CRICKET

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 231, 4 February 1911, Page 7

CRICKET

THE PLUNKET SHIELD MATCH. The recent game was the seventh challenge Auckland has had to meet far the Plunket Shield since winning the trophy in December, 1907. Canterbury and Otago have each thrown down the gauntlet on three occasions.

Of the Auckland team, seven men ol this year's selection played against Canterbury last year—namely, Anthony, Hemus, Sale, Hadden, Brooke-Smith, Olirf, and Sneddon. On the Canterbury Bide also seven of last year's challengers—Reese, Patrick, W. Carlton, Luak, T. Carlton, Bennet, and Boxshall—participated.

The home team were again lucky in winning the toss. They put up the excellent total of 349 for the day's play. Against Otago last February Auckland on the opening day scored 301, but these runs were obtained at the cost of six wickets only. Sandman, the Christchurch colt ot whom such great things were prophesied in the early part of the season, was no more successful in Auckland than in Dunedin. No wickets for 80 is an expensive record. On the other hand, Reese, who did not put himself on till all his bowlers had been tested, comes out with the fine average of five for 43, including the two most prolific rungetters. The uncertainty of cricket. Sale, who played a really fine innings for 121 against Otago, and who was top scorer with 72 not out in Auckland's second innings against Wellington a few weeks ago, was dismissed for a "duck" on Saturday.

An interesting /act.—D. Reese and A. Sims, prior to the commencement of the present game, had each scored precisely the same number of runs—viz., 2,042. Sims has played eighty completed innings, and has been eight times not out, and Reese lias completed eighty-one innings, and has been only twice not out. The pair have virtually been associated from the beginning (though Reese got into the Canterbury team as a bowler the season before Sims appeared) and both have ueen away from the Dominion at various times.

The following will represent Law Cricket Club against New Plymouth Cricket Club to-day on the Recreation Grounds: —Oreatbatcb, Lash, Hill, Clapham, Elliott, liewley, Johnson, Harding, West, R. Quilliam, and Lawry. The New Zealand teachers' on their Australian tour played nine matches, winning 3, losing 2 and drawing 4. "Time" saved them in the last match against Xew South Wales teachers, tlie last two men being at the wickets, witli the position hopelessly against them. However, 11. B. Lusk did not bat in the second innings, a.s he had to leave early to catch the boat back to New Zealand.

Jn responding to a toast at a dinner in Sydney, Rev. Stacy Waddy complained that his medical adviser had restricted him to a very unpalatable diet. As a matter of fact, he had been forbidden to eat all the tilings lie liked, and told he could have the rest. (Laughter). This stringent dietary was due to an attack n lumbago, which was either a sign of old ago or a legacy from his grandfather. His grandfatner was noted for two things. He had gout—and everybody said he deserved it—(laughter)—and he was noted for having the best command of language in the British Army. (Roars of laughter). .In the Kltham cricket team there are nine out of the eleven who come from Australia. Therefore the name ••Kltham" team is a little incongruous. This fact, small as it appears, serves to give a good idea of how young men from other countries conic to Kltham for a livelihood. On account of the extensive building and other developments at present in operation, it is almost safe to say that few towns of Kltham's size can equal it in fHe attention it gets from new arrivals.—Argus.