Cricket 1884

478 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. Nov. 27 , 1884, secured the average bat given by the last named society. Mr. Shirley was the founder as well as for many years the Hon. Sec. of the Stygians, and is at the present time its President. The Reve'lers club also owes its for­ mation to him. In C rick e t of Nov. 11, 1883,1 sug­ gested a discussion at the approaching meeting of County Secretaries at Lord’s on the advisability iu home and home matches of giving the side losing the toss in the first fixture the choice of innings in the second. It is with considerable satisfaction, there­ fore, that I have heard from Lord Harris of his intention to propose a resolution to this effect at the Con­ ference at Lord’s on December 9. I need hardly say that the Derbyshire authorities are delighted with the pro­ posal and will give it hearty support. During the seasons of 1883 and 1884 Derbyshire played twenty County matches, besides three with the Mary­ lebone Club and Ground and one with the Australians. In these twenty- four fixtures they won the to^s four times. T h e Presidency of the Cambridge University Cricket Club, rendered vacant by the death of the Rev. A . R. Ward, has been filled by the election of the Rev. Edward William Blore, M.A., Vice-Master of Trinity College. Mr. Blore has always taken an active interest in Cambridge cricket, and as he is verypopular a betterappointment couldhardly have beenmade. The new President played for Eton in 1845 both against Harrow and Winchester, and in the latter match was run out the last wicket in Eton’s second in­ nings, causing the match to end in a tie. He was an excellent slowround- arm bowler with a break-back from the off, and was of great service to the Eton elevens of 1845 and two following years. He subsequently figured with success in the Cambridge elevens of 1848, 1849, 1850, and 1851, and in the last year, when he was captain, helped greatly by his excellent bowl­ ing to give Cambridge an easy victory by an innings and four runs, I s e e , according to a New Zealand paper, that one Mr. C, V. Cross, of Wanganui, is communicating with several of the leading cricketers of New Zealand with a view to the form­ ation of an eleven from that Colony to visit England next season. Angels and ministers of Grace, defend us ! But no— I can scarcely believe that there is any serious idea of such a trip, especially for the next English season, for which even now all the fixtures are virtually filled. I should be inclined to think, too, that New Zealand Cricket is hardly as yet equal to the severe strain of such a programme, even if it were of suffi­ cient quality to have a chance with our English teams, which, to say the least of it, seems to be very doubtful. In my last notes, in mentioning the death of Mr. E. B. Fawcett I alluded to his celebrated throw of the cricket ball, which by an annoying slip of the pen I described as “ still ” in­ stead of “ ‘ for many years ’ the longest heave on record.” The best authenti­ cated throw is that of Mr. W . F. Forbes, who was only just eighteen when he threw 132 yards in the Eton College Athletic Sports of March, 1876. CR ICK E T IN SOU TH A U S T R A L IA . A correspondent in Adelaide has kindly sent us a copy of the twenty-first annual report of the Norwood Club, of Adelaide. The following details of the progress of the club will be of interest as showing the growth of the game in South Australia. The Norwood Club was established upon the ruins of a club called the Eastern Sub­ urban, which had a short but successful career. From the time of its inception the success of the Club was so remarkable season after season, that the extent of the success achieved became a matter for astoaishment to those not connected with the internal working of its affairs. Amongst those who interested themselves in the club in its earlier years, are to be found the names of many who are occupying important positions in various spheres at the present day.—Messrs. G. Gooden, sen., C. C. Gooden, G. Gooden, jun., J. Scandrett (Captain), S. Toms (Secretary), J. Spiller, C. Dutton, J. H. Denby, C. Fry, T. N. Cole, T. Woods,E. A. Thornton, R. Sholl, E. Reedman, H. Cox, J. Weeks, S. andR. Mason, H. Smith, J. and C. Dechert, J. Nottage, J. Eldridge, D. Brice, A. Munt, G. Ware, J. Coombs, S. Wells, E. Gamble, G. Hobby, J. Savage, J. and A. Uren and J. Stack. In later years we meet with the names of Messrs. S. E. Ironsides, W. H. Hillier, J. Pickering, jun. (Secretary), F. King, G. Green, E. H. Pinkstone, G. Dew, W. Churchman, T. Woods, E. J. Ronald, W. P. Lyons (Secre­ tary), H. J. Hill (Secretary), F. Townsend, B. Hoare, C. H, Franklin, J. Wald, J. Wilson, H. Morgan, S. Morcom, R. S. Mitchell, R. Tapscott, E. Kappler, J. Hall, D. Colville, W. Leaver, A. Tuckey, J. Saunders, J. Higgins, M.Wraight,W. Howard, W. Travers, C. Chapman, H. Winney, I. A. Fisher, T. Dench, Fred. Rowe, G. H. Smith, Rev. W. Scott, E. D. Noon, W. Norman, C. Tomkins, E. J. Clark, D. Biley, J. Sexton, E. Kay, E. Rowett, F. W. Ruck, T. Tuckey, A. Vaughan, F. A Beeves, C. W. Wren (Secretary), C. F. Whitridge, W. Dunn, H. C. Burnett, S. Cope, F. Le Beau, A. S. McMichael, H. A. Gooden, W. C. Denness, A. Drummond, J. A. Lowe, and J. Bennett. From 1862 to 1869 the records are not as complete as they should be, but the following table will show the results fro n» 1870 to the present time :— Year. 1870-71 1871-72 1872-73 1873-74 1874-75 1875-76 H 187 Matches played. Won. Lost. Drawn. 6 5 — 1 13 8 5 — 9 8 1 — 14 13 1 — 13 8 3 2 I12 1J12 9 3 — 11 1 — 112 12 — — <12 9 3 — 112 6 G _ 12 8 4 — (11 7 2 o I 5 4 1 — 8 6 1 1 -- — — — 151 114 31 6 1879-80 1880-81 1883-84 .. Totals The Norwood Club was the first to take action in the formation of the South Australian Cricketing Association, the initiative being taken at a meeting of the Club held at the Criterion Hotel on May 9, 1871. The first Cup,given by the South Australian CricketingAssociationforcompetitionamongst the seven associated Clubs, was to be won three years before becoming the absolute property of any club, and not only did the Norwood Club win it for three years, but won it for three years in succession between 1875 and 1878, the eleven winning 32 matches out of 36 played. On April 13,1878, the Cup was formally handed to the Club on the Oval by Sir Henry Ayers, and on June 1, 1879, the handsome trophy was presented by the first eleven to Mr. E. T. Smith, M.P., who had been at the head of the Club for many years. The second Cup, also given by the Association in 1878-79, was secured by the Norwood Club with a record of 9 matches won out of 12 played, and on June 7, 1879, w£s handed over to the Clab on the Oval by Mr. Caleb Peacock, on behalf of the Associa­ tion. This Cup was competed for only one season, and was presented by the team on June 18,1879, to Mr. W. B. T. Andrews, J.P., who had been one of the Vice-Presidents of the Club from its earliest days. The third Cup, given by Messrs. Steven3on Bros., was to be held for two years in suc­ cession before becoming the property of one Club. This trophy was also taken possession of by the Norwood Club, being held for two seasons between 1881 and 1883, the first eleven winning 11 matches, losing 3, and drawing 2 out of 16 played. The Cup was formally handed to the Club on the Oval, on October 20, 1883, Mr. E. T. Smith, on its behalf, receiving the trophy from the hands of Mr. Caleb Peacock. This Cup was presented on November 26, 1883, to Mr. J. E. Gooden for his long connection with and interest in the Club. The only Challenge Cups competed for by the senior Cricket Clubs in South Australia have thus been won by the Norwood Club. A fourth is now being played for. It is most gratifying to some of the 'old members ef the Club to know t ’aat Mr. George Giffen, who is at the present time, perhaps, the best all round Cricketer in Australia, received his early training from them. N orthbrook C l u b . —The Annual Smoking Concert of this club will be held at the Cannon Street Hotel, on Thursday next, at 7 p.m. P latt — M arshall . —At St. John’s, Hart­ ford, Cheshire, Sydney, son of the late Mr. John Platt, M.P., of Werneth Park, Oldham, and Bryn-y-Neuadd, Carnarvonshire, to Agnes B., daughter of Major and Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel T. H. Marshall, 3rd Battalion the Cheshire Begiment, of Hart­ ford, Nov. 18. Next issue o f Cricket Dec. 25.