Cricket 1883

434 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME, n o v , 29 , msb . nearly a hundred runs behind Toronto in the only innings played, when they came together for the second match of the season. Both the matches with Guelph were drawn, whilst Galt was beaten on both occasions. Whitby was beaten by a young team on Dominion day, and Brantford’s return match ended most disas­ trously for Brantford. In fact, never before have so large scores been made so regularly, and so many players represented Toronto in the various matches as during this season. It is to be re­ gretted that a team representing this strong organization could not have been gotten together to repay the visit made to the city by the Long­ wood (Boston), the Staten Island, and the Young America (Philadelphia) clubs. There was considerable talk at the beginning of the season of a tour being made, to include these clubs and Montreal, but at the time when this tour might have been arranged the cricket week fixed the attention of the club on their own ground, not on strange ones. It is hoped, how­ ever, that this trip will be made during the coming season, and may it have as good a record as that brought home by the Zingari. Probably, part of the liveliness of the season was due to the fact that the club for the first time for several seasons had a regular profes­ sional in its service. Although Lawton did not display—in fact had little chance to display—a great deal of effective cricket himself, still much of the improvement in the batting of the olub is credited to him. The Hamilton Club.—When the prospeots of this club were noted in April an active career was foreshadowed, but owing to the very bad state of their ground, they have played only a small number of matches, the majority of which were junior ones. The senior club was most unfortunate when arrayed against Toronto, as a number of the most reliable batsmen could not afford the time necessary to play the two days in Toronto. The junior element was fairly active, and judging from the material it con­ tained, Hamilton should next year have a good lot fiom which to supplement their senior eleven. Cricket has been fairly active in Guelph, which club was not as formidable as usual, as it was beaten by the East Toronto Club, and did not have too good a record in the other matches played. A large score was made against Brant­ ford on one occasion, and in the second innings against the Toronto Club in the match played in Guelph, a good total was run up. Brampton has not been very energetic this year, nor have Berlin, St. Mary’s, Thamesville, Paris, and Chippewa. Galt displayed a good deal of energy in getting up a team to play a couple of matches in Toronto. Windsor has not played the same number of matches as usual, but has perhaps been more unfortunate, as after beating the county it was beaten by the enterprising club supported by the Kingsvillians. Chatham has not been heard of at all, and a like compliment might be paid to the Londoners, whose cricket is iu the hands of a number of overgrown juveniles. The St. Catherine’s senior club did not reor­ ganize this season, so the younger members of the club took matters in their own hands and organized ajunior club. This proved an excel­ lent move, and a very strong junior team was gotten together. Wishing to try their steel against other junior or second eleven teams, a week’s tour was arranged, the results of which gave ample proof of sterling cricket. It is thought that next season these enterprising youngsters will take the full management of St. Catherine’s cricket and make a creditable showing. A cricket club was organized in Kingsville at the beginning of this season, and as its pro­ moters proved so energetic in making their team practise, the club came through the season with an unbroken record, Windsor being disposed of for a small number of runs. Uxbridge is certainly the best club north of Toronto, and it deserves this position, as it made quite an extensive tour during the summer, and proved itself much stronger than any of the clubs outside of Toronto. The interest in the game is very great in Uxbridge, and next season it is expected the club will turn out much stronger than this, as a number of the younger players have been taken in hand by Cross- thwaite, who in days of old proved himself an ex­ cellent coach. Lindsay was pretty strong this season, and it boasts of the great honour of having an unbroken record. This, however, was due more to bor­ rowed strength than to native talent. On one occasion the only bowlers were strangers, and nearly all the runs were made by one of the bowlers. Orillia, Gravenhurst, and Bracebridge should, perhaps, he taken next. Orillia played many matches, but with poor luck. The town has the best ground north of Toronto, and on this account the usual match between Toronto and “ All North,” when not played in this city, has been contested there. The Orillians are enterprising and valuable to Ontario cricket. Bracebridge and Gravenhurst have played a few matches, but they are both handicapped for want of a good ground. Orangeville, Shelburne, Durham, and Owen Sound were energetic throughout the season. The last named club was particularly so, as it won nearly all of a good many matches played. Whitby, Port Hope, Coburg, and Belleville have taken but a languid interest in the game this season. Napanee, however, showed them an excellent example of what a small town could do in this respect, playing a fair num­ ber of matches with its neighbours. Kingston has not done much in the cricket line, nor has Ottawa, which seems to have dropped this game and to have taken to lawn tennis in its place, the change being seemingly an agreeable one to them. The annual match between Upper Canada College and Trinity College School (Port Hope) was the great event of the cricket season of the clubs of both institutions. Iu this season’s contest the Canada boys were victors by a goodly number of runs. This result was, perhaps, natural when one noted the circumstances attached to these teams. The Port Hope boys, from the commencement of the season’s play, were assisted in all. their matches by a profes­ sional, and sometimes by a couple of masters in addition. When the team was deprived of these standbys, the captain had to use his own judg­ ment, which naturally could not have developed very much when all the headwork had baen done for him by others. With the Upper Canada men things had been different. The captain had full charge of his men in every match played. It is possible that the playing of a professional in all the matches of a club, rather in the most important, is a mistake. The Port Hope boys, naturally, were accustomed to place reliance on the “ pro.” and less on them­ selves. Toronto University did not display a great amount of go this season, but it was more the fault of the times than the club committee. Three matches were played, but in no case did fortune favour them. Trinity University was, on the contrary, on the alert, and though hin­ dered by rain twice from playing the Toronto club, a number of matches were played, in which Trinity was not always unsuccessful. It was evident enough that cricket was flourishing in Toronto during the year by the large number of clubs that were almost daily heard from at the height of the season. The East Toronto club played perhaps the largest number of matches of any club this sea­ son, and, with the exception of one or two reverses, they were very successful. Guelph was beaten very handily by the club, and a high tribute was due to the East Toronto’s for their excellent bowling and fielding on this occasion. The club also indulged in a tour which com­ prised matches with the chief clubs north of Toronto and east within the radius of Coburg. Their success throughout was good, but a num­ ber of players could not remain with them through the tour, and in consequence, towards the close, but weak teams were placed in the field against some of the country clubs. The Seaton Village, St. George, Sons of Eng­ land, Parkdale, Beaverwick, and numerous junior clubs were all very active, and there were but few Saturdays for which all of these clubs had not matches arranged. One of the features of the year towards its conclusion, and in fact after other first-class cricket had stopped, was the tour in the United States of I Zingari. New life was given to this enterprising organization by the action of the committee in challenging the Belmont, Merion, and Germantown clubs, of Philadelphia, for matches on their own grounds for the last week in September. These challenges wer 6 issued long before the international match, and it is creditable to the committee that they did not recall them when the result of that unfortunate match came out. It was extremely fortunate, too, for Canadian cricket that these challenges were not withdrawn, as the team selected for this tour gave a splendid account of themselves, and in the words of The American Cricketer, “ their success went far to redeem the reputa­ tion of Canadian cricket.” The fact that a young team, gotten together, with but two ex­ ceptions, from Ontario, proved able to defeat some of the crack clubs of Philadelphia, the centre of American cricket, will serve as food for reflection for cricketers. The weather during the greater part of the season was hardly as propitious as during for­ mer seasons. Still the cricket week was well favoured with the exception of the last day, when the Canadian International team missed their opportunity of scoring a substantial win over the Western Association, the visit of which organization gave a greater interest to that week’s doings. There were many instances during the season of phenomenal bowling, batting, and fielding, from which it is right to infer that cricket has during the season of 1883 made a great stride forward in the way of improvement over past seasons .—Toronto Mail. J. G. W a l k e r , the well known cricketer, took his B.A. degree at Oxford on the 8 th inst. E. R. W e th e y , of Brasenose College, took his B.A. degree at Oxford on the 8 th inst. Mr. G. F. Vernon left England last week for a tour in Australia. W a t e r lo w & Sons C.C. Dinner at Holborn Restaurant, on November 17. Mr. G. S . Water- low was in the Chair. About 170 sat down. T h e Thornbury Club in the thirty-eight matches played in 1883 scored 7,890 ruus. Their opponents altogether made 3,699 runs. In a match at Concord (U.SA.), on Oct. 10, between Isthmian and Old Hundred Clubs, Brune bowled 84 balls for 10 runs and fourteen wickets (all clean bowled). Mb. D. B o okless , of Middlesborough, has offered to give a Challenge Cup of the value of £50, for competition to the various Cricket Clubs within a radius of 50 miles of Middles- boro’. The Cup must be won three times in succession before becoming the property of any club. Mr. W. M. Roland, the well-known Scottish Cricketer, died at Glasgow on Nov. 5. He first came into prominence at Mercheston Castle School, Edinburgh, but latterly was chiefly identified with the Dalkeith and West of Scot­ land Clubs. He was probably the most rapid scorer in Scotland. Next Number of CRICKET will be published Thursday, December 27.