CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 5, 7 January 1903, Page 2

CRICKET.

A "GALLT , r,Y !4 0AMB. FEB PBBBS AMOOUXIOX. Wakoaidi, January t. m An "exhibition ' ma'oh waaplay*d to day between a local thirteen and 12 of the English. Both sides allowed their bjwlers to have a try, and 500 ■ runs were scored in thwe and a half hours. Lo'd Hawke's team then toad* 290 in two hours, and, tbe looaltaaat r. plied with 209 in an hour and a half for only two wickets, J. Marshal l , not out, 109, and O. Marshal), not out, 84, [Appiren'ly "slogging" waa th* gams not cricket. Tbesooras eridatttfr have'no face value.-Ed ]

Obrutohurch Truth says : W# art glad t-> Bf t, that there it a distinct r*> vival of interest in tha minlicat of oar notable field sports. Cricket bin neve* been so vigorous, nor to popular. Mit deserves in tbis colony, but the enter* prist of tbe governing Association in importiog a teim of English amateur* has given a fillip to the game. It ia the fashion to say th»t New Zealand cricket has declined, and to ecooont for defea's with the statement that the sound cricket that was played is the days of Cuff aud De Meue, and the Ridley?, ten ago, is a tbiog of tha pas'. We entirely distgree with eooh . oritics. Iu our opinion, this year New Zealand stands higher than ebe haa ever done in re<pect to this national Bport When we reflect that the lad Auatra'iam team played a New Zee> 1 >nd fifteen in 1896, and won easily with five witke s to spire, we are ©onvinced that our c icket is sounder and be'ter to-day than it was seven year* igo. It must not bj forgotten that • New Zealand el oven has sitice given ft good account of i'self in Australia, and that better form has been displayed by ■onm of our most promising crioketeri his y,-ar than has been seen for a very t<me. The English t»am, it ia admitted, easily succeeded in defeating Auckland, but that provioce has never been the stronghold ef New Zealand :ricket, and has oertaioly displayed M remaik«ble form of late. There is e> reason to suppose that a rspretentttive beam can be selected which will give n irery gcod account of ittelf in the teat natches. At all events, thegaaeesarv lot likely to result in by any mean* tollow victories for the Engliinmn.