Cricket 1883

NOV. 29, 1883. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 439 toria. He is described in Boyle and Scott's Guide as “ a good left-hand bowler with break from either side, and at times is almost unplayable ; good steady bat and magnificent field.” He began the Australian season well on Oct. 6, with a score of 45 not out— the highest on the side— for the first eleven of the Melbourne Club against the next eighteen, besides bowling 138 balls for 57 runs and five wickets. For Mel­ bourne against Richmond last season, for the Cup, Bruce took eight wickets at a cost of only nine runs. T he World recently pointed out a Very curious piece of information gathered from one of the most popular dictionaries in English use. In the authorised edition of Webster the wicket­ keeper is described as “ the player in cricket who stands with the bat to pro­ tect the wicket from the ball.” This definition recalls to my mind a conver­ sation I had some years ago with the proprietor of one of the most widely cir­ culated sporting papers of the day. I happened to find him rapt in admiration at a very glowing show bill intended to portray a game at cricket. “ Is it not a work of art ? ” was his question. T o this I humbly replied that it was good in point of richness of colour, but hardly so accurate in detail as it might be. Pressed to show what was wrong, I ventured to point out that there were no umpires. “ Umpires,” was his answer, “ I always thought they were in the tent.” Fact! A cynic sug­ gests that they might as well be there sometimes. O l d H a r r o v ia n s will be glad to hear that one of their number, the Hon Edward Chandos Leigh, has been ap­ pointed to the important as well as lucrative office of Counsel to the Speaker. Mr. Leigh played for Harrow against Winchester in 1849, making his debttt at Lord’s with Mr. Reginald Hankey, who eight years later played such a fine in­ nings of 70 for the Gentlemen against the Players on the same ground. Mr. Leigh is one of the most distinguished members of the great brotherhood of 1 Zingari and, I believe, occupies the high position of Chancellor to that society. He takes a keen interest in cricket, and is rarely absent from the principal matches at Lord’s or the Oval. T he following extract from the annual report of the New South Wales Cricket Association, relative to the frequent visits of Australian cricketers to England, is interesting as showing the feeling of one of the most influential cricketing organ­ izations in the Colonies :— The Committee observe ■with regret that a team is now being organized for a fourth visit to England. In the first place it appears to the committee that the constant visits of Australians to England and of Englishmen to the colonies are proving disastrous to club cricket, inasmuch as they reduce the number of ordinary club matches within very narrow limits, and tend to impede the progress of young players, inasmuch as they confine all the principal matches to a very select circle of players. In the second place, it appears desirable that any future visits of Australian elevens to England should be under the auspices of the Cricket Associations of the leading colonies. The committee are strongly of opinion that it will be for the interests of cricket if the operations of the now opening season are confined to club matches and the ordinary international contests. L a m b e t h has been at different times singularly favoured in the matter of cricketing parsons. The vicarage just outside the Oval was the birthplace of the Rev. C. G. Lane, a member of the famous old Surrey eleven, and now the house boasts as its occupant the present vicar of St. Mark’s, Kennington, the Rev. H. H. Montgomery, in his time a member of both the cricket and football eleven at Harrow, and subsequently a prominent exponent of b g a m e s at Cambridge. And now the Parish Church of Lambeth will be under the care of another old Cantab* and one of the best all-round athletes the University has ever boasted. At least I see it officially announced that the Rectory of Lambeth, just vacated by the resignation of the Rev. J. F. Lingliam, has been bestowed by the patron, tho Archbishop of Canter­ bury, on the Hon. Francis Godolphin Pelham, Rector of Hales Owen, Worces­ tershire, Hon. Canon of Bangor, and Chaplain to the Bishop of Bangor. Mr. Pelham played first for Eton against Harrow in 1863, and was subsequently, in 1866, Captain of the Cambridge Uni­ versity Eleven. He also played occa­ sionally for Sussex, and competed with great success in the Inter-University Athletic Sports. I h a v e reason to believe that a formal proposal, for the better interpretation of of what is fair bowling, will Be laid be­ fore the Committee of the Marylebone Club, by the Earl of Bessborough. No one in the cricket world can speak with greater authority, and I am given to understand that his alteration has already received the approval of several of the best judges of the game. Rule X , in the altered form he proposes, would read thus The ball shall be bowled with unchecked swing of the arm, and without downward action of the elbow. If thrown or jerked or otherwise unfairly delivered, the^ umpire shall call “ no­ ball.” I am inclined to think that the words added in the first sentence would give rise to miscopstructionin in the um­ piring mind. The addition of “ on delivery ” at the end would probably improve. A satisfactory definition of fair bowling is, I must admit, very difficult. The sad experience, though, of last year, justifies anyone in the asser­ tion that no number of definitions would induce umpires to do their duty, and therefore I fear that all the agitation •will be of little use if it goes no further than written instructions for their sole benefit. I h a v e been requested to call the attention of cricketers to an appeal on behalf of William Martingell, who has for many years been engaged as pro­ fessional at Eton College. Martingell played for both Kent and Surrey, and was one of the most successful round- arm bowlers of his time. As he is in a state of great destitution funds are being raised, not only to meet his immediate wants, but to make some provision for the remainder of his life. Of my own knowledge I am able to testify to Martin- gell’s worth, and I can honestly affirm that it is a very deserving case. The Hon. R. H. Lyttleton, 41, Waterloo Street, Birmingham, lias kindly under­ taken to take charge of any sums sent to him, and see that they are applied in the best way in Martingell’s interest. A c o k e e s p o n d e n t writes to ask if I could give him any particulars of two cricket matches played on the Goodwin Sands. One he believes took place about 1827, the other about the year 1850. Perhaps some one would oblige with the information. T he annual gathering of county dele­ gates— it is now more than a meeting of secretaries— will be held at Lord’s as usual on the seoond day of the Cattle Show week, December 11th. What with the Australian and Philadelphian fixtures, the discussion excited by Lord Harris’s circular re throwing and over-sized bats, and the sure-to-be-revived question of umpiring, there is every prospect of a busy time. The mention of umpiring reminds me that at their meeting on Saturday the Committee of the Notts County Club decided to recommend to the meeting the old system of umpiring, the system adopted last year of the umpires to be appointed by the M.C.C. having,