Out=door Sports and Pastimes. By Touchline. Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 87, 1 March 1902, Page 6

Out=door Sports and Pastimes. By Touchline. Cricket.

AFTNK da\ .uul uitli the «i(kcts in good condition it uasonU to bo expectod that the cnckct last Satuidav should lie a deal moio mtoiestuie. than the play ot the pie\ ions week And so it pro\ed to be » * * With foui wickets down and 13") 1 mis to make with the lemaimng six wickets m order to reach the Wellington tally Midland started out confidently to get them, and did not at any time during their innings appeal to ha\ e too formidable a task before them With Williams unable to bat the innings closed foi 176— 01 26 runs to the good Hutohuigs (60). Tucker (49) Stevenson (K>) and Holdsworth US) registered tw o-figure scores. The Wellington team in then second innings hare scored 114 runs foi one wicket— Richardson being not out with 36 Gore retired hurt when he had made 28, but is entitled to bat again if he wishes to Wevbourne earned out his bat with 28 opposite his name f - * Hales was the most successful bow ler on the Wellington side, and he apneared on tins occasion, to have got ud ot that bad luck which has hitherto marred has success with the ball. In fact the luck has veered right round, foi two ot the wickets he obtained were actuaJh lucky ones. Stevenson was splendidly caught at long-leg by Girdlestone oft one of Hales's deliveries, and Hutchmgs had to retire as the result of a bumpy one hitting the handle of his bat against his wish. However, no one canbegiudge 'Tom" a share of luck, and his five wickets foi 33 runs were of immense assistance to his side. Ashbolt (three for 53) and Connell (one for 28) ' bagged" the remaining batsmen. » * * The Old Boys — Phoenix match was continued on No 1 w icket but little interest was taken in it The Old Boys first innings closed for 113 — or 48 runs behind the Phoenix wore. Wilson (36). Kirkcaldie (24), Jacobs (12) Staples (12), and Odlni (12) assisted with double figures towards the total. In their second turn at the wickets Phoenix batted two short — Carswell being with the volunteers in camp, and Wallace unwell — and scored 157 runs. Waters topped the list with 48 while Blacklock (33), Hams (19), Hickev (18). and Saunders (13) were next best contributors. Hickev (four for 4(5). Gieenfield (two for 17), Wateis (two for 3). Benbow (two for 44), disposed of the Old Boys, Staples (four for 51), Sanderson (three for 45), and Prouse (one for 31) doing likewise with the Phoenicians ♦ * * Hutchings played lus best innings m senior cricket on Saturday. Endowed with an immense amount of confidence' and possessing much defensive skill m his strokes, he yet can lay the wood on \uth advantage.' Anything on the legside receives but scant courtesy from him, and he has one scoring stroke peculiarly his own It is a pull from the off round between square-leg and mid-on, and he generally puts enough force m the stroke to find the boundary. "Jack's" was an able display, and it was rather unfortunate for him that his innings ended tihe way it did — a ball got up fast from the pitch, and he could not get away from it. The most pleasing feature of Hutchmgs' success is that he made a lot of lus runs with Tucker m at the other end. The latter is convinced that the ' Pup" is one of the coming batsmen of Wellington, and he is practically a godfather to him Tucke.r's display was worthy of him, all his best strokes being brought into requisition One of his squaie cuts travelled right aeioss the Reserve at a great rate. Stevenson batted confidently and in something l;ke his old style Holdsworth liit haid but caiefullv withal * * * Richaidson and Gore opened steadily for Wellington but did not appeal at any tune as a,t all likely to get out The changes that were ' rung on" in the bowling made no apparent difference to them, and the runs mounted surely, if slowly. Now and again an off drive by Richardson, and a square cut bv Gore, would liveai things up but the good balls — and there were many of them delivered — weie met sohdlv with the face of the bat

A l)tiinp\ ball lioin Holdsw m tli hit Goie liard on the back of the left lvuul and bioke a blood-vessel under the sku A swelling that must ha\e caused Goie juueli i)cUii Ktee on the hand Mid att< i consultation with a medical ma.n he letired with the undei Ending that he could lesiune his innings it well enough m tune Talkuig about accidents (. oimell ->uffeied a\ery painful one Upham droye a ball haid to tlie on oft Hales, and it was going at such a pace that nine placers out of ten would have got out of itwa\ Connell howevei pluckily went for it with the result that it bioke the thumb of his right hand and he was foicod to leave the field I hope tl»> ni)Ui \ will not pro\ c seiious enough To prevent lum from playing toi the balance of the season To get back to the Wellington innings Ashbolt joined Richardson but after he had scored 8 runs he pla\ed outside a, good ball fiom Tuckei We\ bourne came in. and the play woke right up at once Driving hitting and cutting 'Bainev' added mils qmckh and when stumps were drawn he and Richardson were unbeaten * * * Waters was, again the life and soul of the Phoenix uinmgs His dm ing was as. good as it aJway.s is. and although there were one or two uppish stioke^ the display wa& a mentoi ious one Blacklock s innings was an example of free cucket in which the on-dnve wa« particularly conspicuous. Harris hit out merrily foi his contribution and Saundeis and Hicke\ scored in the styles peculiar to them the formei less cramped than usual There was a. peculiai feature about the opening of the Phoenix second innings Sanderson trundled to Niven and the first two balls sent down weie wides and the third one — the first straaght one — Niven touched and he was caught m the slips. Wilson impioves in his batting a?> he gets used to senior cricket His innings was valuable to his side and with Kirkoaldie. he made his team's innings a creditable one. • Bully" ha.s any amount of defensive strokes a,nd a little more experience will give lum all the confidence he needs Kirkcaldie batted well for lus runs and he caused the Phoenix players to feel anxious — the runs were mounting and the sixth wicket was proving \erv hard to get * * * The uiofet exciting piece of pla\ on the Basm on Saturday was the finish of the th.ud-cI.asNS match between the Jotmsonville and Midland teams Midland scored 114 in their second innings and Johnsonville were left with 83 runs to get to win. Tliis did not appear toimidable, as they had made 134 vi thenfirst attempt Disaster however, came with the fiivt over, for in it they lost two wicket* without scoring. But that was not all — three more batsmen followed the lead given, and five were out for no runs Of course this could not last long — it was too good. The whole side were out though, for 49 and Midland won the match by 34 runs. Two much praise cannot be given to Alex. Moore, for he added 41 out of the 49 made by his side, and that w hen things were undoubtedly bad Book (seven wickets for 23 runs) and Gosling (three for 21) y\ere the destroying agents, and they bowled splendidly The date for starting the first of the five test matches in England is May 29, at Birmingham. The opening of the fifth test match to be played on the Melbourne Ground will commence to-day, instead of tomorroyv. as originally arranged When Mr. W. Coffey laid down the athletic pen on the Evening Post Mr Barclay took it up — 'Ex-Forw ard" went out, and ' Poyntz" came m. Now that Mi. Coffee has resigned from the Dunediu Star " Mr. Barclay has gone thither to onee 1 more nil William's vacant chaai The name of Bush appeals in the Southland liiterprovincial team playing against Otago during the yseek I suppose that's our old friend Charley It is only in the order of things that he should attain an honour not often granted to a single individual — nameh that of representative of lus province both at cncket and football I notice it is repoited that Bush is coming back to Wellington and such newsgnes pleasure The Cncket Council have decided to endeiavoui to have the North v South Island match played at Easter Thi<~ seems to me only a yvaste of time aaid the abandonment of the match must come about, if the Council or the Wellington Association do not wish to haye a loss to make good as the result of pla-wng the game. Another thing At Easter time the Chnstchurch Football Club sends its first fifteen to Wellington to play an annual fixture with the club of that name, ( Continued on p<t<ie 19. >