Cricket 1884

Nov. 27 , 1884, CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 477 It is gratifying to learn that the team of English professionals under Alfred Shaw’s command have won their first three matches in the Colonies. No details have as yet come to hand of their first engage­ ment at Adelaide, but I take it that their opponents were Fifteen of South Australia. According to the original programme the Englishmen were to meet Eleven of Victoria at Melbourne on November 14, and following a Reuter’s telegram from Melbourne under date of Nov. 19 stating that they won their fixture there by 118 runs, comes another of November 24 from Melbourne through the same source to the effect that our profes­ sionals have beaten an eleven of New South Wales by four wickets. N o n e of the Australian team which visited England this summer were playing either at Melbourneor Sydney, and indeed at the time of the com­ mencement of the first game they could only have just reached home, In connection with their trip, I gather from the Otago Witness, that in consequence of the exorbitant terms sought by the Otago Associa­ tion, and the impossibility of main­ taining a charge at Auckland, Shaw’s agent in the Colonies had been obliged to give up the idea of arrang­ ing a trip for the Englishmen to New Zealand. It has beentruly said that thedomin­ ion of cricket is one over which the sun never sets. Just asEnglish cricketers are reluctantlypreparing to hybernate, their enterprising brethren who dwell under the Southern Cross are getting into readiness for the opening of another campaign. The various pa­ pers which have reached me during the last few weeks, too, show that the season, now in full swing in Australia, is likely to be as busy as the best of its predecessors. Though the chief Clubs of Victoria did not play their usual trial match till the 4th October the Melbourne Leader of the following Saturday contains the announcement of what it describes as the first “ century” of the season, though I notice that on Sept. 20th the first eleven of Hawthorn Club scored 244 v. next eighteen, for one wicket. Coupar 114, and G. Berry 126 not out. The distinction awarded by the Leader fell to E. J. P. Tearne, who compiled 112 out of a total of 192 for Yarrawonga aaginst the Excelsior. As Tearne was also able to secure eight of the Excelsior wickets at a cost of only seven runs, there is small cause for wonder that his Club was successful in its first match of the season. In my last “ Gossip” I gave a full, true and particular account of the grand stand of the Melbourne Club, destroyed by fire on August 81. They do things well inAustralia, at least on the principal cricket grounds, in the shape of accommodationfor bothmem­ bers and visitors, as English players who have visited the Colonies have good reason to know. It will not be surprising to them to learn that at the general meeting of the Melbourne Club, held on Sept. 13, authority was given to the Committee to borrow a sum of money, not exceeding £10,000, to build a new stand, which will in­ clude a ladies’ pavilion. I hear, also, that Mr. Salway, the architect, had been inspecting the new grand stand on the Association Ground, at Sydney, a photograph of which is to be seen in the pavilion at the Oval, the finest structure of the kind, I should think, in the world. The new erection on the Melbourne Ground, it is said, will provide sitting accommodation for 1,750 persons, and the ladies’ pavilion for 550. E a r l y in the year a very interesting sketch of the early days of the Mel­ bourne Club appeared in 'C k i c k e t , written by Mr. W . J. Hammersley, in his day a well-known English ama­ teur, and reproduced from the Sydney Mail. The progress of this society, styled the M.C.C, of Australia, of late years has been extraordinary, a striking commentary, as “ Felix ” writes in the Australasian, on the growth of cricket in the Colonies. A few seasons ago the member list could not have exceeded 500, now it is close on 1,800, with a revenue from sub­ scriptions alone of over £3,000. There is, I should fancy, only one body in the world which can boast a position and influence superior to that of the premier Club of Australia. T h e South Melbourne Club has ap­ parently good reason to be proudofone of itsmost active members, F.Walters. At the distribution of prizes for last season in connection with ;that body he won nojfewer than five, the highest batting with average of 74 for twelve innings, the best bowling with 10.66 runsper wicket,the best all round play, the highest individual score, and the prizes formost catchesmade in the s e a ­ son. This is indeed an excellent record of all-round cricket. C R ic K E T -r e a d e r s will find on reference to the paper of Sept. 18, that Walters was at the head of the batting averages in the first- class matches of last Australian sea­ son, with a fine average of 61-35 for 14 completed innings. On his paper form he ought to have a good chanse of a place in the next Australian team, and English cricketers will watch his future with curiosity It will perhaps be of interest to them to learn that he opened this season well, with a score of 55, on Oct. 4 for South Melbourne. Me. P. M. T h o k n t o n informs me that his work on Harrow School, to be published by W. H. Allen and Co., is now in the press. The book, which those who know the hon. sec. of the Middlesex County Club need hardly to be told has been a labour of love to him, will contain an interesting ac­ count of Harrow cricket, in the pre­ paration of which the author has received some useful information from Mr. Arthur Haygarth, the com­ piler of “ Scores and Biographies.” The Earl of Bessborough has kindly surpervised the chapter on cricket, and this will be an additional guarantee of the accuracy of the details. This reminds me that Mr. F. Gale has also completed his life of the Hon. Robert Grimston, to be published by Long­ man and Co. F. G. has spared no pains, as I can vouch, to do justice to one of Harrow’s best friends, and I needhardly say that the bookwill be thoroughly readable. Mb. W il l ia m Y a r d l e y , well-known once on the cricket-fields of Rugby, CambridgeandKent, has been engaged over a travestie of Hamlet for the Gaiety Theatre. Very Little Hamlet is the title of the piece, which is to be produced on Saturday next. Miss Nellie Farren has been cast for Denmark’s Prince, E. W. Royce is to be the King, and Miss Phyllis Broughton Ophelia. Mr. W a l t e r S. S h i r l e y has been invited to stand for Preston in the Radical interest at the next general election. Mr. Shirley is well-known to cricketers in connection with the Marylebone, Surrey, Stygians, and Addiscombeclubs, andonlythisyear he Next issue o f Cricket Dec. 25-