BY FIVE WICKETS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1327, 3 January 1912, Page 5

BY FIVE WICKETS.

WELLINGTON BEATEN. THE LIMIT IN BAD FIELDING, ROUGH ON SAUNDERS. ■ '' . What is Wellington fielding? Truly tho limit. What is the limit? Truly Wellington fielding. No fewer than live times iviis iiaiinders "offered up" yesterday on (lid alter of ineptitude, no fewer Hum live chances slipped past' -shocking pails of hands, and Unit is really the whole story of the last cby of the Canterbury-Wellington match. As it was Canterbury won by five wickets. "C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas In guerre," said some Frenchman somewhere anil somewheu, on .a historic occasion, but this was neither magnificent, nor was it war, nor was it cricket. It was just a funeral. Tho Canterbury batting was like the Wellington, fielding— it vras the limit, too.

Canterbury required 157 inns to win, and they got tho runs after three hours of dreadful play. Tho wicket was slow after the rain overnight, but tho soaking had only taken tho fire out of it, leaving it still true and reliable—the easiest possible wicket for a batsman.

Ollivier and Hickmott were tho first pair sent in, and they faced the bowling of Saunders and Patrick. Ollivier notched the first runs by hitting a ball high into an uninhabitated part of tho field on the leg side. His second bad stroke came sonic ten minuses later, and this time he was not so lucky—he was cauglit in tho slips by Saunders off Patrick's bowliug. The total was then thirtecu. W. Carlton joined Hickmott, and began the painfully dow batting which was apparently accepted as a pattern by the Canterbury men. Ho was at tho wickets half an hour for three runs, and before he had scored those, ho gavo a chance— a fairly hot one—to Patrick lidding at short leg, which Patrick did not hold. Tho first half century was reached after 55 minules' play, and of the total Hickmott had scored 31.

Findlay now took the ball from Patrick, and the change mado tie slow scoring still slower. Hickmott, when his scoro was 33, tipped up a ball into the slips badly, aaid someone might have got up to ' it— the second chance off Saunders's bowling that was not accepted. Run-getting was now so distressfully slow that the crowd cheered ironically when the first run was scored, after a sequence of three, maiden overs. Once again Carlton was given still another life in- tho field, a. chance in the long field which fell through Little's hands—again off Saunders's bowling. The batsman got his quietus very soon afterwards, however, wfien Fiudlay bowled down his off stump. Canterbury's total was then 6". The outgoing batsman had been at the wickets 72 minutes for 13 runs—a. record surely 1 Eeese came out, but before the score had been increased, Hickmott was clean bowled by Saunders. with a. s>low yorker. It seemed to be the only way 'to get wickets, for the field "was 'hopeless. Bcrendson failed to hold a catch behind the wickets off Reese, before the latter had gono far—the fourth dropped catch from Saunders.

Gradually, very gradually, the score was raised to 90, reached after nearly two hours' play, and tho two batsmen eeenied determined not to be tempted 'to hit. Ihen Finlayson was tried at Saunders's end, the result being a slight acceleration in the scoring rate. Saunders, after a short rest, was given the ball at Findlay's end, and Hickson relieved Finlayson. This kept the batsmen quiet again. The score was nearing 120 when Patrick hit a ball up to his Wellington namesake, fielding at long off, but again the catch was dropped—more bad hick for Saunders. When only three more runs of the required total remained to ba pot, Patrick was givou out leg before wicket to the Wellington Patrick, who had relieved Saunders. at. tho. northern -end.— Thomas partnered Reese, but the newcomer did not stay long, being clean bowled by Gibbes, who had at last been Riven a chance with the ball. 155-5-0. T. Canton stayed in whili Reese finished •he match Ly driving Patrick to the boundary for /our. The funeral was over. As hinted, the Wellington catching was execrable, as tho above ■ account shows plainly enough, but the ground fielding was also., weak. . Of course/ the Basin Reserve is a rough ground,- and fielding on it is never easy or altogether safe, but, making allowances for . I'verything, the Wellington men did certainly not field well. All the Wellington bowlers, except Finlayson, kept the. batsmen quiet, but this was the easiest of all things to do. Never in this or any other iutcrprovincial match has batting been so dull "and dreary.

Perhaps it might have been well had Hickson changed his bowlers moro often, for Saunders was kept on practically all tho afternoon, and Gibbes was never thought of until the match was practically won. Tho slow game may have been good fighting tactics for Canterbury, and, if so. it could not have been'good tactics for Wellington to encourajo them in it. But in all the Wellington bowlers who wero given a chance Saundors was the only one who over tossed up a ball to be hit, or who varied his tactics in any way. Following arc the scores:—

Wellington.—First Innings. Bowles, c. and b. Sandman 0 Phillips, 1312, b. Reese 7 Blamires, 142241312, b. Bennett ...... 20 Gibbes, b. Reese ,■ o Patrick,' 1231111411, 1.b.w., ti. T. Carlton' 15 Little, b. Bennett 0 Hickson, b. Bennett 0 Finlaysoii, b. Bennett 0 Bereudson, 3121, c. and b. Bennett ... 7 Fiudlny, 2611102111, not out 22 Saunders, 11, c. Bennett, b. Sandman 5 Extras 5 Total ~ii Bowling Analysis.- ■ Sandman look two wickets for 17 runs; Recw, two for 16; Bennett, five for 20; T. Carllon, one for 23. How tho Wickets Fell. 1 2345678 9. 10 0 U 22 42 42 42 42 48 70 81 Canterbury—First Innings. Ollivior, c. Berendson, b; Saunders ... 1 Hayes, 121232111M111313121124H211, b. Patrick 55 W. Carlton, 244. b. Patrick 10 Hickmott, 213112112122312131, run out... 30 Reese, 31411, b. Saunders 10 Patrick, i, h. Saunders 4 Thomas, 3G14124, b. Patrick 21 T. Carlton, 11, 1.b.w., b. Saunders 2 Boxshall, 312112122, b. Saunders 15 Sandman, b. Saunders 0 Bennett, 121, not out 4 Extras - 11 Total IG3 Bowling Analysis. Saunders took six wickets for 52 runs; Patrick, threo for 41; Gibbes, none for 15; Findlay, nono for 7; Finlaysou, none for 9; Hickson, noro for 28. How tho Wickets Fell. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. S 9- 10 10 27 75 35 103 139 144 148 143 163 ' Wellington—Second Inninjs. Bowles, 1142411212141212, b. Bennett ... 39 Gibbes, 11433131211111144144241212121114 1121223, c. Hickmott, b. Reese 76 Blamircs, 4212142241411141411442413, «. Boxshall, b. Bennett 05 Patrick, 1313, b. Roeso 8 Phillips, 4, 1.b.w., b. Eeeso 4 Little, b. Reese 1 Findlay, c. Hickmott, b. Bennett I Hickson, 12, b. Bennett 3 Finlayson, 313, not out 7 Borondsou, c. Ollivier, b. Reese 0 ijaunders, 12, b. K-ecse ;t Extras ; : 31 Total .'238 Bowling Analysis. Reese look six wickets for 75 runs: Bennett, four for 77; Thomas, none for 11; Sandman, nono for 21;-T. - Carlton, none for 14; W, Carlton, nono for 9. .How the Wickets Fell, . ; . i a v :3. : ,i 5 6 7 8 010 ;;; • SO ISO '100 203 221 222 228 22S 235 238

Canterbury—Second Innings, Ollivier, 24,' c. Saundcrs, b. Patrick ...,' 6 i Hjckniott, .••1124221112121412122114, 'vb.- ' ■"■ Kaunders ■'■ ................. 39 W.. Carlton, mi 2121111, b. Findlay ... 18 Reese, UU22211111111211122211U121M, not out 51 Patrick, M21U2U12121,. 1.b.w., b. Patrick 29 Thomas, b. Gibfccs 0 T. Carlton,'.not out -...;.'....:... 0 Extras .7..........■..;.....:....■. 18 Total 159 Bowling Analysis. Saundcrs took one wicket for 65 runs; Patrick, two for 21.; Findlay, one for U; Finlayson, nemo for ,11; Hickson, none ■for 12; Gibbes, one;for H.