THE ENGLISH CRICKETERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1070, 11 December 1903, Page 2

THE ENGLISH CRICKETERS.

ENGLISH TEAM’S FIXTURES,

Dec. 11-First Test Match, at Syd-

ney Dec. 18—Vacant Dec. 26—Bendigo, at Bendigo Jan. I—Second Test Match, at Mel-

bourne Jan. .B—Ballarat, at Ballarat Jan. 15-Tliird Test Match, at 'Ade-

laide Jan. 22—Tasmania, at Hobart Feb. s—Victoria, at Melbourne Feb. 12—New South Wales, at Syd-

ney IFeh. 19—Vacant Feb. 26—Fourth Test Match, at Syd-

ney March 4—Fifth Test Match, at Mel-

bourne Maich 12—South Australia, at Ade-

laide March 24—West Australia, at Perth March 28—Goldfields Team

GREAT INTEREST IN THE MATCH.

By Electric Telegraph—Per Press Association—Copyright. Received 10.56 p.m.., Dec. 10. SYDNEY, Dec. 10

Immense interest is being taken in the first test match commencing on Friday. Strudwick and Fielder stand out of the English team. A new wicket of Bulli soil has been prepared. The cycling track forming the outer circle of the ground has been painted green, owing to complaints of the glare therefrom. The weather to-day is fine; but hot, with thunder hanging round, and the predictions are not too reassuring. The betting is slightly in favor of the visitors.

THE TEST MATCH.

The eyes of the whole British world will be turned to Moore Park, Sydney to-day, where will be begun one of those great struggles for the supremacy of .the cricket field between Engiand and Australia which have created such marvellous interest of recent years. The English race is essentially a sport-loving people, and cricket is the national game. When the sturdy pioneers wiio colonised Australia set out from Old England’s shores they carried a love of the king of summer games with them, and so well have the stalwart young colonials mastered the game of their forefathers that during the p.ast six years they have whipped the pick of England so repeatedly as to occasion something approaching panic in the minds of those who held that England was invincible on the cricket field. The series of test matches which commences with to-day’s game are creating exceptional interest. The present English team is the first to take the field under the management of the Marylehone Cricket Club, the official governing body of the game in England. Up to the present season, English teams brought out purely as private Ventures, and were not recognised as representing All England by the Home authorities, Smarting under a sense of repeated defeats by Australians, the Marylehone Club has very carefully selected, the present team with a view to avenging these defeats, and the best judges of the game in Australia are unanimously of opinion that the present is undoubtedly the most powerful combination England has ever sent to Australia. Australia to-day is putting her faith in tried men, and there is not one of 'the eleven but has taken the field in test matches against the English-’ men more than once, Given fine .weather, a grand match should be the outcome, though we fancy the weakness of the Australian bowling Will lose them-the game. It will be remembered that the first of the series of test matchet played by the last English team which visited Australia ended in a runaway victory for the Englishmen by an Innings and some 200 runs, though Australia had no difficulty, in winning the remaining four matches. The desperate cry that is going up to induce Hugh .Trumble to play again proves how dire is the need of a bowler of his stamp on the Australian side. Though our sympathies are naturally with the Colonials, we fear the Marylehone team will bear back with them after the present tour the mythical “ashes ” of English cricket. ' ,