CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 431, 2 June 1902, Page 2

CRICKET.

THE FIRST TEST MATCH. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, May 30. The resumption of the test match was delayed by rain, which fell during the night and early part of the forenoon. Owing to tbo sodden condition of tHe* wicket, it was 2.55 p.m. before the players took the field.

The not outs, Lockwood and Rhodes, escaping the usual fate of so many overnight partnerships, refused to be separated, and had no difficulty in negotiating the bowling of Noble and Howell. Runs came prettv freely till the total reached 376, when Maelaren declared the tunings closed. Tbo additional scores were:—

England —First Innings. Lockwood, not out ... ... ••• 32 Rhodes, not out ... 38 Sundries 3 Total for nine wickets 376 The usual pair, Duff and Trumper, opened for Australia, Rhodes and Hirst bowling. Disaster came early. Duff being easily caught by Jessop, standing at forwardpoint, when ho had made a couple. One wicket for nine.

Hill succeeded. The newcomer took strike and made a single, and then hit Hirst to the slips, Brauud taking a righthanded lightning catch. Two wickets for ten. Duff, c Jessop, b Rhodes 2 Hill, c Braund, b Hirst ... ... 1 Trumper, not out ... 5

Bowling analysis: Jones took three wickets for 77, Noble one for 111, Trumper two for 35, Armstrong one for 64, Hopkins nil for 28, Howell one for SS. In tho Australians’ second innings, the score was no wickets for eight runs when stumps were drawn for the day. London, May 31. Gregory joined Trumper, but failed to score. Three wickets dowu for 14. Dar-

ling went in next, but only mado three, when he was easily caught at cover-point by Jessop. Four wickets for 17. For a similar score Noble was finely stumped by Lilley off a breaking ball. Five wicketß for 25. Trumper was playing carefully. The bowling was very fine. The ground was soft. Armstrong was caught by Lilley at the wickets off the first ball. Six for 25. Then Trumper fell a victim to Hirst. Seven for 31. Hopkins was taken smartly at the wickets. Kelly was badly missed by Jackson at cover point off Rhodes. Eight for 35. Jones skied the first ball to Jackson at cover-point. Nine for 35. Howell was dismissed with a fine catch by Fry at Fng-on in the same over. Tho scores were:—

Australians—First Innings. Duff, c Jessop, b Rhodes 2 Hill, c Braund, b Hirst 1 Trumper, h Hirst ... 18 Gregory, lhw, b Hirst... ... ... 0 Darling, c Jessop, b Rhodes ... ... 3 Noble, stp Lilley, b Rhodes 8 Armstrong, c Lilley, b Rhodes ... 0 Hopkins, c Lilley, b Rhodes ... ... 5 Kelly, not out ... ... ... ... 1 Jones, c Jaokson, b Rhodes 0 Howell, c Fry, b Rhodes 0 Sundries ... ... ... ... 3 Total ... ... 36 Hirst took three wickets for 15, Rhodes seven for 17, Braund nil for 1. Play was stopped at 6.10 owing to the light and rain. The attendance was good, but smaller than yesterday.

MATCH RESULTS IN A DRAW. AUSTRALIANS HAD TWO IVICKETS DOWN FOR 46.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrigh London, May 31.

The test match resulted in a draw. Heavy rain continued throughout last night. This (Saturday) morning, the ground was thoroughly soaked. The weather cleared in the afternoon. Play was resumed at a quarter past 5. The weather was then delightful, but the wicket was still very bad. Trumper added 6 to his over-night score, and ended his career by giving Braund an easy catch in the slips off Rhodes. One wicket for 16. Hill partnered Duff, and, both batting very stoadily, they carried the total to 41, when Fry, at square-leg, brought off a fine catch at Duffs expense. Two wickets for 41. Gregory assisted Hill to play out time. When stumps were drawn at 6.25, the score stood at two wickets for 46. The scores were:—

Australians—2nd innings. Trumper, c Braund, b Rhodes ... 14 Duff, c Fry, b Braund 21 Hill, not out 10 Gregory, not out 1 Total for two wickets 46 Bowling analysis : Hirst, no wickets for 10, Rhodes one for 9, Braund one for 14, Jackson none for 7.

A ROWDY CROWD. THE MOB RUSH THE GROUND. PEOPLE TRODDEN UPON AND INJURED.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, May 31. In consequence of the delay in starting, the crowd, numbering fourteen thousand, clamored for admission to the ground. Hundreds broke in. Many were trodden down, dozens being badly injured.

THE FIRST TEST MATCH. [Notes by “Biffer.”] Cricketers the wide world over will be disappointed that the weather has interfered to such an extent with the first test match. The fine score of 376 for nine j; wickets put up by the Englishmen in the | first innings must be a complete refuta- [ tion of the argument of those who declared . that England’s cricket star had set, The soundness of the English team may be j gauged when it is remembered that the , large total was reached after practically | all the crack batsmen had been got rid of , for little or nothing. Fry, Maclaren, Raiijitsinghji, Braund, and Lilley were | cheaply disposed of, but there was no tail ” to the English side, and had the i score-sheet been turned upside down it apparently would have made little difference, as the last men were batting better , than those who were in first, Tyidesley. the young Lancastrian professional, is a great batsman, and must have played a great innings, notwithstanding his luck in the forties, when he was dropped three times. Stanley Jackson’s sojourn in South Africa, where he fought as an officer in the great Boer War, does not seem to have impaired his form in any way, while Hirst, the Yorkshire professional, appears to have borne out the critics who last season styled him the best all round player in England. Lockwood, of Surrey, who was included at the last moment, to strengthen the bowling, by his fine score of 52 (not out) strengthened the batting also, and is evidently as good now as he was ten years ago, when he was one of the finest all-round men in England. The uniform strength of the English side may be understood when Rhodes, who went in last, knocked up 38, and he and Lockwood were both going strongly when the English captain (Maclaren) declared the innings closed. The fact that the innings had to be closed proves that three days is not sufficient in which to play a test match. No match can possibly be a true test where one team has to declare its innings closed in order that it may have time to get the other side out. How much the spin of the coin has to do in deciding a big match has been proved in this instance. Ths Englishmen took first strike on a good wicket, while the

Australians were deprived of all hope of reply by having to bat on a wet and sodden pitch. The Australians were decidedly unfortunate in this match in being deprived of the services of Trumble and Saunders, two of their best bowlers. Trumble injured his thumb early in the tour at practice, and the doctors advised him not to play in the first test, while the continuous wet and cold weather experienced since the Australians arrived in England seems to have been too much for Saunders, who is confined to bed with a

sore throat. The result of the match proves that England is quite a matoh for Australia on the cricket field, and it also proves conclusively that three days are quite inadequate in which to play a test match. Had the weather romained fine, we doubt if each side would havo completed an innings at tho end of the third day’s play. It is to bo hoped that the weather will prove more propitious for the remaining tests, which will be awaited by all lovers of the game with the greatest iuterest.