Cricket 1908

J an . 3 , 1933. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 5 First innings. Second innings. A. O. Jones, c Saunders, b Hazlitt .......................... 18 Hobbs, c McAlister, b Saunders .......................... Hardstaff, c McAlister, b Hazlitt .......................... 0 notout... Braund, c Ransford, b W am e ... .................................62 R. A. Young, lbw, b Hazlitt ‘26 K. L. Hutchings, b Vernon 31 c Carkeek, b Haz­ litt ..................82 3 b T a rran t...........26 ... 95 J. N. Crawford, c Rush, b Saunders .......................... 13 Hayes, b Vernon.................. 4 Rhodes, not o u t ..................27 Barnes, c Tarrant, b Warne 0 Fielder,stCarkeek, b Warne 4 B 3, lb 4, w 3 ...........10 cVernon,bHazlitt 4 b Saunders.......... 25 c Ransford, b Saunders ... 91 lbw, b Saunders 10 b Hazlitt .......... 4 c Tarrant, b • Saunders ... 40 c McAlister, b Hazlitt ...........26 notout.. Total B 11,1b 3,w 3, nb 1 18 ..198 Total (9 wkts.) 422 V ictoria . First innings. O. M. R. W. Second innings. O. M. R. W. Fielder Barnes Crawford Braund 22 6 71 5 , 27 3 69 2 11 13 27 1 ... 62 2 ... . Rhodes , Hobbs . 43 . 36 32 , 24.5 , 20 Fielder bowled three no-balls and Barnes two. E ngland . First innings. O. M. R. W. Saunders Hazlitt ... Tarrant... Vernon ... McKenzie Warne ... 20 . 21 5 14 . 2 5 1 8 1 18 17 0 ... 43 2 ... 0 ... Second innings. O. M. R. W. 44 10 138 4 . 38 11 88 4 27 10 57 1 17 3 53 0 21 6 68 0 Saunders bowled two wides, Warne one wide, and Vernon three wides and a no-ball. Of Hardstaff’s innings “ Felix ” (T. Horan), writing in the Axulralasian, remarked:—“ Nothing that X can write in the way of praise would be beyond the deserts of Hardstuff for his superb play for 95 not out........................What must have struck every looker-on was the coolness and confidence he showed throughout, and the masterly way in which he played and ran for the strike. When he had 88 up Vernon Ransford said to him ‘ Only 12 more.’ Hardstaff replied, ‘ 1 don’t want ’em.’ As a fact, he could easily have got his hundred but for the desire to play for his side. It is rare, nowadays, to hear such cheering and applause as greeted Hard­ staff on his way back to the pavilion.' Coming in he gate they patted him on the back, and I’m not ure in future that we shall not hear of this as ‘ Hardstaff’s Match.’ ” 4 th M atc h .— v. N kW SOUTH WALES. Played at Sydney on Xovember 22 , 23, and 25. England won by 408 runs. The good form shown by the Englishmen in their previous matches caused their mgeting with New South Wales, the strongest of the States, to be invested with the greatest interest. The match was played in splendid weather on a perfect wicket, and during the three days 42,500 spectators (10,000; 24,000; 8,500) watched the game, the receipts amounting to £1,843. Sir Harry Rawson, the Governor-General, honoured the match with his presence on the first afternoon. New South Wales were at full strength, whilst Hayes, Hobbs, and Young stood down from the M.C.C. side. England, winning the toss, commenced batting with Jones and Fane against Cotter and Noble. The play was very slow, and it was not until he had. been in 17 minutes that Jones scored. When he had made 4 the last-named was missed at the wicket off Cotter, whilst Fane, when 7, might have been caught in the slips by Hopkins off Noble. At 35 Johnson (slow right) bowled in place of Noble, and puzzled the batsmen considerably. When play had lasted an hour only 46 had been made, and 3 runs later Jones was caught for a laboriously-compiled 16. At 59 Fane also fell to Johnson, who had now taken two wickets for 5 runs in six overs. The Old Car­ thusian played a good game, and hit four 4’s during the 80 minutes he was in. The .association of Braund and Hutchings brought about an improve­ ment from the English point of view, but the former, when only a single, should have been caught by Macartney off Cotter at third man. Hutchings Vommenced slowly, but scored faster as soon as lie had settled down, and claimed 35 of the 57 added for the third wicket in 27 minutes before being caught in the slips. Two runs later—at 118— Braund, who had hit four 4’s in making 28 out of 69 in 45 minutes, was brilliantly caught at long-on by Trumper after playing a slow but valuable game. With four good men out for 118 on a perfect wicket the English outlook was not very promising. But Hardstaff and Rhodes fortunately did well, putting on 88 together for the fifth wicket. The latter showed strong defence, while his partner played a free game, and 150 went up in 140 minutes and 200 in 175. Rhodes, who was let off by Trumper in the slips off Noble when 25, claimed 28 of the 88 added for the fifth wicket in 65 minutes, and without any addition to the score Hardstaff also was sent back, six wickets then being down for 206. The latter played the finest innings on the side, and hit eight 4’s whilst making 53 out of 90 in an hour and a-quarter without a mistake of any kind. Crawford, who was never quite comfortable, was seventh out at 232, and Humphries was lbw 16 runs later. Barnes, playing a most patient game, found so useful a partner in Blythe that the ninth wicket put on 34 before the former was out to a clever catch in the slips by Noble, who fell in taking the ball low down with the right hand. Barnes scored 22 out of 76 in an hour and a-half, playing a most useful game. The last pair put on 22, and the innings, after last­ ing 295 minutes, closed for 304, all the players having made double figures. Blythe carried out his bat for 27, and it was due chiefly to him that the total exceeded the third hundred. The batting of the Englishmen was at times almost painfully slow, the majority of the players being far too over­ cautious. Supporters of the home side were practi­ cally unanimous in thinking that little difficulty would be experienced in passing the visitors' total, for the wicket was still in excellent con­ dition, and the heavy scoring by the Victorians had taken place only a few days before. Trumper and Diamond opened the innings, the attack being entrusted to Fielder and Barnes. With only 6 scored Diamond was caught in the tlips off Barnes, whilst Fielder got Noble dismissed in a similar manner 3 runs later. At 14 Waddy played on to Barnes, whose two wickets had cost 3 runs, and before further play could take place rain came down and caused a delay of 20 minutes. Duff remained with Trumper whilst 18 were added, but was then caught at mid-off off Barnes, whose analysis was now three for 6. With four wickets down for 32 Hopkins joined Trumper, and 50 went up at the end of an hour without further loss. Five runs later Blythe bowled for Fielder, and at 71 the change proved successful, Trumper then being out to a good catch in the slips by Braund. The New South Wales crack had played a fine game for his side. He started slowly, but increased his pace later, and scored his 38 out of 71 in 78 minutes, his chief strokes being four 4’s. Without a run added Hopkins, who had been missed by Braund in the slips off Barnes when 5, was caught by Hutchings, the Staffordshire bowler’s analysis at that point being four for 13. Just afterwards Hardstaff strained a muscle of his leg, and Hobbs fielded as substitute for him. At 84 Blaxland was caught and bowled by Blythe, and a run later Cotter fell in a precisely similar manner to the all-conquering Barnes. At 92 Carter was run out, and at 101 the innings, which had lasted 130 minutes, came to an end. Barnes was chiefly responsible for this small total. Keeping a splendid length and varying his pace with fine judgment, he did not deliver a single bad ball. His analysis of six for 24, good as it was, should have been even better, for exactly half the runs made off him were from mis-hits. It was an extraordinary performance on his part, taking into consideration the excellence of the wicket and the strength of his opponents. The fielding of the visitors was of a high order, Hutch­ ings especially being prominent. Possessed of a lead of 203, the Englishmen lost Jones in their second innings with only 7 scored, but when Braund joined Fane the run-getting became so brisk that 50 went up in half-an-hour. Six runs later, however, Fane was run out, whilst at 84 Braund was l.b.w. for 24, composed of three 2’s and eighteen singles. Hutchings and Rhodes sent the 100 up in 85 minutes and added 37 for the fourth wicket before the amateur, who played a quieter game than usual, was sent back, at 121, for 42 made out of 65 in an hour, an innings which contained six 4’s. At the end of the second day the Englishmen, with six wickets in hand, were 333 runs out, Rhodes (19) and Humphries (1) being the not-outs. On the third morning the latter was caught in the slips at 148, and with Hardstaff in the 150 went up in 130 minutes from the start. The association of Rhodes and Hardstaff provided the brightest cricket of the innings, and increased the score by 45 for the sixth wicket. At 193 Rhodes, who had scored 50 out of 109 in 95 minutes, was bowled for a good, though rather lucky innings, which contained several good off-drives ; when 28 he was missed at the wicket off Cotter, but gave no other actual chance. Crawford, who followed in, commenced by hitting Johnson to square-leg for 6, but, after making 10, was caught at slip, seven wickets then being down for 220. Hardstaff, when Barnes had helped him to add 36 for the eighth wicket, was sent back by Waddy at third man. He made his 71 out of 108 in 95 minutes, and hit ten 4’s, many of them finely-executed hook strokes. Early in his innings he was twice let off—by Blaxland at slip off Cotter when 3, and by Macartney who should have cauglit-and-bowled him when 16. Blythe played a merry but lucky game for 23. He was missed at mid-on by Johnson off Macartney the first ball he received, and, when 3, should have been held by Cotter at point, off Noble. As he stayed with Barnes whilst the ninth wicket added 44 the blunders proved expensive. Fielder failed to score, and Barnes carried out his bat for a very steady 33, made out of 81 in an hour aud a-quarter. The second innings of the Englishmen lasted 255 minutes, and New South Wales, owing largely to their inability to hold catches, were set 505 to win. It was not thought that the runs would be made, but the general opinion was that a total of about 400 would be obtained. The bowling, as in the first innings, was entrusted to Barnes and Fielder, and Diamond and Trumper opened the batting for the State. With only 6 on the board Trumper was caught at slip off Fielder. With the score doubled Noble met with a similar fate off Barnes at the hands of Jones, whilst at 16 Diamond was caught at the wicket, at 27 Waddy fell to Hutchings in the slips, and at 29 Hopkins was bowled by Fielder, who had now taken four wickets for 16 runs. Half the side were then out, and 2 runs later Duff, who had been missed by Braund in the slips off Barnes, was yorked by Crawford. Four runs later the latter got Blaxland caught at slip off the first ball he received and thus obtained a couple of wickets for 4 runs. Seven wickets were down for 35 when Cotter joined Macartney, and the 50 went up without further loss at the end of 83 minutes. Cotter, who hit seven 4’s and punished Braund for 16 in an over, made 49 of the 61 added for the eighth wicket in 33 minutes. He was, however, missed three times—by Rhodes at mid-off (a hard chance) off Fielder when 12, by Hutchings in the long-field off Braund when 19, and by Hardstaff in the same position off the same bowler when 27. Carter and Johnson fell to con­ secutive balls, the last three wickets going down with the total unchanged and Macartney, after batting for 50 minutes, carrying out his bat for 13. Fielder was seen at his best. Varying his pitch and pace well, he took six wickets for 27 runs on a perfect pitch, thereby almost equalling the feat of Barnes in the first innings. England, thoroughly outplaying their opponents at all points, won by the great margin of 408 runs. Score and analysis :— E ngland . First innings. A. O. Jones, c Blaxland, b Johnson ...........................16 F. L Fane, lbw, b Johnson 30 Braund, c Trumper, b John­ son ..................................28 K.L. Hutchings, c Hopkins, b Cotter .......................... 35 Hardstaff, b Cotter ...........53 Rhodes, c Hopkins, b John­ son ........................... .. 28 J.N.Crawford,c&b Hopkins 17 Barnes, c Noble, b Blaxland 22 Humphries, lbw, b Cotter 10 Blythe, not out ...................27 Fielder, b Cotter.................. 15 B 17, w 2, nb 4 .. 23 Total.................. 304 Second innings, c Blaxland, b Cotter .......... 0 run out ..........38 lbw, b Noble ... 21 b Johnson.......... 42 c Waddy, b Ma­ cartney .......... 71 b John son..........50 c Waddy,b Cotter 10 not out .......... 33 c Waddy,b Cotter 3 c Trumper, b Cotter ..........23 b John son .......... 0 B 2, lb 2, w 3 7 Total ...301 N ew S outh W alks . First innings. V. Trumper, c Braund, b Blythe.............................. 38 A. Diamond, c Hutchings, b Barnes ......................... 0 M. A. Noble, c Hutchings, b Fielder ......................... 1 E. L. Waddy, bBarnes ... 4 R. A. Duff, c Blythe, b Barnes .......................11 A.J. Hopkins, c Hutchings, b Barnes .......................13 C. G. Macartney,not out... 9 M. H. Blaxland, c and b Blythe................................ 7 A. Cotter, c and b Barnes.. 0 H. Carter, run out ........... 3 F. B. Johnson, b Barnes ... 5 B 7, lb 2, w 1 .......... 10 Total .................101 Second innings. cBraund,bFielder 6 c Humphries, b Fielder .......... 4 c Jones, b Barnes 2 c Hutchings, b Fielder .......... 8 b Crawford... 11 13 c and b Fielder.. not out.................. c Braund, b Craw­ ford ................. 0 c Fane, b Fielder 49 c Fane, b Fielder 0 c Humphries, b Fielder .......... o Wide .......... l Total ... U6