Cricket 1884

Eegittere^fo'rT^nsIi^b'n^bioad. THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1884. PRICE 2d. keeper in the public schools of England, in 1881. The young Carthusian commenced University life at Trinity College, Cambridge, and appeared in the Freshmen’s match, on Fenner’s, in May, 1882, when he scored 17 and 24 upon a wet, heavy wicket. His place in the University Eleven seemed at once secure, and he kept wickets for Cambridge in all their contests of that season with great success. In this capa­ city he particularly distinguished himself in the memorable match at Fenner’s, where the Light Blues beat the Australians by six wickets. In that contest he never seemed to make a mistake, and it is worthy of remark that Mur­ doch, Horan, and Garrett in the first innings all fell to him behind the stickj. In the University match v. Surrey, in 1882, Mr. Wright made his first appearance at the Oval, scoring 21 (not out) and 13. In the same week he performed for the first time at Lord’s, in the match for the University against a strong eleven of the Marylebone Club. On this occasion he failed to score in the first attempt, but in the second played ex­ cellent cricket, scoring—principally by a rapid succession of fine drives— 58 in very quick time. The County of Nott­ ingham invited the Carthusian to play in its first eleven against the Colts on Easter Monday of 1882. His 26 in this match was a good performance, and he followed it up later in the season by some good scores, notably his 26 not out at the Oval against Surrey, and 99 at Brighton v. Sussex. He was second in the batting averages of Notts that year with 31 per innings, and his aggre­ gate of the season in first-class matches was 305 runs .for 15 completed innings, an average of 20.5. The year of 1883 marked a still further improvement in the Carthusian’s form, and for Cam­ bridge University he stood second to his Captain (Mr. C. T. Stndd) in tbe total batting results of the season. In the match at Fenner’s between Cam­ bridge University and the Gentlemen of England, when Cambridge required 185 to win in the last innings, he went in first as usual and stayed till the match was won by 8 wickets, Mr. C. T. Studd and he both carrying out their bats for 71 runs each. In the match between Cambridge and the Orleans Club, he stayedwith Mr. J. E. K. Studd until 106 runs were scored when the first wicket fell, and again played well for Cambridge at the Oval and Lord’s, scoring respectively 28 and 2 in the one match, and 22 and 13 in the other. The Inter-University match at Lord’s in 1883 was, however, the event which brought the Light-blue wicket-keeper into such promi­ nent notice in the world of cricket. Going C H A R L E S W I L L I A M W R IG H T . M r . C. W . W e ig h t , the hero of the Inter- University match, at Lord’s, last year, comes of a good old Yorkshire family, and was bcrn at Harewood, in that County, on May 27th, 1863. Shortly after his birth his family left the county of broadacres and settled in Nottinghamshire, which may, therefore, be practically considered his native place as far as cricket is concerned. His father, Mr. W . Wright, some years ago played in many of the Yorkshire Gentlemens’ Elevens, and even up to the present time is sufficiently “ ever­ green ” to score respectably in the ama­ teur matches of Notts. He is not only a keen supporter of cricket at Notting­ ham, but has for some years been one of tbe best workers on the Com­ mittee of the County Club, and is also one of the three lessees of the Trent Bridge Ground. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that Mr. C. W . Wright in­ herited the family proficiency in cricket and other sports. When a very small boy indeed, Alfred Shaw, Scotton, and other “ professors, ” might be seen teaching him the alphabet of his art by bowling to him on the Trent Bridge Ground, and his name appears on the score sheets of some of the local matches when about eleven years of age. In September, 1876, he went to Charter­ house School, and rapidly passed up­ wards through the various elevens unti in 1878 (when only 15 years of age), he played his first match for Charterhouse versus Wellington, and made 42 not cut. His school career was a long his­ tory of successful scoring, brought to a close in 1881 by two remarkable in­ nings in his two last matches. For Charterhouse against Westminster he scored 72 by very fine hitting, and at Brighton, three days later, for the School versus Gentlemen of Sussex, his figures were 18 and 106. It is probable that Charterhouse never turned out a better player. His average during his last year there was 35.6 for 16 com­ pleted innings, and, in addition to fine powers o batting, he was, perhaps, the best wisket-