Before this reaches you the telegraph—which I understand has been restored though ill working with a good deal of delay—will have conveyed to your readers the news that the Shanghai eleven visiting Kobe have suffered crushing defeat at the hands of the home team by an innings and 7 runs, It is, of course, needless to attempt to explain away such " result, but it may be to some extent accounted fur by the great success achieved by the Kobe bowlers, the decidedly bad fielding of the Shanghai men on the first day of tie match, when chances were thrown away in a most unaccountable manner, permitting the Kobe team to put together the formidable total of 223, On Friday morning the match commenced, and Wood, winning the toss, decided to bevin batting. This was just after ten o'clock, and by noon all the Shanghai men had been got rid of for 88, & decidedly disappointing exhibition, the only men to get into double figures being Wood 23, Adams 25 (an invaluable contribution, made by brilliant play at a erltionl stage) and Helfer 10. This innings was quite sufficient to convince the Shanghai wen that Kobe has a strong reserve ability, Stephens, Pakenham rather fancy, team at times, When it was Ko to bat they quickly began to make things lively, but it was not until Lightfoot part-nored Marshall, when three wickets had gone down for 55 that the outlook became really serious for Shanghai, Despite several changes of bowling the batsmen scored rapidly, frequent boundary hits (3's) rous the enthusiasm of the spectators to a high pitch. But it must be said the players had & very liberal slice of good fortune. Catches wore missed by the Shanghai mei ina way which was unaccountable and the bowlers seemed completely demoralized. Marshall was not got rid off until he had made 60, and Lightfost not before he had made 80, stumps being drawn for the day at 5 o'clock, with the total standing wt 222 for nine wickets, A few minutes after the resumption on Saturday morning the other wicket was secured for the addition of one run, During the innings no fewer than eight bowlers were tried, of whom Bates, Carr, and Hanson were the only ones to meet with wny success. Bates bowled really capitally, and his analysis of five wickets for 53 runs must be regarded as very creditable. Carr shad a good analysis—three wickets for 28—and in spite of the way in which thebatemen were piling up runs he never lost his and sent down capitally pitched deliver mn who was tried rather late the innings was singularly unfortunate, two possible catches off his bowling being missed in the field, He managed to bring about the dismissal of one batsman, and if ho had been put on at an earlier stage it is just possible he would have met with more With some individual exception ing on Shanghai's part was not up d the extras made a considerable addition to the accre. A special word of praise is due to Wallace for his tine fielding in the long field, His throwing in was really a genuine pleasure to witness, and provoked very favourable comment from the spectators, Shanghai commenced batting for the second time in a minority of 195, a decidedly discouraging state of affairs.. When only 0 had been made Wood was bowled before he had scored. Mano and Sawyer then became partners, und by extremely careful play runs came slowly. Maiden overs were very numerous, and it was evident that the batsmen were not disposed to indulge in hazardous cricket. Mann was bowled after making 24, and Sawyer 21. The fourth wicket—Abbott's—fell for 85, and it was from this point the downfall' mey be said to have commenced. With the exception of Macgregor, who was the last to be out, the other batsmen did nothing, the innings closing before three o'clock for 128, thus leaving Kobe victorious Ly an innings and 7 runs.
Macgregor's 36 was an exhibition of very free hitting.
Thus may be said to have ended the Cricket Festival, and Kobe is to be warmly congratulated upon its vietury, won by sterling cricket which has in it the promise of future successes. The bowling in the second innings of Shanghai ly good, Stephens getting seven wickets for 38 runs, It is pleasant to be able to spank of the becoming modesty with which Kube cricketers have taken their success, They fully ree that Shanghai did not put into the Geld its strongest eleven, and that in the event of future mei Kobe will have to reckon wi some reinforcements, As to the pros-of other encounters, so far xa can be ween at pregeut they are blessingly bright. There is good reason to believe that an invitation—which has been informally tendered—to send xn eleven to thai next October would be accepted, although it might not be a Kobe team pure and simple, and would in all probability be udo up from Yokohama and Kobe. A cricket team it is practically certain will in February, and there are very definite rumours concerning encounters in other sports. I have good reason to believe that Kobe, or Kobe and Yokohama, would be delighted to visit Shanghai early next year for the purpose of playing Association football. Ie to be hoped that arrangements for these gatherings may be completed, in order to afford Shanghai an opportunity of ret ing the overwhelming hospitality and kin: ness which has been extended to the Shanghai cricketers iv Kobe. Every night there has been some entertainment to delight us; on Wednesday, a smoking concert by the Kobe Club; un Thursday, a dance by the ladies; on Friday a concert by the Kobe Cricket and Athletic Club, and last night, Saturday, adinner. Tam glad to be able to tell you that whilst being 80 pleasantly entertained the Shanghii eleven has in the persons of two of its members at least been able to add to the harmony of the evening, Bates has been " tremeudous success, excelling his Shanghai reputation and mal a name as a humorous vocalist whicl will follow him anywhere in Japan, Mann, too has been greatly appre-ointed and loudly applauded whenever he performed. 'The dinner to the eleven last night was one of the pleasantest functions of the kind it has ever been my good fortune t" be present at. Dr. Thotnicraft, the President of the Cricket Club, presided, having on his right the genial' Shanghai captain "A..." why has become very popular amongst Kobeites. The speeches were pithy and to the point, Wood assuring the cope cricketers that the silk flag they had taken from Shanghai was only lent fur the time being, as at the earliest opportunity Shanghai would make " determined fight for it.
And now in concluding I should like to acknowledge the consideration and courtesy I, as the representative of the North-China Daily News, and member of the 8.C.C., have received during the Kobe Cricket Week, a festival which it is to be hoped will have many successors, Kobe, 22ud October.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.