THE AUSTRALIANS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1984, 14 February 1914, Page 6

THE AUSTRALIANS.

. MATCH AT THE BASIN. HOME SIDE ON EASY WICKET. SIX OUT CHEAPLY, Only a moderate number 0 f people went to tho Uasin : Re-sfi-rvo yesterday '• to witness tlib opening of the match between Mr. A. Siins's team of Australian cricketers and the Wellington. representative eleven, Hail; had softened the wiekot, and the start was delayed fn>m *i p.m. .to 8.15. Midlano wou tho toss • for Wellington, and decided to send bis sido in to hat. Though the wicket Was oasy enough, tho rato of scoring was anything but fast. If not exactly care-worn, the Wellingtonians were not earcfree, for too extreme caution seemed to be their watchword. The Australian bowling was certainly Rood) .but nothing to be afraid of with the wicket as it was. The feat-tiro of the play was perhaps the fielding of the Australians. Occasionally,, the visitors seemed to he almost jugglers with the ball, and about tho best ni-au iu their cordon of out-ericket was the world-famed Victor Trunipor, who sometimes fields daringly close to the bats* men. Wholi stumps were drawn at 6 o'clock Wellington had scored 119 at a cost-of six wickets. Laver and M'Grcgor stood out of tho Australian team, and tho eleven who compose tbo_tea.ro are;—A. Sims (captain), W. W. Armstrong, L. A. Cody. K. L. Collins, C, E. Dolling, A. A. Mailey, C. M'Kenzie, M. A. Noble, V. S. It. Hansford, V. T. Trumper, sad E. L. Waddy. .The Wellington team is:—F. A. Midline (captain), G. llowe, D. Bay, E. M. Beechey, 0. Grimmett, W. It. L. Gibbes, "F. Joplin, H. M'Girr, C. Robinson, T. SouthaH, and J. V. Saunders. Tho umpires were Messrs. S. M'Keiizio and TV. R. Back. Wellington went to the wickets at. 3.15, G. Hows and ,i>, Hay being the pioneer batsmen, while Hansford, bowling into tho breeze, commenced the attack, Howe gat tho first ball away fOf a single, and the over yielded'' 3. pearly twenty l minutes had elapsed before the first dozen went tip, and . the field closed mi round tho batsmen, Trumper being particularly handy and also particularly * ert. Hay seemed to feel tho strain of the closed ring of opponents at times., but he kept everything down well, and at length steed a'beauty away to tho boundary Howe Was scoring nicely <m the • leg side, and eaoh of his occasional smites evoked a cheer. Mailey's sure outfielding, however,' robbed the lefthander of more than . on© boundary. M'Kenzie presently relieved Ransford,' bowling .from the north end. Ho seemed to be off-breaking a bit, and getting aff the wicket "with-, a fair amount of jump, but tho change did not bring any immediate separation. Thirty went up after 35 minutes' play, and, frith the. score at 36, Hay. gav.o Trumper a possible chanco at -toid-0n,., but it fell out-, side the Welshman's radius. Hay .then struck a brace off Armstrong's next,, ball, but With the following delivery tho: Victorian sent down ..his wicket with a ball that must have'come in from log, for lie turned to'push'it thai way. Hope now centred oil Midlane, who was m "one down," The Wellington skipper stopped a couplo of halls from Armstrong, 'and- then Howo faced M'Konzie, - and was out the second ball of the over. It was. a chafico in tho slips, and it ikw straight to Noble, with ■ tho inevitable result.,. ; Two jor 38. Miction© noiv had Gibtios'., for' ■a'7!paftner. Gibbes, looking very, fit after hf.s brief retirement from the limeligl.it of representative cricket,' displayed from tho start a tendency to be aggressive,. His 1 first score• was his old favourite shot between point and mid-t®, but ho. was quickly quietened.. Mailey, tho put"" veyor of googlies and other twisterS f had. nflw come on, and the batsmon played him with caution., Sometimes they did not play, him at all. Collins, a Ixnvler with a goad length and a rather nasty break, camo on at the other end, and he accounted for Midland in his first oyer. £!.• 51. Beechey went to tho fcreivsc', and tho Wellington partnership w'as, now a kit-handed concern, both men., by tho way, being old hands, with a tolerablo amount of experience. The rato of scoring, however, continued to be funereal, Mai-ley,; Australia's champion slow bowler, being;chiefly responsible for, the hold-up. Tho'first hour and a half saw 67 runs go tip, and then, gradually, tho tally mounted up to '89, when, , Gibbes failed, to get oft to Arnistrji.ig, and was easily caught in tl» slips by Collins. He had played a good hijiings, though ho took 80 mmites to i;ot his 31. Threo runs lator Beechey quitted the crease, after spending just an hour scratching aboiit far' 14 runs. Tho Gsbbes-Beeoliey partnership added *42 runs to the total,,'. ■ The fresh pair, M'Girr and Grimmett., livened up matter's," So far, the innning between. ■ tho- _ - wickets had not been _ very, brilliant, but. tho alert M'Girr forced his partners to' freatcr activity. Grimmett looked as ho were about to open one of his characteristic displays, but- tho promise was short-Jived, for ho was only three-on when . ho poked oiso Of M.-ailey's awkward : slows up to Kob-lta at- m-id-on, and was held. Six tviekots now down for 103, -and tli© hoisting o'f tho century had occupied two liou-rs and a half. Joplin and M'Girr we.ro at the wickets when slumps were drawn, and tho bsard read six for 119.' The details of tho play follow herewith, arid a budget of notes on th,o game may bo seen in the weekly cricket column. Wcllln-ton.—First Innlnsc. G. Howe, 111111342112, c. Noble, b, M'Kenzie .....' 1!) I). Hav. 11412122, b, Armstrong ... 14 F, A. Midlane, 21, It. Collins 3 W. U. L. Gibbes, . 4114111113211412 11, e. Collins, b. Armstrong ... 31 E. M. Beechey,' 113.111411, c. Trumper. b. Armstrong 14 H. M'Girr, 11111214111. -not out ... IS C. Grimmett, 12, c. Nohlo, b. Mailey 3 F. Joplin, 12, not. out 3 Extras 17 Six wickets for 119 Bowling Analysis.—Rniisford took tio wickets for 11 runs ; Armstrong, t'hrCo for 39; M'Keuzie, one for 19: Mailey, one for 21; Collins, oije far 12. How the Wickets Fell 1 2 3 4 5 G' 38 38 47 8!) 92 103 . CJVIG Vf EUCOME, GATHERING AT THE TOWN HALL. Tho Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke) accorded tlio Australian cricket-j era a civic welcame yesterday morning. l The reception was in tho Municipal Council Chamber, and about 50 people ; wore present. ■' The Mayor said that Australians Were very Welcome.to Woilingtim. Tho gams of cricket, he added, was an Empire game wliie.h.did -a grrat doal towards co-wdinatiiig tlio varknis pastimes of tho All-Red tprri::>,-y. l lto Australians had don© admirably in furthering £1» game. Aivd ho hoped their visit would give pleasure 10 tlio t i( .a.m, and be of -educative vilue to Now 2pnlanderSi The Hon. H. D. Bell, president of tho Wellington Cricket Association, wol- ' coined the visitors to tho Capital City on behalf of tho Goversi.moiit nsid oil ; be-ha.lf of tho cricket, bodies. Ho re-: marked that, as the. Mayor had said, ' cricket was a fine game. It was morfl . -than that, in fact—it was a scicnce.

Ha., of courso, did -not expect- that th« Australians would ho defeated, -..and possibly New Wanted a good beating to sli.ow tlic-in that they could not piny cricket as .Australians could. Cricketers passed ill. and au'i of the fiimvo with .advancing year?, but officials of the cricket body seemed to be kept in office despite tho flight of time. For instance, lie had beeii allowed to occupy offi.cfe so long that he had met many visiting teams, ! ahd' : a-.mqng the Atistra* linns.whom he had previously welcomed • were Messrs. Noble ai-nd L?.ver. Ho was ,qla.d to seo tho Australian players lasting to long at. .tlio game,. and ho expressed a doubt as to whether New Zealamlers would continue in the gami) so many years boforo tumjng over to golf. i J,r ; Lncltie also spoko. Ho hoped t'hat tho Australians' would bo treated as well in New Zealand as the xt ~3' a :pd Crs bad teen in Australia. • _ Mr. 1. Laver, manager of the visit* nig team, replied, . Ho-first of all corrected the .impression, that Mr. M. A. AottJo was tho -captain of tho team. Mr. A. biffls. lie said,, was tho -skinner, and Mr. Isoblowas vice-captain. Mr, LaVer iveftt on to say that tlio team had been overwhelmed With hospitality ever -sine© its arrival liero. It .seemed that everywhere oho Wont under -the British- Flag tho gamo of cricket Was played, and tl-io hand -of welcome extended' 'by cricketer to cricketer. Mr. M. A, Noblo -also expressed tho gratitude of the team to Now Zealand- - ers lor their kindly hospitality. Tlio team had Come primarily to tr,v to do a little bit of educative Wort, and ■ also to help to mako the game a little more popular. If they M anythiivg . for tho good of cricket would bo satisfied with their so, if they also darned esteem as citizens of Australia. Mr. A. Sims added a few words to what had already been said. . — , y