Cricket 1883

SEPT. 13,1883. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. “ A b e t t e r make-up than Mr. Fiennes (clown) it would not be possible to see, and apropros to his dress he was equally funny. While batting, the ball acci­ dentally found its way into his pocket; but he kept on running for some time until he had to be ‘ grassed,’ and the ball taken from him. The same gentle­ man, while his side was batting, collared the ball, ran to the boundary and dropped it, in order to increase the score of his eleven. Corporal Plant as a non­ descript played his part well, and amused the spectators by walking * heels up’ards.'” “ Thewhole eleven,” according to Modern Society, “ played their parts thoroughly w ell; and had they been professionals instead of amateurs, it would have been impossible for them to have more excelled.” I should like, though, to ask what is meant by “ pro­ fessional ” costumes. M r . G. F. M a r c h , of 36, Addington Eoad, Bow, E ., sends the following com­ munication :— In your issue of the Gth inst., it is stated that •1 The Derbyshire eleven have only won one toss this season, when they heat Surrey at Derby.” I beg to point out that this is an error, as the match, Sussex v. Derbyshire, played last week at Brighton, resulted in a victory for the latter by 29 runs. They have thus won two matches ! By what possible “ derangement of epitaphs,” to quote Mrs. Malaprop, my remark that Derbyshire only won one toss can be made to read that Derbyshire only won one match, it is difficult to tell. Derbyshire, I can but repeat, only won one toss this season. duties; for in other teams besides Lancashire there are bowlers who cannot be said to bowl. Excuses are made for umpires onthe ground that their livelihood depends to a great extent on their popularity; but this is a lamentable beg­ ging of the question. So hard is the problem that a correspondent of a prominent sporting paper has written to suggest that throwing at the wicket should be allowed. This, also, is a feeble and unworthy escape from tho difficulty. It would save dispute, for a man could not be blamedfor throwing if hewere allowed to throw, The art of cricket playing, however, would be seriously endangered by any such conpromlse ; not to dwell upon the fact that a skilful bat would conquer throwing very much more easily than bowling. It is clear that in cricket matches decisions must rest on umpires. That is beyond all question; andifumpires, as at present chosen, either do not know, or are afraid to enforce, the laws of true cricket, the thing to do is to appoint umpires of a different sort. For great matches, therefore, itwould be well if the Marylebone Club selected and sent down um­ pires who could be implicitly trusted to carry out the letter and spirit of the law. I have so persistently represented the necessity of a higher class of umpires, that I am in hopes some day of being able to record a move of the authorities in this direction. The Brighton H erald of Saturday last contains the following paragraph :— D e a th o f an O ld C r ic k e t e r .— After an ill­ ness of several months, Mr. Thompson, who in his younger days gained considerable celebrity as a cricketer, died at East Hoathly on Monday, at the advanced age of 91 years. It is recorded of him that on one occasion he executed the extraordinary feat of taking thirteen wickets with thirteen consecutive balls, displacing the middle stump with each. I can find no record of any such celebrity in “ Scores and Biographies.” Perhaps some correspondent may be able to es­ tablish his identity. The Evenin') Standard of Monday con tains some very sensible remarks on the burning question of the cricket hour which will well bear reproduction here The Marylebone Cricket Club have a knotty point to solve with reference to the future of bowling; but, hard as the task is, it may be hoped that before the next cricket season the matter may be comprehensibly settled. Um­ pires ought to know when bowling is fair and when it passes the line and becomes throwing at the wicket. They either do not know, how­ ever, or have not the courage to fulfil, their, C r i c k e t has, ill its time, overcome many obstacles. I question, though, whether it will be able to survive the disapproval of the Minnesota Tribune, which descants on the game tliusly :— Cricket is peculiarly an English game, and therefore slow. The monotony of the game is relieved by the continual changing of position by the fielders after every “ over,” but in this changing about half the time occupied by the game is consumed. As compared with base-ball, the play at cricket is extremely loose; the fielders are seldom where the ball strikes, a fly catch is a rare thing, and the ball is muffed and fumbled, even by the best players, in such a manner as would make an American base-ball player seriously ill. The players of the “ in” side, except the two at bat, have nothing what­ ever to do during the time their side is in, and it isiu at least several hours, and sometimes several days. The game is entirely too slow for Americans. After this no doubt cricket will cave in. I h a v e received the following letter from Mr. J. C. Ker S ir, —In your last week’s number of C ricket, on page 375, you notice two rather peculiar in cidents which occurred in the match between Surrey and Kent at the Oval- With regard to the second I might mention that a similar ease occurred in a match in which I took part on August 12, last year, at Pangbourne, Bavens- court Park v- Whitchurch, full score of which appearedin your paper on August 31. After I had dismissed the batsman the bails were pro­ jected forward and rested in the centre of the pitch as if they had been on the stumps. that lie was one of the ten representatives of New SouthWalesin the pigeon shooting match against the picked ten of “Victoria, at Melbourne on July 16. The conditions were fifteen birds at 28 yards rise, and the New South Welshmen won, kill­ ing 107 to 102. Murdoch grassed nine of his fifteen. T h e London correspondent of the Melbourne Leader wires under date of July 2 0 , that “ arrangements are being made for the dispatch of an English team of cricketers to Australia.” He adds, “ the team will consist entirely of professional players, and is expected to leave London for the Antipodes shortly.” Shortly is rather vague— a margin of a year or so, I take it, is of no consequence. W . L. M u r d o c h , the captain of the last two Australian teams, seems to be a proficient in other branches of sport be­ sides cricket. At least he lias attained to Inter-Colonialhonours as a pigeon shot. I see from the Melbourne Leader of July 21, T 'aria. Bray, the whilom Kentish bowler, took all ten wickets for Darwen against Werneth on Saturday. Messrs. A. G. Steel and G. B. Studd played for Dumfriesshire against Kirkcudbright on Monday and Tuesday. A. G. scored 60 (out of 126), and4 (not out); G B., 5 and 7. The former in the two innings of the Kircudbright took eight wickets. Lord Eskdaill played on the same side. The profits of the match between Notts and M.C.C. & G., to begin at Trent Bridge Ground to-day, are to be divided among ihe professionals of tho County team. There was no extra in either innings of the Surrey eleven in their match against the Twenty-four Surrey Colts at the Oval on Monday aud Tuesday. The Bev. J. A. Burrows, playing for Ecclesliill v. Upper Armley on Saturday, took seven wickets in five overs for one run. ABTILLEBY v. S. E. WANDERERS. Plajel atWoolwich on September 8 . R. Gooding, b Cook T. Hall, b Cook .. W. Hunter, b Cook W. Woods, b Cook S. Bilton, b Cook .. R. Williams, b Cook 1 0 0 11 0 4 W. Williams, b Ladner 10 J.Golesworthy ,c Dayis> b L a d u er..................! J. Turner, b Cook L. Marsh, not out .. ] T. Marsden, b Smith .. E x tr a s .................. Totel S. E. W a n d erers . W. Pleydell, c Marsden, b Golesworthy .. .. 38 G.Crerar, b Golesworthy 1 W. Smith, c Williams, b Golesworthy .. .. 22 J. T. Ladner, b Goles­ worthy...........................5 S. Robinson, b Goles­ worthy .......................... 10 A, B. Garlick,cWilliams, bGoleswortliy .. .. 0 W. Davies,bR.Williams 1 J. Roe, c Bilton, b Gooding ..................41 A. Gaymer, c Wood, b Golesworthy .. .. 5 S. Richmond, b Goles­ worthy .................. 1 W. F. Cook, not out .. 11 E x tr a s ..................4 Total .130 O n Saturday last, at Beaufort House, for WalhamGreen v. Fulham Police, Mr. J. Taylor took 7 wickets for 2 runs.