Cricket 1908

52 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 9, 1908. The cover of this ball is constructed upon an improved system wh:ch ensures increased durability. The materials and workmanship are of ihe highest class, and there can be no doubt whatever that the first grade is the most desirable Ma'ch Ball that can be produced. The construction of a Demon Driver is fully described in 7 he Evolution of a Cricket Bat , which may be obtained free upon application t<> GEO . G. BUSSEY & Co., L td ., 36 & 38. Queen V ictoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills — PECKHAM , S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. Agents all over the world. T H E M .C .C . T E A M IN A U S T R A L I A . (<Continued from page 39J. i 6t ii M a tc h .— v . NEW SOUTH WALES. Played at Sydney on February 14 th, 15 th, 17 th, 18 th, 19 th, and 20 th. Drawn. New South Wales, although without Noble, Carter, S. E. Gregory, Cotter, and Duff, placed a strong side in the field, and, for the first time, were captained by Trumpcr. The Eng­ land team were minus Crawford, Barnes, Gunn, and Humphries, the last-named being in hos­ pital in Melbourne. The wicket was slow and easy when England opened against Minnett (fast-medium) and Bowden (s.ow leg-breaks), Hobbs being caught at the wicket off the last ball of the form er’s firtt over in first-c.ass cricket. Thirteen runs later Hayes was held in the slips, and with only 25 scored Fane was stumped. Hutchings, and Hardstaff effected an improvement, and 50 went up in 40 minutes. Nine runs later Newton (slow medium) went, on for Minnett and Hopkins for Bowden. Both batsmen were uncertain in starting, but they soon settled dow’n, and Hutchings reached 50 in 68 minutes. The 100 went up in 87 minutes, but five later, when the fourth wicket had added 80 in 69 minutes, Hardstaff was caught at mid-off for 32; he hit three 4’s and made some good off-drives. In the meantime, at 98, Bowden and Minnett, the opening pair, had again taken up the attack, and it was off the latter that the Notts, player was caught. At 130 he met with a further success, Hutch­ ings, who had previously hit him four times in an over for 4, also falling to a catch at mid- off. The Kent amateur scored his 73 out of 113 in 92 minutes by bright cricket, hit thir­ teen 4’s, and, apart from offering a hard chance of stumping when 35, made no mistake. Half the side were then out for 130, and only two more runs had been added when Braund, after being in 25 minutes for 4, was sent back by a catch at short-leg off Bowden. Rhodes and Young then made a stand, and at 163 Macartney displaced Bowden. 200 went up in 173 minutes with the pair still together, and 4 runs later Barnes (slow) went on for Hopkins. Just after Young had completed his half-century, as the result of 69 minutes’ batting, Rhodes, who hit five 4’s, was caught at point for a found and valuable innings of 45 out of 98 in f0 minutes. Jones and Young then put on 23 together, when the latter was caught and bowled by Min­ nett for his best innings in Australia; he scored his 59 out of 119 in an hour and a ha f hit a 5 and eight 4’s, and made some fine ofT- strokes. After his dismissal Jones hit well, and it was due almost solely to him the total reached 298, made in 250 minutes. He scored 57 of the. last 70 runs and hit seven 4’s, but was twice missed in the slips—when 38 by Bowden off Minnett and when 58 by Barnes off the same bowler. Minnett did extremely well to take seven wickets for 131 runs, especially as four catches were missed off him. In the last few minutes of the day the home side scored 10 against Fielder and Blythe, p’ ay ceasing when Bardsley fell to a catch in the slips. The attendance reached 4,200, and £140 were taken at the gates. On the second morn­ ing he attack was started by Fielder and Braund, but with only 6 added the latter re­ tired in favour of Blythe. At 44 the second wicket fell, Barnes being caught at mid-off off the Kent bowler, who also dismissed Trumper at 74, and Diamond at 85; at that, point he had taken all four wickets for 36 runs. The 100 went up in as many minutes, and six runs later Hopkins was caught at slip after batting 20 minutes for 13. The associa­ tion of Waddy and Macartney effected a great improvement, - the pair adding 86 for the sixth wicket in 63 minutes. Macartney reached 50 in an hour and three-quarters, and scored his 96 out of 182 in 156' minutes, hitting ten 4’s and three 3’s, and tim ing his cuts and pulls admir­ ably ; it was an attractive and flawless display Hhode'j, Braund, and Hardstaff all had bowled in turn, hut the changes all came alike to the young- cricketer. With Waddy and Bowden together the brightest cricket of the match was seen They played freely as soon as they had settled down, and ran between wickets with fine judgment, though when he had made 39 Wadciy should have been run out. The -00 went up in three hours, and at 206 Fielder went on for Hardstaff. Bowden, when 13, had his wicket disarranged by a no-ball from the Kent man, who, a little later, hit, that bats­ man’s off-bail with a ball which did not cause dislodgment. Waddy reached 50 in 80 minutes, $nd, after Blythe had displaced Braund at 228, Bowden did likewise, after batting an hour and a quarter. 300 were scored in 250 minutes, and 2£ runs later a double change was made, Hobbs and Hayes going on for Braund and Rhodes. A little later the move met with success, as at 344 Bowden wras easily caught at slip off Hobbs for a vigorous innings of 87, which contained thirteen 4’s; he made his runs out of the 152 added for the seventh wicket in 100 minutes. Newton and Minnett failed, but Waddy reached three figures in 185 minutes, and when stumps were drawn, with nine wickets down for 355, carried out his bat for 101. The E'nglish field­ ing was poor at times, and, with Crawford and Barnes away, the bowling was not strong. During the day 10,400 persons paid for admis­ sion, the gates receipts being £395. Next morning only 13 were added before the innings, after lasting 315 minutes, closed, leaving the home side with a lead of 70. Waddy hit seven 4’s in making 107 out of 262 in 210 minutes by admirable and faultless cricket. In an innings of such magnitude Blythe did well to obtain five wickets for 93 runs. England, upon going in the second time, were faced by Minnett and Macartney, and only 23 had been scored when the former disposed of Hobbs. With Hayes in 50 went up in 50 minutes, and many bowling changes were found necessary, thoueh the player named, when he had made 16, was missed in the slips by Waddy off Hopkins The second wicket fell at 94, Hayes, who claimed 33 out of the 71 which had been added in an hour, then falling to an easy catch in the long-field; he hit three 4’s. Hutchings was caught at cover five later, but Fane and Hard­ staff then made a much-needed stand. The 100 were made in 102 minutes, and Fane reached 50 after batting an hour and three-quarters. Hardstaff experienced considerable luck ere reaching 20, being twice missed at mid-on—by Minnett when 17 off Newton, and by Newton a run later off Bowden. The fourth wicket put on 94 in 105 minutes, and then Fane was caught at mid-off for a most valuable 101 made out of 193 in 195 minutes. He hit eleven 4’s and three 3’s, the m ajority of them very good cuts and off-drives, showed powerful defence, and made his runs at a critical tim e; he gave two difficult chances, being missed when .'•5 by Hopkins at square-leg off Bowden and when 64 by Waddy at long-on off Newton. Braund and Hardstaff sent 200 up in 200 minutes, and the latter, after batting 113 minutes, reached 50, but two runs later shou’d have been caught at the wicket off Hopkins. At five minutes to six stumps were drawn owing to poor light, with the score 255 for four wickets, the English team then being 185 runs on with six wickets to fall. During the day the at'endance amounted to 4,500, and the gate receipts to £100. On the fourth morning the batting was at times very slow, though, considering the state of the game, excusable to a certain ex­ tent,. At 268, when the fifth wicket had realised 75, Hardstaff was bowled for 73 made out of 169 in 165 minutes; he hit. seven 4’s and thirty-one singles, and played a valuable game, but was not seen at his best. Braund and Nhodes then came together, and sent the 300 up without further loss in 310 minutes. The former took two hours and five minutes to reach 50. Several changes were made in the attack, but it was not until the sixth wicket had added 101 in 123 minutes that Rhodes, who hit four 4’s and three 3’s, was caught at mid- off : his 53 was a faultless display. Young soon succumbed to a catch low down at square-leg, but with Jones in Braund reached three figures after batting three hours and three-quarters. The eighth wicket put on 44 and the ninth 27, the innings closing upon the fall of the latter, as Fielder had strained a muFcle in his right arm and was not well enough to bat. The 456 Huns were made in 455 minutes, and New South Wales were ret 387 to win. Braund carried out his bat for 132, made out of 263 in 270 minutes, having hit. thirteen 4’s, and at times played a very tedious (though useful) ?am e; he was missed three times—when 42 by Gorry at the wicket off Bowden, when 65 bv Minnett at square-leg off the same bowler, and whpn 91 bv Newton at mid-on off Macartney. The Aus­ tralians’ bowling was. on the whole, very re­ liable, though a few catches were dropped, whilst Gorry at the wicket performed with dis­ tinct credit. When the Englishmen took the field Gunn fielded for Fielder, and Blvthe and Hobbs shared the bowling. When 29 had been made in 15 minutes Macartney was bowled, and a run later Barnes met a similar fate. Trumper and Warren Bardsl-y (a left-hander) then came together, and were still together when play ceased for the day with the score 78 for two wickets. The day’s attendance was 3,500, and the receipts amounted to £122. Or\