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190
CRICKET.

it rather difficult. Five wickets fell for twenty-five runs, Lohmann and Attewell doing what they liked with the ball; when the ninth man was out eight runs were still wanted, and the excitement all over the ground was intense. Mr. McCormick, of Sussex fame, was equal to the task, however; for, after playing carefully some time for seventeen runs, he finished up the match with two hits to the boundary.

The North v. South matches were again overdone, as many as five being played, the North having the best of it. The most interesting of all, though it was not finished, was that played at Scarborough on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of September. The North scored 360 in its first innings, the South 197. On the last day the South had to follow on against a majority of 163. The wicket was far from perfect, and the ball had to be watched carefully; but Abel and myself put on 226 for the first wicket, after three hours and three-quarters' play; and when the stumps were drawn the total was 278 for three wickets of which Abel had scored 105 by careful and scientific cricket, while my share was 154.

Gunn and Barnes came out at the top of the batting averages, and Maurice Read was a good third. The Gentlemen were again well to the front, Mr. T. C. O'Brien showing up splendidly. It will be a very long time before his magnificent display for Middlesex against Yorkshire in the second innings, at Lord's on the 22nd of June, will be forgotten. Middlesex was left to get 280 runs to win and 3 hours and 35 minutes in which to do it. At half-past 5 four wickets were down for 129. When Mr. O'Brien went in 151 runs were wanted to win, and no one dreamt for a moment that it could be done in the time. He hit as no man had hit for many a long day; but at 6.15, 83 runs were still wanted. With the help of Mr. Vernon, he kept up the pace, and accomplished