CRICKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 441, 13 June 1902, Page 3

CRICKET.

THE TEST MATCH.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, June 12. Darling and Noble play in the tent match to-day. Trurnble is confined to bed at Cambridge. Howell and Saunders are also too unwell to play. The Aus. tralians have a bare eleven, including Carter, for to-day’s test match.

THE SECOND TEST MATCH

[Notes by “ Biffer.”]

The second of the big test matches between England and Australia was fixed to commence at Lord’s ground yesterday. How the Australians aro going fare in the contest with Darling, Noble, Saunders, Trurnble, and Howell on the sick list is what 13 being asked on all sides. Tho present Australian team has certainly been most unfortunate in the matter of

the weather experienced on the present tour. Every match played so far has been more or less interfered with by rain, and it is not surprising, therefore, that tho cables inform us that Saunders has a sore

throat, that Joo Darling and Bill Howell are in bed in London with influenza, that Noble is recuperating at Brighton, and that Hugh Trurnble was too ill to bat at Cambridge. Under tho circumstances, England should win the second test. The twelve men selected from which the English eleven is to bo chosen are tho same strong combination who performed so well in tho first test, with tho addition of Taylor, of Yorkshire, who batted a sterling innings on a sticky wicket in the recent Australian-Yorkshire match. However, tho Colonials may patch up their crippled men and rise to tho occasion. Their performances thus far on tho wet turfs havo been distinctly moritorious, and lead to the conclusion that bad tho wickets been good many records would havo been put up by tho men from tiioso parts. Trumpet's batting form has beon grandly consistent, and his repeated successes on tho difficult wickets has been little short of marvellous. With both elevens fit and well, tho contest on a dry field would bo a Titanic ono j but, as things are, if tho match be played to a finish, tho Englishmen, we think, must triumph.