Cricket.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 287, 30 December 1905, Page 19

Cricket.

THE match between the Wellington and Wairarapa representatives was played at the Park Oval, Masterton, on Christmas Day and Boxing I>ay. It resulted 1 m a substantial win for the town players by an innings and 97 runs. * • • The Wellington team, was not a fully representative one, though there were several in the eleven who will be playing against Canterbury at the end or this week. I believe the country players asked for a fairly strong team to be sent up to play them. Personally, I think they would enjoy the game much better if the Wellington team to play them annually was selected from the junior clubs. It would O3 a much keener contest. ♦ • • However, to the match under notice. The town team batted first, and remained at the wickets while 245 runs were put on the score-book. Hutchings retired with 103 opposite his name, and the other double-figure scorers were : — Redgrave 83, Mahony 18, C. Hickson 11, and Gibbes 10. To the total set them -^ get the Wairarapa playei-s could only get 52 — Maunsell, an ex-Wellington Club junior, with 11 feeing the only one- to get a two-figure score. In their second innings the country players dicLa little better, 96 runs being the total of their second journey to the wickets, Maunsell (14), Redmond (17), Perry (10), and MaoKellar (21 not out) getting doubles. The successful bowlers were — For Wellington: Tucker, four for 35 and three for 28; Gibbes, six for 15 and one for 18, Redgrave, two for 26, Hutchings, one for 5. '* • * "Ken" Tucker captained the Wellington team, "Tom" Maunsell acting in a similar position for the country eleven. The wicket was in good order, but the local players, m preparing it, had put a lot ot water on it, which, added to the rain of Saturday night, made it very wet. This accounted for the local team sending the visitors in to bat, but the move was not a good one. The wicket, from being slow at first, improved as the play wore on, and on the afternoon of the first day was in splendid order. The turf is good, and the general opinion of the town players is that on the Park Oval there is every opportunity of a good wicket being available for playing matches if it is properly prepared. Hutchings played splendidly in getting his century of runs, and) it is just possible that the success he has met with recently will stimulate to big things against Canterbury and Auckland. All round the wickets he made his runs, the pull stroke being the most effective, and producing the most runs. Redgrave played far and away the best cricket he has shown since he came from Sydneyside. There were one or two uppsh strokes in his total, but generally his play was as stylish as it could well be, and! there was m»ph power in his hits. Mahony batted steadily for his quota, and Hickson and Gibbes were very quiet m getting their doubles. Dredge was not in long enough for the spectators, his leg glide being keenly appreciated by them. • • • The country players did noo seem able to make much headway against the 6low bowlers. From my experience a break bowler has always a good time amongst the players away from the city. Strange that it should be so, but it is a fact nevertheless. The straight fast bowler is known to them, and rarely meets with the success his mate that breaks does. Therefore, Gibbes, Tucker, and Redgrave had a day out. The former, however, bowled really well, # and 1 should find a place in the team against Canterbury. The other two I regard as certainties. • * • Waters was the most successful of the country bowlers. He sends down a medium-paced straight ball, with now

and then a short pitched one. This ball generally proved! the downfall of the town players^ who tried to pull it round to leg. "Tom" Maunsell batted well for his runs both innings, the on-drive being the most effective. MacKellar made a good impression on the town players, his batting being very good indeed. • • • The fielding of the Wellington players was very good. I make a special note of this, because it has come to be a bye-word that bad fielding is characteristic of a Wellington team. The town players enjoyed the trip immensely, and would be pleased l to repeat it. The hospitality of the country Association was much enjoyed and appreciated. The team learnt a Maori war-cry on the trip up to Masterton, and it was much enjoyed wherever they gave it. Mr. B. L. Salmon, secretary of the Wellington Cricket Association, had charge of the team, and' carried out his duties most assiduously. Mr. T. H. Jones, who scored) in the big match against the Australians in the Empire City last season, again had charge of the books on this occasion, and will perfom a like duty in the match against Canterbury. * * R. Neill, Auckland's veteran bowler, is still going strong. His Latest" performance is seven wickets for 35 runs. Jones and 1 McKibbin, two ex-Austral-ian bowlers, are both at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and still play the game. A. E. Knight, in the "Athletic News," declares W W. Armstrong to be the best all-round player at present in Australia. The pleasing feature of the Oanter-bury-Otago match was tne, fine batting form shown by Harry Graham, the exAustrahan. Some Auckland tallies • — Lepme 24 (not out), Stevenson 99, D. Hay 72, Prime 79, Haddon 161, Clayton 77, and C. Hay 72. The team to play against Canterbury was to have been selected on Wednesday night, too late for a comment thereon this week. Frank Layer reckons Brearley, the Lancastrian, is the best bowler in England. He is a grand "grafter," full of go from start to finish. Judging by the recent inter-State matches they are still looking for bowlers in Australia. The batsmen generally are having a good time. It is stated as a certainty that the Hon. F. S. Jackson will captain the

next English team to visit Australia. C. B. Fry will also be one. of the party. Dunedin batting figures : — Howden 29, Adams 38, A. Geddes 24, D. Geddes 21, Williams 41 Eckhold 77, Mackersey 29, Dnimm 26, Kilgour 33 (not out). The Wellington correspondent of the "Canterbury Times" says: — "Sid Callaway always inspires a feeling of dread into the Wellington batsmen." Now, what does he mean? The annual match between Wellington and Canterbury wild commence on the Basin Reserve to-morrow (Saturday) afternoon, and will be continued on Monday and Tuesday. Mr. F. J. Ohlson, the sole selector of Auckland's representatives, is acting as manager of the Auckland team on its Southern tour. The match with Wellington is to be played on the 12th, 13th, and 15th January. Leading batting averages in, Christchuroh at the end of the third round of matches were: — Anthony 51.5, H. E. Lawrence 51, Callaway 43.5, Bishop 37.6, Dakin 34.5, Williams 32.3 ; Whitta 31.2, J. D Lawrence 28.5, Orchard 23.5. A. E. Dakin, who played) with the Austral team here last season, was selected to play for Canterbury against Otago during the Christmas holidays. The little fellow's scores in Christcfaurch this season have been : 0, 22, 102, 14, and 29. Bishop, who when he was last in Wellington, played for the North Island against the South Island, and had previously played for Hawke's Bay here, is a Canterbury "rep." this year.

He has batted in five championship games for East Christchurcfa. this season, and has made the following tallies : 5, 0, 122, 37, 24. Haddon, the ex-North Sydney player, who is now acting as coach for the North Shoie Club, Auckland, put up the good tally of 161 against Parnieu the other Saturday. "Harrier" says his innings was ome of the finest seen of late years on the suburban ground. His placing was ©lever, and he had the bowlers in sore trouble. An English paper was so anxious to have a series of articles by Trumper during the recent tour that it was quite prepared to pay £100, which Trumper would be mulct in tor breaking the agreement not to write for the press. It was, however, pointed out that "the fine of that amount would be inflicted for each offence, and this the paper admitted would be too hot. "With all due respect to Conyngham as an experienced 1 player, if the candling of his men on Saturday last is accepted in the ligrht of a fairly accurate guide to his qualifications as a skipper, the Newtownites would be conserving their own interests by reinstating Spraggon in that position." — A serntimerit by the Wellington correspondent of the "Canterbury Times' with, which I cordially agree. The M.C.C. team for South Africa, which sailed early last month, from Southampton, consists of the following players: — P. F. Warner (captain, Middlesex), Captain E. G. Wynward (Hampshire), F. L. Fane (Essex), J. N. Crawford (Surrey), L. J. Moon (Middlesex), H. D. G. Leveson-Gower (Surrey), J. C. Hartley (Sussex), Denton (Yorkshire), Haigh (Yorkshire), Hayes (Surrey), Leeis (Surrey), Dlythe (Kent), R-'ard (Gloucestershire), Relf (Sussex). It will be noticed that nione of the players appearedl regularly in th« test matches this year. (Covtivvrd on page 20.)