CRICKET MATCH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 285, 2 December 1874, Page 2

CRICKET MATCH.

MOTUEKA V. NELSON, [FBOM OCR SPECIAL COBREBPONDENT ] In rom pany with about 50 excursionists, including the Nalson team, I started at about seven o'clock on Monday morning for Motueka in the smart little steamer Lady Barkly, and, after a little over two hours a team iog, we found ourselves as near to the wharf as we could get at that stage of the tide. The work of landing the passengers occupied about half an hour, and then there was a rush for the two or three spring carts of which the village boasts to convey us to the ground. The almost universal exclamation on viewing this was, "Thank heaven we've brought a doctor with ue," for the lumps and indentations which abounded there rendered it extremely doubtful what direction tbe ball would take after ouce striking the ground. Added to this, a flock of sbeep were running in the paddock, and " the pitch " was thickly covered with their droppings, no pains whatever having been taken to clear it. A manuka broom, however, was procured, and by eleven o'clock everything was ready, although from the state of the ground it was evident that tbe game was to be one of chance rather than of skill. Motueka having won tbe toss elected to take the field, and Halliday and Holmwood were sent to the wickets to the bowling of Delaney and Pattie, Halliday being°the firet to receive tbe ball from the former. Two byes and a bit for one by Halliday past point were the result of the first over, but at the second ball from Pattie Halliday succumbed, and made room for Wix, who, after Holmwood had scored a couple, had to retire with those ugly letters 1.b.w., followed by an 0 after his name. Hole followed, and, having succeeded in obtaining two ones, put the ball into Delaney's bands at point. Cross took bis place, but, after a very sbort life, retired with the objectionable duck's egg only just cracked. Four wickets for 17 runs. The backers of tbe Nelsoo team looked far from cheerful, and from being certain they became only hopeful. Shaw was the next to take the bat, and, after making one to slip off Pattie, he too fell beforo Delaney. Six for IS. Jennings now came fo the rescue, and for a time he and Holmwood kept the field alive, but he was not allowed to remain very long, for Delaney had a down npon him, and found hi. way to the wicket when

the score had been run up to 32. Atkinson was next on the list, but fhe partnership between him and Holmwood was speedily dissolved by a dangerous shooter from Pattie, which crept into the latter's stumps and forced him to retire after an innings in which he saw seven wickets fall, and displayed some exceedingly pretty play, but oniy obtained 13 runs. Alkinson soon followed him to the tent, and Barnett, Bluudell, and Barnicoat together added only 3 to tbe score, Barnicoat not even gefciiog a ball. The whole eleven were disposed of in exactly an hour with hut 41 runs, 30 only of which were obtained off the bat. At half-past twelve, Motueka went to the wicket, Parker and Pattie standing up to the bowling of Cross and Wix, nearly the whole field, in consideration of the bad ground and fast bowling, being behind the wicket, The first over produced four byes, but the five that followed were maidens. In the seventh, Holmwocd, as wicket-keeper, naisaed a pretty catch given him by Parker, aod two balls later Barnicoat displayed the same consideration for Pattie, the sun at the time being in their eyes. I saw some more similar catches missed during the day, and heard from nearly all who declined to hold the ball, that the suu was in their eyes. I find a note in my memorandumbook to the effe _t that, for the future, arrangements should ba made for getting up matches whon the great luminary is suffering from an eclipse. But while I was making this note, Parker was caught by Atkinson at poiut, so that my suggestion need not always be adopted. It was one o'clock by the time Parker and Pattie were separated, they having been in half au hour, during which they made 11 runs. Lloyd came next, and after one bye had been stolen, Cross with it fine three-quarter ball made a mess of Pattie's stumps. Jackson now made his appearance, and soon drove Wix to square leg for 3. Runs dropped in one at a time until Jackson was caught in the act of stealing a bye and packed off to the tent as a punishment, three wickets having fallen for 27 runs. Boyes then took the bat aud knocked the ball about in fine style, including a splendid hit to long field for 4 off Wix, Lloyd, in the meantime, finding Wix. too many for him, a clean bowled ball carrying away the middle stump before he had time to stop it. Jennings walked to the wicket- and back, Cross stumping bim at the first ball. Bisley and Boyes now got together, and did pretty well until the latter interposed bis leg between the ball and the wicket, and, after making a pretty innings of 16, had to make room for Parkes, who, at his second ball, was neatly caught by Barnett at iongstop. Delaney, I- rooby, and Macfarlane followed each other in quick succession, four balls beiog enough for the three of them. This finished the business for the Motueka men, who in a two hours' innings scored 52, or eleven more than their opponents had made in just half the time. After lunch Halliday and Barnicoat went to the wickets as the represent-itives of Ihe town. The latter made two and departed, leaving his bat to Holm woo 1, who did not make much use of if, for, after scoring four, he went down before a splendid bail ball from Pattie. Hole came on to the ground apparently for the purpose of putting the ball into Delaney's hands, who, as the sun was not in his eyes, held it. Wix was the next man, but Halliday and be did not i cumin together long, Pattie despatching the latter with another beautiful bailer. Cross, who followed, seemed to have made up his mind to use his bat as a weapon of offence rather than of defence, for the ball was soon flying before it in every direction. Delaney having got rid of Wix, Atkinson followed and steadily and stolidly blocked every ball, ieaviag Cross to make tho running. Tbis he did to such good

(.For continuation see fourth page.')

purpose that when Atkinson fell before Delaney the score, wbich with five wickets down stood at 21. bad, wheu the sixth fell, run iip to 49, of which Cross had contributed 28. The next three men went down for five runs, and when Blonde!! joined Jennings, the score stood at 54 only. These two, however, by Jennings 1 * good play aud Blnndeli's fast running added 15 to tbe total, and when the latter succumbed to Delaney's slows, which he ought to bave punished severely, the score stood at 69, leaving Motaeka 59 to win, For Motoeka, Pattie and Jennings took the bat, bot tbe former was very soon cleverly eangbt by Biondell at short leg, Grooby, who succeeded him, was almost immediately ran out in trying to steal a bye, and made way for Boyes, bot Wix waa not loog in sending him back to the tent, three wickets having fallen for eight runs. Jackson followed, and ih bis first over gave a Bplendid chance to Atkinson at point, but the latter, probably having the fear of the law before his eyes, and hot caring to risk the costs of an action for detinue, declined to retain it. . Cross was all tbis time trying tbe effect of bis slows, and most have been pleased with the resnlt, as they created qnite ao excitement in the field, long field and leg in par ticolar having a very lively time of it, for in one over 1 1 runs were made, hhd tei tbe n6Xt,'seven al! from long drives. On returning to the fast bowling he took Jennings' wicket after he bad .made 21, giving but one chance the whole time, which Halliday did not avail himself of— that sun again — Jackson in the meantime having been bowled by Wis. When Delaney, as the last man, went into partnership with Parkes who had been in a long time, th. score stood at 47, leaving Motaeka 12 to get. It was thought that there was not much probability of those being obtained, but still, what with byes and some fine bits by Delaney the ecojre crept opwards until but six were wanted, another drive for 3 reduced the number required to 3, and this excitement grew 'and increased as ooe more bye was got, and became more intense aa yet another hit added one more to the score, aud broke out in lood cheers and cries of "Ej-pai Motaeka" froth the Maoris assembled as a third one was scored. What followed has already been related. Two or three remarks tbat suggested themseives to my mind during the play may be made, I hope, without giving offence. In the first place, the Nelson team had a superabundance of captains. One is quite enough, but there were at least three, and three are too many. Secondly, precision in bowling appeared to be sacrificed to swiftness, and when it was found that the fast bowling waa productive of too many byes, one who could bowl slows, or, at least, at something like a moderate rate, should have been pot on. To set Cross to bowl slowly was aboot as judicious as potting an excitable race horee into tbe plough. Thirdly, the Nelson men were sadly out of practice io fielding Tbe sun was undoubtedly responsible for one, or perhaps two, of tbe catches that were missed, but be must not be blamed for all. In " backing op" too, there was a lamentable deficiency. Having delivered my sermon nnder three heads as is customary; and briefly; as ia not usual with all preachers, I will only add that there are the makings of a splendid team io the town if they are only bandied jadioioaaly and will practise regularly. On the Motueka side the bowline was very fair, bot tbe batting was indifferent. .The fielding was far from perfect, as may be judged hy tbe fact tbat out of the 9 byes scored by Nelson in the firat innings, 5 were overthrows. In Jackson the Club possesses a longstop who certainly is not equalled in the province, aod I doubt whether his superior is to be found in the colony. To watch him as, apparently with the greatest ease, he stopped ball after ball oo such wretched ground was a sight to do a cricketer's heart good.

The scores were as follows : —

Nelson. lit Innings, 2nd Innings BaJlfdiy.b Pattie „. 1 bFattie ... 6 Hotawood,* Pattie ... 13 b Panic ... 4 Wix,Lb.w.b Pattie... 0 b Delaney ... 6 Hole, c Delaney b Fattie 2 c Delaney b Pattie ... o Cro»s,bPattie... ... 1 b Delaney ... 28 Shair, b Delaney ... 1 c Bialey b Delaney ... 2 Jennings, b Delaney... 7 not out ... 5 Atkinson, b Delaney... 3 b Delaney ... 0 Barnett, c Delaney b Pattie 2 b Delaney ... 0 Blundcll, b Delaney ... 0 b Delaney ... 2 Barnicoat, not out ... 0 b Pattie ... 2 Byes 9 H leg byes... ... 1 1 No ball 1 o Wide balls ... o 3 Totals 41 69 Grand Total, 110. MOTUBKA. Ist Innings. 2nd Innings. Parker, c Cross b De- . laaey ... ... 3 b Wix ... 0 Pattie, b Cross ... 3 c Biundell b Cross ... 4 JJoyd, b Wix ... ... 8 b Wix ... o Jackson, run out ... s bWix ... l Botes. >.b.w. ... ...16 b Wix ... o Jeniinga, at Cross ... 0 b Cross ... 21 (/ Bisle , not vut ... 4 runout ... 1 Paries, c Barnett b Cnxs 0 not ont ... 6 Delaney, b Cross ... 1 not out ... 8 Macfirlane, c and b Crocs 0 ton out ... 3 Grooby.c Shaw b Cross 0 ruaout ... 0 Byes 18 10 Leg byes 4 0 Wide halls ... 2 4 Totals 52 ... ..'.' .'.'.' 59 tit-sad tbtal, ill, with one wicket to go dowo*