Cricket 1883

8 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. feb. i6, 1883 . C R I C K E T ! L A W 1 V T E N N T S !! F O O T B A L L ! ! ! F irst P rize M edal at M elbourne E xhibition , 1880. JAMES L I L L YWH I T E , F R 0 WD< *Co . Manufacturers of all articles used in the above and other Athletic Sports. Specialito for the highest class Goods. Bats specially seasoned for hot climates. Price lists and all particulars may be had post free. Shippers supplied at wholesale prices. J. L., F. and Co. are the sole manufacturers of Frowd’s new patent “ Special Driver ” Bat, which drives better, jars less, and averages 1 £ ounces lighter than any other B at; universally allowed to be the greatest improvement made in Bats since cane handles were introduced. Pub­ lishers of JAMES LILLY W H ITE’S CRICKETER’S ANNUAL. Manufactory and Warehouse:— 4 and 6 , Newington Causeway, and 73 and 74, London Road, London. NOTICES. C ricket this week consists of sixteen pages and a Wrapper. C ricket can be had at W . H. Smith and Son’s Book Stalls. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. C ricket is published at 17, Paternoster Square, London, E.C., and will be forwarded to any address in Great Britain, on receipt of a Postal Order (not Stamps) for the amount of the subscription. Post Office Orders and Cheques can be made payable to W . R. W rig h t , at the head office, and crossed “ London and County, Holborn.” C ricket is registered for transmission abroad and can be sent, postfree, at the regular newspaper rates ofvostage to any part of the world. Nos. 1 and 2 have been reprinted. They can be had with Vol. I., which will be sent bound on the receipt of Is. 6 d. It contains Portraits and Biographies of all themembers of the Australian Team of 1882, “ Cricketers of my Time,” by JohnNyren, and a number o f interest­ ing articles by the best writers on the Game. The next number will be published on March 15th, and will contain a full report of Ihe doings » f the English Cricketers in Australia, in continuation of the present issue. The season proper will begin on April 19th, and will extend to Sept. 20. The paper will be sent by first post after publication for the twenty-four numbers up to September, including present issue , for 5/-. TO ADVERTISERS. C ricket presents an unequalled medium for announce­ ments in connection with the game, as the circulation is aiieady in advance of any newspaper of the kind. The scores of most of the principal Clubs will appear exclusively in its columns, and there is already a large number of sub­ scribers, including most of the leading players of the day. C ricket wjll be filed, too, for reference in the pavilions of all the principal Clubs, and it will thus appeal directly to every class of cricketer. It is also filed in most of the public libraries of Australia, and numbers among its sub­ scribers cricketers and dealers in cricket materials all over the globe. A limited number of high-class Advertisements will be taken on terms to be obtained of the Manager. For ordinary Advertisements, the charge will be 31- per inch narrow column. C r t c f t c t ♦ A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1883 A NEW OEDEE OF UMPIRING. W e have so strenuously advocated tlie necessity of alteration in the system of umpiring that we gladly welcome die first sign of reform. The enactment passed at the last meeting of the county representatives at Lord’s is, we hope, the forerunner of other very obvious im ­ provements in the laws and general working of the game. The new proposi­ tion with regard to the appointment of umpires has been accepted by all the counties, and there is no doubt therefore that it will become law. By the new arrangement each county has the right of nominating two umpires—tliis should, we fancy, be one umpire—to the Committee of the Marylebone Club. Should there be an objection to any of the nominees by any of the counties the various candidates will be apportioned by the Committee of the M.C.C. to different matches on the one condition that no one stands in any fixture in which his own county is engaged. A further provision has been made that each umpire shall officiate in as many matches as his own county has fixture. If this latter por­ tion of the scheme can be properly carried out it will have the effect of materially improving the positions of really capable umpires, It will, at least, ensure them a full season, the same as a regular county player, which they could not always expect under the old recognised order of tilings where there were other candidates with some kind of claim in the participation of the umpiring plums. There will be greater inducements under tlie new conditions for men to ground themselves in the laws and qualify for the position of umpires. Now that the selection to a certain extent requires the approval of all the parties interested, the result is sure to be;—if we may use the expression— a higher class of officials. Where judgment and experience are so es­ sentially requisite, the choice of an umpire should not be a mere matter of a ground bowler’s turn or a haphazard affair. To be an efficient umpire requires practice and no small amount of nerve, and none but those who have by a certain appren­ ticeship qualified themselves should be al­ lowed to officiate in contests of public im­ portance. Too much care cannot be exer­ cised in the selection of men on whose ver­ dict may hang the whole issue of the game. In our objection to the principle which has hitherto allowed the choice of umpires to rest with those by whom they are vir­ tually employed, there has never been the shadow of an imputation on umpires generally or on the bona-Jides of any in­ dividual. An idea of any intentional bias has, we are sure, never entered the thoughts of the warmest supporters of a new departure in umpiring. The antagonists of the old system urged that there should be some guarantee of the qualifications of the umpires who offi­ ciated in the better class cricket. Hitherto there has been no possible restriction, no real test of the competency of the arbiters chosen to act in a County match. The standard of umpiring, we contend, should be of the highest. The umpire should be inde­ pendent, able fearlessly to carry out the law without heed of its practice in other courts. He is placed in the most re­ sponsible position on the cricket field, and he should be able to feel that in a determined exercise of the powers rested in him he has the loyal support of the high court of appeal. An umpire may be of the strictest integrity, but none the less he may be physically unqualified to occupy a post which requires the full possession of every faculty. Under the old system there was no check to ensure the selection of really competent men, and if only for the reason that the new order is certain to encourage thoroughly practical and capable um­ pires, it deserves universal support. For many reasons we believe that the change will be beneficial to the best interests of the game. On the other hand 110 argument has to our knowledge been adduced to show that the project is not worthy of a fair and thorough trial. In some slight details there may be modifications or alterations, but we are satisfied that on the whole the scheme is a sound and judicious one. - w W C K E T v P ^ 0 £ F e ^ D * « - T h e Oxford University Cricket Club ha elected C. F. Leslie (Oriel) as captain for th coming season, Mr. T. Case (Fellow of Cor pus) continuing to act as treasurer. Under tlie careful superintendence of the latter, improve­ ments are being carried out at the new ground in the Parks, and a portion is being re-turfed. The following members of last year’s eleven are likely to be in residence:—G. 0. Harrison (Oriel), E. Peake (Oriel), G. E. Robinson (Jesus), E. D. Shaw (Oriel), W. D. Hamilton (Queen’s), J. G. Walker (Trinity), M. C. Kemp (Hertford), and C. F. H. Leslie (captain) (Oriel). A. 0 . Whiting of Merton, is not likely to be up. Matches have been arranged with Lancashire, the Orleans Club, M.C.C., and Gentlemen of England—• the match v. Cambridge taking place on June 25th. The following freshmen from the chief public school teams are now in residence:—F. C. Homfray, Shrewsbury and Christchurch; H. J. Grosvenor, Shrewsbury and Christchurch; H. G. Ruggles Brise, Winchester andBalliol; E. A. Surtees, Haileybury and Oriel; E. B. Raikes, Haileybury and Keble; H. Y. Page, Cheltenham and Wadham; G. C. Lindsay, Loretto and Wadham; J. A. Dun, Loretto and Brasenose ; J. T. Mitchell, Loretto and Corpus; H. P. Hansell, Malvern and Magdalen ; H. T. Arnall, Rugby and Brasenose; E. Bowden-Smith, Rugby and Christchurch; H. H. Dobinson, Repton and Brasenose ; J. F. Jardine, Eton and BrasenoTe; G. H. Aitken, Fettes and Oriel ; D. B. Don Wauchope, Fettes and Keble ; H. H. House, Sherborne and Corpus ; J. M. Bastard, Sherborne and St. John’s ; E. Hockliffe. Bed­ ford and Lincoln. Of these Page, Surtees and Raikes, stand at the head in bowling; and in batting Dobinson, Surtees, Page, Lindsay and Hansell. It is of bowling, however, that the ’Varsity stands in most need, so that the three first named should have a fair chance of obtain­ ing their blue if they come up to last year’s promise, as there will be at least three vacancies to fill. S coke sheets for forwarding matches to C r icket can be had at the Office, 17, Paternos- ter-square, London, E .C ., price 9d. a dozen.— A d vt . C ricket . — A song written and composed by J. H. Smith, and dedicated to A. N. Hornby, Esq. “ It will be welcomed heartily by all lovers ©f the national British game .”—Era Post free, 18 stamps of author, 22, Clifton-street, Wolver­ hampton.— A dvt .