Australian Match at Wanganui.

Patea Mail, 12 February 1881, Page 3

Australian Match at Wanganui.

FIRST INNINGS AUSTRALIANS, 49, WANGANUI 48. PATEA MEN PLAY WELL. (From our Special Reporter.) Wanganui, Friday Night. Wanganui won the toss and sent the Australians in first, their innings closing for 49, Spofforth’s 10 being the top score, Murdoch was cleverly caught by F. Bayly at short leg, after scoring 4. The whole team were either caught or runout, with the exception of McDonnell, who got leg before wicket, F. Bayly and Farrington bowled, the latter being relieved by Cross towards the end of the innings. No brilliant batting was shown, the Australians complaining greatly of the bad ground. After luncheon, Wanganui went to the wickets, their innings closing for 48, being in a minority of 1. Bercsford played a splendid innings for 14, and was stumped. Farrington also made a good stand for his 6. Read got 3, G. Bayly 3, Heenan 5, and Cross 5, these being the only other scores of note. The bowling of Spofforth and Palmer was most destructive. The Australians played with 10 men, Blackham, the wicket-keeper, having a bad foot. The fielding of both teams was very good. At 5 o’clock the Australians went in for their second innings, and when the stumps were drawn Boyle and Palmer were out for a total of 18. The weather was splendid, and about 1500 people were present. Play is to be resumed at 11 on Saturday. The Duchess of Marlborough refused to marry again, accompanying her refusal with the solemn declaration that her husband occupied so much of her heart she had no room for another. The lovely daughter of Curran refused to marry after the execution, of her patriotic lover, Robert Emmet, and at last, “ like a lily drooping, bowed her head and died.” A pair of silver sculls was amongst the prizes presented for competition to the Napier Rowing Club. Two years the prize failed to produce competitors. At the regatta held in January, there were not fifty spectators on the Western Spit to witness the matches, and nearly all who were present said they would never go there again for the best regatta that could be got up.