Cricket 1884

MAY 29, 1884. CEICKET; A "WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 155 retary of a working men’s cricket club was sued for £5, rent of a field used by tlie members. It was contended on behalf of the defendant that the committee were the proper persons to sue. But the Judge, in finding for tho plaintiff, held that the sec­ retary was legally responsible, be- crnse he took the field “ without dis­ closing his principal.” The Judge suspended execution in order that the committee might be made parties to the action if they refuse indemni­ fication. The case clearly shows the necessity for caution on the part of club officials and the difficulties that may arise where individual respon­ sibility is not formally recognised. T h e Philadelphian team reached Liverpool safely on Sunday last, and the Committee of the Liverpool Cricket Club have very kindly lent them the use of their ground at Aigburth-road for the whole of this week for the purpose of practice. I have heard nothing as yet of their form, but I hope next week to be able to give some practical information on their style and play. I am glad to be able to announce that it liasnowbeeu definitely decided to play two trial matches, to give the English eleven practice in view of the three representative contests with the Australian team. It is a matter for regret that the arrangement of these new fixtures should necessitate the abandonment of the time-honoured matches between Gentlemen and Players. No other suitable dates, though, could be found, and in conse­ quence, for this year, the meetings be­ tween selected elevens of Amateurs and Professionals will be withdrawn. Iu all probability the trial matches will be The First Eleven of England against the Next Thirteen or Four­ teen. C o n sid e r a b le interest will be felt i l the sixth match of the Australian team, to be commenced at Lord's to­ day. It was thought at first that the Gentlemen of England would be well represented, but as it is the Hon. A. Lyttelton and Mr. A. P. Lucas will be much missed in the batting department, and Mr. O’Brien, who, I believe, was asked to play,is helping Oxford University against Lancashire. The eleven will be—Lord Harris, Messrs. W. G. Grace, C . T. Studd, A. G. Stsel, W. W. Bead, G. F. Vernon, E. J. Diver, S. Christopherson, A. W. Bidley, J. Bobertson, and J. A. Bush. “ S uccess it is that makes the man, the want of it the villain.” The Aus­ tralians are probably realising the truth of the assertion, for already tho critics are beginning to argue that they are not equal to their predeces­ sors. With Bonnor anything but well, Cooper suffering from a bad finger—which must materially inter­ fere with his manipulation of the ball —Midwinter also crippled, and Mur­ doch only beginning to shape well, some allowance must be made for the Colonial team, just now. Personally, I cannot believe that Cooper will bo very effective against good batsmen on a hard wicket, but it must be stated, in justice to him, that he was bowling under considerable difficulties at Lord’s last week. O n ly last week I was calling atten­ tion to the fact, that the stand made by Barratt aud Jones in the match with Essex, was the only occasion on which a hundred runs had been put on for the last wicket of Surrey, since the year 1801. And now Barratt has upset all these nice calculations again. At least, Mr. W. W. Bead and he put on 103 for the last wicket at the Oval on Monday, and what is more, Barratt's tliirty-eight were got in really good style. Such a performance, twice within a fortnight, is one on which the Surrey bowler has good reason to congratulate himself. M y remarks on “ The Guv’n or” last week have elicited the following letter from an old cricketer which I have much pleasure in publishing :— Poor Mr. Grimston, at Lord’s during the 3urrey and Norfolk match last year, interviewed Guv’nor “ ocularly,” not “ orally.” I was in the Pavilion and heard his cheery voice, “ Come and sit here, I want to talk to you about that little Abel,” and more suo he was very enthusiastic about his watchfulness at short slip and his earnest cricket, for Abel was selected by him three years ago as the best of a large batch of colts who answered the invitation to come to the Oval as aspirants to fame. Abel was put on to bowl, and Mr. Grimston said, “ Now that is all nonsense—he is only a com­ mon village bowler. ” My reply was “ I will bet sixpence he gets a chance before three overs,” and the words were Hardly out of my mouth when the ball went full into long- on’s hands. “ By Jove ! you are right,” said Mr. Grimston, “ I mnst watch that fellow, ’ and after ho had seen another over his remark was, “ Ho pitches a good length, he can bowl.” When Abel went on against Australia last week at 170 runs I bet Mr. John Walker sixpence that he would get a chance in three overs, and left it to himself to decide. He got his chance (a very hot re­ turn) in his second over followed by two wickets. I have taken him out to play in a g >od match in the country, have seen him bowl occasionally in London, and have had him to bowl to me with a shilling on the wic'set, so 1 ought to know something about him, and I have no hesitation in sa\ing that he is one of the most deceptive change bowl­ ers we have, because it looks such rubbish, but he can pitch a ball on a sixpence almost, and the ball gets up very quick and cuts across, and he almost always gets a chance at once. C r ic k e t e r s , especially those who received their education at Harrow, will be glad to learn that Mr. F. Gale has received a commission from Messrs. Longman and Co. towrite tho life of the Hon. Bobert Grimston. To F. G. the book will be a labour of love, and he is sure to do the subject thorough justice. Messrs. Longman, I may add, are also preparing a series of works on Sports and Pastimes, The Duke of Beaufort will la the Editor, and they will be called the Badminton Series. The volume on Cricket will be contributed by Mr. William Yardley, of Bugby and Cam­ bridge fame. No better choice could have been made. T h r e e scores of a hundred in a match are rare in England, and tho instances can be almost counted on one’s fingers. In America, though, such an occurrence has never been recorded until the third of this month, and the event is, therefore, worthy of prominent mention in these columns. The match between I Zingari, of Philadelphia, and the Pittsburgh Club, at Pittsburgh, on May 8, was interesting for more reasons than one. A. H. Stratford, whilom of Middle­ sex, scored 109 out of 186, for Pitts­ burgh, but this was outdone by two members of the Philadelphian team just arrived at Liverpool. J. A. Scott, who went in first for I Z,, made 145, and S. Law 1‘25, and these two bats­ men, while they were together, addel 219 runs. This, I may add, is the largest number of runs ever made for one wicket in America; I have mentioned a recent ap­ portionment of honours in the Mi itary Division of the Order of the Bath. A supplement to the London Gazette of Friday last includes tbe appoint­ ment of the Hon. Spencer Cecil Brabazon To iscnby - Fane, C.B., Comptroller of the Accounts in tho Lord Chamberlain’s Department,to be an ordinary Member of the Civil Divi­ sion of the Second Class. Mr. Ponsonby-Fane, as many know, is Treasurer of the Marylebone Club.