CRICKET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9542, 14 July 1909, Page 5

CRICKET.

AUSTRALIANS AT HOME. MATCH AGAINST GLOUCESTERSHIRE. United Press Association—By Eleotric Telegraph Copyright. Received July 13, 9.15. a.m. LONDON, July 12. The Australian cricket team began a match to-day against Gloucestershire at Bristol. The wicket was soft. Noble won the toss, and sent the county in first, The batsmen opened quietly. Salter was caught after steady play for 55 minutes, during which 49 runs had been scored. Board indulged freely in on-driving. When he had made 18, Cotter missed an easy chance at mid-off off Noble. Both Langdon and Board played carefully to lunch time, when the score was 91 for the loss of one wicket. On resuming, the century appeared for 125 minutes' play. Fourteen runs later, Board was dismissed with an easy catch to M'Alister at third man. Two for 114. Sewell had made four when Carkeek snapped him at the wickets. —Three for 118. The next two wickets fell rapidly, Rattenburg playing forward to Hopkins, and Merrick being clean bnwled by Armstrong, neither of them scoring.—Five for 129. Langdon scored steadily by sound cricket. Brown, who was brilliantly caught by Noble, knocked up his total of 31 in 35 minutes by hard driving. His score included five fourers.

At the tea adjournment six wickets were down for 182 runs.

After tea, Meyer joined Langdor, who only added four runs when he got leg before to Armstrong. The I other players, with the exception of | Parker, who was run nut when he J had made 26, made indifferent contributes to the score, which cksed I for a total of 230. { Scores:— | GLOUCESTERSHIRE. ' First Innings. Salter, c and b. Armstrong 30 Board, c M'Alister, b Hopkins 57 Sewell, c Carkeek, b Hopkins 4 Rattenburg, b Hopkins 0 Merrick, b Armstrong 0 Brown, c and b Noble 31 Langdon, Ibw, b Armstrong 61 Meyer, c Armstrong b Noble 1 Dennett, b Armstrong 5 Mills, not nut 10 Parker, run out 26 Extras 5 Total 230 Bowling analysis.—Hopkins, three wickets for 84 runs; Whitty, none for 35; Armstrong, four for 64; Noble, two for 30; Gotter, none for 12. The Australians began with M'Alister and Bardsley, and at the j drawing of stumps had scored 56 | without the loss of a wicket—Bards- ! ley 18, M'Alister 37. . DR GRACE'S OPINION OF THE AUSTRALIANS. Received July 13, 11.15 a.m. HOBART, July 13. • In a private lett >r received here, Dr W. G. Grace, the well-known cricketer, comments on the present Australian team. He says :-~"They are the weakest bowling side that has ever come, althtujh they have struck a bad patch. They will make lota of runs if the weather holds up, but I shall be very much surprised if they beat England without a lot of luck."