HOLIDAY CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1329, 5 January 1912, Page 6

HOLIDAY CRICKET.

OVER THE vSTRAIT.

THE EAST CLUB ON TOUR. H has become an annual custom with members ot the Jin-st District Cricket Club to turn tho holiday senson to siccoiint in I he, bott possible wny, by making a cricketing jtour of Nelson province. This year, fourteen members of tliii club, captained by Mr. J. Mash, crossed the Strait and, despite some misfortunes due to weather, had a pood time, and any amount of good cricket. The tour commenced on Saturday, December 23, when the parly crossed- in the Takapuna. Tho passage, was a rough one, and it is on record that only two berets, \Vagstaff and O'Shea, put in an'appearance at breakfast. Arrived at Nelson, the visitors put up at the Trafalgar Hotel. Sunday afternoon, was swejit in renewing old friendships, and in pleasant strolling. Tho team got down to business ou Holiday,, when it met another representing Nelson; The game was not finished. Eiist made 122 in a completed innings, and the locals had two wickets down for 32 when play had to be stonped in the afternoon on account of rain. .For Must Howo made 20, Wagslaff 21, Colled 20, and Smith 20. Bowling for Nelson, Ncale took four wickets for 20 runs.' He is strong on tho slow delivery. 11. Johnston, who took three wickets for fl runs, was regarded by sonic of the. visitors as a bowler with a doubtful delivery. O'Shwi nrotesled that (he bull which took his wicket was thrown. Louisson, anoilier of the local Ixnvlers, took three wickets for 35 run-;. Each,-side played twelve men. Batting for Nelson, Cook got, 18 and Saxon 10 nqt out. On Tuesday, most of. the East plnvnrs attended Wakeßold sports and a dance which followed in the evening.- On Wodiio'day i'i local tea.iii was played at: Bright., water. The. homo team nuulo 107 in.iff Gist iuuiflzs, and Bast resnoudwl -with

H 5- , on° r th l W , T - KIWPP made 23, I'ord l>o, and Richmond 15. The Eas{ lirst innings had an exciting finish. With only ono wicket to go the score stood at 88. j> ash and Schmoll faced the music, llio latter made only ono run, but he held u» his wicket until Nash, with a score of lb not out, had lifted the'total of his side to 110. Bowling.for Kast in the first luiuugs Mulchings took five wickets lor ■fc runs; Murphy .three for IS; and Collott, two for 8. Brighhvater, in a second innings got 67 runs for live •. wickets bmith took three wickets for 7 runs On Jhursday the tourists plavod Wii iti at Wakefiel-1. Bat(i» K firVtt locat made <7 (Uurns 17, J. Kden 1C W Butt 11). Collctt took three wickets lor i runs; Murpliy, two for i; and Nash, five for 25. Last did not bat, rain making it impossible to continue.

On Jirulay, alter a pleasant drive to Richmond, Kast played a local team at that centre. The visitors batted first, and made 90 (Howe IC, Murphy U, and (,'ollett 10). A. Papps, Uoodniau, and Price bowled well for the locals. The latter made 48, the only batsman to enter double figures being Papps, who niado 11 The. East bowlers all put up a (jood performance. Collctt took three for 13; Nash, four for 12; Walters, two for S; and Carter, one for 6. In a second strike, East made 84 at a cost of nine wickets (Collctt 23 not out, Davis 19, O'Shea 12, Murphy 10 not out, Smith , lo). Tor the homo team Wilkes took two wickets for eight runs. On Saturday the visitors met a combilled team representing the Waimca district, but. owing to the demand of harvesting operations, , the combined team was neither so strong nor so representa* tivo as had been expected. Batting two men , short, the combined team made only 14 in its first innings. Murphy took four wickets for 4 runs, and Hutehings three for 9. East made 76. :Geo. Schmoll plnyed a capital innings for 21, and was the only man to inako double figures. O'Shea came next with 9. H. Knapp, a medium-paced leg-break bowler, put up a fine performance, takiiig the lirst nine East wickets for; 34. In theirsecond innings the locals,, batting full strength, mode 29 (H. Kuapp 9). For Last, Murphy took seven wickets'for 12 runs, and Hutcbings three for 15. These two bowlers bowled unchanged in both, innings. The visiting players returned to Kelson on Saturday night. On Sunday a brake was hired, and they drovo out to the cable station at W.ikapuaka, where a delightful day was spent. A little rain fell, in tho morniag, but the weather quickly improved, and tho day became beautifully fine.- The trippers wero shown .over tho cable station, where they found much to interest them..

On Monday a very early start was made, for Motueka in the Kolii, which left Nelson at 5.30 a.m. At Motueka there was quite a cricketing reunion, for East found the place occupied by a Murchison team and a toil in from Westporf, as well as by tho local team they worn lo meet. Playing M'otucku, on a matting-covered concrete wicket, East made 168 (Collett 50, Nash 28, Walters 19, O'Shea 15). The best bowler for Motueka was L. Canton, who took five wickets for 50. B. 0, Duncan took two for 23. The locals made ftl (L. Canton 22, Holyoake 21). • Nash took five, wickets for 22, O'Shea two for 19, and Murphy two for 1". The wickets played on. during the tour were, in general, fairly, good, though most of them were more or less deadened by rain. Tho out-field in most casos was covered with long grass, and scoring was exceedingly difficult. At llichinoud, where the visitors made 81, tho score included three fours, three threes, seven twos, and 45 singles. This was a typical experience. At Wakefield, on Friday, Hie tourists gave a euchre party and dance. The ladies of the district attended in good numbers, and an enjoyable time was (pent. Tho return passage was rough between. Nelson and Picton, but afterwards the party enjoyed a pleasant run across tho Strait in the Pateeuu. They arrived in Wellington at fi.3o p.in. on Tuesday. The thanks of the club are due to Dr. W. Hugh Fearless, of Brighlwater, who was largely instrumental in organising tho various games, and to the ladies of Brightwater, who entertained the visitors at afternoon tea. The travelling team was a very happy family, and Mr. Nash, capably discharged the duties of skipper.