-umpiring v was.good, all through. ; Saunders, on ..'.being > approached! unreservedly. corrobdrated the expressed opinion,6f hi's captain as to' tlie 'state; of tile Auckland Vwicketi •■ He -'seemed 'rather mor a "inclined ■ to. accept-'the- situation on its merits than to 'talk about it. Any falling- away in'liis bowling, in the seoond : spell.the -Australian' attributed'solely, to : the unfortunate -injury .he sustained in the .opening'innings; 1 i Cither members -of the 'team' wh'o- were spoken 'to concurred, .in- stating • that.. the Tife"-' given' to -.Brook Smith, marked the turning-point of;' the> match!.: It...ivas agreed, too, \thatHh'e contfeSt- was closely fought throughout; ! ahd' that Wellington '.came.withinV-an ace of securing the coveted-tropliy.'