Cricket 1885

178 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME, J une 11,isss. remembered heavily handicapped in county cricket in consequence of the lack of howlers in the Gloucestershire team. Indeed, he delivered altogether 1,008 overs,nearly double the number of any other bowler in the county, and considering the amount of work he had to do, and the generally easy con­ dition of the wickets he did very well to secure 81 wickets even at an average of 20 runs. In the memorable match against Lancashire, when Gloucestershire gained its one victory of the year, he took 11 wickets at a cost of 134 runs : and so satisfied were the supporters of Gloucestershire with his performance that a collection of thirty pounds was made on his behalf. Against both Universities at Lord’s he was particu­ larly successful, and his average for M.C.C!. in 1884 was less than twelve-and-a-half runs for thirty-three wickets. W oof bowls slow round-arm left with a high delivery. Though he breaks generally from leg, perhaps his most eSective ball is the one that comes from the off, as it is very difficult for anyone not well accustomed to his bowling to dis­ tinguish from his delivery when he is going to “ work” thatway. With good defence and fair hitting powers he has proved of use in keeping up his wioket on occasions, though he has not been generally successful, with the bat. He is a good field. C r ic k e t of Thursday next will contain portrait and biography of Mr. J. H. Brain, of Oxford University and Gloucestershire. T H E U N IV E R S I T Y E L E V E N S OF 1885 . B y O n e w h o h as P l a y e d A gainst B oth . S o far as can be judged from the form already shown it appears more than pro­ bable that the Oxford and Cambridge match this year will be very evenly contested. After the wonderfully successful season Oxford had last summer under the captaincy of M. C. Kemp, it was generally thought that the dark blues would have matters all their own way for the next two or three years at all events. Up to the present time, though, the Oxford cricket of 1885 has not been as good as was expected, and tho form of the eleven generally not been of a kind to justify the hopes of their sup­ porters. It is curious that two of last year’s most promising freshmen, Nicholls and Whitby to wit, seem to a great extent to have lost their cricket. Though Oxford were only defeated in one match in 1885, this season they have already lost two, and two others have been drawn very much in favour of their opponents. It will be argued, and lightly, though, that the Oxonians have never yet put their full strength into the field. Brain has been unable to play on one or two occasions, while O’Brien has not up to the present appeared for his University. The batting will be decidedly strong, as Brain, Key, Page, Hildyard, and Buckland all seem in capital form. The last-named has apparently come on very much since last year, while O’Brien is undoubtedly a most dangerous batsman. This gives Oxford six good batsmen from the team of 1884. Of the new men Cochrane, from Repton School, is a very useful bat. He hits hard and as he i3 besides a very fair left-handed medium pace bowler, he can hardly fail to gain a place. Newton, the wicket-keeper, is decidedly up to the average in that capacity and is by no means unlikely to make a good score. Bastard is the best bowler, so that nine are, barring accidents, almost certain to play against Cambridge. For the two remaining vacancies there are a great number of candidates. The eleven must have a fast bowler and if Whitby still con­ tinues to be unsuccessful, Page will pro­ bably have recourse to C. J. Godfrey, who is very fast, and can make the ball get up a good deal. It was unfortunate that he could not play against Surrey, but no doubt he will soon have a trial. He is too a dangerous batsman and has scored largely in college matches. Then there are W. E. Bolitho, the old Harrovian, who was in the eleven of 1883, but could not play last year owing to a strained knee, R. H. Pemberton, who has been batting well this season, P. Coles, the Rugby captain of 1884, a freshman who has a very good defence and is a good active field, and E. K. D’Aeth, from Haileybury, who has got a lot of runs, though he appears rather wanting in confidence A. R. Cobb, who played in nearly all the trial matches last year, has been very unlucky on the Parks ground, though he has made a great many runs in minor matches. The bowling, unless an improvement takes place, will not be very deadly, though there is certainly plenty of it. Besides the two left-handed medium-pace bowlers, E. W. Bastard and v Cochrane, there are H. V. Page, medium right, E. H. Buckland, slow right, and either H. 0. Whitby or 0. J. Godfrey, fast right. J. H. Brain, T. C. O’ Brien, and. K.J. Key can also bowl a little if required. The fielding up to the present time has not been so smart as it ought to be. We hope, though, to see a great improvement in this respect by the time of the University match, as there are several very fine fields on the side, notably Brain and Hildyard. Turning to Cambridge the eleven there is certainly much stronger than it was last year. Indeed there is a notable improve­ ment in every department of the game. They made rather a poor show against Yorkshire, but had the best of the game with the M.C.C., though the club sent down a very inferior team to that taken by J. G. Walker to Oxford. They had a very even match with C. I. Thornton’s Eleven, and had decidedly the best of it against A. J. Webbe’s team, so they have been very un­ fortunate in having three drawn games. The principal batsmen are the captain, Hon. M. B. Hawke, who appears to have regained his old form, H. W. Bainbridge, who has done exceedingly well up to the present time, C. W . Wright, who has got some very good scores, Turner, who though he has only participated in one match, showed first rate cricket for 109 not out, against Mr. Webbe’s X I, and C. W . Rock, whose defence is as strong as ever. These are the best of the old Blues who have hitherto played this season at Cambridge. P. J. de Paravicini will probably join the team for the rest of the matches, and if his knee does not give way again, will greatly strengthen the eleven. G. Kemp, a Shrews­ bury boy, is a most promising freshman, with a nice free style. He is almost certain to get a place, as he has played some exceedingly good|innings. C. Toppin, the fast bowler of the team, can get runs, and so can C. D. Buxton, a freshman from Harrow, who was wonderfully successful with his slow round in the match against Webbe’s Eleven. As is the case at Oxford it seems pretty certain that the nine we have mentioned will appear for the light blues. Besides these the following men are available for filling up the eleven. C. A. Smith, who has always bowled so well for the University at Lord’s, is ready to give his services if required.The others are G. T. Mirehouse, a good steady fast or rather just over medium pace bow ler; T. Greatorex, who got runs both innings against M .C.C; D. G. Spiro, who played last year, but does not appear to be in much form at present ; F. Marchant, a fine dashing hitter and good field ; T, Lindley, a moderate slow bowler and fair bat; A. E. Leatham, a fair left-handed bowler; H. Eaton, a good bat with pretty style, but a moderate field. A. H. Studd, a younger brother of the celebrated family of Cambridge cricketers, can bowl as well as bat, and Hon. C. M. Knatchbull-Hugessen, who, both this year and last, has frequently represented his University in the trial matches, is also a useful reserve. Greatorex and Marchant are probably the best outside the nine mentioned above as apparent certainties. In enumerating the bowlers, there are Toppin and perhaps C. A. Smith or Mire­ house as fast bowlers, Rock and Turner medium, and Buxton slow right hand, with Bainbridge to bowl a few very fast overs occasionally. The fielding has been quite up to the average in all the matches. There is, as already stated, every prospect of an interesting match. We should ourselves be disposed to consider Oxford rather the stronger team of the two, for the reason that though the bowling is about equal, in batting Oxford shows the greater strength. Both the University captains are very keen, and no stone will be left unturned on either side. It is to be hoped, however, that Page will be able to infuse a little more energy into his men when in the field. It is hardly necessary, indeed, to say that many a match has been lost by slack fielding. V A L E OF C L W Y D v. S A N D B A C H . P la y e d at S an dbach o n M ay 25 an d 26. V ale os C lwyd . First Innings. Second Innings. R. Lloyd - Williams, b K ardley..........................12 0 Sheldon, b Childs 12 H. Lloyd - "Williams, b E a rd le y ..........................7 not o a t ....................53 Capt. Wilkinson, 0 sub, b E a rd ley ..........................5 r u n o u t ................. 0 T. Wynne - Edwards, b B o s t o n ..........................0 0 Eardley, b Boston 27 J. E. Lloyd-Williams, b c Eardley, b H. Boston .. .. .. .. 17 Latham . • . • 82 H. Wynne - Edwards, b Boston ..........................9 b H. N. Latham •. 1 E. A. Tumour, b Eardley 0 b Eardley •. .. 0 Hughes, b Eardley .. .. 0 b Eardley •. .. 9 W. Edwards, b Boston .. 0 b Eardley .. .. 1 W . Tudge, not out .. .. 0 b Boston.. *• •. 0. E. W. D. Broughton, (absent)..........................0 absent ................... 0 E xtras..........................5 Extras .. ..1 3 Total ..................55 Total ..148 S andbach . First Innings. Second Innings. H. Latham, b Tudge .. 8 0 and b T. Wynne- Edwards .. .. 1 M. Eardley, b H. Lloyd- W iliam s...........................0 absent .. .. .. 0 T. Latham, b H. Lloyd- W illiams..........................23 bT.Wynne-Edwards 18 A. E. Stringer, b T. Wynne-Kdwa- ds ., *.. 7 absent, hurt .. .. 0 H. N. Latham, 0 H, Wynne - Edward-, b b T. Wynno- Tudge .. .. .. .. 0 Edwards .. .. 2 A. S. Sheldon, c J. Lloyd- Williams, b T. Wynne- Edwards..........................4 run o u t .................0 F. Boston, b HugheB .. 10 run o u t .................7 J.Plaut.b Wynnt-Edwards 2 c Hughes, bW ynne- Edwards .. .. 21 H. Billyard, b Hughes .. 2 c and b T. Wynne- Edwards .. B. V. Latham, c H. 0 T Wynne- Wynne - Edwards, b Edwards, b H. 25 H u g h e s.................. •• 3 Lloyd-W illiams.. 1 W. Childs, not out .. .. 2 not o u t ......... 0 Extras .. .. .. .. 2 Extras .. . . 6 T o t a l .................. 63 Total .. 81