Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 42, 20 April 1901, Page 20

Cricket.

THE Phumiv had to succumb to what appealed the inevitable when play resumed on Satuiday —a defeat at the hands of the Wellington team, and the substantial matgin of 183 runs. This, too, after Richardson had declared his team's second innings closed with only two wickets down. The result of this match leaves the Wellington and Midland equal for the championship, and the committee have decided to hiackct them ai> winners.

Ashbolt had another good average, his six wicket-% cost him 08 runs. Wright put a lot of force into his batting, rattling up 46 in good time, his hitting being hard and often. Clarke was disposed of in the same way as in the first innings —stumped by Duncan, just as he got fairly going. Midlane was unlucky. Wright, who is generally eager to lift up the score, did not answer to his call, with the result that Fred could not get back in time. Waters batted in a style which he should always adopt—that of forcing— as the manner in which he covers his wickets when taking strike disconcerts the bowler. Richardson was unbeaten at the end of the innings, having increased his score of 66 of the previous week to 102. His display was a good one, and characteristic of him. With this match the curtain is rung down on the cricket season. It has been a tedious one, so many reasons being advanced Saturday after Saturday why cricket should not be played, that now the end has come the cricketers themselves must be only too pleased to put their flannels away for a while.

The Sydney Cricket Association ground is capable of holding 80,000 people, and the largest number that have attended there is stated bv the "Referee" to be 61,379, the occasion being the Jubilee School Sports, 1897. Poide\ m's batting figures are interesting. In 1894, he began his career in senior cricket, but in 1897-98 he missed, as he was playing for the 'VarMty, who, in that year, were omitted from the Sydney senior competitions. In the other six seasons, Poidevin has batted 40 times, 12 tunes not out, scored 1700 runs, and averages 60 runs for the whole period. ' Will-o'-the-Wisp" says — "The finale for the senior championship was remarkable chiefly for the astonishing decisions given by the umpires in the Wel-hngton-Phcenix match, on No. 1 wicket. No mortal is without spot or blemish, but, really, if one' of the umpires had dispensed with his pipe, so that those dense cloudy puffs of smoke had not obscured his vision of the popping crease, Clarke, who was batting magnificently from the start, would not have been given out stumped by the ball coming back from off Duncans pads on to the wicket, when the batsman was well within the crease. Wright proved himself to be the right man in the right place, as he batted very freely , but Hickey was not, for he was caught first ball, and was given not out, and a broad grin illumined his merry countenance. Had the relentless Phoenicians flared up as brightly as Wright, their embers would not have been so readily extinguished, leaving the Wellingtons and Midlands again bracketed for the senior championship shield. However, the plucky, ever-green resurgams must be heartily complimented upon their indomitable perseverance against the reverses of late seasons."