CRICKET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9007, 17 December 1907, Page 5

CRICKET.

AUSTRALIA v. ENGLAND.

ENGLISHMEN'S SECOND INNINGS.

NINE WICKETS FOR 293. UY TEI.EGIIAI'H —PIUSSS ASSOCIATION. Received December 16, 8 p.m. SYDNEY, December 1(1 Rhodes and Fane, the two not out men, of Saturday, resumed batting to the bowling of Cotter and Armstrong. The wicket was in excellent order, but dry, and the weather was oppressive with a hot wind blowing. Fifty appeared as the result of 50 minutes' play, and then MacArtney displaced Cotter. Drizzling rain came on suddenly, but did not interfere with the play. Rhodes put MacArtney up in the slips, and McAllister made a smart catch. One for 56. Gunn followed, but Armstrong, who was bowling well, troubled the batsmen a good deal, and he sent down ten overs for seven runs. Saunders then relieved Armstrong, and play became most tedious, the runs coming 'by occasional singles. Cotter went on again in place of MacArtney at 79, and a little later Fane hit Saunders high to point, where Noble sprang into the air and effected a clever single-handed catch. Two for 82. Hutchings followed, and played out time until the luncheon adjournment.

After lunch the runs came more freely, and the century went up after two hours and two minutes' play. Hutcings began to hit freely, and was overhauling Gunn's score. The latter was playing more defensively. Armstrong, who had taken Cotter's end, was with Saunders, bowling in excellent form, the' former sending down nine n,aidens out of 15 overs. Hutchings' career was, however, brief, as he lifted Saunders high to mid-off, where Armstrong made an easy catch. Three for 105. Hardstaff followed, and at 127 MacArtney was again tried. The game was so slow that it was manifest that the Englishmen's desire was to be dug out rather than to make runs. Cotter came on again at 144, and both batsmen played him with greater confidence than they did the slow bowlers. The score was increasing at more reasonable speed, but the display on the whole was rather dreary. Gunn made some showy strokes, while Hardstaff obtained runs somewhat faster than his County companion. A double change in the bowling was then made, Noble relieving Cotter and Hazlett went on at MacArtney's end. As showing how tedious the play was, it may be pointed out that it tcok an hour and 50 minutes to compile 40 runs. With his score at 47 Gunn was given a life at McAllister's hands in the slips off Hazlett. The batsman acknowledged this respite by hitting three fourers off Hazlett's over. The bowling change was acceptable, also, to Hardstaff, who was making some brilliant strokes, and he pulled Hazlett twice for four. At this stage Duff went out into the field in place of Ransford, who was suffering from alight sunstroke. As Hazlett was becoming somewhat expensive, Saunders replaced him. This brought the game up to the tea adjournment. On resuming Hardstaff increased his total to half a century as the | resul of an hour and a-half s batting. Cotter and Noble were continuing the attack, but Hardstaff scored

freely and rapidly, bitting.boundary after boundary, but he nearly lost his wicket, through hesitating in making a run. MacArtney returned the ball smartly, but Cotter was unable to get hold of it, and this enabled the batsmen to reach his crease. Then a beautiful ball from Noble scattered Hardstaff's wicket, the batsman playing forward to it. Four for 218. Braund followed, but soon lost Gunn, who ,vas dismissed by a catch by Noble in the slips off Cotter. Gunn had played a great innings, showing excellent timing, and it was only marred by one chance. He had batted for two hours and 47 minutes, and his total included 11 fourers. Young had a brief innings, being beaten by a good ball from Noble, after scoring three. Six for 227. Noble had now secured two wickets for 10. Crawford was uncomfortable from the start. After adding five runs he was snapped up in the slips by Hazlett off Cotter. Seven for 241. Barnes went in, and Armstrong and Saunders went on again. The batsmen were disinclined to trifle with the Victorians, and play became colourless. Eventually Saunders clean bowled Barnes. Eight for 262. The light became bad as Blythe joined Braund, and with only 15 minutes to play rain came on again, and as a southerly gale accompanied by rain was reported southward of Sydney, at 4.30 p.m., the outlook for to-morrow is not promising. Blythe got runs easily off Cotter, while his partner, Braund, was batting very solidly. Just as time was reached Blythe was caught at point by Noble off Saunders, the score standing at nine wickets for 293. It was estimated that 12,000 people were present. Scores: — ENGLAND. Second Innings. Fane, c Noble, b Saunders 33 Rhodes, c McAllister, b MacArtney 29 Gunn, c Noble, b Colter 74 Hutchings, b Armstrong, b Saunders \, 17 Hardstaff, b Noble 63 Braund, not out 31 Young, b Noble 3 Crawford, c Hazlett, b Cotter 5 Barnes, b Saunders 11 Blythe, c Ncble, b Saunders 15 Extras 12 Total for nine wickets 293 STATE OF THE WICKET. Received December 17, 0.57 a.m. SYDNEY, December 16. Very little rain has fallen. Unless more "falls through the night the wicket will not be affected. AUCKLAND v. CANTERBURY. A SENSATIONAL SCORE. UY TELSGBAPH —raESS ALLOCUTION. CHRISTCHURCH. December 16. Auckland put up quite a sensational performance, to-day, when *he Plunket Shield match was continued, by amassing the huge total of 539, and any pretensions that Canterbury had, as to being the prcmiei 4 trickling province, have been unequivccably and ignominously removed. Though not yet finished, ths result is as rcnch beyond doubt a? it could well be, and it is but bare justice to the northerners to say that they ha\e abundantly proved that they are the better team. The scoies to date are as follow: —. CANTERBURY. First IniiUigs 190 Second Innings. H. B. Lusk, not out 20 W. Patrick, c Robinson, b Hacdon 10 D. Reese, lbw, b Relf 45 Extras 7 Total for two wickets ' 83 AUCKLAND.—First Innings. VV. Brook-Smith, c Boxshall, b Malone 58 L. G. Hemus, c Boxshall, b Bennett 148 F. R. Mason, c Anthony, b Bennett ■. 2' G. Cummings, c Boxshall, b Bennett 31 A. E. Relf, c Reese, b Bennett 157 A. Haddon, c Cuff, b Lusk 36 L. Prime, run out 17 J. M. Hussey, c"Patrick, b Crawshaw - 82 A. E. Howden, c Boxshall, b Bennett 0 W. Robinson, b Crawshaw 17 A. Kerr, not out 4 Extras 33 Total 539 The match will be resumed tomorrow. (The detailed figures do not tally with the total, but are printed as received.)