Cricket 1883

OCT. 25, 1833. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. plcte his four years in command. Lieutenant-colonel Barrow entered the 19tli Hussars in 1868, long after it had ceased to he the 1st Bengal European Cavalry; he received the C.M.G. for his services in South Africa ; and since August, 1874, till July 25, 1883, with the exception of seven months, he has been on the staff.” C olonel B aebow will be well remem­ bered for his recent exploits as Com­ mander of Barrow’s Horse in Zululand. The colonel, too, is an excellent sports­ man, and in addition to being a first- class man to hounds is a very keen cricketer. Indeed, cricket at Aldershot has very good reason to be grateful for the energy he has shown on its behalf of late years. A C o b e e s p o n d e n t thinks it worthy of record that in the Inter-Bank matches of the past season Mr. Lander, playing for the London Joint Stock Bank, had the extra­ ordinary average of 167y for six innings. His scores were as follow; v. London and Westminster Bank 92 (not out); v. Barclay, Bevan, and Co. 57, v. Williams, Deacon, and Co. 37 (not out) ; v. Alliance Bank 5 ; v. London and Westminster Bank (return) 58 (not out); v. Alliance Bank (return) 80 (not out) ; total for two completed innings 335, an average of 167£. In four out of the six innings Mr. Lander was not out, but as he went in first on five occasions and first wicket down on the sixth the per­ formance is none the less noteworthy. T he ways of the printer are like those of the Heathen Chinee— peculiar. Prin­ ters’ errors are, it must be admitted, pro­ ductive of considerable amusement to every one but the unfortunate who un­ consciously provides the entertainment. The chiel who pens these notes has fre­ quently suffered at the hands of the arch demon, as constant readers of the paper will have seen. I do not know, though, that I have ever noticed an odder “ de­ rangement of epitaphs ” (to quote Mrs. Malaprop) in an article on Cricket, than in the closing sentence of a biography of Mr. C. T. Studd, in a monthly sporting magazine of this month. “ He bowls slow round, with a high delivery, and as he is always on the wicket he never fails to be defective.” It is very satisfactory to find that the cadets of H .M .S. Britannia, the training ship stationed at Dartmouth, are able to render a. good account of themselves on the cricket field. Of the twenty-one matches played last season they won twelve, lost two, and seven were drawn. They beat Apsley House, Torquay, twice ; 82nd Kegt., 32nd Begt., South Devon, 74tli Highlanders, twice; Teignbridge, Naval Officers (Plymouth), Lieutenants Heneage’s and Elliot’s Elevens. They were beaten by Torquay and Newton College, and had drawn games with Royal Marines (two), Torquay, Newton College, Mr. Denison’s Eleven (two) and Teignbridge. Their professional, Under­ wood, if I remember rightly, played very good cricket for Devonshire v. M.C.C. and Ground. I believe Underwood occu­ pies a unique position as a professional. At least I am told that he is the only cricketer actually paid by the govern­ ment. T he annual general meeting of the Sussex County Ciub is to be held at the Town Hall, Brighton, to-morrow(Friday), at 3 p.m. The Committee in their annual report give the following account of their stewardship :— The committee can again refer with pleasure to the marked and conspicuous improvement in the county eleven, as much in the quality of the cricket itself as in the number of successful matches. If it cannot be said that any young professionals of very conspicuous talent were last year brought to the front, it is to be hoped that with the opportunities which are now so freely offered by the president for the discovery and development of young professional talent, we may be more successful during the next season; and it may be confidently stated that the engagement of Alfred Shaw by Lord Sheffield has undoubtedlo tended to improve the general form of the present cricketers by affording them opportunities of codtinual practice, of first-class bowling, and excellent coaching. The Committee add their gratification in being able to announce that the Pre­ sident, the Earl of Sheffield, will again offer the same financial guarantee he has given for the last few years, and as last year’s balance sheet shows a donation of £300 from his hand, it will be admitted the executive are justified in their con­ gratulations. A mention of the expenses of the different matches in connection with Sussex cricket in 1883 will be of interest. The Colts’ match cost £40, Hants matches £103 10s., Yorkshire (2) £115, Kent (2) £92 10s., Surrey (2) £89 10s., Notts (2) £111, Derbyshire (2) £108, M.C.C. and Gentlemen’s matches £24 5s. Id. I p all the rumours with regard to the visits of foreign teams to England in 1884 prove to be correct there will be a serious difficulty in making anything like a suitable provision for them. Even should the Australians defer their ap­ pearance to another season it is stated on apparently good authority that a repre­ sentative party of Philadelphian cricketers are to spend a month or two next season this side of the big drink. The announcements which have appeared in some of the English papers go so far as to state that an agent of the Americans, one Mr. J. M. Fox, will attend the meet­ ing of County Secretaries at Lord’s early in December with a view to arrange matches. If it be true that the Americans intend to play against strictly amateur elevens their success finaneially may probably be jeopardised, but their tour is sure to be a pleasant one and they deserve a hearty welcome. T he report that South Africa is also desirous of emulating the deeds of Aus­ tralian cricketers in sending a team to this country is, though, I should fancy, premature. Mr. R. W . Stevens, who hinted at the possibility of such an event, on the occasion of the annual dinner of the Witham Club, merely stated that such a tour had been talked about. The scheme may be said to be still in nuhibus , and from what I have heard it does not seem likely to reach the earth just yet. Mr. Stevens, who is now on a visit to England after six years’ absence, writes me that cricket is in its infancy in South Africa at the present time, but that every year shows a keener interest in the game. It may not be long after all before Kaffreland is able to send us as fine a specimen of native cricket as that ex­ cellent all-round player, the Australian Aboriginal, Mullagh, who made such a capital show here in 1868. “ T he King is dead, long live the King.” One season is hardly over before the arrangements of another are in progress, and even now the preliminary steps are being taken to facilitate the arrangement of fixtures for 1884 in anticipation of the annual meeting of County Secretaries at Lord’s onthe Tuesday in the Cattle Show week. I understand that the Surrey authorities are so pleased with the suc­ cess of their experiment of last year in adding to their match list the names of several counties commonly termed second class, as to contemplate an enlargement rather than a reduction of their heavy programme of 1883, and in all probability Essex and Norfolk may be opposed to the Surrey eleven next year at the Oval. That a stimulus may by this means be given to Counties struggling to get into the front rankcannot be disputed, and I believe Surrey’s policy has even now borne good fruit. Indeed, I hear that the Leicestershire Committee hope to arrange fixtures with other Southern Counties besibes Surrey in 1884. Cheshire, I learn, is also aiming at a better class of matches than it had last summer, the first year of its existence.