AT THE WICKETS.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 160, 28 August 1886, Page 3

AT THE WICKETS.

The two fashionable cricket matches of the year have been played. Fashion, in spite of the emptiness of London and in spite of the eieotions, appeared ia great numbers to see Oxford beat Cambridge, which ehe did after the most sensational scoring ever known. Two young undergraduates of Oxford astonished the world, Key of Oriel making 143, and Rashleigh of Brasenose 107, their score reaching 243 before these two batsmen, who went in first, were separated. It ia idle to try to convey to you an idea of the excitement. A dozen -consecutive victories have produced leae, while a match far more important, from the true cricketer's point of view — England Against Australia - was condemned to the obscurity of small type, yet England defeated the formidable colonists, in a stubborn contest at Manchester, by fourwickets. The .New York "Tribune's" cable special from London of July 24th says : England has a new hero. Bis name is Briggs, and the service he has done his country is to take eleven wickets for seventy-four runs in the great match between England and Australia England has now won two matches, and cricketers -consider the inferioiity of the Australians -decisively proved. The victory for England on Wednesday was for a great number of Englishmen by far the most important «vent of the week.