Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 37, 16 March 1901, Page 20

Cricket.

CRICKET on Satuiday was not even interesting, the hope of an exciting finish in the Midland-Welling-ton match being frustrated by the deteimined stonewalling of the Wellington team, led bv its captain Read and Stevenson added Go to Midland's score for the last wicket and their opponents were left 90 to get to win. This stand was a valuable one, both batsmen playing good cricket for their runs. Weybourne and Richardson opened, but Weybourne soon went, beautifully caught bv Hickson, off Holdsworth, after Upham had made a desperate attempt to reach the ball. Stan Hickson followed, and, although playing more carefully than is his wont, he livened the play a bit, only to lift one from Stophenson to the safe hands of Robertson in the outfield after he had put on 8, although the fieldsman almost misjudged it. Gore was next, and in two succeeding overs from Stephenson he was dropped by ITpham close in in the slips, besides giving an almost impossible chance to Williams. Duncan opened his shoulders, although he allowed everything on the off-side — good, bad, and indifferent — to go past untouched, contenting himself to wait for drives and leg-hits. His contribution was 12, a splendid offbreak from Stephenson accounting for his wicket. Crombie came in, and pulled one from Upham for 4, for which the bowler revenged himself directly by clean bowling him. With five wickets down, and the score not half reached, there still remained a chance for Midland to win. But it was not to be. Ashbolt joined his skipper, who had been pegging away steadily, and smothering the best of

Stephenson's with his body. The play became terribly monotonous, the intervals between each run being very longAnything tricky on the off-side was let pass by, and those on the wicket the bat was allowed to meet. Truly, it was the game, but many a ball oft which runs should have been scoied were allowed to pass, or else played stiaight to the fieldsmen. The batsmen did not attempt to place the ball. However, an end comes to all things. The scoie did increase, and when Ashbolt w as bow led by a trimmer from Upham the match was won, for the tally was 91 — 01 5 runs only wanted — when Wilson joined Richardson. They were got, and Wellington won the match, Richardson carrying his bat out for 37. There was great jubilation in the Wellington loom over the win, one of the prominent players offering to stand treat for all and sundry on the strength of it. • • • The Phcenix-Old Boys match was a secondary consideration, the older club winning by the handsome margin of 320 inns. * • • The barracking element was very pronounced on the Basin Reserve on Saturday. Truth to tell, the cricket when Ashbolt and Richardson were associated, was the slowest imaginable, but it must be remembered they were playing the particular kind of game which, according to their lights, was likely to give their team the best of the deal. The whistling of the "Dead March" was bad enough in all conscience, but when — because the batsmen were defying the efforts of the Midland bowlers to shift them— a portion of the crowd began to jeer and hoot Ashbolt and Richardson in turn when they were taking strike, it went past a joke and was not even fair. Another small thing those barracking forget — and they must have been friends of the Midland Club to make the remarks they did — and that was, that a similar exhibition of slow cricket had been given the previous Saturday when Claud Hickson and Weybourne were batting, and they were not jeered at. One thing we pride ourselves in as Britishers is our love of fair play, but the exhibition of bias by a portion of the crowd on Saturday was, to say the least of it, exceeding bad taste.

Ashbolt received a big ovation on retiring after a carefully played 14, although the said barracking element tried to raise a hoot. Exhibitions such as these are a disgrace to the town, and were it not that I do not wish to show the offenders up — although they richly deserve it — I will refrain on this occasion from naming several of those whom I noticed as assisting to keep it going. If the offence is repeated I shall not be so tenderhearted. Holdsworth's two wickets cost 20 runs, and Upham's two 22. Clarke had another outing — seven tickets falling to his deliveries for 30 runs. Gilmer is apparently one of the most consistent batsmen among the Old Boys. His innings generally produces a double figure score. Frank Ashbolt bowled 228 balls for 7o runs and 7 wickets in Midland's second innings. Truly a great performance. Len McKenzie had a brief and merry innings, one of his off Clarke going almost to the band rotunda. Eleven \vas> his contribution. In the Wellington innings there were 222 balls bowled off which no runs, were scored. The total number of balls in the innings of 97 were 390 — an average of over four a run. The Wellington bowlers delivered 474 balls in Midland's second innings of 175 runs — no runs being obtained off 144 of them. This was not much better than the Wellington innings. Leslie was the most successful Old Boys' bowler — his three wickets being obtained at a cost of 33 runs. Gilmer got one wicket, but that one was Clarke. McGowan accounted for three — Midlane, Waters, and Blacklock. .Jacobs must have profited by my comment, for he made 29 by good cricket. He has some fine strokes, and is worth considerably more runs than he has been getting lately. He survived a confident appeal for lbw on Saturday. Father Ashbolt looked very pleased about half-past five on Saturday. The counter-demonstration to the jeers by a section of the spectators must have been gratifying to him when Frank returned pavilionwards. The Midland team, I was pleased to see, led the applause.

Charlie Benbow had the best tally to his credit on the Basin Reserve on Saturday — 53 (not out). He played attractive cricket for his runs, and is one of those players who are always deserving of success. The fielding of the Midlanders was a treat. Every man was keen on his work, and did it well, the ground fielding especially being of a high order. That usual sure catch, TJpham, must have been over anxious, though, for one of those he dropped from Gore seemed horribly simple. In the Phoenix innings of 305, there were only five maiden overs delivered by the Old Boys' bowlers. The total runs were scored off 364 balls. Comparisons are odious at any time, but compare this with the Wellington's innings, and a fair idea can be arrived at of the slow scoring in that match. Stephenson made the ball fairly talk. He was breaking from the off right across the wickets at times, and some of them, if they had been let to take their course bv the batsmen after they had beaten the bat, would have found the wicket. His analysis reads — 144 balls, 11 maidens, 28 runs, and 2 wickets. George Burton joined the juniors on Saturday — representative cap and all — putting on 35 runs for the Phoenix 11. against the Old Boys. Ido not think this is his place, for there are a lot worse bats in the Phoenix first than George. By the way, the "Evening Post" gave -him the credit of making Benbow's score in the senior game. A reason given me for the various postponements of matches this season by the Championship Committee on account of weather, is the preponderance of representatives of the Wellington Club on the committee. It is pointed out that this is the first season that the postponement of matches in progress has been determined by the Championship Committee, and that on every occasion the Wellington Club was benefitted by the postponement. This I give for what it is worth. The Wellington Club richly deserved their win against the Midland Club. Their play right through the match has been consistent, and right up to their best form. With 96 to get to win in the final innings, and with a wicket that was not too good, and likely to cut up, it seemed that the Midlands had set them a stiff contract. To Captain

Richardson mainly belongs the credit of getting the runs, for, going in first, he saw the Midland score pas&ed w ith six wickets, and he himself not out. Mr Geo. Hdiiib writes me on cricket matters, and another correspondent on polo, but space is too limited this week to afford room for their letters. I would like to point out, however, to correspondents generally that their letters must he of general interest, and as short as possible, to enable me to insert them at all