THE AUSTRALIANS AT HOME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2367, 7 August 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE AUSTRALIANS AT HOME.

The following'.extracts from " The Vagabond'a", lotter to "he ' Argus' wiii interestf^cketers:—The defeat of ..^''outjioyB 1 ' by Surrey wan, however, dishonor. The spectators saw as ■* fine cricket as thty are ever likely to witness whence state of the ground is'tilten into consideration. And at the' Oval they go in for cricket, not display. The arrangements ftom.out Melbourne Club poiut of view sre primitive almost to meanness. Bub of .the .thousands who pay their shillings to witnetg a big match, there are few who are not as good judges of the game as any we have in Australia, expert critics on every point of bowling, bating,, and fielding, And they were w c a & first very kindly critics, Local teeliug is much stronger on the Oval than at. Lord's.. Gentlhmen in the pavilion, like the Rev, F. E. J, Greenfield aud others, were generous in their applause, but the crowd at first seemed decidedly a partisan one, Thus, on the. first day, when Surrey had made 112, and our boys went in after six o'clock, inia.v.eiy bad light, there was single '■ hand" given to the'first ™ v t'*d-batsmen, Trtimbleahd Palmer,.an ■ if lay. walked out to the!, wickets,' This, so contrary to the treatment we accord it strangers in the colonies, was (narked try ng as a sample of Surrey ■ ninnrvers. But when the first wicket fell to Fiohtnann, there was enormous appluiiso, and when Evans, who succeeded, w;.s bowled by the first ball, the people seemed to go mad with joy. .They jumped, and yelled, and chuckledj and laughed in a manner which caused tbo *'to almost lose his temper, &s he expostulated to us on what teemed "to us ■ a lack of generosity. " Wait till you do something," was the eontemptrjous answer, Next day, when bur boys were early out for 82

.irf had to follow on, that contempt "JMttuch- accentuated. But this did Wt last long. The old veterau Black* bam soon changed the fortunes of the game.. The applause from tho pavilion / ~))egan to spread round the field;" e'en ranks of Tuscany could scarce forr -Jbear to cheer." Blaokkm'a 43 was a ' maaterly performance, for when he was

out the pavilion " rose at him." " Well

played, sir," "Played indeed I" came from all siiva. Yes, when wo do some■thing, the BritoiiH will 'applaud. Bpnnor'g big hitting " orought down the bouse',"-but Giffen's 54 not out wan the feat of the match. Against, the test of bowling ho played carefully and .patiently, not giving a chance, display. ing as true cricket as will be "sn«n in England .this year. It was ut fcrent io m how he mastered the most difficult ' balls/always with a- laugh and a smile on his face .expressive of his selfrelinncfl,. Of G«nrge Giffen one may .sail say, "a.merrr heart goes all the P|r; a sad one tires in a mile,". In Burrey'u second-innings our bowling rod. fielding warMiiagnificont,. Evans distinguishing himself in the foime.r, and' Jones, as ever, in the latter. Our boys astonished old players hy the manner iu which they kept close to the wickets. The great catch of the match wa3 made by Bonnor, who ran in about forty vanl6 from long-field heforo be leached the ball.