Cricket 1885

j d n e 11 , 1885. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAMB. 185 ful illness, during which he was con­ fined to his bed for several weeks, succumbed last Friday. A c o r r e s p o n d e n t (J. B. Manley), writing from Wellington, Somerset, gives me particulars of some fast scoring in a match played on Saturday last at Taunton, between Wellington and Fullands Club and Ground (two of the leading Somerset Clubs) which are well worthy of reproduction in this column. Wellington went in at 2.15 and were all out at 6 p.m for the score of 427. Eain twice stopped the game, and at the outside there was only three-and-a-half hours’ batting, making an average of exactly 122 runs per hour. Mr. Bere in two overs scored 21 and 13 runs. The former sum was made up thus— 4, G, 6 ,4 ,1 . A so m e w h a t curious occurrence was reoorded in a match played between the Non-Collegiate Eleven and the Cam­ bridge Victoria at Cambridge on Thurs­ day and Friday last. W . S. Stretton for tho former carried his bat through the first innings, contributing 84 to an aggregate of 119. In the second innings he went in first wicket down with the score at 2, and again carried his bat for 107 out of the total of 209. It will thus be seen that he scored 191 out of 328 without once being out. The Victoria only had one innings, in which they scored 179. A c o r r e s p o n d e n t in Bombay sends me a few reflections on cricket, as it is played in that city. His views will, I venture to think, be read with interest. There is a good deal of cricket here by the natives, though it is not much affected by the Europeans. I have done nothing at it since I came, except last Saturday, when I payed for a short time with some Parsees. I was looking on and they kindly asked me to have a turn. It is very funny to see the “ Maidan ” on a Saturday afternoon when all the natives are playing. It i3 bigger than the cricket ground at Regent’s Park, and equally as crowded. I can remember no more amusing experience than when I first saw the Hindoos play. The wicket-keeper in particular was quite the funniest picture I nave ever seen at cricket. The Hindoos’ trousers are ingenious articles. They consist of a long length of pretty wide muslin, or something of that sort, which is wound round the loins and hangs loosely round, or partly round, sometimes one leg, some­ times both ; the end is drawn between the legs and fastened in the waist folds. Just fancy, as the only addition to complete the costume, a pair of gloves and leg guards, with nothing but the bare feet as continua­ tions ! The Hindoos play very fairly con­ sidering, and stop tbe ball wonderfully well. The bowling is not very fast, but the ground is hard and of course lively. After looking at the natives playing, both Hindoo and P.irsee, I was drawn to the conclusion that they came closer to us in sympathy and feeling through that game than through anything else. They use English words for all the “ points” of the game, andcopyas closely as possible our style. On that cricket-field I felt I understood them better and came nearer to them than I had ever done before. A fellow sends the ball some distance off, and shouts of “ Thank you, thank you,” rend the air until the ball is returned. You find the same sort of jokes and the same little courtesies, perhaps the same sort of swearing for all I know, I believe cricket and similar sports will do more to make the people English than many things that are more admired. T he Nottinghamshire eleven are to oppose England to-day on the Trent Bridge Ground. The following, I understand, will be the players England : Hon. M. B . Hawke, Messrs. S. Christopherson, T. C. O’Brien and Charles W . Wright, and Barlow, Bates, Briggs, Hall, Peel, Pilling, and Ulyett. Notts : Mr. H. B. Daft, and Attewell, Barnes, Flowers, Gunn, Selby, Scotton, Shaw, Shrewsbury, Sherwin, and W. Wright. Do I sleep ? Do I dream ? Do I wonder and doubt ? Are things what they seem ? Or is visions about ? What will happen to us all if the Secularists of Leicester succeed in their present agitation to test the legality of Sunday cricket ? I gather from the papers that the purchase by the Leicester Corporation of a large area of ground for purposes of recrea­ tion has enabled the Secularists of the town to try the question. Last Sun­ day, at least, they took practical steps to test their right to play cricket. Wickets were pitched and the game commenced, it is said, in the presence of a large crowd. The police, though, appeared and ordered the players to desist, which they did to prevent dis­ turbance. Nothing daunted, however, they propose to resume next Sunday in order to force legal proceedings. Myself I think this move of the Leicester zealots is not considerate to the rest of the cricket world. Six days in the week are sufficient for the game in most shires, and it is hardly fair for Leicester to try and steal a march. Should the agitation prove successful, cricket in the county, I opine, will soon look up. A f r ie n d in Bristol, over the signa­ ture “ One of Themselves,” writes to me thusly:— “ How they Got Out, by Themselves,” a good idea, I should think, and most amusing, Should you carry it out, I think I can give you an instance of the difficulty a batsman sometimes has to get out. I was playing in a match near Bristol last Saturday week. The wicket which had been prepared was quite under water, so we had to use the driest piece of ground we could find near, like anything but a wicket. Off the first ball bowled I gave a chance to the wicket -keeper, next over I offered him two more catches. Finding that he was no good I turned my attention to mid-on, and tried him with one, which he declined. At last the wicket­ keeper caught me, but the umpire would not have it, saying *•not out.” I was fairly- puzzled how to secure my retirement. The next ball I went out to, mis-ed, and the ball rolled from the wicket-keeper’s pads into the wicket, and I was fairly stumped. Again the umpire gave me the benefit of the doubt, and as he could not see it, declared that I wa3 not out. The next ball hit me on the leg, and then I was given out. The umpire acknow­ ledged I was not out, but said that as I was out twice before, he could not possibl y, after this, say “ not out ” to any appeal. Bather a lively ten minutes, eh ? I am not quite clear whether C. E . P. is serious, or whether his remarks are merely the irresponsible chatter of hair-brained frivolity. But no matter. A c o r r e s p o n d e n t has sent me some particulars of cricket in Assam. The season is from September to the end of January, after which it is too hot to play. Among the Englishmen now located there is Mr. Henry Miller, whose name will be familiar to all Lancashire C r ic k e t readers especially. He will be generally well remembered as a fast bowler and good all-round cricketer, who performed very credit­ ably a few years ago for the Upping­ ham Rovers and Lancashire. I n o t i c e in the Times of yester day an account of the proceedings of a congregation held at Cambridge on Tuesday for the recitation of the prize exercises. Among the chief actors in this performance was Mr. N. K. Stephen, who having been declared equal with Mr. J. R. Orford, and divided with him the Porson Prize, recited liis exercise, which was a translation into Greek verse of a passage from Hamlet. The fortu­ nate prizeman can hardly be other than the slow bowler who was so successful for Fettes College last year, and recently figured in the Freshmen’s Match at Cambridge. A t an influential meeting of old Harrovians held at the Westminster Palace Hotel on Tuesday, the follow­ ing resolution was carried by accla­ mation :— That a fund be raised to be devoted to the purohase of a portrait of Dr. Butler for presentation to his family, and, secondly, to