CRICKET.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9072, 12 February 1908, Page 5

CRICKET.

THE FOURTH TEST, Australia—First innings .... 214 Do. second innings 385 Total .... .... 699 England, Ist innings .... 105 Do. 2nd innings .... 186 Total .... .... 291 Press Association —Copyright. Received Feb. 11, 9.45 p.m. Melbourne, Last Night. The wicket was excellent on resumption of the game to-day. The Australians’ innings was not carried much farther, O’Connor being caught at the wicket for a nicely made contribution of 18. Saunders and Armstrong finessed nicely so that Armstrong might get the strike. The Englishmen also finessed that Saunders should be captured, and eventually Saunders was easily caught at point. The innings, which closed for 386, lasted 817 minutes. Armstrong batted 289 minutes and hit 14 fourers and 2 sixes. The Englishmen were left with the formidable task of 494 to make and they entered feeble -hear tedly into their big contract. Gunn and Hobbs opened, but the Britishers were dismayed to see Hobbs caught and bowled by Saunders withouc scoring. Gunn and Hardstaff made a moderate stand, Hardstaff batting briskly while Gunn played exceedingly pa,tient, slow, and correct cricket. Hardstaff was the first to go. After an hour’s batting he was caught by Carter. Hutchings was soon after bowled neck and crop by Noble. Brauud, who showed weak defence was also clean bowled. Rhodes was caught at the wicket by Carter, and Crawford also from succeeding ball. Jones played an innings which might be characterised as desperate rather than finished. He saw Gunn bowled by Saunders after 157 minutes batting, during which there were only two boundary hits. Of the remainder, Barnes and Fielder showed the best defence, and the game should have been won by a bigger majority if Saunders had not missed Peilder when he was 8 off his own bowling. Saunders next missed Barnes at mid-on when 7 off O’Connor.

England’s innings lasted 303 minutes. Their batting, poor and slow, made the bowling look more difficult than it really was. The fielding generally was good, although it was a tame ending to a test match. Subsequent to the match the two teams dined with Mr L. O. MacKinnon, President of the Melbourne Cricket Club, who said that the Englishmen’s visit meant a strong revival of cricket in Victoria.

The aggregate attendance at the match was 53,761, and the takings £3,005. Humphries remains in Melbourne to undergo a surgical operation. Scores : AUSTRALIA—2nd innings. Trumper, b Crawford ... ... ... 0 Noble, b Crawford ... ... ... 10 Hill, run out ... ... ... ... 25 Mac Alister, c Humphries, b Feilder... 4 Gregory, Ibw, Fielder... ... ... 29 Eansford, c Humphries,.b Rhodes ... 54 Armstrong, not.out ... ... ...133 MacArtney, c Gunn, b Crawford ... 29 Carter, o Braund, b Fielder ... ... 66 O’Connor, c Humphries, b Barnes ... 18 Saunders, c Jones b Fielder 2 Sundries .. .. ... ... 15 Total ... ... ... ...385 Bowling Analysis. Fielder, 4 for 90 Barnes, 1 for 68 Crawford, 5 for 72 Rhodes, 1 for 66 Braund, 0 for 48 Hutchings, 0 for 24 ENGLAND—2nd innings. Hobbs, c and b Saunders ... ... 0 Gunn, b Saunders 43 Hardstaff, c Carter, b Saunders ... 43 Hutchings, b Noble 3 Braund, b Macartney... ~. ... 10 Crawford, c Carter, b O’Connor ... 0 Rhodes, c Carter, b O’Connor ... 2 Jones, c Saunders, b O’Connor ... 31 Humphries, c Carter, b Saunders ... 11 Fielder, b Armstrong... 20 Barnes, not out 22 Sundries ... ... ... ... 6 Total 186 Bowling Analysis. Saunders, 4 for 76 O’Connor, 3 for 58 Noble, 1 for 14 Armstrong, 1 for IS Macartney, 1 for 15 Wickets fell as follows ;—1 for 0,2 for 61, 3 for 64, 4 for 79, 5 for 88, 6 for 88, 7 for 128, 8 for 133, 9 for 146. PRESS COMMENTS. London, February 11. The Westminster Gazette says that bad luck and bad cricket caused England’s defeat and the best cricketers Won. Everything suggests that the Australians are superior by virtue of greater experience in test cricket. The Pall Mall Gazette says it Is disappointing that the Britishers failed to make a better fighc, even though the conditions were unfavourable. The brilliance of some of the Australian youngsters is one outstanding feature of the test matches.