GOOD CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1372, 24 February 1912, Page 7

GOOD CRICKET.

AUCKLAND MATCH. FIRST-CLASS START EFFECTED. QIBDEB AND BLAMIRES. INTERESTING GAME LIKELY.

For more than half a century-since March IG, 1860, in fact—Auckland aud Wellington have had periodical struggles to decide cricket superiority. Honours havo been with Wellington some of (he time, but with Auckland most of tho lime, for of 17 matches played the Aucklandcrs have won 11, tho Wellington men four, and two have been drawn. Another match was commenced in Wellington yesterday, and, so fnr as it has progrossc-d, it has possibilities of developing into a hard-fought game 'A hundred and twenty-seven runs before a wicket fell was tho vory respectable start made by tho Wellington men, whose skipper, Blacklock, had had tho luck to win tho toss. Gibbes and Blamires wero tho two batsmen who did it, but it happened thnt they were not followed by men of quite tho same quality. Mahoney got into the twenties, and Midlano crossed the thirty mark, but four other wickets fell for the paltry total of a dozen runs. Wellington lmvo now lost eight wickets for a total of 208, which must be admitted to bo only a moderate ond after such a. brilliant beginning. It was a beautiful wicket—hard and true nnd well grassed-that Saunders had ready for tho match, and a very few balls showed tho pace of it. Tho new ball fairly hissed off tho pitch from tho first iow deliveries sent down by Thompson, tho English professional, whose services have been retained by the Auckland Association this season.

What Like it Thompson? A word about this bowler. Like ail tho successful latter-day bowlers, ho has adopted tho device of taking a long run. There is virtue in this long run, and every eccentricity about it that can be cultivated does something to help to disconcert tho batsman. Thompson runs a few yards, then hops, then takes four giant strides, swinging his arm two complete revolutions tho while,, and letting go at tho top of the second. He is a fast medium Wler, but ho has an extra fast ball which he gives an "airing" to every quarter ot an hour or so. On most wickets ho relies on an off-break, but yesterday he could not make the ball do anything on the billiard-lablo pitch except when ho slackened the pace very considerably. He bowls off-theory all tho while. Ho had three men in the slips when he opened yesterday, but soon lie added .a long-slip, and ho edged point round in tho direction of third man-five men to field possible late cuts. Tho rest of the Auckland bowling need not bo particularised. Mason bowls slows with either twist, and all the others bowl medium pace with a trifle of spin on an occasional ball. Their bowling a sound enough, but characterless. Ill© whole battery was brought into action yesterday to separate Gibbes and Blamires, but, in the end, they were both out by accidents merely.

Gibbes and Blamires Go In. The task of breaking the ice .for 'Wellington was entrusted to Blamires, who therefore received from Thompson. Ihe first score -.was- an extra for,a .no-ball f by Thompson, 'arid tho first changing of ends was for an overthrow. . Gibbes opened the account for.real business to late-cutting the professional through.tho slips for four-a stroke in winch fcibbcs was to show some real excellence ale game progressed. With ten up. Gibbes «nt an uppish ball over the heads of the slips, and just out of their reach. It was scarcely a chance, but it was the only 'Sauce of one that he was. to gh'l in all his long innings. Bnmiros a so made a weak stroke in tho slips off Jones" bowling, but Heiuus was not close e tilts n s , t o arted Ch oit merrily, and kept going merrily, but Blamires-usually a fast bat-was very slow to begin. lmrtj Appeared after 27Urates• p ff, «* «™ cjnfldden was given tho ball iusumu ui Jones, who did not seem to impress ho batmen to any extent. Sneddon, on the with the utmost caution. Then, after ho had bowled fiveovers at a cost of six runs, ho was taken off, and it was not until a good many more rone had been scored that he was given his real chance. As the scores "how. he made good on tho second occasion. Then Thompson, who had been keeping »hn lntsmen fairly quiet for n time, was X off "nd Joiies who had been tried already ook tho ball at his end. Mason wont on vice Sneddon, and placed the field for the "leg theory." Ho tried Blamires with a lob, whereupon the "Rev £. 0." changed hands on his bni, and banged the ball across the. vacant ride o tie field to tho ropes-his farst boundary. Mason tried no more lobs.

They Get Set. Othor changes followed, until seven bowtos had been tried, all o no effect. The runs kept on coming. Gibbes llnslieil a ball through the slips every now and then, and most of them went to tho boundary. Or ho glanced one elegantly to leg, or ho forced one past point or cover, or ho slammed an extra loose ono round to tho on. In the main, however, he was more orthodox than is his custom, and ho was best of all with those able late cuts. Blamires was a long, long time in reaching double figures, and, even after that, ho increased tho pace- very slowly. He took 88 minutes to roach 30, and (ho score was then in tho nineties, lhe nrst century was brought up in on hour and a half, amid a glad round of applause, and, by this time, it was the real Blamires who was forcing the scoring. Somo of his strokes at this stage were delightfully sharp, and accurately timed, and never did he scorn to leave the slightest opening for the bowlers. And then he was out! Jho decision was lcg-bofore-vr'.cket, and the ball was a swerving ono from Somerroll, which appeared to work from leg after it pitched. It hit him squarely on the pad, and ho rotircd, to the surprise of more than one man in tho Sold besides himself. In support of the view that tho decision was mistakon thero is tho ovidonco of tho etroko which the batsmen made. Some cricketers take liberties with a straight ball, and try to forco runs by playing across for it, but Blamires is not one of those. Ho prefers to meet a straight ball with tho full face of tho bat, but this ball he took a full swing at for a slam to tho on-boundary. Obviously the batsman thought that it was a safo ball to cover with his pads. This was just boforc tho tea adjournment. Tho total stood at 127; Blamires had made 40, and Gibbes was then 71. Baker wont out with Gihhos when tho players took the field again, but his 6tay was short. . Two or three times ho had played forward with soino luck and no assurance, but, presently, ho folt uncertainly for a good lengthono from Thompson, missed it, and was out, 180—2—2.

Mahonsy and Midland. Mahoney joined his club mat*, and at once bejan to swing n free bat and to get runs, with effective, well-timed strokes. Once or twice Ms erratic running between tho wickets nearly caused trouble, but Gibbcs know his ways, and saved disaster. When (he seoro stood nl U6, Gibbcs was given out. caught behind tho wickets oft' Thompson's bowliiw. Tlie appeal come from the slips and the near field, but (ribbes retired very much disgusted, with the conviction that his bat had never touched the ball. Ho had been at the wickets for 136 minutes for his 81 runs, and ho had played perhaps the best innings that ho linn ever played in all his lfifl to K«t them, Many of his stroke*

were brilliant, only a vory,jtpw;, failed in i their mission, ono only was" open' to re- j prouch, ond scarcely, at all, 1 in that long innings, did n dangerous ball" beat him, Midlnno partnered M nhoney, and the ! two played sterling cricket, a trillo slower than tho crowd would havo it, and nddod 30 runs boforo they wero separated, The separation came by , Mahoney being elenn bowled, trying to. ; draw a medium-paced ono from Sneddon, which Rot through nnd loosened the, middle and leg-stump.-.. -. .1 '- The next man, Blacklock, after" seor- ' ing a single off Sneddon, met, with tho same fate ns Mahoney through taking a similar liberty with Thompson. 177—5—1. ; Dickson went out t.o help Xlidlniic, audi although he did nothing sensational his method nt the nickels was comfortable and conlident for the 25 mi mites that ho. stayed. lie had good defence for till the bowling, taking ov«rylhing:fairly on tho face of tho bat, ami his storing strokes wero sound, if not'brilliant. He wits stumped off Sneddon's bowling, and again the umpire's decision was questioned. 201—C—8. Willi eight minutes to go, Robinson joined Midlnno, but tlio_ lattor, after scoring four for a beautiful off-drive, mndo a very weak stroko to silly-leg, and ; nonius easily held up tho catch. 207—7 ( —31. Midlano batted soundly and ■well, , much moro steadily than is habit in club games, and hie best strokes' wer*.: beautifully executed. .• .. . 1 Grimmett, tho next man, scored • 1 lnckv (single, and changed ends to v plar Thompson. To the _ professional, ho fell an easy proy, tapping the" ' softest of ■ catches back down the pitoll. Stumpi wero drawn with the score 208—8—1, Tho fielding of tho northerners' wa« good, but rather below thoir best form. Tho Basin out-field docs not' mako for ' brilliant, ground-work, but they stopped tho ball safely enough. Thoir ; chief weakness was rather in inaccurate returning to tho wickets. , The -. bowline of tho side lacks variety. Thoie is not in it a first-class slow bowler, and not a really dangerous left-hander. The team relies'on Thompson to keep life in the attack. The match promises to he a most interesting one, and much depends on the showing that the Aucklanders. make to- ; day with the bat. They are really worth moro than 200 runs on tho wickets,-but it is a fact that they do not liko Saunders's bowling. Eo scored signal success ; against them last year on just such another wicket as this on which the present match is being played, and it is at least possiblo that ho will do so' again. Play commences to-day at 11.30 a.nv Following are detailed Bcores:— , Wellington.—First Inrilngi. * j E. O. Blamires, 11121111421111141*11111 2322, 1.b.w., b. Somervell M W. Gibbes. 4411142112221411114441124212 J14114244, c, Ellis, b. Thompson ... 81 , W T . Bnker, 11, b. Thompson 1 J. J. Mahoney, 311411341312, b, Sneddeu ..: ...»■.;. ;—■■ 2.1 F. A. Midlane, 11412111123114214; c. Ilemus, I). Sneddon ...••■• '31 1 J. P. Blacklock, b. Thompson 1 .1. Dickson, 41111, st. Ellis, b. Sneddon 8 C. Robinson, not out 0 C, Grimmett, c. and b. Thompson ... 1 Extras 13 Total for eight wickets ..■„.'..,.,..... 208 | Bowling Analysis.' I O. M. R. W. j Thompson 82 12 64 4 Jones 14 5 31 — | Sneddon 15 * 31 3 Mason 8 2 19 - Wallace S — 12 — i Taylor 8 - H - ! Somervell 8 — 21