Cricket 1883

SEPT. 20,1883. CEICKET; A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 413 in after so recently being at the top of the tree finding themselves now at the bottom. A' soli­ tary win over Lancashire which brought their season to a close, was their only success in first class county matches, unless Somersetshire be included, when they can boast two additional wins. The Grace family have been as per usual the mainstay of the team, although they have received substantial support from Messrs. Cranston, Moberly, Page, Townsend, Vizard, and Pullen. Like all Southern Counties, Gloucestershire suffer from great lack of bowling, as when Woof and Mr. W. G. Grace are knocked off, there is no reliable bowler to take their place. Kent are in not much better plight than Gloucestershire, as although possessed of a fine batting team, headed by Lord Harris with an average of nearly 43, with the best amateur wicket keeper of the day, and a fielding team of which any county might be proud, it is the lack of bowling that prevents them coiping to the front, and occupying the position their energetic captaiu strives so hard to obtain for them. Hampshire and Somersetshire, who occupy a somewhat doubtful position on the threshold of first-class cricket, have shown so much improve­ ment, that it is to be hoped they will make very strong endeavours to improve still further. They both have some promising batsmen spring­ ing up, and we may look in the future to the attainment of a more prominent position than they have taken in the last few years. Among second-class Counties Essex, North­ ampton, Leicestershire, and Norfolk have made rapid strides, and it will, perhaps, bo necessary, before another season, to decidewhat constitutes a first-class County. It is pleasant to record a great increase in the development of first-class cricket all over the country, and we earnestly hope every County, with hardly an exception, will soon have its representative team. In the annual matches at the Oval and Lord’s, hetween Gentlemen and Players, neither team was quite representative, owing to - County matches elsewhere, but despite this, both pro­ duced somewhat sensational cricket. Although no long scores were made, the Surrey fixture ended in a tie, amid tremendous excitement, while the match at Lord’s was productive of some long individual scores, Mr. Tylecote heading the list with 107. Mr. A. G. Steel got 64, and singularly enough, three batsmen came off in both innings, A. P. Lucas 72 and 51 not out, Ulyett 65 and 51, and Barnes not out 62 and 76. The Oxford and Cambridge match resulted in the victory of the Cantabs, although they were somewhat lucky in getting rid of the “ dark blues ” for the small score of -65 in the first innings. The contest between Eton and Harrow, as far as witnessing the crioket, was a com­ plete farce. Lord’s, for the nonce, is turned into a gigantic picnic, and> although the cricket was below the average, the number of visitors was larger than ever. Marchant and Greatorex, more especially the latter, may turn out useful for their respective counties, but nothing out o i the common was to be seen in the other members of the elevens. It is possi­ ble that in a future year, a County mateh may be played at the Oval on the same day, so that the numerous visitors to town may not be en­ tirely deprived of their amusement. The interest in School cricket was not entirely con­ fined to the Eton and Harrow match, as a large number of spectators were present at Lord’s, on the occasion of the match between Rugby and Marlboro’, and some of the other Public Schools notaqly Winchester, who had perhaps the best eleven of the year, showed good cricket. A greater number of cricket tours than usual were organised, and no club can servo its county better, than by a cricket tour with the object of unearthing the rising talent. It would iiot perhaps be right to close this review without pointing to the fact that during the past season the authorities at St. John’s Wood decided to amend the present laws of Cricket. Although nothing has been done of any importance in regard to “ Leg before wicket,” and law X in regard to throwing, yet several important alterations have been made. None has given greater and more general satisfaction, than that of allow’ing tho wickets to be rolled, and prepared,on the second and third mornings of a match, no matter whether the innings has teen completed or not. ^C0ItTOP0pE]ME> \Va are not responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents. No coinmunieations can be inserted un­ less they bear the name and address of the writer, as a proof of good faith, not necessarily for publication. LAW TEN. To th e E ditor of “ C r ick e t .” S ie ,— Since the impossibility of adding to the laws of cricket, a definition of a throw by which any umpire is likely to be guided, and since umpires will always be slow to encounter the hostility of hundreds, the partisans of the bowler whom they no-ball, I would suggest what I think the only means of making bowling de­ serve its name. Let an appeal to the com­ mittees of clubs or captains of elevens be made seriously to consider the style of the howlers they recognize, and to oonfine themselves to those whose delivery admits, according' to the law proposed by Lord Harris, of no doubt. Already we know eases in which a professional has been superseded, aud also a case of an amateur with whom true cricketers refused to play. Let this kind of scruple become con­ ventional, and even let us go further. When I have seen a hand, not only for natural ease and return over tbe shoulder, but practically a foot over the bead,I for one call it in no sense “ bowl­ ing ” at all, and all true cricketers should be ashamed to countenance it. In one word let us cultivate a wholesome public opinion, for that only will eliminate men mis-called bowlers.— T h e A uth o r of “ T h e C r ic k e t F ie l d .” THE ETON AND HARROW MATCH. To THE EDITOR OF “ fc/RICKET.” Sin,—In the Eton and Harrow match the sido which has had first innings won 33 games and the side which had second innings only 17. Some reader will, I hope, oblige us with a similar analysis of other matches. No doubt with young players the advantage of going out to save, in­ stead of going in to make the runs at the critical point of the game, is greater than with older playeis ; still with all, the firstinnings gives generally, though not always— 1. The best of the ground. 2. The best of the light. 3. That freshness and concentrativeness so essential for batting. 4. Freedom from the discouragement of a long adverse score. 5. And, above all, freedom from that nervous­ ness which causes a cramped and, therefore, a dangerous style of play at the finish, not to men­ tion 6 . The moral effect of your adversaries being wound up to play their hardest and their best. Few will dispute this as a matter of theory, but I would invite an extended analysis of facts iu support of it.—Yours, &c., • T h e A uth or of th e “ C ricket F ie l d .” ADV10E TO YOUNG PLAYERS. To th e E ditor of “ C riokei -.’ S ir , —We have just seen in C ricket of April 19 a letter from W. Sapte, jun., wherein he states that “ Advice to Young Players,” was copied from Roullcdr/e’s Sporting An­ nual. This, we believe, is correct, but when we published it in our “ Guide” we were not aware it had ever appeared before. It was sent to us by a contributor as original, and we thought the advice was so excellent we published it. Had we had the'east idea it had heen crib­ bed from another sporting work, we would not have inserted the same, or had we done so would certainly have said the source we had got it from. This we are very particular about. Trusting this explanation will satisfy Mr. Sapte, and that he will write many more sensible articles on Cricket. We are &c., B o v le & S c o tt. Publishers Australian “ Cricket Guide.” A N SW E R S TO CORR E S P OND EN T S . “ M id -O f f .” —What were the respective scores of Mr. E. F. S. Tylecote and Mr. I. D. Walker in the second innings of the Gentlemen and Players’ match at the Oval iu 1871? (Mr. Tylecote, 26 and G; Mr. Walker, 67 and 22.) ETON v. H A R R OW . I go because my neighbours go, X’he tardy minutes fleet on, And in my heart I vote it slow, When Harrow Btrives with Eton. I ne’er was at a public school, My mind perchance is narrow, I always feel myself a fool, When Eton strives with Harrow. Of- fashionable friends I boast, So I must find a seat on The carriage of some wealthy host, When Harrow strives with Eton. I take no deeper int’rest in The match than yonder sparrow ; For what care I which side shall win, When Eton strives with Harrow ? The only gleam of joy all day Is when they bring tbe meat on, A wondrous knife and fork I play, When Harrow strives with Eton. My host’s ch?.mpagne is warm aud stale, .And, savage as Suwarrow, I-must content myself with ale, When Eton strives with Harrow. Tho thing has come to bo a bore, Henceforth I’ll set my feet on That doleful ground at Lord’s no moro, When Harrow strives with Eton. Modern Society. In our biography of last week Mr. G. B. Studd was stated to be Captain of tho Cam­ bridge University eleven iu 1881. He did not succeed to the Captaincy till 18S2. P hotograph of th e Y orksh ire E l e v e n .— . An excellent Photograph of the Yorkshire Eleven of this season, price 5s.—Order of Mr. W . R. Wright, Manager of “ Cricket,” 17, Paternoster Square, London, E.C. “ C ricket , ” a periodical that has enjoyed a well-deserved success during two seasons, will come out in tho winter at intervals of a month, as last year. Lovers of the great summer game had better make a note of this fact .—Athletic News, September 19, 1883.