Cricket 1884

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. No. 58. VOL. HI. Registered for Transmission Abroad* THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1884. PRICE 2d. W IL L IA M H E N R Y COOPER . T h e history of the slow bowler, who has done such wonderful execution in Australia of late years, is in a sense unique. Indeed we know of no instance in which anyone has earned a reputation as a great cricketer without a natural love of the game.- For as a matter of fact, Cooper’s introduction to cricket was in reality the result of mere acci­ dent. Though he was born at Maid­ stone (on Sept. 11, 1849), he only remained eight years in England, and his connection with Australia has thus extended over twenty-six years. His identification with cricket was commenced in apeculiar fashion. He was twenty-seven years of i\ge before he became in any way asso­ ciated with the game, and even then his association was hardly of his own choice. The necessity of exer­ cise being impressed on him by his medical adviser he joined the South Melbourne Club, merely for the purpose of carrying out his doc­ tor’s instructions. Bowling practice gave him the exercise he needed, and for some time he had no thought of figuring on the cricket field. By a mere accident he was included in the second eleven of the South Mel- :!!;|j| bourne Club, in a match at (Jastie- maine, and it was only as a last re­ source that he was tried as a bowlei, having failed tc score in either in­ nings. The great amount of work he got on to the ball, and the pecu­ liarity of his delivery, entirely dif­ ferent to any bowler in the colonies, even then impressed some of the best judges, and he was persuaded to identify himself actively with the South Melbourne Club. The suc­ cess which attended his early efforts was remarkable, and in 1879 he played his first big match for Victoria, against Lord Harris’ Eleven, on the ground of the Mel­ bourne Club. His delivery puzzled the English players so much that he took five wickets in the first innings, and he created considerable amuse­ ment by bowling Mr. A. P. Lucas between his I Jlegs with a curly one. He made his debut in an j Inter-Colonial match, in November of the same I year, and here, again, he was most effective, taking seven wickets in the second innings of j New South Wales, at a cost of only thirty-seven runs. A bowling trophy, for the best average in this match, was won by Cooper, though Evans, Palmer, Allan, Boyle, Garrett and Spof­ forth took part in the game. Since that time he has played in most of the principal contests in Australia, and with consistent success. He was one of the Combined Eleven of Australia, which defeated Shaw and Shrewsbury’s team on the first days of 1882, and in the second innings Bix of the English wickets fell to his arm. He has generally been successful in Australia against English players, and, in the closing match, played by the Hon. Ivo Bligh’s team, last spring, in the Colonies, his bowling was again very puzzling. His performance, indeed, on that occasion, in the first innings of Mr. Bligh’s team wa3 of a high quality, and, on a perfect wicket, he took four of the best wickets, those of Messrs. C. Studd, Tylecote, A. O. Steel and Read, for only twenty- nine runs. Though he has only been five years prominently before the public he has occupied of late a distinguished position in Australian cricket, and there is not a more popular player in the Colonies. That his knowledge of the game is fully recognized in his own Colony is shown by his retention of the im­ portant position of selector of the Victorian teams for over two years, and he only gave up this post when he accepted the offer to form one of the Australian team selected to visit ■! this country. In addition ho was one of the Vice-Presidents of tho Victorian Cricketers’ Association, an office which he also resigned on accountof his inclusion in theFourtli Australian Team. As a bowler, on his day, Cooper is most dangerous. He bowls slow, round-arni, with a peculiar delivery, not unlike that of Mr. A. H. Stratford, who played for Middlesex a few years ago. On a slow wicket he does not show to so much advantage, but when the ground is fast he is often very suc­ cessful, and to new batsmen he is most difficult. He bowls a high, slow ball, with break from the off, but he puts in a fast one at times with great effect. His bowling though, usually comes from leg, and the work he gets on the