Cricket 1884

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. No. 6 8 . V O L .III. Registered for Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1884. PRICE 2d MR. S. CH R ISTO PH E R SO N . T ite opportunities for cricketers to gain dis­ tinction are so much more numerous now-a-days than they were in the olden times, that one ceases to wonder at the rapidity with which some players, more highly favoured than their fellows, advance to the front. The prominent position occupied by Mr, Stanley Christopherson at the pre­ sent time is a conclusive proof of the ease with which a cricket reputation can be made by anyone possessed of ex­ ceptional merit. Mr. Christopherson’s rise has indeed been more sudden than that of O’Brien, for the former was un­ known in first-class cricket even in May of last year. The two cricketers named were born within a few days of each other, and Mr. Christopherson, who first saw the light at Blackheath, on Nov, 11, 1861, is six days younger than the Oxonian who opened the season of 1884 in such brilliant style. Edu­ cated at Uppingham School Mr. Chris­ topherson secured a place in the eleven there, in his nineteenth year, and the Uppingham team of 1880, not a very good one by-the-way, were much in­ debted for what few successes they had to his effective bowling. Thirty-eight wickets, at a cost of 440 runs, formed his record in the Sohool averages of that summer, and the value of his services to Uppingham cricket was shown by his attainment of the prize given for the best bowling of the year. On leaving Schookhe identified himself mostly with the Blackheath Morden Club, and it was the success which attended his bowling in connection with it that brought him prominently before tho notice of the executive of the Kent County Club. His first appearanoe in Kentish cricket was in the Colts’ match, at the commencement of last season, and his bowling proved so effective that he was chosen to represent the County against Lan­ cashire, on the 4th June. His selection was fully justified by an excellent performance in the first innings of Lancashire, and, for a debut, bis show was decidedly satisfactory, his six wickets only costing 37 runs. In his two next matches against Sussex (at Brighton) and Mid­ dlesex (at Lord’s), he was only moderately suc­ cessful, but in August he was more than once of great service to his County, and he performed a very noteworthy feat at the Oval in the return match with Surrey. His bowling on this occa sion entirely changed the aspect of the game, and in their second innings, Surrey, who had in the first scored 378, were all dismissed for 92, chiefly through the very effective delivery of Mr, Christopherson, who was credited with eight wickets at a cost of 41 runs. In want of a reliable bowler, as Kent was at the com­ mencement of last season, the discovery of one so useful as Mr. Christopherson was fortunate for the County. Wootton and George Hearne and he, indeed, had to bear the brunt of the Kentish bowling during the summer of 1883, and though the figures generally were by no means extraordinary, he did excellent work throughout the season, the reeords at the close showing that he had delivered 365 overs and 3 balls for 633 runs and 38 wickets, or an average of a little over 16J runs for each wicket. A certain deterioration of late in the form of more than one of the fast bowlers on whom the Gen­ tlemen have had to rely in previous years has brought the Old Upping- hamian more prominently to the front this season, and on several occasions he has bowled with marked success. His selection to play for the Gentlemen of England against the Australians, at Lord’s, proved fairly successful, but he was much more iortunate in the return at the Oval, and in the first innings of the Australians there he did a fine per­ formance, securing eight of the ten wickets at a cost of only seventy-eight runs. He took nine wickets of the Players for the Gentlemen, at Lord’s, but it^was a run-getting match through­ out, and, on this occasion, he was rather expensive, as indeed were most of tho bowlers on both sides. 'Jhe Committee of the Marylebone Club paid him the distinguished compliment of inviting him to represent England against-Aus­ tralia, in the r-cent match at Lord’s, and, though he only took one wicket for 69 runs, his freely hit seventeen at the close of the English innings was of some use. Mr. Christopherson is eer- tainly the best Amateur fast bowler at the present time. He is very fast with a high delivery, and when the wicket helps him at all, is rarely ineffective. He is a good field, and though not very successful as a bat is often veiy useful, as at Lord’s last week. Our portrait is from a photograph by Elliott and Fry.