Cricket 1884

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. No. 61. VOL. III. Registered tor Transmission Abroad. THUBSDAY, JUNE 12, 1884. PRICE 2d. ED W IN JA M E S D IV ER . I t ia only given to a few cricketers to attain high distinction, after so short a novitiate in first-class cricket, as has been the good fortune of the amateur whose portrait we give this week. A little more than a year ago, indeed, and he was unknown even as a County player. Until the commence­ ment of last season he had not taken part in any fixture of importance, and his first appearance in a good match of any kind does not date further back than the 24th of May, 1883, when he opened his connection with County cricket, at the Oval, for Surrey v. Hants. Mr. Diver was born at Cam­ bridge, on March 20, 1861, and is, con­ sequently, in his twenty-fourth year. He was entered at Perse School, Cam­ bridge, when ho was twelve years of age, and his stay there lasted until he was eighteen. He soon began to show pro­ ficiency on the cricket-field, and he had only been twelve months at Perse be­ fore he secured a place in the second eleven of the School. Three years later be was promoted to a position in the first team, and, during the last two summers of his School career, he was Captain of the Eleven. Amast ership at Wimbledon School, in 1881, was his first introduction to Surrey cricket, and for the last three years his name has been entirely associated with the game in that County. The Wimbledon School Eleven were very largely indebted to bim during the seasons of 1881—82—83, and his scoring, during the two last, was remarkable. Six times, during 1882, he totalled a hundred in an in- nings, and his aggregate of that year amounted to 1474 runs. The consistent brilliance of his hitting was not lost on tbe Surrey authorities, and Mr. Diver was one of the first who attended the test practice, instituted by Mr. Frederick Bur- kridge, at the Oval, at the end of April last year. The excellent form he showed in the preliminary inspection was so satisfactory to the executive of the Surrey Cinb that he was deemed worthy of an immediate trial in the Surrey eleven, and, as already stated, his debut was reserved for the match between Surrey and Hants, at the Oval. It was a memorable occa­ sion, as many will remember, and Mr. Diver’s opening score of 21, for Surrey, was remarkable as part of the largest innings ever made in an important match in England (C50). It was his brilliant batting, though, at Lord’s, in the return match with Middlesex, which first brought him into great notice, and we can remember well the glowing terms in which the late Hon. Robert Grimston spoke of his extraordinary wrist-play in the first innings of Surrey, in that contest. Released from his scholastic duties at Wimble­ don, in the middle of July, Mr. Diver took his place in the County eleven from that date, and he was of the greatest assistance during the later matches of the season. Against Somerset­ shire, at the Oval, at the commence­ ment of August he was the principal contributor on the Surrey side, and his 98 was a fine display of batting. Less than a fortnight later his punishing powers were as forcibly demonstrated against Leicestershire bowling, also at the Oval. In the first innings Surrey lost five of its best wickets for 57, and it was mainly owing to the fast run- getting of Messrs. Diver (84) and Bain­ bridge (GO), who knocked up 98 runs in forty minutes, that the total, after all, reached the respectable figures of 255. In the second innings Mr. Diver’s hit­ ting was quite as effective, and Miurice Read and he were able to secure the 67 wanted to win in thirty-five minutes, without the loss of a wicket. During the latter part of the season bis batting was of tho greatest value to Surrey, and he rarely failed to make runs. Con­ sidering that Surrey had a strong bat­ ting side in 1883 it was a very creditable achievement for him, a newcomer, to secure the second place in the averages, ar.d his average of nearly thirty runs for twenty-two completed innings was a good performance. This season he commenced auspiciously with a well-got thirty-one, against Essex, at the Oval, and, though he has yet made no very large total for tho County it is certain that he will be credited with some high scores before tbe campaign ends. His f election to represent the Gentlemen of England against the Australians, at Lord’s, a fortnight ago, is a sufficient proof of the estimation in which he is held by the leaders of the cricket world, and it is satisfactory to be able to record that he fully justified their confidence. His play, in­ deed, fireatly helped, when the result seemed very doubtful, to decide the issue of that match in favour of the Englishmen, and the confidence and pluck he showed at the crisis when the