Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 194, 19 March 1904, Page 20

Cricket.

THE Old Boys team really seem to have take 1 on a new lease of life, judging by the.r performance in the second round of championship matches. They defeated Phoenix comfortably, and cnlv succumbed to Wellington aft'.T a sple'idid effort against a stupendous scoie. Also, last Sat ui day they made a fine showing against the leading team in the championship contest — the Meanders — and at the end of the day's piay had plac-d thtmselves in. a gcod position. As to whether they will keep the advantage they have gained remains to be seen. The start of the Midland innings was disastrous from the batting team's standpoint. Quee, Hickson, Vivian, Hutchings, and Wynyard offered but little resistance to the opposing bowlers, and it was not unti' Upham (the Midland captain) was joined by Arnold Williams that the batsmen got the upper hand. Both played steadily and with plenty of confidence, but withal with many a punishing stroke here and there. While together they added 64 runs to the total, Williams going first with 30 to his credit. Upham followed him Bhortlv afterwards with 50 runs opposite his name. The manner of Upham's dismissal was strange. Cleland was bowling to him, and the last ball of one over was declared by the umpire as a "no-ball." Upham struck it, and it went to a. fieldsman in the slips, who held it. The batsman did not hear the call of "no ball," and left his crease with the intention of retiring to his team's dressing-room. The umpire, thinking Upham did not hear the call, called again, but the batsman had got too far away, and was run out before he could get back. It was an unsatisfactory ending to an, innings typical of Upham. He came in when practically the pick of his batsmen were sent to the right-about, and, by dogged determination and solid defensive cricket, kept his end up, and enhanced the good opiuions of his prowess held by many enthusiasts in Wellington. Arnold Williams was quieter than usual, but made many effective and telling strokes. He, like his captain, always rises to an emergency, and Saturday's display was worthy of him. Harry Davis got a two-figure score — 10 — a fine drive to the boundary past the bowler on, the off-side being a particularly sweet stroke. C. Hickson 3, Quee 0, Wynyard 9, Vivian 1, Hutchings 5, G. Williams 0, Stephenson 0, Mitchell 0 (not out) shows how the balance of the Midland team bathed. • • • Kirkcaldie handled his bowling very well indeed. He seemed to me to bring on his changes just at the right time, and they invariably were effective. Even when Upham and Williams were making their long stand he did not overwork any of his bowlers, and when the partnership was broken up his bowlers were from this cause still fresh. Beit Cleland came out with the best figures — four for 21 — and he bowled splendidly, keeping a good length, and occasionally whipping in from the off with a good break. Tucker was steady, but thiew up many short ones. Off one of these, however, he got Vivian's wicket, the batsman making a ploughing stroke at the ball, which sent it safe into a fieldsman's hands at deep mid-off. Staples and Wills were the other two bowlers tried, and they were both successful, the former getting one for 3, and the latter one for 43. • ♦ * The Old Boys started very steadily when they took their turn at the batting crease. Jacobs onened with Staples, but the latter left early lbw to Stephenson. Tucker joined Jacobs, and they kept things going quietly but nevertheless surely along until Upham got a beautiful ball past Jacobs' defence, the retiring batsman having made 29 by quiet but pleasing cricket. Dixon (2) and Mackintosh (0) did not trouble the bowlers long, the score when stumps were drawn, because of the failing light at a quarter to six, being 71 for four wickets. Tucker was unbeaten with 32 runs opposite his name. Kirkcaldie, the two Blacklocks, Wills, Hay and Cleland have yet to bat, and

next Satmdiy's, pla> in this game ought theiefoie to be interesting. * * * In their match against the Phcenicians the Wellington team kept a vacant place in their ranks for Richardson, the captain of the team, Frank Ashbo't actiig as locum tenens They had fiist knock and gatheied togethei 195 runs when they had a'l had a turn ,it batting. Weybuuino (38), S. Hickbon (29), Lath im (2(5), C. Gore. (2b), aid Mahony (19) were the double-figuie scoiers The PLcenix captain- tried six of his team at the bowling creases, their figures being as follows — Shand one for 0 Hickey, two for 31 Bnce, two for 37 Water-, two tor 42 Redgiave, one for ]° Marton, one for 61. Redgrave started in good style when the Phoenix team went in to bat, his tal'v at the end of the play being 37 (not out). The Phoenix team have lost Naught on' s wicket for ."52 inns, his contribution beinor 9, and the resumption of the play this week should provide some i iteresting cricket. * •» * The New South Wales Cricket Association sums up Captain Warner — "He is discourteous, impo'ltic, a-id impertinent " The Sydney "Bulletin" *ays that Cotter was recently given the option of leaving his 30b or cricket, and lesolved to «tick to cricket. Eady, the Tasmanian cricketer, has the strange distinction of being; brother-in-law to his father-in-law. He married the daughter of a Hobartim, who took Eady's sifter for his third wife. The Phoenix Club are endeavouring to arrange a tiip to Nelson at Easter time. As the cricketers in "Sleepy Hollow" are noted for their cordia'ity the executive of the club should experience but little difficulty in getting a good team away. It m ght be as w ell to mention that if Old Boys defeat Midland, and Wellington treat Phoenix in a similar fashion, the Midland and Wellington teams will tie for the championship. If the matches now in progress end any other way, Midland will win. R Ongley, a brother of the West Coast representative in the South Island team, has been do^ng some good bowling m Oamaru. His figures in a recent match were Six for 3, and five for 6, the match being between the Waitaki High School and the Capulet Club. Onglev played for the former, who won by an innings and 6 runs. Judd, a Petone schoolb-n of last year, put up a good performance in a senior match, at Petone on Saturday under the Hutt Valley Association. He bowled five opponents in, successive balls, taking the same stump each time, and striking it almost in the same place every time. Judd is a common name in Hutt Valley cricket, and the latest aspirant to senior cricket of that name would seem likely to keep it prominr ently before the public in that locality.