Cricket 1882

JULY 20, 1882. CRICKET; A 'WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 165 ^ c P / I Y I l £ l 0 ? I v G 0 g £ I P ^ They are the abstracts and brief chronicles of our time.— Hamlet. . W hen the residents at Boulogne played a cricket match for the amusement of the Duchesse de Berry, that lady, after being a spectator of more than one innings with extreme ennui, sent a gentleman of her retinue to the chief player to beg to know when the game was going to begin, as “ Madame la duchesse etait terriblement ennnyee .” The Duchess, good lady, had taken all the desperate fielding and batting of two mortal hours for mere preliminary sport, a prelude to a more exciting and violent competition. The story occurred to me forcibly as I picked my steps through the maze of carriages fronting the pavilion of the Marylebone Club on Saturday after­ noon. What a contrast to the scene Lord’s usually presents on the occasion of one of the highest class cricket matches of the year. Instead of half-filled benches aud enclosures dotted here and there with an occasional critical male spectator, in the sombre cos­ tume of every-day life, a company dressed to the highest pitch of fashion, ladies decked in every conceivable shade of colour in toilettes the most fanciful as well as the most tasteful, an array of carriages such as is to be seen on no similar occasion during the London season, luncheon tables laid in the most elaborate style, groaning under the weight of every conceivable delicacy in the way of food and drink. “ Do’st like the picture.” Pretty enough, no doubt, full of light and shade, with the slightest touches of the most skilful artist. But I am moralising. I had almost forgotten that I was on a cricket-ground, and assisting at wliat ought fo be one of the best matches. I wonder how many there were like the Duchess above - mentioned terriblement ennuyee. I w a s perhaps a little too hasty last week in suggesting doubts as to the satisfactory completion of the negotiations for the visit of the Hon. Ivo Bligh’s team to Australia in the autumn. As a matter of fact, there was a serious hitch, for which the move­ ments of the Australian players now here were in some degree responsible. Fortu­ nately what obstacle there was soon dis­ appeared, and I am now able to state authoritatively that the arrangements for the tour are now definitely completed. Th e team will go out at the invitation of the Melbourne Club, and the following have all accepted Mr. Bligh’s invitation :— Messrs. A. G. Steel, C. T. Studd, G. B. Studd. M. P. (not A. P.) Lucas, C. F. Leslie, W. W . Bead, E . F. S. Tylecote, and G. F. Vernon. The professional element will be represented by Barlow, Bates, Barnes, and Morley, and all round it will be a very strong team, even if the bowling is likely to be rather heavily tried on the fast Australian wickets. A ccording to present arrangements they will leave England in the steamer Austral, on Oct. 5. A programme of about sixteen fix­ tures will be made, and they will play three times against the Australian Eleven now in England, one game each at Adelaide, Mel­ bourne, and Sydney. Two matches each will be arranged against the Colonies of South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, Fixtures will also be made with the principal country districts in Victoria and N.S. Wales, one against Tasmania, at Hobart Town, and should time allow, a series in New Zealand. The team will probably play first in Adelaide at the beginning of Nov., then at Melbourne against Victoria at the end of Nov. or beginning of Dec., next at Melbourne on New Year’s Day, their first match against the Australian Eleven. I can fancy no more enjoyable way for a cricketer to get over the long vacation which divides one cricket season from the next than in such a fashion, and everyone will wish Mr. Bligh and the whole of his party a prosperous, as they are sure to have an enjoyable, trip. T he final tie for the Surrey Challenge Cup, instituted two years ago for competi­ tion among Surrey Clubs, is to take place at the Oval on Thursday, the 3rd of August. Parnham, the first holders, were beaten rather unexpectedly by Cheam in the closing match of last year. Neither of the previous winners remains to fight for the cup this season, and the trophy will pass into the possession of either Esher or Mitcham, whichever proves the victor. At different times we have heard a good deal about the cricket producing powers of the “ County of Mitcliam,” but I fancy this time they will find Esher a very hard nut to crack. It is not often that a village is able to boast such a strong eleven as Esher can just at the present time. Mr. A. P. Lucas, I hear, is certain to play, and besides him there are Messrs. W. H. Game, C. C. Clarke, M. C. Clarke, and A. C. White, amateurs, all of whom have played for the county, not to mention Maurice Read, whose residence at Thames Ditton I believe is just within the radius prescribed by the rules. I h e a r that the Australians’ match at Manchester on September 14 is likely to be with an eleven of the North of England. Mr. Hornby, who it is stated will get up the Eleven team at Derby on August 14, if he is not required for Lancashire against Somersetshire, is also according to the reports to “ boss” the North eleven at Man­ chester a month later. What a fine nursery for cripple 3 the Surrey eleven is to be sure this year. Jones hobbling up to the wicket to bowl as he did this week against Sussex is pitiable enough, but Barratt succumbed to the very same strain, and now to make the list of disasters complete Mr. Boiler has injured his side, so that he lias to give up playing. It may appropriately be said of Surrey cricket, “ when sorrows come, they come not in single spies, but in battalions.” A c o r r e s p o n d e n t has sent the following letter, which appeared in a contemporary of Monday, with a request for its insertion . Sib,—-I notice that Crossland played for Lanca shire against Nottingham last week. What is his qualification ? None. He has no more right to play for Lancashire than Morley, Barnes, Flowers, Gunn, Scotton, Sherwin, or any other men engaged at Lord’s have to play for Middlesex. Crossland is engaged on the county ground at Manchester for the season; his home is at Sutton-in-Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire, where he resides during the winter months.—Yours truly, C ounty C rick et . It always seems to me a pity that writers evidently possessed of authority should reduce the importance to be attached to their communications by resort to a nom de plume which veils their identity. I would simply point out to my correspondent No. 4 of the Laws of County Cricket, which reads as under :— “ That should any ques­ tion arise as to the residential qualification, the same should be left to the decision of the Committee of the Marylebone Club.” An old cricketer is good enough to send me particulars of a good bowling perform­ ance on Saturday last at Edmonton. It was in a match between the Corinthian and Almack Cluba, and the hero was Mr. J. T . Glanssett, who took for the former nine wickets in eight overs for nine runs. In his last over he clean bowled five with con­ secutive balls. I should like to see more prominence given to bowling feats, whatever the quality of the match. W hat a stir the prospect of an expedition to Egypt has been making among cricketers. Many names familiar on the cricket field have met my eye among the announcements of the military preparations. General Marshall, who commanded the heavy cavalry in the Zulu campaign, it is said will take the same command in any force to be sent to protect British interests in the neigh­ bourhood of the Suez Canal. It hardly needs me to say that he is well known to cricket as Fred Marshall, of the 2nd Life Guards, in his day one of the best hitters of the Household Brigade. Of later years he will even be more widely remembered as for many years the President of the Surrey County Club. W hile on the subject of Surrey cricket, I notice that the Duke and Duchess of Albany were present at the match between the Incogniti and Esher, at Esher, on Saturday last. Both the Dukea of Connaught and