Cricket 1882

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. Register^!?or^TransmUsioi?Abroad. THURSDAY. AUGUST 3, 1882. PRICE TH OM A S W IL L IA M G A R R E T T . “ O ne of the best all-round cricketers in Aus­ tralia.” Considering the consistently brilliant performances of the present sample of Colonial players the testimonial is a high one. And yet no one who has seen much of the doings of the team now visiting this country, representative as it is of the best cricket in the colonies, will be disposed to take exception to the brief description as an exaggeration. It is the all-round excellence of the men under Murdoch’s command that has con­ tributed to their almost uninterupted career of success. It is in the facility with which they adapt themselves to the differing circumstances of ground and play that lies the chief element of their superiority over the majority of English elevens. And, in what we may term rough and ready cricket—using the term in anything but an invidious sense— they have no better representative than the subject of our present sketch. Thomas 'William Garrett was born at Wollongong, near Sydney, in New South Wales, on 26th July, 1S58, so that he is a native of the colony he so worthily represents. He was educated at New­ ington College, in Sydney, in which establishment he had as schoolmates Evans, whom the Australians regard as the very best all round player the Colonies have ever produced, and Coates, who for years captained New South Wales in the Inter-colonial matches. After leaving college Garrett associated himself with Sydney University, where he matriculated. It was with Sydney University, indeed, that he first became Prominently identified as a cricketer, and it was the form he showed in his connection with that eleven that brought him into publio notoriety. His first match of any importance was for New South Wales against Lillywhite’s Eng­ lish team, at Sydney, in December, 1876. Though he does not seem to have figured in either of the Inter-colonial matohes of that season, he was selected to represent the Combined Eleven of Australia against Lillywhite’s team at the end of their tour. He was not suc­ cessful with the bat, but bowled with great effect against Lillywhite and his men, and his analysis showed 81 overs for 139 runs and 9 wickets, or an average of just under 15 runs. Thii form minence. In the last representative match of that tour, at Prince’s, against the Players of England, he took seven of the ten Players’ wickets, and in England he was credited with the best bowling average—a trifle under seven runs. During the 41 matohes he obtained 146 wickets, and the finish of the whole tour found him with 291 wickets at an average of just under 6 runs. He L ive rpo o l v . W estern (E ccles ).— Played on the Liverpool ground, July 29. Score—Liverpool, 244 for seven wickets (W. S. Patterson 102); Western 73. D inhle v, O xton . —Played at Oxton on July 29. Score—Dingle 124; Oxton 15. H. Miller took seven Dingle wickets for six runs. C am bridge U n iversity L. V. C. v R e vellers .— Played at Cambridge on July 29. University won by an innings and 17 runs. Cambridge 238; Revellers 120 and 101. was quite good enough to secure for him a place in the first team of Australian cricketers which visited England iu 1878. At times during that tour he proved the possession of good hitting powers, but it was more as a bowler that he earned a reputation, and some of his perform­ ances with the ball were worthy of special pro- has represented New South Wales in most of the late Inter-colonial matches, and in these contests he has an average of 41 runs. During the last season in Australia he was singularly effective with the ball, and the general opinion was that, as a bowler, he had improved considerably on the form he showed in England in 1878. In addition he made several large scores, and in the last Inter-colonial match, when Murdoch played his memorable innings of 321 for New South Wales, he hit with great freedom, contributing as many as 163 to the huge total made by New South Wales on that occasion. In the various matches played during the spring in Australia, against Shaw’s team, he took .23 wickets, being second in point of average ‘ to Palmer, who was credited with an aggre­ gate of 37 wickets. Though he did not vi&it England in 1880, he was one of the first chosen of the thirteen players constituting the present Australian team, and it need only be said that he has thoroughly justified the character given him by one who is quite qualified to speak authori- tively of his play from long practical experience as one of the best all-round players in Australia. As a bowler he is very straight, with considerable work from the off. His delivery is rather high, and as the ball gets up very quickly from the pitch, when the wicket helps him at all, he is very d.fficult. As a batsman he has not made any very large scores during the present tour, though he has a respectable average of 12, and has more than once got runs, notably his 41- against Oxford, 37 against the United Eleven, and 32 against Northamptonshire. His bowling average, too, is just twelve runs. Garrett is a solicitor, but, holding a good legal position in the Civil Service of New South Wales, does not practice his profession. He is 5ft. llin . in height, and 12 stone in weight.