CRICKET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9028, 15 January 1908, Page 5

CRICKET.

ENGLAND v. AUSTRALIA, THIRD TEST MATCH. BY TELEGRAPH —I'BESS ASSOCIATION. Received January 14, 9.15 p.m. ADELAIDE, January 14. j The test match was resumed in boiling weather with a shade tornparatui'e of over 107. The attendance numbered 3,200, and the takings of the gate amounted to £173. Noble with 63 to his credit, and O'Connor with four, faced the bowling of Fielder and Barnes, the total being 133. Only two runs were added when Noble cut a ball from Fielder into the hands of Gunn at third man. Noble batted for two hours and fifty minutes, and his innings was marked by dogged determination. Ransford opened quietly. Presently O'Connor got eight off one over of Barnes', and Ransford did the same to Fielder, 150 going up in three hours thirteen minutes. At 156 Crawford and Braund bowled, and the scoi'o rose steadily; but at 179 Ransford mis-hit Braund, and was easily caught at mid-on. He was in forty-five minutes, and shaped nicely. One run more and O'Connor was beaten by Crawford. His useful innings lasted an hour and a-quarter. No move wickets fell before lunch, when tlie total was 199 (Hartigan 12, Hill 6)! Fielder and Barnes had charge of the attack after luncheon. Hill drove Fielder to the boundary, making the total 200 in 248 minutes. The same batsmen drove Barnes over the boundary, and Hartigan got eight off one over of Fielder's. 25 runs were added in a quarter of an hour. At 224 Rhodes replaced Fielder, and steadied the scoring. Crawford relieved Barnes at 233. In his second over Hartigan, then 32, cocked up the ball, and Fielder running from third man, overran it, and allowed it to pa 9° through his arms. The next ball was driven for four. When Hill was 22 he drove the ball from Rhodce straight to Barnes at mid-off only to see it dropped. Hs also gave Fane at cover a difficult chance at 259. Braund replaced Rhodes. Runs came freely from him, Hill driving two balls to the boundary. Hutchings and Barnes were ordered on at 276. Four byes off the former gave the Australians a lead of 200. Hill wl.en 39 snicked the ball from Hutchings to Braund's left hand, but it was tco hot to hold, and sped for four. The over yielded ten runs. Hartigan reached 50 in 7.5 minutes. Hill followed him shortly afterwards, the task having occupied 102 minutes. Three hundred was hoisted in • 336 minutes. At the tea adjournment the total was 309 (Htirtigan 64, Hill 60). Crawford and Rhodes bowled after tea. Hill made a fine drive for four, and hooked three off Rhodes. He passed Hartigan's scoi-e by a leg glance. A quartette off Crawford made him top scorer-of the match. Runs now came rapidly. Hartigan again passed Hill, and kept in front of him, and 350 went up after six and a-half hours' batting. The bi-ts-men ran numerous smart runs, and and these induced overthrows. Fielder and' Braund were brought on again, and runs came rapidly off the latter. -With three and one off Braund, Hartigan reached the century in his first test match, and the crowd gave him ail immense ovation. Presently the Englishmen were set 300, and the partnership had produced 200. Directly afterwards Rhodes relieved Fielder, and Hill cut the first ball for four making his hundred, which had taken him 188 minutes. He, too, was ovated. The eighth wicket test match record of 154 had long since been passed. Crawford relieved Braund just before the finish, hut the batsmen took no risks, and playsd out time. Hartigan was in three hours twenty-nine minutes, and played a great innings, defensive yet forceful. He hit eleven fours. Hill, who began streakily, finished irreproachably, although twice during the afternoon he was so overcome by exertion that he had fits of retching on the field. He got thirteen fours. Faulty fielding gave 'the Australians a chance, which they seized. The fielding, considering the heat, was energetic and fair, apart from a couple of bad bungles. Scores: — AUSTRALIA. Second Innings.—Continued. Noble, c Gunn. b Fielder 65 O'Connor, b Crawford 20 Ransford, c Rhodes, b Braund 25 Hartigan, not out 106 Hill, not out I^s Extras 16 Total for 7 wickets 397