SENSATIONAL CRICKET FINISHES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 146, 17 July 1909, Page 3

SENSATIONAL CRICKET FINISHES.

fo find a parallel to ,Surrey's sensational defeat of the Australians by five mns one need only go back two years (says an English paper), when Kent I.iayeil the South Africans at Catford Mil the latter snatched a truly remark-, fble victory by two runs. Kent were set lOi to win, but, owing to the manner ill which Schwa rz and White made tire ball "talk," Kent could onlv make !01. Kent, however, were certainly unlucky, Hutching*, owing to a bioiv" from ■\oltze, being only able to bat with one hand, while a strain prevented Fielder trom -bowling. The Australians will begin t„ t),;,,]; that some supernatural forces are at work when they play at the Oval, for ■ t was there that tlie.v Jost the sixtvlirst Test Hatch in 1002 by one wicket, li'.nglaml wanted 2(J3 to win when they iook fourth •■knock," and half the side were out for forty-eight. It seemed a hundred to one chance against Australia 'losing, but Jackson, Jcssop, and Ilirst . imlk'd the match out of the lire, Jessop ( :ii.aking a century in seventy-five ! minutes.

WOX BY TIIRISE RUNS. I lie previous Test .Match at Manchester Australia won by three runs. It ;V«S m tills match that hockwood, the anions Surrey bowler, took five wicliets ■ i>r runs, ill 18U5, when Mr. A. E. Stoddart's cam v toiled Australia, the first of the was played at Svdic.v \Vhcn the "Cornstalks" won the oss and ran up 38(i, it was not thought "at they had much of a ohance of los- .!!?' Uoweycr, England replied with and, lullowing on, stored 437, leav- "* Au »tra)'a 177 runs to win. With •ver IUU scored fo r only two wickets, nf,. r ?!" t i business'foj the ilJi| l!l r' st " n " ll l' sot t,loil ' . "s illul the wicket, and En" "»< won a desperately-fought contest i} ten runs. J'eu years previously, at Sydney. AusI'll'a ui.l won ,| >v slx rmiSi , v)|i|( , tWQ '■> a later, on the same ground, EngaiKlwonbv thirteen. So that the capial of e\v .South \V i( |,,s may l,e said o jiave had a {rood share of cricket SI'OI.'I'URTU'.S CHEAT FEAT. Elderly cricket enthusiasts, however, JeeJaic that lor excitement no Test Hatch ever compared with that of 1882, it the Oval, when SpofforUi snatched uctory for the Australians by seven > "». Australia went in first, and were n d'smiMcd_ foro3, Barlow taking five in' i n E "S lasKl with .»!, and then got Australia, out again or 122 They ,th„s required 85 runs to A 11, .UK When hfty wont up with only «o wickets down most of the people vent home. 1 H was -all over bar shouting," they '!ni'r i! 'YV 3 ' 1 recltonc < l without liol ortl, ||,, ,| )0W i 0ll , 1S hc lm(1 npvcr " Wed before sending down ball after Mil m h lightning speed and deadly "i", and such was his success that when Mm last men faced the bowler nine runs' ,«ere still wanted for victory. His first stroke .brought a couple of runs, but tile next minute his stumps were sent flyinc Jn<l thus the "Cornstalks" won liy a narrow margin of seven runs. COUUWT BRSTST THE TEMPT -i----"PIOS\ Almost equally sensational were the - violins moments of the 'Varsity match : it Lords ill 1870. Oxford, with thre« , nickets to fall, only wanted four runs to win, and yet lost hy .two, thanks to , •»lr. •. L. Cobden. He disposed of the ■St 'batsman in a bewildering fashion - I, when he walked to the wicket three runs were still wanted for victory. Tie i had been instructed to block"for'nil he'l ?vas_ worth. ])own came the last ball!] ■)f Cobden s over. The .batsman could , jiiot resist the chance of making tile win- I ning hit. He struck wildly at'it, missed, i jiiid was clean bowled, and thus Oxford < iiOH't the mutch liv two runs.