CRICKET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9021, 7 January 1908, Page 6

CRICKET.

ENGLAND v. AUSTRALIA. By Telegraph—Press Association. Received January 6, 10.25 p.m. MELBOURNE. January 6. The weather was hot for the continuation of the test match. The thermometer registered 96.5 in the' shade and 140.5 in the sun. The crowd numbered 9,099, which with the previous days, aggregated 84,386. The takings amounted to £376, aggregating £3,590, being £SO under the record. The wicket, notwithstanding the length of the match, is in excellent order. The Australians' innings did not last long. Carter should have been out before scoring, but Hutchings missed Him in the slips off Feilder. Cotter was first to go, losing his wicket leg before to Crawford. Hazlett and Carter were associated for a, very brief period until Barnaa-bowled the colt. Then the end soon came. Carter was caught at mid on easily by Fane, off Barnes. He batted 83 minutes, and was very attractive and strong in cutting. He reached the boundary seven times. The Australian innings lasted 6 hours 35 minutes. England were set 282 to win. Fane and Hobbs, as usual, opened, with Cotter and Saunders attacking. The batsmen displaced caution and keenness, an.] scoring v/as very slow, neither batsman being out each with 10 to his credit when the lunch interval was taken. The score was then 0 for 26. When play resumed it was very uninteresting, changes being made in the bowing, Armstrong and Noble going on. A separation was .soon effected through Noble bowling Hobbs. who had been in 66 minutes for a patient and useful if uneventful innings, which included only two boundary strokes. Gunn, the next man, had a repetition of the first innings' misfortune, getting out leg before to Noble without scoring. Hutchings was cheered on entering, but the expectaxlon of lively cricket was not fulfilled, both he and the captain playing correctly, quietly and making the game exceedingly tame for the spectators. Fane was first to go after 161 minutes' batting. His half century included only two fourers. His dismissal was brought about in a peculiar manner. He played a ball from Armstrong on t-i his pad, whence it rolled on the wickets, dislodging the bails. With Braund's appearance at the wickets MacArtoey relieved Noble. There was still very dull cricket, and the

end came by Cotter at mid-off catching Hutchings, who had 39 to his credit,, which had taken him 87 minutes to knock up. He showed great retraint, although batting quietly, not unattractively. He hit only three fours. Hardstaff and Braund occupied 50 minutes in reaching double figurea. While ordinarily rapid Hardstaff made a dozen in an hour. They played out time. Altogether it was a day of wearisome cricket, and at times play was painfully slow. The j batting was never brisk, and it was inoffensive and quite defensive. The bowling was excellent, Armstrong keeping the runs down, and preserving an accurate length. Noble and Macartney were also excellent, the former at one time having an average of two wickets for one run. Noble's captaincy was excellent, and the fielding notwithstanding the heat was smart. Ransford was excellent in the outfield, saving many runs. The wicket is still wearing well, and considering the fluctuation of the game England has yet a chance. AUSTRALIA. Second Innings. Trumper, Ibw, b Crawford 63 Noble, b Crawford 64 Hill, b Fielder 3 MacAlister, run out 15 Armstrong, b Barnes 77 MacArtney, c Humphries, b Braund 54 Ransford, c Hutchings, b Barnes 18 Cotter, Ibw, b Crawford 27 Hazlett, b Barnes 3 Carter, c Fane, b Barnes 53 Saunders, not out 0 Extras 20 Total 397 Bowling analysis—Fielder, 1 for 74, Crawford 3 for 125, Barnes 5 for 72, Braund 0 for 68, Rhodes 0 for 38. Wickets fell—B for 361, 9 for 392. ENGLAND. Second Innings. Hobbs, b Noble 23 Gunn, Ibw, b Noble : 0 Fane, b Armstrong 50 Hutchings, c Cotter, b MacArtney 39 Braund, not out 17 Plardstuff, nbt out 17 Extras 8 Total for 4 wickets 159 The wickets fell as follows: —One for 54, 2 for 54, 3 for 121, 4 for 131. BY TELEGKAPII —PISESS ASSOCIATION. Received January 6, 9.20 a.m. CAPETOWN, January 5. Mr Abe Bailey suggests the formation of an Imperial Cricket Board of Control, each colony to have one representative, and England one, in addition to the chairman. The second round of the Henderson Cup fixtures will be started on Thursday, when Carterton will meet the W.F.C.A. on No. 1 wicket, and Carlton will play Stars on No. 2 wicket. The unfinished match, Carterton v. Carlton, will be played out later on in the season, as if it were continued next Thursday the whole of the fixtures would have to be altered. On Saturday, Carterton will meet Masterton B, Featherstun will meet Carlton B, and Masterton A play Carlton A. Grounds have not been allotted for these matches, but it is probable that one of the matches will be played at Carterton. The Gregory family have put up a unique record(says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph"). Five of them—David, Charlie, Edward, Arthur, and Walter (brothers) —played cricket for New South Wales. Two sons of Edward— Sydney and Charlie—are playing for New South Wales to-day, the one against Victoria and the other against Queensland. He has played in more test matches than any other player. His father and his uncle — "Ned" and "Dave" —played in the first test match. Then "Walt.," a son of Walter, senr., played Rugby football for his colony, and coming down to the Gregorys who are still in their teens, there are two—Clive and Leslie, sons of Arthur Greerory—who have already represented their State. Clive, in the race recently for the 14ft sailing championship of Australia, at Brisbane, was one of the crew of the New South Wales boat, Euchre; while Leslie recently played in Australian football with Fort street as the champion New South Wales school against the champion Victorian school, for Australian supremacy. Harold Gregory, son i of Albert Gregory, was a good run- j ner, and was the emergency man for j New South Wales in the half-mile championship of Australia. The men of the family are not the only ones to make the name remembered in the athletic line. Mrs Donnan (nee, Nellie Gregory), Alice Gregory and Louisa Gregory, all daughters of "Ned" Gregory, Mrs Meagher (nee Gertie Gregory), were first-rate cricketers, and more than one of them have played for their State. This record is probably unparalleled.