Cricket 1885

PRICE 2d. A R T H U R H A R W O O D JARVI S . T he exceptionally brilliant form shown by J. M. Blackham, as the wicket-keeper of all the four Australian teams which have visited this country during the last six years, renders it a little diffi­ cult for English cricketers to feel im­ plicit belief in the frequently reiterated assertions of some Australian critics that he has found an equal in the young SouthAustralian whose portrait,through the courtesy of a kind friend in Ade­ laide, we are able to publish this week. Blackham’s reputation has been thor­ oughly established on English grounds by a succession of extraordinary per­ formances. His pluck in standing up to the fastest bowling has earned for him the universal respect of cricketers. He has, in fact, been thoroughly and deservedly recognised as the master of the great art of wicket-keeping, tbe prince of all stumpers. Yet, on the other hand, it must, in justice to a rising cricketer, be admitted that com­ petent judges in Australia stoutly claim for A. H. Jarvis that he is distinctly as good as, if not better than Blackham be­ hind the wickets. A Colonial corres­ pondent, for whose practical knowledge and capabilities we can ourselves vouch, indeed, goes so far as to assert that he is the best wicket-keeper at the present time in the Colonies. A. H. Jarvis was born at Hindmarsh, near Adelaide, on Oct, 18,1860, so that nearly five months must pass before he completes his twenty-fifth year. When only sixteen he became identified with the local club, and, indeed, he made his first appearance in an important match when he had just entered his eighteenth year. Though he failed to score against the Tasmanian eleven on the occasion of his debut in Nov., 1877, he made his mark a month later against the First Australian eleven at Adelaide, carrying out his bat in the second innings of the Fifteen of South Australia for awell-got thirty-two. The visit of Lord Harris’s team to the Colonies at the end of 1878, gave him fresh opportunities, and in the match played by the English cricketers at despite his inexperience, his wicket-keeping made a good impression, even among the best judges of cricket in the Colonies. His ability was, indeed, then generally recognised, and itwas no doubt owing to the fact that he was not only a likely bat but also a wicket-keeper above the average, that he owed his promotion to a plaoe in the second Australian team, collected to visit England in 1880. In the preliminary matches in connection with that tour he showed fair cricket, and, singularly, one of his best performances before he left for the Old Country was against the Sixteen of his native Colony, South Australia, when he secured 22 and 18. Though there were no high figures attached to his name in England, Jarvis proved of consider­ able use both with the bat and at the wicket. In some of the later matches, indeed, he showed to great advantage, and one innings of his, 88 against the Players, at Bradford, we can well recall as a very creditable display of batting. Although he had not the same amount of practice as some others of the team he came out fairly well in the tables at the end of the trip, and in addition to a creditable average of nearly 17 runs also proved himself a useful second string at the wicket, stumping five and catching two batsmen. Since that time Jarvis has taken a leading part in Colo­ nial cricket, steadily improving, until he has become one of the foremost players in Australia. The highest score we believe, to his credit, is one of 189, made for the South Australian Associa­ tion against a Country eighteen on the Adelaide Oval, on Dec. 2, 1879. On that occasion he was three hours at the wickets, and Jesse Hide, the Sussex professional, who scored 80, if we re­ collect rightly, in the same match, willwell remember the innings. During the season just over in Australia, he added considerably to his reputation, and his wicket-keeping in particular showed a marked improvement. Blackham’s refusal to play for Victoria, and consequent suspension by the Victorian Association, gave an opening for Jarvis in the Combined eleven of Australia, three and stumping the fourth. In the same month a match with the first Australian Team, just returned from England, gave him another opportunity of a comparison with Blackham at the wickets. That he came out of the ordeal fairly well can be proved by the fact that, Adelaide, in December of that year, though he was only just eighteen he showed to great ad­ vantage. Both with the bat and at the wickets he was successful, and, in addition to a well-got first score of twenty-one, he secured four of the English batsmen in the two innings, catching THURSDAY, MAY 28, 1885. cricket’s man ly toil."— Byron. “ Together joined in