Cricket 1885

M ay 2i, 1885. CRICKET; A ‘WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 13? A c o r r e spo n d e n t located in Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A., writes to me sending some particulars of tlie progress of cricket in those parts. The Forest Club, with which he is connected, is the second of the kind in Toledo, and it is gratifying to learn that it is meet­ ing with every success. The Secre­ tary, Mr. W. J. Everett, he says, came from the old country two years ago. He was well known as a cricketer in the north of London a few seasons since. My correspondent adds that the Englishmen of Toledo aredetermined to “ boom ” the cricket, which has hitherto been carried on in a very lukewarm fashion in his dis­ trict. I wish the “ boom ” every suc­ cess. C ricketers will be interested to learn that Dr. E . M. Grace, who, be it known to all men, is the coroner for the Lower Division of Gloucestershire, is about to contract his second matri­ monial alliance. He is to be married in the last week of June to Miss Robin­ son, eldest daughter of Mr. Alfred Robinson, of Beechwood Fishponds, near Bristol. Every one will wish the “ Crowner ” and his wife the best of luck. The Doctor, who has been troubled of late with a bad knee, is, I am glad to hear, better, though it still prevents him playing and is likely to do for some little time longer. S ome time ago I called attention to the election of the Rev. W. Thornhill Webber, of whom I had knowledge as a keen cricketer, to the Bishopric of Brisbane, I notice in the Daily News, that the Bishop elect has just been presented with a testimonial consisting of a collection of books to the value of over £20, and a set of Bishop’s robes to the value of over £50, as an acknow­ ledgement from London Board School teachers, of the great services he has rendered in the metropolis to the cause of education. Mr. E. North Buxton, the chairman of the London School Board, who, by the way, was himself a good cricketer, and is still a liberal supporter of the game, presided. The presentation was made by Mr. A. J. Mundella, M.P. Midwinter, I learn from the latest Australian advices, has followed the example of many prominent English players and turned Boniface. The Melbourne Leader of April 4, states that he had recently become lessee of the Clyde Hotel at Carlton, for many years past the established rendezvous of cricketers and footballers. I h e a r that Mr. Denzil R. Onslow, the present member for Guildford, is to be the Conservative candidate for Poplar at the forthcoming General Election. Mr. Onslow was in the Brighton College eleven in 1855 and three following years,and subsequently appeared with considerable success in the Cambridge University and Sussex County teams. I hope his candidature will be poplar with the new constituency. I am curious to know whether any one can remember such an occurrence as that recorded on Monday last at Cambridge, at the commencement of the match between Mr. C. I. Thorn­ ton’s England Eleven and Cambridge University. I should think that it is unique in the history of the game. Certainly I can recal no such incident of late years, for a match of any im­ portance to be recommenced after two wickets had fallen, because the distance between the wickets was considerably in excess of the stipu­ lated length. I am told on good authority that something of the same kind occurred in a minor match a year or so ago, also on the University Ground at Cambridge. I o bserve from the Colonial news­ papers received this week that the disqualification of the Victorian mem­ bers of the last Australian team by the Cricketers’ Association of the Colony came again before the mem­ bers of that body on April 9th, on an application of the Carlton Club for its removal. It appears from the re­ port that there were two votes for and about twelve against the reinstate­ ment of the players disqualified. T he six members of Shaw’s team who preferred to come on to Ply­ mouth by sea instead of leaving the “ Potosi” at Naples to come over­ land, duly reached their respective homes on Saturday night. Ulyett, Bates, Peel and Hunter were all in the field at Bradford on Monday, to meet Yorkshire. Maurice Read, whose face has been thoroughly browned by the Australian sun, also put in an appear­ ance at the Oval on the same day, to represent Surrey against Essex. R ead speaks in high terms of the hospitality extended to the team, particularly in the “ up country ” districts. Though he does not com­ plain in any way, he says that the work throughout the tour was very heavy. He is quite satisfied, too, that the team had a good chance of seeing, if, at times, they could not always enjoy, Australian scenery to the full. T hough the weather has as yet been anything but genial for cricket, it is satisfactory to find that several of our most prominent cricketers show every sign of a successful season. Mr. W. W . Read, who, as I stated a fort­ night ago, is in wonderful form already this year, has played three innings for Surrey for an aggregate of 249 runs. Gunn, too, who began so badly last year, has made an excellent start this summer, and is now beginning thoroughly to justify the confidence of good judges when he first came out. Up to the present time his scores have been 44 and 2 not out for M.C.C. and G. v. Sussex, 44 and 63 for Notts v. Sussex, and 71 and 27 for M.C.C. and G. v. Oxford. This gives an aggregate of 251 runs for five completed inn­ ings, or an average of 50.1. I f any reliance is to be placed on their run - getting properties as yet, the wickets this year at the Oval seem likely to produce some high scoring. In the three matches in which they have appeared up to the present time the Surrey eleven have made totals of 238, 461, and 835. On each of these occasions they won with more than an innings to spare, beating Essex by an innings and 48 runs, Hampshire by an in­ nings and 280 runs, and Leicester­ shire by an innings and 53 runs. I n each of these matches, too, a score of over a hundred was made. Mr. W. W. Read made 143 against Essex, Mr. J. Shuter 135 against Hampshire, and Wheeler 107 for Leicestershire against Surrey. Mr. W. E . Roller, who, owing to ill-health, was not quite in his best form last year, has begun the season well, and seems to have regained his old powers of hitting. He has scored 92 and 86 in the only two innings he has as yet played for Surrey. To judge by the run-getting already recorded, the wickets on the Derby­ shire County Ground, too, seem to be in a much better condition than they were last year. The Derbyshire Club and Ground, on Saturday last, did some good scoring, making 383 for eight wickets, against Holbrook Park. W. Chatterton 115, and Mr. H. G. Owen 105, both got over the hundred.