FOURTH TEST MATCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 44, 11 February 1908, Page 3

FOURTH TEST MATCH.

i.UOI) STAND 111 TilK (.nKXS'LALKS. Ai;il>lKii.xi.a LI.iLUAM pi.AV. fclOlli WTLli.l-.TS lull :ijs. Ketch ed Fell. Hi. In p.m. j Melbourne, tebnun In. Tlie weather was beautiful fur to dai■', ma tell. Hie wicket niilrolled splendid! v, being -low ,in,l easy. The dill's wu.'i;, on tne whole, plated Australia'in an eieelleiu iiusitii.ui, and though lor the gr-ater part the play was dull and of -[unburn and patient eiiaraeter. for the l.i-I halt hour it wa„ ticmondou-lv livclv and enthusiastic.

lid! and (iregory played cautiouslv. I he former wa- InM to go through the Hiiiguilieeiit work and inaehiiie-like precision of Barnes at cover. With one h-'Ud he tiehled Hill', stroke and returned t" Humphries. Hill fell endeavoring to r.-j,,,,,, hj „ ( ~.,,.1 <(. L mi-iial in llitl s score, there were no boundary hits. I iregory was joined hy Armstrong, bu; the Sydncyitc soon departed, alter some stylish cricket, hitting three fours. Armstrong and Kaikford were th-n a-sOciat.d. The latter .piiekly got going. A hundred were scored in l";j minute". | Khodes Ixiwled well, keeping a beau'ilul lengtli. After lunch. Fielder and Kliodes bowled. Hansford, when iC. had i, ehanee oil Fielder. Hansford was hatting in high-das* fashion when he was caught at the wicket, after an innings of 103 minutes. There were only throe boundary strokes among his total. Mac Artney and Armstrong proved a fad partnership, producing 54 in .'):( mimiles, of which MacArtuey made 20, but in the tiist over after tea MacArtucv was dismissed. The play so far was dullish.

Carter enlivened the proceedings, scoring five successive !'.,uiv, Ariii-troti-* •Mined ss. «.|,;,.|, ~„..,itmci i„-„ te-t -.ore. (I.eer- wee a.vonled him. Ho partn.r-hip jielded 1P» runs, ami when Carter was caught in the slips he received an ovation from the spectators. He hit eleven laurels.

_ O'Connor and Armstrong outplayed time. The concluding half-hour was full ot excitement and enthusiasm. Armstrong, up to the fifties, played completely defensive and wearisome cricke\ Afterwards, however, he opened into diisß and brilliancy. There was the wildest enthusiasm when twice he suc-ees-ively drove Braund for a sixer. I! was a magnificent anil thrilling termination of the day's play, completely- lifting it from absolute dullness.

Armstrong was accorded an ovation on_ returning to the pavilion. He batted 2*5 minute-, and hit twelve fourers aiiJ two sixes. The wicket i- Lioting well. The atten.iance was 12.000. Today's fielding was superb. Australia (ought tor every run, and manv couple* were made single* by the brilliancy of the Englishmen. The bowling, too, was good. Scores:— EXOLAXD. First innings mj AUSTRALIA. Firet innings 214 Second Innings. Truinpcr. b Crawford 1 Noble, b Crawford 10 Macalister, c Humphries, b Fielder.. I Hill, run out ~ ..2.3 Uregory, 1.b.w., b Fielder .. .. ;<) Kan-ford, e Humphries, b Rhodes .. 51 Armstrong, not out 114 MaeArtney. c Gunn, b Crawford .. 2!l Carter, c Braund, b Fielder .. .. (ill O'Connor, not out ]2 Sundries 15 Total for eight wicket- .. .. 35s The wickets fell: Four for lij. five for 7i. six for 162. .seven for 217. ei"ht for < rawford consulted the doctors, feeling unwell, luiving strained his right side and heart. Tlie doctors recommend him to consult a London specialist. If England lows this game. Crawford will not play again in Australia. Otherwise lie plays only during the last test. The Xew Plymouth F-aSt team to play Waitara at Waitara on Thursday next is as follows:—Xicol, Steeds, Strang, Jack. Ijghtband, Price, Braund, Whittle. Smith Howard, and Baker. The team leaves by the 12.50 p.m. train. The following will represent the New Plvmoii'h juniors v. Carrington road junior* at Carrington road:—H. IS. Billing, T. Anderson, X. Arden, F. Whittle, H. L. Cutfiehl, D. Cook, T. Petty, g. Glyncs. P. Whitcombe. J. Seanlon, and L. B. Webster. On Saturday the Government Buildings' team defcited the local Warehousemen by an innings and fi!> runs. Government Buildings, with three wickets down for 158. declared tlieir innings closed. The Warehousemen made 40 in their first and -1!) in their second innings.