Cricket 1884

No. 5 2 . VOL.III. Registered lot TransmissionAbroad. EN G L A N D v. AU S T R A L I A - Tbe prospects of the Cricket Season are, in some respects, progressing satisfactorily. A long and extremely interesting programme has been made; our cricket grounds have been favoured by a very mild and open winter; the laws of the game are on the eve of being brought into accord with modern play, and a serious and sustained effort is apparently to be made to abolish unfair bowling. Beside this, the visiting elevens from Australia and America have determined to be here in sufficient time before their opening matches to enable them to get plenty of good practice, and to accustom themselves to English ground and English light while they are working into form. But the unsatisfactory symptom is, in our opinion, the total absence of any attempt to train a representative English eleven to play together, so as to be able to meet the Australians on even terms. We know, of couise, the enormous practical difficulties in the way of training a crack eleven. Matches crowd upon eaoh other so closely throughout the summer, and cricketers of merit are in such great request, that it seems barely possible to find time for that practice together without which it is not to be expected that the Home Team will display the confidence and cohesive strength of our Colonial visitors. Yet the interests of County and University should, we think, be secondary this season to the interests of National renown. Cricket is no longer a mere pastime, in which gentlemen and professionals engage; it has become a serious matter, A reference to the discreditable defeat of the picked Eleven of England at the Oval in 1882 will convince any lover of sport of what our humiliation would be should Australia inflict upon us a repetition of the disaster of two years ago. And yet we are taking absolutely no means to avert such a catastrophe. We have an ample supply of splendid batsmen and fieldsmen, and our bowling, even if it lack the precision and break of the Australians, is yet good and varied. Man for man, our best eleven are no doubt fully equal to the invaders ; but unless some steps are taken—even at the cost of THURSDAY, MARCH 27, weakening a few county matches—to organise our strength, we shall put into thefield a team unused to playing together, and collectively weaker than elevens whoBe paper strength would be far inferior. An appropriate illustra­ tion may be taken from the continuous success of Cambridge University teams over the Australians. We may safely leave the repre­ sentative elevens of Gentlemen and of Players to fight their battles against Australia without preliminary manoeuvres and drill, for the suffi­ cient reason that the members of these elevens will for the most part be men who habitually play on the same side. When we come, how­ ever, to the mixed eleven who are to represent England, we find ourselves face to face with a body of amateurs and professionals, unac­ customed to play together, though they are charged with the performance of the greatest task ever set before English cricketers. It is in view of these eonsiderations, and of the unity and discipline of the Australian team, that we urge upon the leaders of the Cricket community to sacrifice for once the interests of County to the interests of Country, and to do something at least to secure us from the serious risk of putting into the field a scratch team when the first of the three England v. Australia matches commences—at Manchester on the 10th of July; It will seriously handicap our best layers if they have to learn how to play together uring the Manchester match, to gradually gain confidence at Lord’s during the second match, and only to be a thoroughly prepared team when the third and concluding contest takes place at the Oval in August. What is wanted is the formation of a small Selection Committee, with power over the men they choose, the setting aside of certain days and places for united prac­ tice, and, if possible, the displacement of the Gentlemen and Players matches at Lord’s and the Oval by trial contests between the chosen Eleven of England and the next Eleven or Thirteen, as the authorities might decide. We do not deny that this would to some extent interfere with our home programme, but it may safely be asserted that by following it we should reach a position of ’vantage to be gained by no other means. It is, indeed, only too likely that custom and dislike for change will prevent the adoption of this programme; yet we must further point out that it is practically impossible to play great trial matches on any other days | 1884. [ PRICE 2d. than those set apart for Gentlemen v. Players, when the counties leave themselves free in order that their best players may take part in the representative contests. And the proposed trial matches would involve no extra strain upon our players. For instanoe, Gentlemen v. Players at the Oval is set down for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, July 3, 4, and 5; Gentle­ men v. Players at Lord’s for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, July 7, 8, and 9 ; and England v. Australia—the first of the three “ Inter­ nationals ” — at Manchester, for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, July 10, 11, and 12. Now, contests between the chosen England eleven and another mixed team could occupy the same days, and would employ practically the same men as the matches at present arranged for Lord’s and the Oval. There would however, be this advantageous difference, that instead of the men chosen to meet the Aus­ tralians playing against each other, they would be playing on the same side, and improving hour by hour in steadiness and discipline. Tho opportunity would, moreover, arise of drafting into the Eleven “ Probables ” any amateur or professional who might have distinguished him­ self while playing f or the “ Improbables. ” If this suggestion should be regarded as toorevolu­ tionary, it might perhaps be adopted in part. Either the M.C.C. or the Surrey Club—but not both — could give up its Gentlemen v. Players match, and certainly wouldnot suffer by playing instead a great trial for the Manchester contest which will then be the great Cricket event of the immediate future. For we must insist upon the fact that the Cricket reputation of England will rise or fall according to the results of the three “ International” matches. — Standard, March 20. N ottinghamshire C olts ’ M atch . —-Easter Monday and Tuesday.—Applications to play in tnis match, stating age and qualifications, and enclosing references, must be sent to the under­ signed on or before the 30th March next. E. Browne, secretary, Cobden Chambers, Pelham Street, Nottingham.— A d v t. O wikg to an accident at the last moment as we were going to press, we have been obliged to postpone the portrait and biography of the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, prepared for the present issue, until another number. Next Issue of CRICKET will be published Thursday, April 17.