Cricket 1884

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. No. 6 0 . VOL. III. Registered for Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1884. PRICE 2d. M A N L E Y C O L C H E S T E R KEMP . T h o u g h the season is only young, the Captain of the Oxford University Eleven has already signalised his second year of office by more than one brilliant performance. Mr. Kemp, who was born at Sydenham on Sept. 7, 1861, comes of a family keenly interested in every kind of outdoor amusement. His father is well-known throughout Kent as a liberal supporter of anything appertaining to sport, and those who know his genuine sympathy with phy­ sical pursuits can hardly wonder that the taste has been inherited by his sons. Mr. Manley Kemp is the second of three members of a brotherhood who have been actively identified with cricket—particularly that of Harrow— of late years. The eldest, C. W., was Captain of the Harrow School eleven in 1875, and it is not a little singular that each of the three has in turn occu­ pied that position. Mr. Manley Kemp made his first appearance in a match of any importance for Harrow against Eton, at Lord’s, in 1879. The Harrow eleven that year were under the com­ mand of Mr. J. H. Stirling, and the game was drawn rather in thoir favour. Mr. Kemp, though he only made three ;n the first innings, played steadily in !ho second for nine not out, and his wicket-keeping was so much above the average as to fully warrant his place in the School team. His second year in the Harrow eleven found him in the captaincy, and he fully justified his occupation of this responsible position by the able and energetic way in which he managed the School cricket. His two innings against Eton only amounted to twenty-three runs, but again he proved himself to be a skilful wicket­ keeper, and his judicious generalship contributed in no small degree to Harrow’s well-earned victory. His school form was good enough to secure him a place in the Kentish eleven of 1880, and though not very successful with the bat he was of use to the County in other ways. The want of a capable wicket-keeper at Oxford enabled him to gain a position in the University eleven in his first year, and his services to Oxford cricket in 1881, in batting at least, were of no small value, though his wicket-keeping hardly fulfilled expectations. The Oxford eleven of 1882 had a far from successful season, but Mr. Kemp rendered very efficient service, both with the bat and at the wicket, and many will still re­ member his brilliant innings of 82 against Cambridge at Lord’s, really, perhaps, the best batting display of a run-getting match. The Captaincy of the Oxford eleven devolved on him last season, and though the material at his disposal was not of the best quality, he worked hard to mould it into a proper shape. Though he played good sound cricket, he was personally not so successful with the bat as in the previous year, and his best score was one of forty-three. Still his wicket-keeping was much above the average, and it was his ability in this department which gave him a place in the Gentlemen’s eleven against the Players, in the memorable tie match at the Oval last summer, when it was found that neither the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton nor Mr. E. I'. S. Tylecote could officiate behind the sticks. He was only able to play in four innings for Kent in 1883, but his services were of some value, and his aggregate of ninety-three included a very useful score of forty-three against Surrey at Maidstone. His stand with Mr. Alfred Penn was, in­ deed, one of the most noteworty features of a match remarkable for run-getting, and these two batsmen put on as many as 87 runs for the ninth wicket of Kent. From the very commencement of the present season Mr. Kemp has shown brilliant form with the bat. His first performance of the year was indeed a remarkable one, and, as many will remember, for Hertford College against Trinity, H. B. Tristram and he, while they were together, added as many as 330 runs, of which Kemp’s contribution was 219. The details of the match between Oxford University and the Australians are still too fresh to require any lengthy comment now. In an analysis of the game we pointed out how much of the brilliant success of the Oxonians was du6 to the personal efforts of their Captain, and, indeed, too much can not be written in his praise in connection with this match. His fearless hitting at the close effec­ tually turned the balance in favour of Oxford, and in proof of the rapidity of his scoring it is> only necessary to recall that he made 63 of the 86 got while he was in, the last 25 in a quarter- of-an-hour. Effective, though, as his hitting proved at the finish, it was his general manage-