AUCKLAND.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3792, 22 February 1881, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

This day,

Arrived : Arawata, left Sydney 17th

The s.s. Albion arrived shortly before j ten o'clock this morning with the Australian cricketers. She reports having collided with and sunk the topsail schooner Isabella Pratt, off Port Charles, at 4.20 a.m., when all hands were saved. The Isabella Pratt left here in ballast yesterday for Tairua, where she was to have been loaded with timber for Oamaru. She was commanded by Captain Cross. The Australians. Alexander, of the Australian cricketers, has received a cablegram announcing that the return match between the combined team of Victoria and New South Wales and the eleven, is definitely fixed for the sth 6th and Bth of March. The Cricketers leave, here for Sydney to-morrow by the Arawata. Australians v. Auckland. The Australians were well received, and the match commenced at noon. 1 Mumford was chos en captain of the Auckland team. The Australians won the toss, and sent Spofforth and Alexander in. Lynch bowled the first over. Alexander put the first ball to leg for two, which was badly fielded; but at the third ball Lynch clean bowled Alexander — 1-2-2. Murdoch followed, and Lank ham took the bowling at the other end, and Spofforth cut a ball for one, the fielding again being mulled. Singles came freely until Lankham clean bowled Murdoch, leaving the score 15-2-10. Spofforth then got a clean hit to leg for three off Lynch, and followed it with a drive off Lankham for two, bringing up the figures on the board to 20-2-10. Lateb.

McDonnell was bowled by Lynch for three. Slight succeeded him, and with Spofforth held the wickets till lunch, when the former had made 28 runs by careful batting. The score is now 61 runs for three wickets. The Albion Collides with a Schooner.

A collision occurred between the Isabella Pratt and the Albion at 4 o'clock this morning. The captain of the Albion says the schooner's light was not burning. The first they knew of the schooner being near was aijout four minutes before she struck, and she was hid from view by the smoke of the steamer blowing over her. The engines were immediately stopped, but she struck. the vessel near the forerigging, cutting her almost through. Some of the rigging caught the steamer's jibboom, and held the wreck up for a few minutes and enabled the six men aboard to scramble on the Albion, otherwise all would probably have been lost. The Albion's jibboom was carried away, and the schooner sank immediately. Captain Cross denies that his lamp was not burning, and asserts positively that it was. He says he had just set his watch, and went below to prick out the position on the chart, whea he heard the mate cry to the man at the wheel to keep her away, and call to the steamer to look out where she was coming to. Captain Cross' private loss is £150, which is uninsured. The vessel is believed to be insured for £1000 in the National.