The Test Match.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 294, 19 December 1901, Page 3

The Test Match.

(To the Editor of the Times.) gxit,—ln your leading article on the above in to-day’s issue you remark “ The reports show that tho victory was not brought about by any poor play on the part of the colonials, but owing to the all-round excellence of tjie Englishmen.” The last part I cordially endorse, but as to the first, only look at the scores and you will find first, fivo “ blobs ” in the two innings and one player with 11 specs ” ; secondly, that in tho first innings eight men scored only 29 between them; thirdly, that seven men in the 2nd innings, including Hill, Darling and Noble, contributed 61 between them; and fourthly, that 15 scored 60, or 4 a piece, in the two innings. If that is not poor play for such worldfamed players, I don’t know what else to call it. Again, can the play have been good when we read that one man “ scratched feebly,” another “ with his mowing stroko, etc.,” a third gavo “ a soft catch,” a fourth “ skied one to Maclaren,” and several other bad strokes, to say nothing of the catches missed. I eaunot, moreo\er, hope with you “ that the Australians will their tasto of the sweets of victory, because I consider that Maclaren has been unfairly treated by the English Press, Lord Hawke, and others ; also that the New South Wales men did not show themselves true cricketers re tho umpire question, or the Australians in rejecting Maclareu’s manly and honorable proposal re the choice of innings iu future test matches, which I hope they will sutler for; and finally 1 think tho colonials will be all the better for a few signal defeats like this one to bring their bounce down a peg or two. —I am, etc., * b F. C. Leggett. Ormond, Dec. 17.