CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 307, 7 January 1902, Page 3

CRICKET.

AFTER THE GAME. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright Sydney, Jan. 6. The Sydney Morning Herald says the remarkable victory of the Australians will be welcomed, not only as thoroughly deserved, but as adding interest to the remaining test matches. It is a curious thing that whenevor tho captain of an Anglo-Australian match won the toss and decided to take tho field his side has lost. The fact that Maclarcn had the chance of batting first minimises tho forco of the possible objection that chances and not skill defeated him. The noticeable features of the match wero the brilliant success of Noblo as a bowler and the fine performances of Hill, Duff, and Armstrong with the bat. The Sydney Daily Telegraph, commenting on tho test match, says each side had an innings and a half on a bowler’s pitch and half an innings on a batsman’s. The Australians proved themselves hotter to tho extent of two runs to one. Any significance attached to tho Sydney defeat has been cancelled by tho Melbourne win, and we are no nearer a reliable

ostimato of the strongth of the two sides. Tho Telegraph expresses a hope that the selectors will see their way to include a slow bowler, or one who will serve to give some variety to tho attack, in the next match.

CANTERBURY v. HAWKE’S BAY. [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Christchurch, last night. The cricket match, Canterbury v. Hawke’s Bay, commenced at Lancaster Park this morning. The weather was fine and the wicket in good condition. The Canterbury captain won the toss, and elected to bat. Wigloy and Sims started well, but after that rio one gave the appearance of a long stay till Strange’s advent. A pleasing featuro of the innings was that the young members, Strange, Wilding, and Barry, junr., all mado a share of tho runs. Trott and Dent bowled unchanged, the former putting up a good performance. Hawke’s'Bay started badly, but Trott played an invaluable innings, and Dent, assisted by R. Cotterill, made v an unexpected stand to tho last wicket, which added 63 runs. Eight Canterbury bowlors wero tried, Callaway securing most of tho wickets. Canterbury had an hour to bat, and put on 73 for throe wickets. The scores were : Canterbury —First Innings. Wigley, b Trott 13 Sims, b Trott 18 Barry, b Trott 2 .* Callaway, e and b Trott 8 Lawrence, b Trott 5 Strange, b Dent 26 Garrard, e Dent, b Trott 4 Wilding, lbw, b Dent ... 13 Barry, junr., not out ..’. ’ 13 Bennett, b Dent 3 Boxsball, b Trott 19 Extras 16 Total 140

Bowling Analysis : Trott seven wickets for 58 runs, Dent three wickets for 66 runs. Canterbury— Second Innings. Sims, not out 39 Barry, junr., b Dent 4 Strange, b Dent 2 Wilding, b Dent 19 Extras 9 Three wickets for 73 Hawke’s Bay—First Innings. Cato, c Boxshall, b Callaway 4 Hawke, lbw, b Bennett ... ... 20 Gore, b Callaway 6 Trott, c Boxshall, b Callaway ... 68 Fitzhill, b Bary, junr 2 Marshall, b Barry, senr 3 Dent, b Strange 56 Young, run out ... 1 B. Cotterill, b Callaway ... ' ... 11 Hussey, b Bennett 1 R. Cotterill, not out ' ••• 17 Extras 10

Total 199 Bowling: Callaway four wickets for 64 runs, Bennett two wickets for 20 runs, Barry, junr., one wicket for 21 runs, Barry, senr., one wicket for 16 runs Strange one wicket for 20 runs, Sims 0 for 41 runs, Wilding 0 for 17 runs, Lawronce 0 for 10 run 3. THE SECOND TEST MATCH. Notes by “Bikfer.”

Tho second test match of the 1901-2 series has been fought, and tho Kangaroo has amply repaid the worrying he received from the Lion in the first test match in the middle of last month. The game which concluded on the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday last was full of incidents from start to finish. The variable conditions experienced throughout the four days on which play took placo called forth the resources of the players engaged. Bain unfortunately caused the wicket to be so dead and difficult for the commencement of the match on New Year’s Day that Maclaron had no hesitation in sending tne Australians to the wickets. Keen disappointment was felt when 112 was cabled as the total of Australia’s first essay with the bat, and many were inclined to believe that Australia’s star had set, and that her batsmen had deteriorated. Barnes, the unknown, and Blythe bowled unchanged throughout this innings, and were splendidly supported by Lilley behind the wickets, and the remainder of the team in tho field. Tho disappointment felt hero at what was regarded as the collapse of Australia in the first innings was relieved when n later cable gave the surprising intelligence that the Englishmen had all been dismissed for tho paltry total of 61. Then the blame for the poor scoring was attributed to the right cause —the state of the wicket. Noble and Trumble head high revel with the ball. The former, who is reported to be in splendid form, established a record for a test match, and was quite unplayable, coming out with the magnificent record of seven wickets for 17 runs. Noble possesses the extraordinary ability to make the ball actually curl in the air—an art acquired from his experience as a baseball player; and when wo find the English captain attempting to j play him to leg, and putting the ball up high in the slips, we can imagine how deceptive his deliveries must have been. ■When tho Australians commenced their second innings at 4.30 on New Year s Day, the crisis of tho match had been reached. The wicket was at its worst, but all knew that it would improve hourly. Had the batsmen again failed, the Englishmen would have had a light task in knocking off the runs required to win on a good wicket the next day. To those great batsmen, Joe Darling (the Australian captain) and Hugh Trumble, who commenced the innings, Australia undoubtedly owes her handsome victory over England in tho second test match. On such a wicket, it was quite possible to dismiss the whole side before the time for drawing stumps arrived, but Darling and Trumbfewent in with the deliberate intention of playing out tune, and their great achievement in defying all the efforts of the Englishmen to shift them on sSh a wicket will be banded down in the annals of the game for all time. They ' batted for a solid hour, and the LOnlish men could only look on, and watch their chances of victory becoming smaller by degrees and beautifully less as the two great batsmen crouched over their wickets and guarded them intact. Darling was eventually splendidly caught on the boundary by Tyldesley after 57 minutes, and Trumble, who took 6a minutes to reach double figures, was caught in the slips off Barnes. Darling, who decided to keep his strongest batsmen for tho next day, sent in Kellv, Howell, and Jones, and these three did not last long, and when stumps S al™ .n >h. a.)-, th. Au,. tralians had five wickets down for 48. Probably no men in the wide world were tifully fine, tho wicket was perfect, and al the batsmen made runs. Clem. Hill once more gave the vast concourse of spectators who attended the match a delightful exhibition of classic cricket. All bowling came alike to him and he hanged away merrily until he only required a notch to roach his century, v/hQD to the keen disappointment of the

Melbourne crowd, with whom Clem, has always been most popular, he was brilliantly caught at third man by Jones off Barnes. Neither Gregory, Trurnper, nor. Noble managed to reach 20, and it was left to tho two debutants, Duff (New South Wales) and Armstrong (Victoria) to put a brilliant finish on the innings. At the close of the third day’s play. Duff (71) and Armstrong (20) were still unbeaten, and on resuming the next morning continued

splendid total, considering the inauspicious commencement, of 353, when Duff was caught by Braund off Barnes after an almost chanceless innings of 104. Armstrong, who had more than proved his right to inclusion in the team, was left not out with 45 to his credit. The last wicket put on just a shade over 100 runs. Barnes secured wickets for 121, and appears worthy to wear tho mantle which so long covered the shoulders of Trim Ti.iVbprdsnn England’s Great fast

bowler. None of the other English bowlers did anything. Requiring 405 runs to win, the Englishmen lost five wickets for 147 on drawing stumps for the third day’s play. Tyldeslcy got going for tho first time in Australia, and the young Lancastrian gave the spectators a taste of the form which has entitled him to such a high place as a

batsman in England by playing a most aggressive innings for 60 (not out). Gilbort Jcssop, the Gloucestershire steamhammer, nearly knocked the cover off the ball, and hit 11 off one over from Trumble. He did not stay long, and it is perhaps just as well for Australia that ho did not, as 32 were on tho score-sheet opposite his name when ho left. Quaife, tho stonewaller, took a lot of getting rid of, and put up 25 before Noble beat him with a beauty. Rain prevented a continuation of the

match till the afternoon of the following day, and put all hopes of victory for England out of the question. On resuming the wicket was dead, and several showers

fell. Trumble and Noblo soon dismissed tho remainder of the side, the innings closing for 175, leaving Australia victorious by 229 runs. Braund was the only man to make a stand, and scored 25 by attractive batting. Noble again bowled splendidly, and took six wickets for the innings for 60 runs, and Trumble, who took three wickets in succession, captured four for 49. The result of the second test match leaves honors even between England and Australia, and tho concluding matches will be watched with great interest. Cricket is such a funny game, and Maclaren’s men have such a peculiar knack of confounding the critics, that one is cautious in commenting on the matches to follow ; but I somehow fancy that when Archie 'Maclaren and his merry men leave Australian shores they will not carry back with them that historical golden casket, which contains the “ ashes ” of English cricket.

The signal success of Duff and Armstrong will probably cause the public to clamour for the inclusion of other young players—such as Poidevin and Clarke, of New South Wales, and Hack, of South Australi:\—in the big matches to follow. However, I think that Australia can safely repose confidence in her three selectors of the test teams—Messrs Noble, Trumble, and Hill. Someone must select the teams, and the three men who now act as selectors have no superiors as judges of the game in Australia. To sum up the second test match, I think all must admit that it was a great contest, and that Australia certainly merited victory. The grand performances of a number of the Australians even si’enced the jeering crowd, who imagined they were about to witness another defeat. New Zealand’s sympathies are naturally with Australia, and even Mr F. C. Leggett must admit that Australia has recovered the laurels she lost in the first test game, and expiated the many mistakes made by her players, which so roused the ire of Mr Leggett, in that match. The Englishmen, if anything, have added to their reputation by their play in the second test. No . one will argue for a moment that this team has not proved boyond doubt that it is one of the strongest combinations of English players ever seen on Australian soil. They, too, have silenced the critics, and won the sympathy of everyone by their sterling performances.