Cricket 1884

42 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. MAE. 27, 1884. I n a match between the Bohemians and Williamstown, in Victoria, on Jan. 18, A. F. Robinson, for the for­ mer, scored 17 off one over. Mr. Robinson, who was captain of the Streatham Club, spent the summer of 1882 in England, acted as representa­ tive of the Melbourne Club here, and made the arrangements on its behalf for the visit of the Hon.Ivo Bhgh’s team to Australia. Two old Oxonians, Messrs. E. W. Wallington and J. Lorrimer, who was tried for the eleven last year, also helped the Bohe­ mians. The latter toolc eight Wil­ liamstown wickets for 26 runs. T h o se of us who remember “ the bowler of a century ” during the tour of the first Australian team in Eng­ land will be glad to find that he still retains much of, if not all, his old skill with the ball. In a match recently played in Warrnambool, Frank Allan, whom the Melbourne Leader describes as the erstwhile champion bowler of Australia, showed that his left hand had not forgotten its cunning, as he took the whole ten wickets of the Coranderrk Aboriginal team for 11 runs. He does not seem to have bowled in the second innings, but whether the redoubtable Frank abstained out of pity for those sable batsmen, or whether ten wickets for 11 runs was too good a record to spoil, “ Mid-on” says he would not under­ take to say. T h e following double acrostic has been sent to me by a distinguished amateur. It will, I feel sure, provide pleasant entertainment for many of our cricket readers :— Now is the time for sec3. and captains keen To search for this on every village green ; When found encourage it with kindly care, In county triumphs you will have your share. 1.—A stroke associated with the name Of Northern batsman greatly known to fame. 2.—Of Saxon stock a most distinguished scion; She sends her sons to fight the British lion. 3.—His good right arm, as many surely know, Brought victory to Oxford long ago. 4.- Keen eye, strong wrist, good nerve you may possess, Yet this is needed to ensure success. 5.—With gentle pace, but yet with curly wile, He batsmen to theirfate did oft beguile ; 6.—While he with speed propelled the flying ball, And dearly loved to see the wickets fall. B at . A ccordin g to the Sydney Mail, Mr. G. F. Vernon was present on the Association Ground at Sydney during the recent match between the Fourth Australian Team and Fifteen of New South Wales. The same paragraph adds, “ It is considered likely that Mr. Vernon will take up his residence in Victoria.” T h e following clipping is from the Australasian of Feb 9 :— In a junior match played at Albert Park (Melbourne) last Saturday, between the Wesley C.C. and the Rosemont C.O., one of the smallest scores on record was made. The churchmen in their first innings were all disposed of for 3 runs—2 made off the bat by a substitute and 1 obtained from a bye. The substitute is deserving of censure for marring what would have been but for his interference a perfectly uniform perform­ ance. I t is satisiactory to learn that Dean Ireland’s Scholarship, one of the most valued prizes open for competi­ tion at Oxford University, has just been awarded to a cricketer. The examiners on Saturday last reported to the Vice Chancellor that they had that day elected Mr. F. W. Pember of Balliol College, Oxford, as Dean Ire­ land’s Scholar. Mr. Pember was in the Harrow Eleven of 1880 and has been since actively identified with cricket at Oxford. I u n d ek stan d that the Earl of Winterton is to succeed the Hon. Robert Grimston—who, everyone will be glad to hear, has recovered sufficiently to be removed to Gorham- bury, the seat of his brother, near St. Alban’s—in the presidency of the Marylebone Club. The father of the new President was, in 1860, on the Committee of the M.C.C., and two extraordinary matches were decided on his ground at Shillinglee-park, one in 1843, when his Lordship’s Eleven played against 37 of his labourers; another in 1846, against 56 of them. The present Earl represented Eton against Harrow in 1855 and 1856, and subsequently formed one for the Sussex and Norfolk Elevens. He was elected to serve on the Committee of the Sussex County Club in 1862, and twelve years later joined the Committee of M.C.C. S om e of the Australian papers appear to be a little exercised over the omission of W. H. Cooper from the eleven which represented Victoria against New South Wales, in the recent Inter-Colonial match. At the last moment the Victorian Committee, consisting of Blackham, Boran, and Cooper himself, decided to leave the insidious bowler, who did such mischief against the Hon. Ivo Bligh’s team, out, and Trapp was chosen in his stead. The reason alleged .was that the couch grass wicket at Sydney was notoriously unsuited to_Cooper’s bowling, and possibly it is. The decision arrived at, though (writes “ Mid-on,” in the Melbourne Leader )appears to be altogether incongruous, when it is remembered that Cooper is one of the Australian Eleven about to Tisit England, and if the Match Committee of that body were to leave him out in the old country until they struck upon a wicket more suit­ able to his bowling than that prepared by Ned Gregory, the insiduous bowler of South Melbourne would stand a good show of travelling England as a spectator only. I r e m e m b e r well the resentment of aonce irresistible left-handed trundler, at finding himself described by amore than usually imaginative reporter, as a sinister bowler. He thought, poor fellow, that it was a reflection on his personal appearance. The sinistral batsmen, though,in the Colonies, have been having what is in slang known as a high old time of it just lately. Bruce, the hero of the largest score ever made in the Colonies, referred to elsewhere, is a left-hander, and it would be difficult to point to a much better record in the matches of such quality than that of H. Moses, the young New South Welshman, for the Fifteen of New South Wales against the Fourth Australian team, and in the Inter-Colonial. T h re e successive scores such as 147, 43, and 85, against the best bowling in Australia represent an exceptional performance and one of which any batsman might well be proud. “ Mid-on’s ” comments onMoses’ play in the Inter-Colonial will be inter­ esting. He played a superb innings. I have cer­ tainly never seen a left-hander play the game in such thoroughly orthodox fashion or with so few faults—in fact I doubt whether even the most fastidious critic could have found any with Moses. There is not the slightest inclination to the pull so commonly characteristic of left-handed batsmen; he discriminates with admirable judgment when to play back and when forward, plays the leg glance very perfectly, cuts well, and hits vigorously all round the wicket. Added to this he is a splendid field, and New South Wales possesses in this left-hander one of the very best cricketers she has ever pro­ duced. Next Issue of CRICKET will be published Thursday, April 17.