Cricket 1898

28 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. F e b . 24, 1898 M R . STODDART ’S TEAM IN A U S T R A L IA . THE FOURTH AUSTRALIA MATCH. SIXTEENTH OF THE TOtU . Played at Melbourne on January 2.9 and 31 and February 1 and 2. Australia won by eight wickets. With two defeats against them, the Englishmen hoped to at least have the advantage of winning the toss in the fourth match. Perhaps it was as well for them that they did not win it, fcr if they had collapsed like the Australians in the first few hours’ play on a wicket which had been watered too much at one end, it is hardly likely that they would have come as well out of the difficulty as did their opponents. The beginning of the match was sensational enough in all con­ science. Hearne, who, when he has a wicket to help him, is one of the most dangerous bowlers of the day, at once found himself at home, with results which surprised the Australians and everybody else. With the total at one run McLeod played o n ; at 25 Darling was caught in the slips, and then began a downfall which was startling. Gregory was the next to go—yorked for a duck. With only one more run on the board Iredale was caught at the wicket, and at 32 Noble was caught and bowled. Thus five of the best men were out for a score which would have been depressing if it had iained steadily for a month before the match. Something of a stand was made by Trott when he joined Hill, who had meanwhile been playing a very steady game, content to keep up his end until he could find somebody to stay with him. But Trott’s end came with the total at 58, and six wickets were down. At this period of the game the chances that the Englishmen would put themselves on a level with the Australians as to victories seemed very considerable, but with the arrival of Trumble a new era was begun. Hill now began to force the game for all he was worth, while Trumble wisely played the barndoor game. For about two hours and three quarters he baffled all the English bowlers, adding a run to his score now and again, the while that Hill, who was playing a brilliant game, brought his score up to fifty, a hundred, and a hundred and fifty. It was not until the partnership had produced 143 that it was dissolved, Trumble being the seventh batsman to go. Total 211. In Kelly another valuable ally was found for Hill, and before stumps were drawn for the day the total had been brought up to 275 without further loss. Kelly was not out 22, and Hill not out 182, an innings which can only be described as admirable in every way. There was nothing to cause uneasiness to the Englishmen when the game was resumed, for a total of 275 for seven wickets was by no means alarming, and when Hill was disposed of for an extra six runs matters looked very promising. Jones knocked up some runs, but after all the innings was concluded for 323, and as the wicket was still good there seemed no reason why the Aus­ tralians should not be headed on the first innings. But, possibly owing to the heat, the Englishmen were altogether out of form. They began very badly, and were not even able to save the follow on. It was nothing that Wainwright, who went in first with MacLaren, should only make half a dozen runs, for he had not been himself since he landed in Australia, but it was a grievous disappointment when MacLaren retired for eight; so much depended on him. A stand was made by Ranjitsinhji and Hayward, and Diuce again made about 20, but Storer did nothing, and five wickets were down for 67. Even this position was a little better than that of the Australians for the same number of wickets, but there was no remarkable partnership to follow, and although Mason played in something like his old style, and Briggs and Eiclard- son knocked the bowling about, the innings closed for 174. A few minutes remained for play, during which Wain­ wright, who had again gone in first, was caught at mid-on for two. The situation was, however, not at all hopeless, for if the team failed in one innings, enough runs might not improbably be made in the second to put the Australians in with a formidable task before them. Briggs, who had gone in first to play out time, did well on the following morning, and 63 was up for two wickets, which was not at all bad. MacLaren and Ranjit­ sinhji now came together. It is hardly too much to say that the fortunes of the team depended almost entirely on what they did, for no one else was likely to make the big score which would probably be necessary if a victory were to be gained: The two famous batsmen seemed in excellent form, and all was going well when, at 94, MacLaren was caught at short leg. This was very unpromising. Hayward, however, came in, and he and Ranjitsinhji became so well set that there was a chance of their collaring the bowling. The hope was vain, for Ean­ jitsinhji was bowled for a very good 55. Total, 147 for four wickets. Afterwards Stoddart, Druce, Hayward, Mason and Storer all made about twenty, and the two latter were not out at the close of play, but there was nobody to make a really commanding score. When stumps were drawn the total was 254 for seven wickets. This was only 105 runs on, so that the outlook was not satisfactory. The last three wickets were disposed of for an addition of nine runs. Australia had to make 115. They soon showed that it was not the fault of the wicket that the Englishmen had failed to do themselves justice, for the first pair, McLecd and Darling, put on 50; and although Hill, the most dreaded batsman of the team, made a duck, the runs were knocked off without further loss. McLeod carried his bat for a fine innings of 64. Richardson was unable to bowl owing to an injured finger, but this cannot be considered as a really great misfortune, since he has been out of form of late. C. McLeod, bHearne 1 J. Darling, c Hearne, b Richardson............32 C. Hill, c Stoddart, b Hearne ................188 S. E. Gregoiy, b Rich­ ardson ................. 0 F. A. Iredale, c Storer, b Heaine................. 0 M. A. Noble, c and b Hearne ................. 4 G.HS.Trott, c Storer, b Hearne................. 7 H. Trumble, c Mason, b Storer ............... 46 J. J. Kelly, c Storer, b Briggs .................32 E. Jones, c Hayward, b Eearne.................20 W . Howell, not ou t... 9 Extras................. 4 Total ...323 Secnd id lin gsM cL eod , not out, 64; Darling, c Druce, b Hayward, 29; Hill, lbw, b Bayward, 0; Gregory, not out, 21 ; extras, 1.—Total (two wickets), 115. M r . S toddart ’ s T eam . First innings. Second innings. A. C. MacLaren, b Howell 8 c I r e d a le , b Trumble.......45 Wainwright, c Howell, b Trott ............................... 6 cMcLeod,b Jones 2 K.S. Ranjitsinbji, cIredale, b Trumble........................24 b Noble ............55 Hayward,c Gregory,b Noble 22 c and bTrumble 25 N. F. Druce, lbw, b Jones... 24 c How ell, b Trott 16 Storer, c and b Trumble ... 2 c Darling, b Mc­ Leod...............26 J. R. Mason, b Jones......... 30 b Howell ............26 A. E. Stoddart, c Darling, b Jones.............................. 17 b Jones ..........25 Briggs, not out .................21 c D a r lin g , b Howell ........23 Hearne(J.T.),cTrott,bJones 0 notout.................... 4 Richardson, b Trott ..........20 c Trumble, b Mc­ Lecd 2 Extras........................ 0 Extras.........14 Total ...164 Total......... 263 A ustralia . First innings. Second innings. R. W . R. W . Richardson ................. 102 2 ................ Hearne ............................. 98 6 .................... 19 0 Briggs ........................ 38 1 ................ 31 0 Hayward........................ 24 0 ................ 24 2 Storer............................... 24 1 ................ Stoddart........................ 22 0 ................ Wainwright ................. 11 0 ................ Mason ... 10 0 Ranjitsinhji 9 0 M r . S toddart ’ s T eam . First innings. Howell... Trott ... Jones ... Trumble Noble ... R. W. 34 33 56 Second inniDgs. R. W. McLeod 58 39 70 40 31 11 The following is a complete record of the matches between England and Australia:— Played, 50—Eogland, 26; Australia, 18; drawn, 6. 1877 March 15, 16,17, Melbourne, Australia, 45 runs. March 31, April 2, 3,4, Melbourne, Eng., 4wkts. 1879 Jan. 2,3, 4. Melbourne. Australia. 10 wickets. 1880 Sept. 6, 7, 8, Oval, England, 5 wickets. 1881-2 Dec. 31, Jan. 2, 3, 4, Meli ourne, drawn. Feb. 17, 18, 20, Sydney, Australia, 5 wickets. March 3, 4, 6, Sydney, Australia, 6 wickets. March 10, 11, 13,14, Melbourne, drawn. Aug. 28, 29, Oval, Australia, 7 runs. 1882-3 Dec. 30, Jan. 1, 2, Melbourne, Aust., 9 wckts. Jan. 19,20, 22, Melbourne, England, in. & 27 r. Jan. 26, 27, 29, 30, Sydney, England, 69 runs. Feb. 17, 19, 20, 21, Sydney, Australia, 4 wickets. 1884 July, 11, 12, Manchester, drawn. July 21, 22. 23, Lord’s, England, inns. & 5 runs. Aug. 11,12, 13, Oval, drawn. Dec. 12,13,15,16, Adelaide, England, 8 wickets. 1885 Jan. 1, 2, 3, 5, Melbourne. England, 10 wickets. Feb. 20, 21, 23, 24, Sydney, Australia, 6 runs. March 14, 16,17, Sydney, Australia, 8 wickets. March 21,23,24,25, Melbourne, Eng.,in. & 98 r. 1886 July 5, 6, 7, Manchester, Eog'and, 4 wickets. July 19, 20,21, Lord’s, E d gland, inns. & 106runs. Aug. 12, 13,14, Oval, England, inns. &217 runs. 1887 Jan. 28, 29, 31, Sydney, Eogland, 13 runs. Feb. 25, 26, 28, Sydney, England, 71 runs. 1888 Feb. 10,11,13,14,15, Sydney, England, 126runs. July 16, 17, Lord’s, Australia, 61 runs. Aug. 13,14, Oval, England, innings and 137 runs. Aug. 30, 31, Manchester, England, in. and 21 r. 1890 July 21, 22, 23, Lord’s, England, 7 wickets. Aug. 11,12, Oval, England, 2 wickets. 1892 Jan. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, Melbourne, Australia, 54 runs. Jan. 29,30, Feb. 2,3, Sydney, Australia, 72 runs. Mar. 24, 25, 26, Adelaide, England, in. and 230 r. N E X T ISSUE, T H U R S D A Y , M A R CH 31.