Cricket 1882

6 CRICKET; A 'WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. MAY 10, 1882. AUSTRALIANS r. SURREY :EIRg>F: OF THE H r s T R f r i i i H N S i s K EN N IN G T ON OVA L , May 25, 26, and 27. Admission to Ground, One Shilling each day. Applications for Reserved Seats (Covered Stand, 5/- Uncovered 2/6 each day; or 10/- and 5/- for the Match), must be made at once to the Secretary, Surrey County Cricket Club, Kennington Oval, London, S.E, <-CRICKKT-> A Weekly Record of the Game. WEDNESDAY, MAY 10 t h , 1882. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Scores o f Matches must be sent in to reach us by First D elivery on Tuesday morning, or they will have to wait until the issue o f follow ing week. I f paym ent has not been made fo r the season's scores in advance, each score, to ensure insertion , must be accom­ panied with One Shilling in Stamps. The Matches o f the following Clubs will appear in “ C ricket ” every week : — R oyal M ilitary C ollege , S andhurst ♦C rystal P alace G ryphons B ickley P ark H ampstead P allingswick PCTNEY E aling C ity R amblers U pper T ooting B roxeocrne O akfield P reston H all B. B. E ltham A ddiscombe * Scores o f these Clubs w ill appexroxi\y in “ C ricket .” INCOGNITI ♦N ondescripts R ichmond B lackheath M orden R evellers E sher C ivil S ervice S toics L aw C lub K ensington P ark C lapton C heltenham C ollege A ssyrians S u r b it o n R eigate H ill R eigate P riory B ex L ey N i m C K S , Mr. H. Perkins, the Secretary of Marylebone Club writes to the Editor— “ I think it Highly desirable tint a Cricket paper should be published weekly under responsible authority. I consider no one more qualified than yourself , and you shall have my hearty support." - T E R R S v 0 K v $ H B jS C R I P T J 0 ]^ “ C rick et” will be forwarded to any addres in Great Britain , for the Season of 20 weeks Jirst post on Wednesday Morning after the first number , for 4/- sucli plea is none of ours. It seems singular that 'while bicycling and yachting can each claim organs devoted to the advocacy of their particular interest cricket, which is truly our national game, should have been for so many years without a paper in any sense representative. We are not ambiti­ ous enough to arrogate to ourseives that we are going to supply a national want. Perish the thought of such pretensions. At the same time we claim that we have had the consideration of the best interests of the game mainly before us in deciding on the production of a paper which shall study to represent every class of cricketers. It was in response to the expressed wish of the secretaries of a large number of the principal clubs that the conception of “ C r ic k e t ” was first due. It will be our aim to justify iu every way the generous expressions of sympathy and confidence that have reached us from all quarters since the first intima­ tion of our intention was made known. We shall spare no pains to make “ C r ic k e t ” in­ teresting as well as useful for reference, and with confidence we solicit the co-operation of everyone who takes interestin the develop­ ment of the game. The short time that has elapsed since it was finally decided to appeal to the cricket public will, it is hoped, be a full excuse for any shortcomings of our opening number. To quote from Mathew Prior— “ Be to our virtues very kind Be to our faults a little blind.” OURSELVES. A p l e a s a n t theme even to the best, the wisest and the most unselfish of erring mortals. It would not be difficult to satisfy ourselves that we are coming into the world for the special benefit of our fellow creatures. Were we to follow the usual custom in such cases of self-introduction we should urge that our presence is due solely to a philan­ thropic desire to remedy some existing evil —to rectify some abuse. But to be frank THE CBICKET SCANDAL. F or some weeks past English cricketers have been sorely troubled about the rumour of a scandal which is said to have taken place in connection with the recent tour of Shaw’s Eleven at the Antipodies. How it arose or whence it came it is not easy to tell. At the Nottingham Colts’ Match there were vague reports of the misbehaviour of some prominent members of that team in respect of one of the more important matches of that trip. For some time they did not get beyond the mark of private circulation, but at last they assumed a tangible shape. A carefully worded paragraph in a York­ shire paper was, we believe, the first public intimation of the “ scandal ” which,we regret to say solely on the word of an unknown pressman has been in many cases accepted as true. “ Evil news,” as one reads in the Samson Agonistes of Milton, “ rides post while good news baits." It is certainly little to the credit of our English ideas of justice or to the good faeling we claim to exist among cricketers that the discreditable story circulated with reference to two of our professionals should have gained such general credence. At present in the absence of Shaw and Shrewsbury, who had, it is stated, to take direct notice of the occurrence, we are still awaiting the result of the official repudiation of a rumour which everyone hopes— as we thoroughly believe it will prove to be—altogether untrue. It is said that two of Shaw’s Eleven were distinctly bribed by the offer of a large sum of money from one of the betting fraternity, which seems to play such an influential part at the cricket matches in Australia, to sell the game. In trying to secure the assistance of another companion they, as we were told, reckoned so far without their host that he threatened to disclose the whole matter to the English managers. High words arose, eventually blows were exchanged, and two of the three parties concerned were roughly handled. The affair, to continue the newspaper version, was duly reported to Shaw and Shrewsbury, and it was further alleged that they, as they would have been quite j ustified in such a case, sent in an official communication to the Secretary of the Marylebone Club. We have no intention at present to offer an opinion on the case. It is not the usage of our English laws, certainly not the accepted idea of English fairness to adjudge the men, who have been charged, guilty of the most heinous offence without even the show ef a trill, and on such ridiculously unreliable testimony. Names have been mentioned so indiscriminately in the desire of many to affix the blame on somebody that several mem­ bers of the team have been identified at different times as the culprits. The gener­ ally accepted version with regard to the man who, to use a vulgar “ split ” seems so absurd to many that it should at least have been received with the greatest caution. An hysterical daily which would think twice before openly branding any one on his trial as guilty, has already had the’ bad taste to adopt “ the scandal” as true, but we prefer to think that such a course will meet with universal reprobation. The names of the three parties implicated have been men­ tioned but we shall not give any publicity to them as long as the charge rests on'such an unsubstantial foundation. The Austra­ lian players, now in England, ridicule the whole affair, and bring any amount of circumstantial evidence to prove the utterly improbable character of the story. No doubt the influence of the betting class does not have a favourable effect on cricket and cricketers in the Colonies, but it is altogether unfair to accept the imputation cast on English profeesionals until it has been proved beyond a doubt. In any case it is in the interests of the game that the rumour should be traced to its source, and it is the duty, we hold, of the Marylebone Club to see that the matter is thoroughly sifted as well for the reputation of English cricket as for the protection of English cricketers. THE CANADIAN CRICKET FIELD—A weekly Record and Review of Canadian Cricket. Published every Wednesday during season except May and September, when there will be only two issues. Advertisements and Subscriptions will be received at the office of “ C r ic k e t , ” the London Agency.— Advt.