Cricket 1885

a p k i l 90,1885. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OE THE GAME. 83 T H E EN G L ISH C R ICK E T E R S IN A U S T R A L IA Continued from Page 77- [B y O ne of th e T eam .] Reproduced from the Sporting Life , by special permission. THE THIRTIETH MATCH. ♦ENGLISH TEAM v. TWENTY-TWO OF WELLINGTON. ball, which comes more slowly fro:n the pitch on turf. The Australian Team had slightly the call in the betting, 5 to 4 being laid on them, though these odds found plenty of takers. Saturday morning, March 14, broke clear and bright, and nothing could give? clearer evidence of the love the Sydney public have for cricket than the splendid attendance on the ground in the afternoon, when the representatives of the Old Country met in friendly rivalry the pick of all Aus­ tralia. There could not have been less than 12,000 spectators present, the grand stand being crammed with the elite of Sydney, who promenaded the lawn to the strains of the Artillery band. The closeness of the last contest on this ground had caused an extra­ ordinaryamount of interestinthesecond game, additional interest being taken through the members of Murdoch’s late Australian team having consented to take part in the contest, though I think it very doubtful if they were a superior team to that which defeated the Englishmen three weeks before by the narrow majority of 6 runs. Certainly Black­ ham at the present time is not the equal of Jarvis as a wicket-keeper. Palmer, so far, has been a failure, but Giffen and M’Donnell add strength. The Australian team had all, with the exception of Trumble, visited England with one or other of the four teams sent from these shores. THE THIRTY-FIRST MATCH. ENGLAND v. AUSTRALIA, Shrewsbury was fortunate enough to beat Blackham for choice of innings, and of course elected to bat on a fast wicket. Some fine batting was shown, Bates, Barnes, Read, and Shrewsbury all playing in splendid form. By far the most successful bowler was Giffen. He was, however, not at all deadly till he had a spot to pitch on made by the “ demon,” and had he bowled with anything like precision, the English total would have been much less. Palmer was no good, and Spofforth’s two wickets cost 61 runs. Giffen’s seven wickets were taken at a cost of a little under 17 runs each. F irst D a y , S atu r d a y , M arch 14. At twenty minutes past twelve the Aus­ tralians took the field, Shrewsbury and Ulyett quickly following. Giffen opened the bowling to Shrewsbury, who cracked the first ball delivered to leg for 4, and from the third ball made a couple in the same direction. Spofforth not having arrived, Palmer bowled from the opposite end, send­ ing in a maiden to Ulyett. Two more to leg by Shrewsbury came from Giffen’s next over, and then Ulyett opened his account by cutting Palmer for 4. After a single Ulyett drove a ball back to Giffen, which, had that player stopped with anything else but the heel of his boot, would probably have dis­ abled him for the rest of the match. To quote Shrewsbury’s words, it was about the most terrific hit he ever witnessed. Ulyett sent the next ball to square-leg for four. Soon after this the first misfortune occurred, as Ulyett, in cutting at Giffen, pulled it into his wicket. Spofforth now arrived. Scotton came next, but was all abroad. The field was dangerously close all around him, and he had more than one narrow escape. Shrewsbury now began to punish Palmer, hitting him twice to square leg for 4. This brought on Spofforth who was received with round 3 of applause. Nearly all the run- ' getting was done by Shrewsbury, who was playing beautifully. At 45 Garrett was sub­ stituted for Giffen, but Shrewsbury hit his first ball grandly to the off for four, and a single being added, 50 appeared. After luncheon, the bowling having been entrusted to Spofforth and Giffen, Scotton was caught at the wicket from the latter. (Two for 52.) Barnes, who came next, opened his account with a lofty hit to leg for 2 , soon after driving Spofforth finely for 4, and cutting Giffen for a similar amount. Giffen now began to get difficult, owing to the “ demon ” having torn up the pitch, and several balls played very queer. The score had reached 76, when Shrewsbury played tamely at one of Giffen’s, and was clean bowled. Bates with Barnes piled on runs at a gre&t rate. After a single the former sent Spofforth to the off for 4 and 3, and after making 5 from Giffen’s next over, in his next hit him tre­ mendously hard to the off for 4. This, with a cut for 4 by Barnes from Spofforth, and singles brought up the century. The score advanced so rapidly that Trumble relieved Spofforth, Barnes hitting his first ball for 3. Bates a 1 so made a couple from the same over, while about this time several short runs were cleverly made. To try and effect a separa­ tion Palmer went on in place of Giffen, but runs came faster than ever. Bates hit almost every ball bowled by Palmer, but the field being placed very deep many fours were saved, although so hard just at this period did Bates hit that he made four fours in succession, in spite of five men being placed close to the boundary. The batsmen had made just 50 each when Giffen was again tried, and pitching the last ball of the over on the worn out spot clean bowled Barnes with a big breakback. (Four for 159.) Read joined Bates, but despite that Jones relieved Trumble runs still came fast. Read opened his account by hitting Giffen to square- leg for 4. A few singles followed, and then Read again cracked Giffen for four. Bates continued to add to the total, and the score had reached 186 when a magnificent catch by Jones, from his own bowling, got rid of Bates. This was hard lines for the Ycrkshireman, who hit the ball with all his force. Jones made a wildleap at it, and it stuck—a fluke, no doubt; though, none the le?s, Bates had to retire. Flowers with Read quickly brought up the 200, amidst great applause. Flowers should then have been caught by Giffen from his own bowling, but the latter dropped the ball. Spofforth now resumed at his old end, but the parting came from Giffen, another un­ deniable one on the sore spot clean bowling Flowers. (Six for 219.) Briggs cut the first ball he received for 3, but the next proved fatal to him, being well caught low down by Palmer at point. Attewell soon received his dismissal—another hot one from Giffen. Pe 6 l made a brace of twos from the last two balls of the same over. Read should then have been stumped. Runs now came very fast. When Read had made 37 he was caught from a no-ball of the “ demon,” whom he directly afterwards hit for four. Giffen then sent down another curler, which clean bowled Read for a dashing innings of 47- (Nine for 252.) Hunter whipped in, Peel immediately hitting Spofforth to the off for four. Hunter next hit Giffen for two and three, and then fairly brought down the house by putting Spofforth for two fours in succession. In attempting it a third time, though, he vas clean bowled, the innings closing for 269 ^T h e Australians began their innings by The match against Twenty-two of Wellington was commenced on Monday, March 9. The wicket was the usual country sort (cocoa matting), and played well. The local men won the toss, and commenced batting to the bowling of Peel and Attewell. No stand was made, and they were all out for 70,the only good form shown being by Noble, who played very well for 2 1 . Shrewsbury andUlyetc opened the English innings, Ulyett made the first 10, but after adding another single was well caught at long-off from a big drive. Shrewsbury had only made 3 when he was caught at square- leg from a good hit. (Two for 15.) Scotton and Barnes improved matters, but runs came slowly till Barnes hit two 4’s in succession, both to leg. When “ time! ” was called the total was 53—Scotton not out 16, Barnes not 20 . The day was very hot—94 deg. in the shade. The attendance was poor, not numbering more than 500. Briggs was unable to play, his wrist still being very weak. On Tuesday, March 10, in exceedingly hot weather, the game was resumed at twelve o’clock. Mis­ fortunes soon began, as Barncp -vas bowled after adding a single, Bates boiled by a shooter, and Scotton caught as. short leg, three wickets falling for four runs. Then a stand was made by Flowers and Read, who carried the score to ninety, when Flowers was bowled by a yorker for 16. Attewell helped Read carry the total to 125, when he was caught and bowled. Peel, who followed, did very little, except run for Read, who was playing in rare form. At length the latter was caught at square-leg, having played a dashing innings of 53. Hunter was in brilliant form, and rattled up 33 in half an hour, when in hit­ ting to leg he skied one, and was caught by the wicket-keeper. Lillywhite quickly made 8 , before Peel pulled on, and the innings closed for 198. With this the stumps and match were drawn. The team left Wellington on the evening of March 10 for Orange, a distance of fifty miles. Staying there all night they left at a quarter to eight the next morning for Sydney, passing over the Blue Mountains. A good view was had of the Zig-Zag, and those who had noc seen it before were delighted, alsowith the ever-changing scenery as we passed along the mountains. Sydney was reached at six o’clock in the evening. Thursday and Friday, March 12 and 13, were passed in a pleasant manner, the weather changing on Thursday evening from extra­ ordinary heat to cool delightful southerly breezes, with a clear sky. Very little practice was indulged in, as rest was most required. The members of the Australian Eleven had been in Sydney for a week practising daily, and were confident of victory, although they admitted that it would be a hard struggle. The English side were a little afraid that, after playing so long on the fast matting wickets, they would not ba able to time the * Score and analysis appeared in laetweek’s G hicket