Cricket 1883

LIVERPOOL CLUB. The annual meeting of this cricket club was held on March 5, under the presidency of Mr. T. D. Hornby. The balance sheet showed that the income was £2,272 18s. 3d., and the expendi­ ture £2,80318s. 8d.,leaving a balanoe of £3 5s. lOd due to the debit of the club. In all, 44 matches ■were played last season, of which 20 were ■won, 6 lost, and 18 drawn. The large proportion of drawn matches was, in a great measure, due to the wet season. This season a list of 60 matches had already been arranged, and a few more still have days to be assigned to them. Besides the usual matches with the towns and clubs surrounding Liverpool, Lancashire play Gloucestershire on July 26, 27, and 28, at the Liverpool Ground. There is also the usual school week against Chelten­ ham, Marlborough, and Clifton. This takes place in Whit-week, May 14 to 19. The club also play two matches against Rossall School and one against Uppingham. The chief matches beyond these are against Free Foresters, the Friars, Incogniti, Yorkshire Gentlemen, Revel­ lers, Shropshire County, the Grange at Edin­ burgh, Mr. Sydney Platt’s Eleven from Wales, Marylebone, and Hoi Pepneumenoi; while there is a chance of a further addition to the list by perhaps arranging matches with I Zingari and Oxford University. Another fixture which may prove of considerable interest not only in Liver­ pool, but to the county generally, is Fifteen Colts of Lancashire, captained by Mr. E. Roper, against Eleven of Liverpool Club and Ground. Another match is also likely to be played at Grasiendale, which will be Professionals of Manchester and District of ten miles against Professionals of Liverpool and district of ten miles. The season will open with the usual match against Childwall on Saturday, the 29th of April. The Secretary reported that he had arranged with the Canadian lacrosse players who are visiting England this year, to play at Grassendale on the 9th and 11th of July. The professionals on the ground will be W. Bowley, John White, Fred. William, and Alfred Price, all of Nottingham; and William Hunt, of Leicestershire—and Ubsdell still keeps his place as groundman. The members’ list reads thus:— Life members, 189; ordinary members, 588; and 15 members abroad. Both reports were carried unanimously, and the following officers of the club were afterwards re-elected :—President, the Earl of Sefton; vice-presidents, Messrs. T. D. Hornby and C. Langton; treasurer, Mr. G. C. H. Dunlop ; secretary, Mr. T. Ratliff. Retiring members of the committee of management, Messrs. J. F. Collier, E. Kewley, R. Isaacson, H. B. Parr, E. Roper, and S. Field. P ractice began at Oxford University on Monday. Mr. M. C. Kemp, of Hertford, who was elected captain when it was found that Mr. Leslie would not return from Australia in time, is already hard at work. The following pro­ fessionals are at present engaged at Oxford. Titchmarsh (Herts), Price, F. and W. Webb (Middlesex), Butler (Notts), Jacks (Oxon), Naylor, Lane (Notts), Farrands (Middle­ sex), Gunn (Notts), and Attewell (Notts), Cross­ land (Lancashire), Pollard (Yorkshire), Wood (Gloucester), Scotton (Notts), Fothergill (Somer­ set) Parnham (Leicester), and G. Hearn (Kent). W a v e b l e y C bicket C lub (Greyhound, Dul­ wich), have July 7 (home) and July 7 (away) open for all clubs of good strength, having pri­ vate grounds. Also two or three dates for second eleven fixtures.—George F. Teasey, Hon. Sec., 7, Harvey Road, Camberwell, S.E.— A dvt . B dw a n d B bojiley I n stitu te C. C. are open for a Day Match on Bank Holiday, May 14th, either at Forest Gate or on opponents’ ground. Latter preferred if a few miles out.—Kelly Smith, 1, East India Avenue, London, E.C.— A dvt . I n a match on Saturday between Westminster School and Mantle’s Twelve, at Vincent Square, F. T. Higgins, the School captain, went in first and carried out his bat for 34 out of 65. Mantle’s Twelve scored 101. C ricket . — A song written and composed by J. H. Smith, and dedicated to A. N. Hornby, Esq. “ It will be welcomed heartily by alHpvers ef the national British game .”—Era Post free, 18 stamps of author, 22, Clifton-street, Wolver­ hampton.— A dyt . THE GAME. a p r i l 19 ,1883. BARLOW ON FIELDING . To be a good fielder requires, like the more important acquisitions of batting and bowling, steady, constant, persevering practice, which must result in quick and hold-fast catching, quick running, direct and long range throwing ; this practice must be maintained till you can catch the quickest ball with either hand, over­ take and pick up a ball without turning round, and throw it in a hundred yards off, and come within a yard of the wickets, if possible hitting the bails. When you can accomplish these trifles your county will no doubt require your services, and your captain will soon ascertain in what position you are most serviceable. Nearly perfect examples of good fielding are to be found in the Rev. V. K. Hoyle, Mr. A. N. Hornby, and Drs. E. M. and W. G. Grace ; these are well worthy of imitation, and of going miles to see. A wicket-keeper must be as firm as a rock, bold as a lion, nimble as a cat, tough as a rhinoeerus, quick as thought, cool as an iceberg, hard as iron, elastic as indiarubber, hawk-eyed, swivel- kneed, having his elbows working on universal joints, must be able to see through a bats­ man and possess the loveliest temper in the world ; with this for his stock-in- trade he may set up wicket-keeping; also, as the lawyers say, “ providing ” he is willing to keep his body in a very unnatural and unbe­ coming position, run the risk of having his eye blackened, his nose flattened, his fingers put out of joint, his knee-eap turned inside out, and his head knocked off ; the foregoing qualifications being essential to the proper fulfilment of the duty—it will be admitted that the post is no sinecure; still, I am glad to know that despite these dangers, our Lytteltons,Tylecotes, Pillings, and Pooleys, and the Australian Blackhams still live, and are examples of what enthusiastic cricketers will undertake. PILLING ON W ICKET KEEP ING . “ T hough not myself a total abstainer, I would strongly impress upon all who have any desire to become a wicket-keeper to be ‘ temperate in all things.’ In your position behind the wickets you will always want, and will require to feel in the best of form, with a clear head and un­ dimmed eye, seeing that upon you will devolve the duty of stopping every ball that the batsman cannot. A great amount of patience will have to be exercised by the aspirant for wicket-keeping honours: be content with small successes at first, and climb the ladder of fame by degrees. Do not be down-hearted or nervous, for a ner­ vous man will never make a wicket-keeper ; he occupies the most dangerous position in the field, and without doubt gets more knocks and bruises than any other person engaged in the game. But if he wishes to excel in this branch of our national game he must not let these dis­ courage him, but stick to it, resolving to be more careful, and try to escape such accidents another time. You cannot make a wicket-keeper of any­ one. To some it comes naturally as a gift; but to all I would say that it is with wicket-keeping as with other things—practice makes perfect, and the best practice is to be obtained in matches. During practice nights choose, if you may, the best bowlers on the field to practice with, as less accidents will happen to you from real first-class than from second or third-rate bowling, and remember that success follows perseverance.” The above extracts are from an excellent little book on Cricket, recently published by Barlow, the well-known professional. From the “ Melbourne Punch,