Cricket 1882

“ T o g e t h e r j o i n e d i n C r i c k e t ’s m a n l y t o i l . ”— Byron. Registered*fm-^Tranera^s'ion" Abroad THURSDAY. SEPT. 7, 1882. PRICE 2d. G EORGE EU G EN E PALM ER . F ew cricketers have in so short a time achieved a world-wide reputation as the slow bowler of the Australian team whose portrait we give this week. Though mostly identified with Victoria, it was the sister colony of New South Wales that gave him birth. He was born at Albury, N.S.W. on the 22nd of February, 1860; but his parents, soon after his birth, removed to Benallam, Victoria, and it is chiefly with Victorian cricket that his name has been associated. He was edu­ cated in Melbourne, and in that city his talent for cricket soon found full scope. In 1879 ho was playing with the South Melbourne Club, and with considerable success. He was then only nineteen years o ld ; but he already had gained some local reputation for his bowling, which was only wanting a good oppor­ tunity to develop itself. The season of 1879 witnessed his first show in a match of general importance. Among the series of fixtures arranged for Gregory’s (the first) Australian Eleven was one against Fifteen of Victoria. It was in this match that Palmer made his debut, and with no small success, taking four wickets in the first innings. His bowling indeed was so effective that he was chosen early as one of the Fifteen to represent Victoria against the English Eleven under the command of Lord Harris, later in the season. He was not selected as one of the Eleven Victorians who subsequently defeated Lord Harris’s Eleven, nor was he picked for the return match, though an accident gave him an opportunity of distinction on the second occasion. Frank Allan, “ The bowler of a century,” was one of the chosen Victorians, but he missed his train, and when the game was commenced had not yet arrived. Palmer fielded in his stead, and when it was seen that the Englishmen had fairly collared the bowling, with Allan still an absentee, it was decided that Palmer should play. The opening made his reputation, as when he was put on he took six wickets, having really the best analysis on the side. His next appearance was in the International.match at Sydney, in Nov., 1879, and in both the contests of that season his bowling proved very effective. He had just completed his twentieth year when he was invited to form one of the second Australian team for England. His doings during the tour of 1880 will be generally remembered. The injury to Spofforth’s hand gave him an opening of which he fully availed himself. Indeed throughout the series of matches he had a brilliant record as a bowler, only second to one of the team (Spofforth). In the whole tour of 67 matches he took 533 wiokets for an average of ju st; under seven runs, and iu eleven a-side matches he was proportionately successful, his 268 wickets costing just over seven rims each. Once or twice in England lie showed considerable promise with the bat, and on his return to Australia it was generally acknowledged that he had greatly im­ proved in this department. Great things were indeed expected of him as a batsman last season in Australia, but at present he has hardly realised these expectations. In the International match' at Sydney, just before his departure for England, he played a very fine innings of seventy-six not out for New South Wales, and this was by far his best performance. Palmer has always been iden­ tified with the South Melbourne Club, and last season he was its best all-round player, having a batting average of thirty-five and a bowling average of eight runs per wicket.1 He bowled, it is said, more balls than any player in Victoria, and in the different1 matches against Shaw’s Eleven in the1 colonies had decidedly the best analysis, taking thirty-seven wickets for 210 runs.l During the present tour he has been uni­ formly successful with the ball. In the match with Sussex he took fourteen wickets, but against Yorkshire, Notts,! Derbyshire, and Cambridge University hei also did noteworthy performances, and) in the second inuings of the Gentlemen at the Oval he took foul- wickets for twenty-two runs. A strain in the recent match with the Players prevented his taking part in the great fixture against England on the Surrey ground, and it is feared that he will be of little use for the rest of the programme. Palmer is un­ doubtedly one of the best all-round! cricketers of the thirteen Murdoch com-l mands. He bows slow round arm, with an easy delivery. He makes the ball break both ways and keeps a good length, giving comparatively few to hit.j When the wicket helps him he is very dangerous, but even when the ground is true and fast ho takes a lot of playing, as he varies his pitch well and uses his head more than the ordinary run of bowlers. He is an excellent field, esr pecially to his own bowling, and indeed in this respect the Australians generally can give us a lesson—making catches where English bowlers as a rule get out of the way. As a bat he has rather1 disappointed expectations over here. Still there undoubtedly is batting ih him, and with pains he would be sure to make runs ; indeed, he has more than once shown how he can bat on a pinch. Talraer is 5 feet Id inches in height, and weighs 12 stone. Like several/ others of the team, he is engaged under the Colo­ nial Government. C kicket score sheets cau bo had at 17, Pater-1 noster-sq., London, E.C., price 9d. a dozeu—Aoviy