Easter Cricket Match

Pt. Moresby v. Samarai.

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, April 20.

DURING the Easter holidays, a cricket match of great interest to Papua was played on the cricket oval of Port Moresby, Samarai v. Port Moresby, for the Murray Shield, presented many years ago by Sir Hubert Murray, K.C.M.G., the Lieut.-Governor of Papua.

Samarai won the first innings on April 14 by four wickets and 12 runs, Mr. Bob Bunting carrying his bat for 137. The Shield —already in the posses sion of the Samarai team —was, there fore, retained by them. Port Moresby’s first innings being 10 wickets for 264.

A dance and dinner were given by the members of the P.M. Cricket Club to the visiting team during their stay. The Hon. E. C. Harris, president and captain of the Port Moresby team, in his speech at the dinner, congratulated Samarai and their captain, Mr. Campbell, on their victory and excellent play. “The shield,” he said, “had continued to float between the two towns for a good many years, and there was now a great deal of sentiment in the matter, and it was a great privilege to hold the shield in either township. The shield was a per petual trophy to be fought for by the two settlements in order to foster friendly rivalry between the two places and interchange of visits.”

The Samarai team, which arrived by the “Macdhui” on April 13, sailed for Samarai on April 15 on the “Montoro”, from Australia.