Cricket 1882

a u g u s t 17,1882. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 22, _ _ _ ---------------------------------------------------( umpire’s verdict, really maintain the in­ terests of the game, and reserve in it what is of the highest importance to its permanent existence, a spirit of honest rivalry and manliness. Of course it cannot be denied that the ignorance of umpires as to the principles that regulate decisions of l b w has contributed much to foster the dissatis­ faction mentioned above, but, pending some change in the necessary qualifications of these officials, ready obedience ought to be shown to their judgments. I f there is to be any qualifying examination, much stress, it is hoped, will be laid upon a sound, shrewd, and intelligent knowledge of the leg before wicket theory. ^ c p f l Y I M 0 N v G 0 S g I P 3H - They are tho abstracts and brief chronicles of our time.— Hamlet . • T he Mayor of Canterbury has “ done me proud.” It was a graceful attention of him to propose, as he did, at the meeting of the St. Lawrence Musical Society on Thursday last, “ Success to C ricket .” No one has more interest in the success of C ricket than the chiel that pens these notes, and I take his good wishes for the paper not the spot. As I have had occasion to say more than once to the readers of this paper, C ricket has been a distinct success. To borrow from the phraseology of the showman at the Alhambra with regard to Marian, the “ Giant Amazon Queen,” it is “ still growing.” So much so, indeed, that the proprietor is already contemplating arrangements for the next season to enable him to meet demands which he has hardly been able to supply this year. O nly a few words about the match be­ tween the Australians and the Players of England at the Oval last week. In my last notes I was venturesome to assert that the victory of the Players would be a surprise. The easy win of the English eleven makes my “ tip ” read a little odd, but without in any way seeking to depreciate the thoroughly well-earned success of the Players, I am still of opinion that, under even conditions, the Australians would- have, if anything, the best of the game. The ground never played at all dangerous, but the wicket at the Pavilion end, in particular, was very much more difficult when the Australians had to bat than on the first day when the Players made their runs, and in winning the toss, Lockwood, who, by the way, managed his bowling and placed his field with much skill, secured a great advantage for his side. Luck is a very important factor in cricket, and just as the toss acted prejudicially on the chances of the Gentlemen when they met the Australians at the Oval, so the Players secured tho best help towards gain- i Ig a victory iu going in first last week. The Australian bowling was hardly so good, their fielding by no means as quick as usual, and, indeed, in some measure, they have to thank themselves for the mistakes they made on the first day for their ill- success on this occasion. On the other hand, unstinted praise should be given to the Players for the way they played up from first to last. They began badly in losing four of their best wickets for 37 runs, but the stand made by Barnes and Bead is not likely to be forgotten for a long time, and better bowling, closer fielding, smarter wicket-keeping, in fact, better all-round cricket it has never been anyone’s good fortune to see than was shown by the Players on Friday and Saturday last at the Oval. W hile on the subject of this same match any notice would obviously be incomplete without particular mention of the batting of Bames and Maurice Bead. It is not often that two batsmen in a match of such importance are able to make 159 runs while together. It is still rarer to find a young player equal to the task of making 130 runs against such a team as the Australians, a feat not yet performed by any amateur or professional, as Bead did. Under such circumstances it is easy to understand the enthusiasm evoked at the Oval, and for many a year no such greeting has welcomed a retiring batsman as Surrey’s young and promising professional, Bead, received on Thursday last. Of late the collection of “ caps ” has fallen into disuse on the Surrey ground, but in this case so many were anxious to contribute that a sum of £ 4 1 10s. was collected in a few minutes. I honestly believe that nothing in the match could have been more popular with the public than the distinction thus gained by Maurice Read. No young cricketer has ever borne his honours more modestly, aud it is some­ thing to say that no one is more certain to reflect credit on the calling of a professional player. Anent this same match a corre­ spondent has sent me some remarks on Read’s performance which appeared in an evening paper of Monday last. More than once I have called attention to the original notions of the reporters of cricket matches in the Echo. This is what a writer to the same paper says on the subject of Thurs­ day’s play at the Oval:— Oar men ought to liave lost, if for nothing but their fluky batting. One can well understand a London pit waxing warm when about the only respectable professional of which that part of the country can boast succeeds in keeping his wicket intact, despite innumerable chances, until he is rapidly approaching his third half-century. To them every “ muffed” catch makes the perform­ ance more praiseworthy, and hence the collection made on behalf of the professional referred to. Read’s innummerable oliances exist solely in the imagination of this gifted scribe. In some respects Barnes’s play was perhaps superior, but Bead has not had the same experience. He was twicemissed only, and considering his previous scores against the Australians, notably his 90 without ghost of a chance at Chichester, there v; ’ nothing to establish his Oval record as , exceptional fluke. For a young cricketer now only in his third year before the p u l' —his play, especially towards the last, v ' extraordinarily good, better than has be!.1 shown by a professional of his age for ma; a long day, and as it was he was only r; out by an error of judgment. M r . B aron P ollock , I learn from a da!';: paper, has appointed Mr. M. D. Chaims' revising barrister for Kent. Mr. Chalmi! has been for some years actively associat; j with Kentish cricket. His name will !i well-known to those who have studied t - record of suburban matches from his cor nection with the "West Kent and Sevenoa; Vine Clubs. £ I i T he Enghsh cricketers who are to vi Australia in the winter under the comma • of the Hon. Ivo Bligh, I learn, will have jj1 leave England nearly a month earlier thi f was originally intended. According to t ,j first arrangement they were to start in t v second week of October, but it is nowfoui ' that they will have to take sail in the P . a: 0 . steamer Peshawur, leaving Gravesend , the 14th September. A difficulty had aris v with regard to the four professionals wJ* stipulated for first-class instead of secon ■ class passages as proposed, but the Coi( mittee of the Melbourne Club, the prom : ters of the trip, have conceded thepoir'1, and with Bates, Barnes, Barlow, andMori S; the team is now definitely completed. Bat i and Barlow are down to play for Sha-wj»' Eleven against the Australian Eleven at ti* Oval, but as they can leave London on t '1 22nd. of September in time to catch the re of the travellers at Suez, they may be alf to arrange matters so as to have a last tur with Murdoch and his men before tliej departure. T hebe has been so much big scorii during the last fortnight, that one’s breai1, is fairly taken away. Last week I gave tl - full score of the match between Bicklir Green and the Orleans Club, in which tl latter made the unprecedented total of 9 2 1 Some details though were omitted then, ar it will be of interest for many readers ■' C ricket to know that Messrs. Vernon ai Trevor put on as many 603 runs while the were together. This is 199 more thanwei made by Barnes and Midwinter for M.C.( against Leicestershire at Lord’s, hitheri the best performance on record. Bicklin Green were fielding for nine hours and threi1 quarters, so that Orleans got their runs i an average of a little under 100 per hoi; throughout, pretty tall scoring. For M.C.C aud Ground v. Somersetshire at Taunto last week, Gunn liit five successive fours i his 188,