Cricket 1882

116 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. JUNE 29, 1882. C R I C K E T ! T E N N I S ! ! F O O T B A L L ! ! ! First Prize Medal at Melbourne Exhibition, 1880. JAMES LILLYWHITE, FROWD & CO., Manufacturers of all articles used in the above and other Athletic Sports. Speciality for the highest class Goods. Bats specially seasoned for hot climates. Price Lists and all parti­ culars may be had post free. Shippers supplied at wholesale prices. J. L., F. and Co. are the sole Manufacturers of Frowd’a new patent “ Special Driver ” Bat, which drives better, jars less, and averages 1$ ounces lighter than any other Bat; universally allowed to be the greatest improvement made in Bats since cane handles wero introduced. Publishers of JAMES LILLY- WHITE’S CRICKETER’S ANNUAL. Manufactory and Ware­ house:—4 and 6, Newington Causeway and 73 and 74, Borough 1‘oad, London. AUSTRAL IAN CRICKETERS, 1882. Group of thi3 celebrated Team, with key, taken by permission at the Orleans Club, sent post-free on receipt of stamps. 8h by 6£ inches, 2 s.; Cabinet, I s .; Carte-de-Visite, fid. LONDON PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANY, 304, R egent S treet , W. c r i c k e t . A W e e k l y R e c o r d o f th e G am e . THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1882. H l f t g l l , “ Cricket ” this iveek consists of sixteen pages and a wrapper. This is the second enlargement since the institution of the paper. “ C r ic k e t ” can be had at W. H. Smith & Son’s Book Stali3. The drat number is out of print, but we propose to arrange for a re-issue, if a sufficient number of subscribers can be obtained. Due notice will be given of this. > 0 F : g t l B g C ^ I P T J 0 ^ “ Cricket ” is published at 17, Paternoster Square, London, E.C., and will be forwarded to any ad­ dress in Oriiat Britain,for the Seoson of 16 weeks, including piesent issue, for 3/- in time for first post on Thursday Morning. It is requested that Postal Orders (not Stamps) be sent for Sub­ scriptions and Scores. They can be made payable to W. R. Wright, at the head office, and crossed London and County , Holborn. Cricket ” is registered f o r transm ission abroad and can be sent , post free , at the regular newspaper rates o f postage to a n y p a rt o f the world . Reading Cases fo r holding four numbers of “ Cricket ” can now be had at the Office , price 2/-. TO ADVERTISERS. C r ic k e t 'presents an unequalled mediumfur announcements *n connection with the game, as the circulation is already in. advance o f any newspaper o f the kind. The scores o f most o f the vrincipal Clubs will appear exclusively in its columns, and there is already a large number o f subscribers, including most o f the leading players o f the day. “ C r ic k e t ” will be filed too for reference in the Pavilions of all the principal Clubs, and it will thus appeal directly to every class o f cricketer. A limited number of high-class Advertisements will be taken on terms to be obtained o f the Manager. For ordinary Advertisements the charge will be 3/- an inch narrow column. ENGLISH AND AUSTRALIAN CRICKET. T he first of the three representative matches between English and Australian cricketers has been duly decided. The news of the reverse sustained by a picked eleven of English amateurs will have long before this been published in every part of the world where cricket has taken root. A few days ago and the idea that such a team as that which Mr. Hornby led into the field on Thursday last would have to endure a defeat in an innings, would have been voted as at the very extreme of absurdity. That our amateur bowling was weak could hardly be gainsaid, and, indeed, there were many of opinion that for many years amateur cricket has never been at such a low ebb for bowlers as it has shown itself this season. But on all sides there was one verdict, that in batting the eleven chosen to oppose the Australians was exceptionally strong. Some slight differences of opinion might have existed with regard to the credentials of perhaps one or two of the last choices, but taken as a whole the thankless task of selec­ tion was generally admitted to have been faithfully performed, and the only doubt in the public mind, so great was the confidence placed in them as a batting side, was as to whether the match would be finished within the allotted period of three days. Whatever uncertainty there may have been about their bowling it should clearly be under­ stood that not one word of uneasiness has ever been uttered as to any possible short­ comings with the bat. It is much to be regretted that the indisposition of Mr. A. H. Evans, last year’s Oxford captain, should have taken place at such a short period prior to the match. There is still greater reason to deplore the policy of those to whom was entrusted the task of selecting a substitute in not replacing the only fast bowler on the side with another of the same pace. According to the universally accepted practice of cricket this was undoubt­ edly a mistake, but it is at the same time quite open to argument whether any alteration in the bowling forces of the English players would have made a material difference in the result. We are quite prepared to admit that the Australian total might have been reduced had the Colonial batsmen been obliged to meet bowling of different pace, but it would be absurd to reason that the presence of Messrs. Rotherham, Morton, or any other of the moderate amateur fast bowlers of the present season would have actually changed the result. There was unfortunately some reason to question the choice of one bowler, but it must be admitted that it was not the bowling as much as the batting which came to grief. Even when the Australian innings had been completed for 334 there was no lack of confidence as to the ability of their opponents to reach or even exceed that total. There have been already and are sure still to be plenty of excuses for the break down of admittedly one of the strongest batting sides ever placed in a field. The wicket was sure to be held responsible by writers who are unable to account otherwisefor a disappointing innings, but those who witnessed the play on Satur­ day would hardly be satisfied with any such explanation. It would have been difficult to persuade an outsider that the batsmen who appeared to be so utterly paralysed by tlie Australian bowling were the flower of our English amateurs. The poor display of so many cricketers of undoubted reputation, as was only to be expected, has produced the keenest disappointment everywhere. It is no doubt galling to have to admit so decisive a reverse, but at the same time we may as well take our beating like men. The Australians of course had all the best of the wicket in winning the toss, but on the form shown in this match they were the better eleven at every point. That the show of our players was correct no one will believe for a moment, but it will be well for us to recognise that the team Murdoch commands is much better all-round than we had expected from some of their earlier records. They were of course playing a winning game towards the finish, but at every point of the game they showed on this occasion at least a marked superiority. It was the result of their own bad cricket, and not from anyfault of the ground, that the second innings of the Gentlemen onlyamountedto 151 runs. Indeed there were only at the outside four members of the eleven who showed any. confidence. The admission is no doubt an unpleasant one, but in all justice it must be owned that the better side won. - ^ p f l Y I M 0 N v 6 0 g £ I P ; H - They are the abstracts and brief chronicles of our time.— Hamlet. A n o t h e k Shakespearian motto for the Australians, and again from Hamlet :— “ A combination and a form indeed.” How circumstances alter cases. I know full well that the remark is in no way original, but it never applied more forcibly than to the surroundings of the match between the Gentlemen of England and the Australians. A week ago, and we were brimful of confidence with regard to the meeting. Whatever might be the weakness of our bowling, at least there was little to fear with regard to our batting and fielding, so said everybody. And now ! What expressive little words they are to be sure. I t is very odd that the Australians should have beaten the Gentlemen on the second occasion of their meeting in precisely the same decisive fashion that they were defeated by the first picked eleven of English amateurs they met. Many will remember how the Gentlemen won at Prince’s on June 18, 1878, by an innings and one run, and it is a singular coincidence that the Australians should have exactly turned the tables on Saturday last. Of the English eleven at Prince’s in 1878 Messrs. Grace, Lucas, Hornby, and Steel were the