Cricket 1884

APRIL 17, 1884. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 67 particulars of the preparation of the ground and the application of the matting at Cootamundra, in New South Wales, kindly furnished by the Captain of the Australian Eleven, W. L. Murdoch, who, as many are aware, resides there. In the Colonies matting is,in many cases,absolutely necessary. Indeed, I notice in the Sydney Mail of Feb.23,that the wickets on the Domain Ground were sobad that the secre­ taries of the various clubs had drawn up a petition to the Managing Trus­ tees,to provide fibre matting forpractice and for matches. “ The turf, it adds,is so bad as to be dangerous to life and limb to play on it.” I shall be glad to give any information on the subject, and any letters addressed to the care of the Editor of C r ic k e t will be duly answered. P b in c e ’ s C l u b , at least that portion of it which devotes itself to cricket, has for some time past, as every one knows, gradually had the area of its old ground reduced by the en­ croachments of the insatiable builder. It is satisfactory, however, to know that the brothers Prince, whose judicious and liberal management has developed the club bearing their name into the first society of its kind, have succeeded in obtaining a new enclosure within easy distance of Sloane-square. The cricketers of Prince’s have had to seek fresh woods and pastures new, and their location for the future will be in the immediate vicinity o f the Albert Bridge. I understand, from official sources that the area of the new ground is about six acres, and I hear that every effort, even to the use of the steam roller, is being made to get it in fit order for the important programme of matches to be decided during the summer. A ie c e of pretty fast run getting has been forwarded to me by an Aus­ tralian correspondent. On Feb. 28 the East Melbourne Club against fifteen of the South Melbourne Trades, totalled 217 for four wickets in an hour and forty minutes. This is not a bad performance against odds. T he Boston Globe has evident ly a very high opinion of the fielding abilities of the Philadelphian team to visit us this summer. Everyone expects to find the Yankees smart in the field, but it remains to be seen, though, whether the Globe, in the extract which follows, has not sung their praises a little too high. There are, I may remark, a few good fields­ men in England, even besides “ Steele (s ic) and Studd.” Steele and Studd are considered to be without equals in England as fielders, but the chances are very much in favour of them being eclipsed by more than one of the Philadelphia team. It must be remembered that the Philadelphians have yet to prove themselves the equals of English amateurs in batting and bowling, but they are without a shadow of a doubt far superior in the field, and the latter qualification will, we venture to predict, pull them out of many a close corner in their English games. T he solution of “ Bat’s ” acrostic, which appeared in the last budget of “ Gossip,” is as under:— « L eg-hi T A ustrali A T rail L E xperienc E N ixo N T arran T F. D. Gaddum sent the correct answer. He is evidently a “ Fossicker” (vide “ Gossip” of Jan. 31st) of latent L o r d S h e f f ie l d has now definitely settled the eleven which is to repre­ sent him at Sheffield Park, on May 12, against the Australians. It will con­ sist of Mr. W. G. Grace, Rev. F. J. Greenfield, Alfred Shaw, A. Shrews­ bury, Barnes, Barlow, Hide, Ulyett, Harrison. W. Mycroft, aud H. Phillips. Flowers, it will be seen, is not in the team, but the Colonials will, I fancy, consider the opposition quite strong enough for an opening match. How effective the curly deliveries of G. Giffen can be when the ground helps him, was pfoved sufficiently at the Oval two years ago, in tho match between the Australians and the Gentlemen of England. Those who remember how thoroughly he “ stuck up ” a very strong batting side of English Amateurs in their first inn­ ings—he took eight wickets for 49 runs—will not be surprised to hear of his extraordinary success for the Fourth Australian team against the combined eleven of the Colonies, a re­ port of which will be found in another part of this paper. The wicket to­ wards the close of the match was much cut up, and in the second inn­ ings of the combination Giffen was credited with all the ten wickets at a cost of only sixty-six runs. This feat is one of very exceptional occurrence in English cricket, but it is the single instance of the kind in a first-class match in the Colonies, and Giffen has thus the distinction of a best on record in Australia. Of the ten batsmen, two were bowled, one caught and bowled, one was leg before wicket, and the other six were caught. A f e w days more, and, all going well, another team of Australian cricketers will have reached these shores. The last nows of the travellers, who it will be remembered left Adelaide on March 13, in the P. & 0. steamer “ Sutlej,” is that they reached Suez all safe on Tuesday last to time. There Mr. G. Alexander, their manager, left them to make the best of his way to the old country, and in the ordinary course he should reachLondon on Monday or Tuesday next. I h a v e not heard definitely, but I expect that the team will as before make their head quarters at the Tavi­ stock Hotel in Covent Garden, and letters may at least be addressed to Mr. Alexander there. Some slight alterations have been made in their programme, and there are likely to be a few additions to the list settled at the conference of Secretaries at Lord’s. Tho match with Cambridge University Past and Present on Aug. 25 will he played at Brighton instead of at Cambridge as first arranged, and the Sussex County Club is certainly to be congratulated on the change. The fixture with the South of England, in compliance with the wishes of Lord Harris, will be decided at Gravesend on Aug. 28 instead of at the Oval. T h e use of the Surrey ground though, will instead be granted to the Colonials Sept. 11, and at the latter date they will in all probability be opposed by a very strong team of England. A new fixture has been definitely con­ cluded at Liverpool on June 23, when the Australians will meet an eleven of the District, and it has been also determined to arrange a match at Birmingham against a picked team. It is some few years since an im­ portant match has been witnessed at Birmingham, and the Australian players are sure of a hearty reception and a large attendance there. The date suggested by the local manage­ ment is May 26.