Cricket 1884

APRIL 17,1884. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 51 forbids continued animosity, their passions lie on the surface, and are unsheltered from irritation, and those who are well acquainted with the Irish character never credit it with malignity. Those inconsistencies and errors lately brought before our notice so promi­ nently are due not so much to the passions of that warm-hearted peasantry as to the wiles and duplicity of those who are to them in appearancetheir friends, but who areinwardly their worst enemies. “ All’s well that ends well,” and with cheers and hand-shaking our cricketing friends separated, each to their own village bent, and the swarthy bog- trotters, lately so bellicose and threatening, parted from one another with many expres­ sions of regard. I fear it will be long before cricket will be again ventured on in this neighbourhood of combustible temperaments. But when ifc is, may you and I be there to see !— B. W., in Sporting and Dramatic News. TH E COMING S E A SON IN CANADA . T he cricketers throughout Canada are once more on the alert in regard to the noble game, and the many interests pertaining to it. Though the season does not commence properly until the Queen's Birthday, the various clubs throughout the country are rapidly rsorganizing, while rumours are rife as to the number of the new clubs springing up with the grass. Every interest centres in the International match—two months hence—but as far as can be learned there is every prospect of a grand season, marked, not only by a vast im­ provement in the play, but by the inter­ change of hospitalities with a lar^e number of foreign clubs. Lacrosse lovers may well tremble for the boasted supremacy of the so- called national game, for the rapidly-in­ creasing popularity of cricket bids fair to sur­ pass that of Lacrosse in the immediate future. What is most desired of all things is that the Ontario Association eleven, re­ presenting Canada, may win the next inter­ national match with the representatives of the United States, by a handsome majority. The Ontario Association has been singu­ larly unfortunate in its attempts to forward the interests of the game by international matches, because, ofthefive matches played, one was drawn and four lost. In spite of these reverses the Association pluckily con­ tinues the series of games, hoping always to have a chanae of redeeming its former de­ feats. That the Association will send a team to. Philadelphia this season, imbued with a strong desire to wrest the eagles from the victorious banners of their opponents, is certain, as the treasurer has a fund sufficient to defray the expenses of a team, and thus the greatest difficulty, owing to the great distance necessary to be traversed, is sur­ mounted. The effect of one of the ru’ es of the com­ petition is somewhat curious, influencing the future play of the younger players to a con­ siderable degree. No professional is allowed to take part in the contest, and, in consequence, the pro­ fessionals, being shut out from the only match in which any lasting glory could be obtained, are not attracted to the Dominion, »nd the “ youngsters,” as well as the “ veterans,” miss sadly the advantage of proper instruction. There is, however, a professional, James Norley, attached to Trinity College School, Port Hope, and judging from the results of his last season’s training, he will work wonders with the material with which he will have had two seasons’ coaching. The Toronto Club tried the experiment of a “ pro.” last season, but, being unhappy in their selection of a man, who mixed his own identity with that of his brother, they are not tempted to try again for a season or two. The great difficulty in regard to pro­ fessionalism is due to the shortness of the season, as cricket never lasts more than five or six months at the outside. The great event of the coming season, only excepting the international match, will be the advent of a team of Philadelphian gentlemen to Canadian soil, where, in the different cities, they will play a number of matches. In this manner they will be enabled to spend a pleasant holiday whilst, at the same time, following'their favourite sport, Tho Toronto and Montreal clubs will visit Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, during the summer, with the laudable intention of paying tbeir debts of four years’ standing. It will thus be seen that there is scope for more than usual activity in cricket in Canada this season, and there is abundance of evidence to p-ove the popularity of thegame. The principal clubs of Toronto have made an effort this season to place their grounds in a better state of repair, and when strangers in the future, visit Canada, they will find some creases that can not be surpassed even in England or Australia for fineness of turf. It is stated that the Montreal club has secured a professional for this season, and as he will travel with them, the team will be materially strengthened. Whether the Canadian Zingari will journey to Philadelphia this year is not settled as yet, and it may well be said that the promoters will be much in favour of “ brook­ ing the eagle in his eyr e, ” after their triumphant march last season through Philadelphia. Toronto, as usual, will head the lists, with the largest number of clubs playing the game, as there are seven first class and nine junior clubs scattered through the city, which may well be called the centre of Canadian cricket. The Hamilton club will be on a much firmer basis, owing to the ground passing out of the hands of an individual, into the power of a company composed of gentlemen, who are thoroughly interested in the game. In fact, taking everything into considera­ tion, the season of 1884 should prove in Canada a most successful one, and the legitimate hope of Canadians is that this season may be made eventful by the success of the Dominion in the coming international match with United States. T he annual dinner of the Stygians will be held at the Holborn Restaurant this evening. Mr. W. S. Shirley, the President, will be in the chair. A bazaak will be held at the Drill Hall, Derby, on Thursday next and two following days, in aid of the building fund of the new pavilion and general purposes of the Derby­ shire County Cricket Club. T E A C H IN G C R I C K E T F I F T Y Y E A R S AGO. B y T homas K evwoeth . T here is no difficulty at the present time in obtaining hand-books which give a correct ac­ count of cricket rules, and a plain statement of the principles which govern every depart­ ment of the game. This, however, was not the case half a century ago. Perhaps I ought to say, more than half a century ago ; for Nyren’s book was published in 1833, and with that before him, an inquirer concerning cricket could have his doubts removed, and could learn all about the great players who had brought the game to perfection. But in 1830, youths who wanted to read about cricket would be likely to consult a Boy’s Book, which was published in that year ; it contained a full account of various pastimes which were played out of doors; in fact it professed to be a cyclopaedia of sports. There had been handbooks of cricket pub­ lished before that time, but probably they were out of print or little known. The earliest cricket manual appeared in 1774, and was called, “ New Articles of the Game of Cricket.” In 1790, Thomas Boxall’s Cricketer’s Guide appeared. This was fol­ lowed in 1816 by Lambert’s “ Instructions and Rules for Playing tho Noble Game of Cricket.” I am not aware that any hand­ book was published between Lambert’s and Nyren’s, a period of nearly twenty years. Lambert’s book was the right one to consult in 1830. If the writer of the Article on Cricket had done so he would have provided for his readers a far clearer and more satis­ factory account of the game than that which he produced. I have sometimes wondered what tho boys of that time thought, when they read the vagufe and incorrect statements which were given in the book. If they played according to the instructions, they would neither practice nor appreciate the niceties which we know from Nyren were observed, not only then, but at a far earlier period I purpose to reproduce some of the instruc­ tions, that the readers of the present time may see how the Boy’s Book of more than half a century ago taught the game of cricket. Be it always remembered, that it was not so easy then to find correct information on this subject in general literature as it is at the present time. In the new edition of tho JSncyclopcedia Britannica we have a first-rate article on cricket. It is a pity that the last paragraph, relating to works on the game, should be so unsatisfactory. But a reference to the old cyclopajdias will show that cricket had not so much space given to it as is now common in a first-class dictionary. Modern works are far from being perfect in reference to this subject. There is a diagram in Chambers’ Informationfo r the People, which is a curiosity. It shows the places which the fielders ought to occupy; and the umpire at the bowler's end is placed between mid- off and long-off. An umpire in that position would be able to field the ball pretty well, but would be of very little use for any other purpose. The peculiarity of the Boy’s Book is that instead of giving definite statements about points which had been settled by the laws, it gave approximate ones, such as “ The popping crease should be three or four feet from the wicket.” Then referring to the space between wickets it says 1 ‘ The distance should be twenty-two