Cricket 1908

F eb . 27, 1908. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 21 minutes, but at 111 Hill was bowled whilst trying to place a fast ball to the 011. Upon the fall of the third wicket Noble, who had been badly missed by Gunn at mid-on off Crawford when 19, was joined by Armstrong, and the two, playing careful and watchful cricket, sent the 150 up in 170 minutes. When the Victorian had scored 31 out of 57 added for the fourth wickct in 65 minutes, he was sent back by a brilliant catch by Hutchings in the slips; he had played a sound game and hit two 4’s. McAlister, who might have been c. and b. by Crawford with the left hand when 4, made only 10 ere being run out through a smart return by Hobbs. Half the side were then out for 197, and Noble, who reached 50 in 115 minutes, was lucky not to be stumped off Barnes when 52. A t 214, however, the last-named was caught at slip for a plodding innings of 61 out of 121 in 155 minutes ; he gave two chances and hit five 4’s. Of the 26 added by Ransford and Cotter in a quarter of an hour for the seventh wickot the latter claimed 17 ; but for a poor return by Rhodes he would have been run out before scoring. When play ceased for the day seven wickets were down for 255. The cricket had been slow throughout, but the fielding and bowling, especially Crawford’s and Fielder’s, were very good indeed. As many as 28,000 persons watched the play, the takings amounting to £1,328. O11 the morning of the next day the three outstanding wickets fell for 11 runs in half-an-hour, Hazlitt losing his through slipping whilst outside his crease. Considering the excellence of the wicket the total of 266 was by no means large. Crawford, who took five wickets for 79, was at his best and always appeared difficult. England started their innings to Cotter and Saunders, and only 27 had been made when Fane was bowled off his pad. Gunn followed-in and saw the 50 chronicled in 70 minutes, but 11 runs later he was to his surprise given out lbw. Hobbs and Hutchings then made a fine stand, not­ withstanding the admirable bowling changes made. Hobbs reached 50 in an hour and three-quarters and the 100 went up two hours and five minutes from the start. During this partnership Armstrong’s bowling was most accurate, and both batsmen found difficulty in scoring from his deliveries. The 150 was reached in 175 minutes, and ten runs later Hobbs succumbed to Cotter, Hutchings then being 47. The Surrey player made 83 out of 160 in 195 minutes, showing patience and strong defence, and hit eight 4’s. Only one chance, a hard one, could be urged against him, Macartney missing him at square-leg off Armstrong when 69. Hutchings, who had hitherto played a rather slow game, increased his pace upon being joined by Braund and almost monopolised the scoring. During the last hour of the day the pair added 91 (including an extra), of which number the amateur was responsible for as many as 71. Hutchings’ vigorous display was much appreciated after the slow scoring : he reached 50 in 85 minutes and completed his 100 in 125. The 200 took as many minutes to compile, and when stumps were drawn the pair were still together (Hutchings 117: Braund 15) with the score 246 for three wickets—a fine position. The attendance was 18,277, including Lord Northcote, the Governor- General of the Commonwealth, and the takings amounted to £901 6s. The home side had to bowl and field in great heat, and did so with distinct credit. Next day only 22 were added before Cotter bowled Hutchings for a faultless innings of 126 out of 207 in 163 minutes. He drove and hooked in fine style, all bowling being alike to him, and hit a 6 (off Macartney) and twenty-one 4’s. Of the 108 added with Braund for the fourth wicket the latter made only 28. Hardstaff never settled down, but made 12 of the next 19 in 35 minutes. With Rhodes in, 300 went up in 325 minutes, but when the sixth wicket, Braund’s, fell the total was only 325. Braund made 49 out of 165 in 144 minutes by very slow play, and was unfortunate in being dismissed through drawing an off-ball on to his w ick et: he hit five 4’s and played a valuable innings. Crawford helped Rhodes to add 28 in 35 minutes and was then very finely caught at long-off off a hit which would have boen 6 if not held. Seven later Rhodes was bowled in trying to place to le g : he made his 32 out of 73 in 100 minutes by careful cricket and hit five 4’s. Humphries did little, but Barnes and Fielder added 13 before the former was out to a clever catch by Hill at mid-on. The total of 382, which was made in 430 minutes, although it gave the side a lead of 116, was not so great as the fine play 011 the previous day had fore­ shadowed. Cotter thoroughly deserved his five wickets, and Armstrong, though taking only a couple of wickets, bowled admirably on the perfect pitch. The last 80 minutes of the day produced some most attractive cricket, Trumper and Noble making 96 together without loss in that time. Crawford and Fielder opened the attack, and, although Barnes displaced the former at 37, and Braund the latter at 47, the changes did not bring about a separation. As the result of free cricket 50 went up in 40 minutes, and at the end of the after­ noon the Australians, with all their wickets in hand, were only 20 runs behind. Barnes and Fielder shared the attack the next morning, and 100 went up in 86 minutes. Noble and Trumper continued to play excellent cricket, but at 126 the latter was lbw. for a flawless innings of 63, made in 112 minutes ; he scored well all round the wicket and hit seven 4’s. At 131 Noble was unluckily bowled by a ball which went off his arm 011 to the bails, and four later Hill fell to Fielder. Noble made his 64 out of 131 in 122 minntes and hit six 4’s ; it was a most valuable innings. When the third wicket fell Australia were only 19 runs on, and Armstrong and McAlister, who then came together, naturally played cautiously. By steady cricket the pair added 27 and then a disaster occurred. Armstrong called his partner for a ru n ; the latter said “ No ! ” but, seeing that Arm­ strong had started, sacrificed himself and for the second time was run out. The much-to-be-desired stand was effected by Armstrong and Macartney, who, playing a watchful game to commence with, settled down to free cricket after lunch. They sent 200 up in 195 minutes and shortly afterwards the Victorian reached 50 in 93 minutes. The 250 was chronicled in 265 minutes, but 18 runs later, when the partnership had lasted an hour and 40 minutes and realised 106, Armstrong was bowled by a ball from Barnes which kept low. The player named, who hit seven 4’s, scored his 77 out of 133 in 135 minutes without a mistake. His off strokes were very fine and, remembering the critical time at which he made his runs, his innings must be regarded as most praiseworthy. With Ransford in, Macartney completed 50 in 138 minutes, and the 300 went up five hours and ten minutes from the start. Three runs later Macartney was caught at the wicket for a sound innings of 54 out of 141 in 147 minutes : he hit five 4’s and made some capital strokes to leg. At 312 Ransford, who had batted just under an hour, was caught in the slips, and after his dismissal Carter and Cotter played out time, the Australians, when stumps were drawn, being 244 runs on with three wickets in hand. Cotter, when 19, was missed by Fielder at mid-off off Braund, the failure to hold the catch causing great joy to the spectators. The attendance during the day was 20,073, and the takings £864 15s. 9d. On the fifth morning Cotter was l.b.w. with a single added: he mode his 27 in 40 minutes and helped to put on 49 for the eighth wicket. Hazlitt, who followed-in, kept his wicket up whilst Carter hit, and at one period made only a single while his covfrere was scoring 25. He remained in what time 31 were added, and five later the innings closed for 397 by Carter being caught. The last-named, although missed by Hutchings in the slips off Fielder when 22, played an excellent gam e: he scored 53 out of 96 in 83 minutes and hit seven 4’s. The innings lasted 440 minutes. The fielding of the Englishmen was of a high standard, notwithstanding that one or two catches were missed, whilst Barnes’ bowling on the hard, true wicket was full of merit. The heat was very oppressive, the temperature being 90'5 in the shade and 140-5 in the sun. When Fane and Hobbs went in to commence England’s task of making 282 to win, the play was naturally steady. Cotter and Saunders started the bowling, but at 20 the latter was relieved by Armstrong. Hobbs, who scored 28 out of 54 in 70 minutes, was the first to leave ; he hit two 4’s. With the total unchanged Gunn was again lbw., Noble having then taken two wickets for 1 run. When Fane joined Hutchings some good and correct cricket was seen. Runs, however, never came quickly, for both Noble and Armstrong were difficult to score off. The 100 went up in 140 minutes, and 21 later Fane was bowled for a steady innings of 50, which lasted 165 minutes and contained two 4’s ; the ball rolled gently off his leg 011 to the wicket. A t one period he was in half- an-hour for a single. At 131 the fourth wicket fell, Hutchings being caught at mid-off for 39 out of 77 in an hour and three-quarters. He adapted himself excellently to the conditions of the game, and played a much slower game than usual; he hit three 4’s. During the last55 minutes of the day Braund and Hardstaff, taking no risks, added 28 without further loss, each carrying out his bat for 17. Although the match had now lasted five days, the wicket was still good. The Englishmen took four hours to make 159 for four wickets, but the bowling, especially Noble’s, was very true. The attendance during the day amounted to 9,089 and the takings to £376 18s. 9d. On the following morning England were left 123 to win with six wickets in hand. With only 3 added Hardstaff was caught at leg, and at 196 Braund was bowled for a careful and defensive innings of 30, which lasted 100 minutes and con­ tained two 4’s : when 16 he was missed at the wicket off Cotter. Six wickets were now down for 196, and two later Rhodes was run out through a fine throw-in by Armstrong at third man, whilst at 209 Crawford, who had hit Armstrong to square-leg for 6, was out to an easy catch in the slips. When Humphries and Barnes came together England, with two tail-end wickets to fall, wanted 73 to win. By lunch-time 12 had been made without loss, and it was not until 34 had been added for the ninth wicket that Hum­ phries was lbw. Fielder went in, last man, with 39 still required. A victory for Australia was naturally anticipated, and as run after run was made the excitement increased. Neither batsman showed the slightest sign of nervousness, whilst the running between wickets was admirable. The bowling was true aud the fielding very keen. There were frequent and judicious changes in the attack, but gradually the runs were made and, amidst the greatest excite­ ment, England scrambled home by a wicket. With the scores level the batsmen made a last desperate run. Hazlitt at cover threw in hard at the wicket and missed : had he done so gently, and the ball hit the wicket, Fielder would in all probability have been run out. Both batsmen played faultless and plucky cricket, Barnes being in an hour and a-half for 38 not out—an innings which it would be impossible to praise too highly. The play was slow throughout the match, but was always interesting. Noble captained Australia most ably, and was unfortunate to be 011 the losing side. During the six days 91,388 paid to witness the match, the receipts amounting to £4,072 14s. 6d., not quite equalling the £4,274 taken during the Test at Sydney in December, 1903. Score and analysis :— A u stralia . First innings. V. Trumper, c Humphries, b Crawford ...................49 C.G.Macartney, b Crawford 37 Second innings. Ibw, b Crawford 63 c Humphries, b Barnes ...........54 b Fielder .......... 3 C. Hill, b Fielder ...........16 M. A. Noble, c Braund, b Rhodes ...........................61 b Crawford.. W. W. Armstrong, c Hutch­ ings, b Crawford ......... 31 P. A. McAlister, run o u t... 10 A. Cotter, b Crawford ... 17 G. Hazlitt, b Crawford ... 1 V. Ransford, run o u t .........27 64 b Barnes .......... 77 run out ...........15 lbw, b Crawford.. 27 b Barnes .......... 3 e Hutchings, b Barnes .......... IS c Fane, b Barnes 53 not out.................. 0 B 12, l b 8 ...20 Total ...397 H. Carter, not out .......... 15 J. V. Saunders, b Fielder... 0 Lb 1, w 1 ................... 2 Total........... ... 266 E ngland . First innings. F. L. Fane, b Armstrong ... 13 Hobbs, b Cotter ...................83 Gunn (G.), lbw, b Cotter ... 15 K. L. Hutchings, b Cotter 126 Braund, b Cotter...................49 Hardstaff, b Saunders ... 12 Rhodes, b Saunders ...........32 J. N. Crawford, c Ransford, b Saunders...........................16 Barnes, c Hill, b Armstrong 14 Humphries, b C otter........... 6 Fielder, not out ................... 6 B 3, lb 3, w 1, nb 3 ... 10 Total.................. 382 Total (9 wkts) 282 A ustralia . First innings. Second innings. O. M.R. W. O. M. R. W. Fielder .......... 27‘5 4 77 2 .............. 27 6 74 1 Barnes ......... 17 4 30 0 ............ 27*4 4 72 5 Rhodes ........... 11 0 37 1 .............. 16 6 38 0 |B ra u n d .......... 16 5 41 0 .............. 18 2 68 0 • Crawford ... 29 1 79 5 ............ 33 6 125 3 Second innings, b Armstrong ... 50 b Noble ..........28 lbw, b Noble ... 0 c Cotter, b Ma­ cartney ... b Armstrong c Ransford, Cotter ... . run out ... . c Armstrong, Saunders notout ... . lbw,b Armstrong 16 not out ......... 18 B 9, lb 7, w 1, nb 2 19 39 30 19 15 10 38 Fielder bowled a wide. E ngland . First innings. Second innings. O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W. Cotter ... ... 33 4 142 5 ... ... 28 3 82 1 Saunders ... 34 7 100 3 .. . ... 30 9 58 1 Noble ... 9 3 26 0 .. . ... 22 7 41 2 Armstrong ... 34*2 15 36 2 .. . ... 30-4 10 53 3 Hazlitt ... ... 13 I 34 0 ... ... 2 1 8 0 Macartney ... 12 2 34 0 .. . ... 9 3 21 1 Cotter bowled a wide and four no-balls. Hazlitt a wide, and Noble a no-ball. l lf H M a tc h . —v. AUSTRALIA. ( th e th ir d test ). Played at Adelaide on January 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Australia won by 245 runs. Each side having won one of the previous games, the third Test match was naturally looked forward to with much interest. Jones being still too unwell to play, England were represented by the side whieh gained such a fine victory at Melbourne, whilst Australia made a couple of changes, Hartigari and O’Connor taking the places of Hazlitt and Cotter, who had strained himself. Hill, although chosen, had a touch of influenza, and Trumper also was far from well. Australia won the toss and com