BATSMEN RECOVER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1972, 31 January 1914, Page 13

BATSMEN RECOVER.

AUCKLAND IN AGAIN. HORSPOOL COMPILES 113; CHANCES STILL EVEN. Tho heavy rain which foil on Thursday night took some of the paco out of tho wicket for the- second day of the Auckland'-Wellington match, and , one happy result was much better batting. Wellington closed their first innings 28 ahead of tho visitors, but Auckland's second innings has produced 243 runa for nine wiokcts. Early in their second strike tho Auckland wickets fell fast, but E. Horspool and R. G. Sloman sot up a partnership which tamed the bowlers somowhat, and brought valuable, runs. Horspool's 113 was a feat. The matoh will be resumed at 1.45 p.m. this afternoon, and wjlj be continued till §.80 if necessary.

Wellington Tall Wags. When Wellington resumed their innings at noon, they, had lost six wickets for 98 runs. G. Howe (28) and E. W. Sniyrk (3) were- the not-put men. Smyrk began aggressively, and quickly brought the century up with a couple- of good singles. This century had taken a little over an hour and a half to compile. Smyrk ran on briskly to 13, when he was beautifully thrown out by E. Horspool. Six runs later Clarke beat Howe, and ended the patient innings which had been a pleasing feature of tho Wellington batting. Enter Charles Robinson— fieldsmen retire to tho boundary. Grimmett drove an easy chance back to Taylor when ho was- three, but the bowler dropped it badly, and a- little later Mayall missed a chance of stumping the same batsman. Robinson took a couple of balls quietly from Clarke, and then pasted the third delivery out of the paddock for six. Ho knocked s> well-placed two off tho next ball, and a single from the next. Tho big fellow faced Taylor. He,blocked tho first carefuljy, and- then a crash among tho palings announced another boundary. Three hits later he opened out again, but M'Cormick got his hands on the ball, and "Robbie" went, back to tho pavilion. Grimniett and J, V. Saunders constituted tho last partnership of the innings, and a very creditable tenth- , wicket stand it was. The chances given Grammett proved expensive, for the East batsman got to work with, a will, and meantime Saunders was batting capitally. The end came at 164, through Taylor holding » groat catch from Grimmefct. The partnership yielded 33 runs, the most profitable of tho innings. Wellington's stay at tho crease lasted just under 2$ hours.

Auckland Start Badly. There was about twenty minutes to play out before thp luncheon adjournment when Auckland opened thoir second innings. W. Brooko-Smith and H. Wright wont to the wickets, and Robinson opened tjio bowling from the north end with a stiff breeze behind him. Bcforo the adjournment came, Wright was well caught by Hay, off Sounders. After luuehj. Snifioton ,was shaping nicely, and had soven on, when ho succumbed to a eaich by D. Hay in precisely the same manner as Wright. So far, Sauudors had captured two wickets for fivo runs. With Brook and Brookebut''Saund.etif"i&oii- rch'ecked their gait. Brook was playing him carefully but confidently. Block this next ball ho would, and forward moved t!io bat, but too wicket was down, and thero stood Brook tho most surprised man in, Wellington, gazing in some astonishment at Saunders; Tho Victorian now had three wickets for 9 runs.

The new batsman was E. Horspool, who had top-scored for Auckland in their opening innings. Notwithstanding his reputation for being able to hit, hp opened quietly. Grjmmett had re-' lieved Eebmson at the north ond. The fifty wont up after seventy minutes' play, and when eighty minutes had been ticked off, Brooke-Smith was given out leg-before to Grimmett, M'Cormick, tho Auckland skipper ; joined Horspopl, and brought up 70 with a boundary off Saunders. His life at the crease, however, was brief. Howo caught him brilliantly-off the first over from Hiddlostone, who had gone on at tho Bouth end.,

Horspool's Big Innings. Horspool continued with R. G. Sloman as partner. Tho huudred went up after 120 minutes', .play, and.Horspooj was now knocking the bowling about very impartially. Ho passed his halfceutury in an hour and a half, crossing the mark with a great six off Hiddlestone. Sloman, his partner, onoo hit Saundors up to Smyrk in the outfield, but tho ex-Hawke's Bay cricketer very badly misjudged tho chance. The scoro was then 146, and Sloman "had made 25. In tho same over Horspool lifted Saunders, and again the chance flew to Smyrk . This time the fieldsman did Ret his hands on the ball, but dropped it. These were expensive mistakes, for the pair banged away, and cracked boundaries with freedom.- Sloman was improving all the time, and the partnership looked liko seeing the day out, when a "wrong "un" from Hiddlestpne made wreckage l of Sloman's wickets. The Horspool-SJoman partnership had provided 97 runs; .

i # went Horspool, now accompanied by F. A. Taylor. Ho reached 91, and wanting nine for tho century, was kept very quiet for a time by Robinson. Tho second century went 'up after three hours and fivo minutes' battin". And then great applause greeted Horspool when ho reached his own 100. It-occu-pied him two hours and 35 niinute3 Saundors was now put on to howl with the wind, and with his second ball lie got Taylor l.b.w. C. G. Clarke came m, but was very uncomfortable and poky, and Saunders had , him in a quandary all the time. Horspool at length quitted, completely beaten by Hiddfestene, with 113 to his credit,, and the scoro at 233. He had taken just under three hours to put his runs together. Woods was quickly disposed of by Hiddlestono, and when stumps were drawn at C o'clock Clarke and D. Mayall, tho last pair, wore batting, Details'of the scoring follow:—

Auokland. First innings 135 Second Innings. W. Brooke-Smith, 11412214144-11, 1.b.w., b. Qrimmetfc 30 H. Wright, c. D. Hay, b. Saunders 0 W. J. Smeeton, 214, o. Hay, b. Saunclors *....'. 7 F, Brook, 41, b. Saunders v . C E.Horspool, 3421124142412112433612 112414144411412214113244, b. Hiddlcstone 113 E. M'Cormick, 4, c. Howe, b. Hiddleetono ; 4 R. G. Slonian, 1144141413114212144 2, b. Hiddlostono 46 F. A. Taylor, 12121, 1.b.w., b. Saundere 7 C. G. Clarke, 111, not out 3 It. T. Woods, 2, b. Hiddlestono ... 2 D. Mayall, 3, not out 3 Extras 23 Nine wickets for 213 Bon-ling Analysis.—Robinson took no wickets , tor 50 runs: Snunders, four for 63; Ofimmett, one for 39; Hiddlestono, four lor 51; and* Smyrk, none for 16. / /"How the . Wickets Fell. i 2 3 4 3 0 7 8 0 0 19 27 08 37 184 211 M 888 ,

Wellington. First Innittgs. F. A. Midline, 44211114, c. Mayall, b. Taylor 18 D. Hay, 211141, b. Clarko 10 J. S. Middiastolic, 4114. 1.b.w., b. Clarke 10 F. Joplin, 21142, l.b.n-., b. Weeds ... 10 J. Qiiinn, 1111, b. Taylor 4 G. Howe, 12211242218134111, b. Clarke 31 A. Aldersley, 4, b. Woods .... 4 E. W. Smyrk, 11111341, thrown out 13 C. Grimmetfc, 122322444, o. Taylor, b. Woods 2i C. Robinson, 6214, e. M'Cormick, b, Taylor .....:..., 13 ■J. V. Saunders, 11212111, not out... 10 Extras 17 Total 164 Bowling Analysis,—o. G. Clarko took tlireo wickets for 61 runs; P. A. Taylor, three for 58; It. T. Woods, throe for 23; and E. Horspoel, none for 5, How the Wickets Fell. 123456. 78D 10 29 33 48 50 76 81 110 116 131 164 REMARKS ON THE CAME. ~ [Bγ the Breaker.] The old Basin Reserve has been kind to Horspool. Thoro he has made his best Bcpros in representative cricket. Prior to this tour ho bad never exceeded 37, but in Ohristchurch ha knocked oif 49. On Thursday he eelipsed this Tvita 54, and yesterday came hie 113. Congratulations 1 , Robinson was no-balled three .times during Auckland's second uurfngs. "Here's a goad spert coming, , ' quoth the AucklaiuTcrs when Mayor Luke, whoso hospitality they had experienced on the day of theiy arrival, strclled into I the stand. Horspool hit a sixer in each, innings. If tho Wellington selector has not got all the batting in the team that ho might have had, ho haa at least con-! centrnted a lot of out cricket in it. Tho umpires who stood for the match, wero Messrs. M'Girr; and Dempsev, The Wellington captain ig very n\u:ch to be complimented on the way in which he Btage-managed the bowling aft tho first day. Since both can howl a very decent googlio tho question arises; What is thq difference between Hiddlesto'ne and Grimmett? The answer js simple. The North bowler gets more top spin on than the East man, and,' with it,-he gets a faster jump off tfio pitch. ' When Saunders bowled Bro.qlt in the second innings it was easy te seo from the stare which Brook save Sannders that something extra special had sent him back. ''Did that'ball beat you?" asked a friend whom tho baistnaji came back to tho pavilion, "father!" replied tho AuckJander, "it came right across tho wicket." Tho selector did right in passing tho wicket-keeper's job on to Hgiye. With tho exception of that stump ho missed ho "looked the part" all tho. tiros. So seemis to bo able to take the leg stuff as well as any other. ' Quinn deserves credit for tho amount of ground, ho covered iii the outfield. He saved quite a number of boundaries. Baker's non-inclusion in tho team caused comment, but tho : facts- are simple. Tho young East player scored Well at tho beginning of the season and tho selector accordingly gave him his chaneo. Afterwards ho wont off a bit, and also ■showed somo dislike for fast bowliug. As Auckland relied largely en a fast bowler, this aspect of Bakort erickat had naturally to bo considered. j Smyrk came here from Bia-wko'-jj Bay with the reputation of being a first-clasa r fteld,,jbttt H his fielding was very poor jesterday, aiid' somWh-at 'indifferent on Thursday. Yesterday, he foiled to catch Sloman and Horspool in the one ov«r— both'oif Saundcra.' ; . ".' - • One is inclined to think that Cffimmett would be better sorted if ho flad another man in tlie kmg-fiold. At prosent ho has only two. Though he stood , back on tho first day to Robinson's "wind-jammers," the Wellington wicket-keeper came right up to tho stumps yesterday, and is still alive to tell tho tale.