Cricket 1885

JUNE 25.1885. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 217 I t will be gratifying to English cricketers generally to learn that the game in America is in a prosperous condition. The visit of the Gentle­ men of Philadelphia to England has, as was only to be expected, given an evident fillip to cricket in the States, and the news from the other side of the big drink is every­ where encouraging. A correspondent who has taken a prominent part in American cricket of late years writes me that the game is prospering finely, and that there are lots of good youngsters coming on, some of whom will, in all probability, play against the English Amateurs who are to visit America in September. I t will be interesting, too, to those who had tho pleasure of meeting the Philadelphians over hero last summer to learn that most of the leading membera have begun this season in promising form. I notice, in particular, a big score o f 388 made by tho German­ town Club against Baltimore on May 80, to which two of tho team subscribed very largely. Oat of 829 from the bat W . C. Morgan, jun., and W . Brockie, jun., contributed as many as 171 runs, of which the former’s share was 106. The American Cricketer states that both these scores were got without a chance. I t never rains but it pours. A hit for eight and all run out is a rarity, though some time ago, in a small match at the Oval, I saw two successive balls sent to leg, each of which realised the amount named. Three instances in which eight were made from a hit have been sent to me, all of them on Saturday last. At Cliarterliouse, for the School against M.C.C. and Ground,H. J. E. Burrell’s figures included an eight. A cut for a like sum, all run out, was registered to F . G. Heaton for the Wavertree against the Dingle Club at Liverpool. On the same day, in a match between the second elevens of Loretto School and Edinburgh Academy, E . T. McCandlish, playing for the former, Hit a ball for which eight were run, without an overthrow. As the Loretto ground is in a hollow, this last feat was tbe more remarkable. On May 80 J. W. Todman, playing at Black­ heath for the Lyncombe Club against University College Hospital, obtained nine runs for a leg hit. A f o r t n i g h t ago I called attention to the probable presence of more than one cricketer in the new Ministry. It is gratifying to find that the cricket of the past and the present will be blended, I feel sure harmoniously, under Lord Salisbury’s charge. In addition to Lord George Hamdton and the Hon. E . Stanhope, who are to bo First Lord of the Admiralty and Vice-President o f the Council re­ spectively, Lord Harris, it is stated, will occupy a responsible, though subordinate, position under the Government as Under Secretary for India. Still further, it is reported that the Chief Secretaryship for Ire­ land will probably be undertaken by Sir Wm, Hart-Dyke, another old Harrovian, who has at different times occupied the high offices of President of the Kent County and Marylebone Clubs. I f the report relative to the Kent captain be correct every one will heartily congratu­ late Lord Harris on an auspicious commencement of what is sure to be a successful political career. It is hardly necessary for me to say that his delivery will be consistently fair. M r . C ors ’ E y G rain , I notice, on Monday next introduces a new item into the entertainment at German Reed’s, “ Eton v. Harrow,” a sketch of the season. To judge from the surroundings of what Punch calls the “ Eating and ’ Arry match,” it ought to be very funny. P e e l ’ s score o f 213 for the York­ shire Eleven against the North Riding at Middlesborough deserves prominent notice, if only for the fact that he has never— at least, so far as I know— soared to anything like such a height in run-getting before; certainly never in a fixture of any im­ portance. It is singular that within the last ten days three such scores as 215 not out, 214 not out, and 213 should have been made. As was only to be expected, the Committee of the Kent Club have endorsed the action proposed to be taken by Lord Harris in the matter of the return match with Lancashire. The outcome o f their meeting on Monday is the following letter, addressed to the Hon. Sec. of the Lancashire Club by the acting Sec­ retary of the Kent Club :— [ an directed by the managiug Committee of the Kent County Crioket Club to inform you that, having every confidence in the judgment and impartiality of the gentlemen who hive played and do play for ttte County eleven, and having been informed by them that your club is in the habit of employing bowlers whose action is not consistently fair, the committee has decided to decline to play a return match with your club this year. The committee will be glad to know whether you would prefer to claim the match by default without appearance ou the ground, or to adopt the alternative course suggested by Lord Harris in his letter. — A r t h u r J. L ancaster . The decision of the Lancashire Committee on this question, which has now assumed a serious shape, will be awaited with considerable interest by the counties generally. D r. E . M. G r a c e has taken unto himself another wife. On Tuesday last “ The Doctor ” was married to Miss Annie Robinson, eldest daughter of Mr. Alfred Robinson, of the Beeches, Fishponds, and Kemerton Castle. The happy pair will have the best wishes of cricketers. Bless you, my children ! T hat was an extraordinary maiden over of Mr. C. E . Hartopp, for tho Gentlemen Riders against the Jockeys at Prince’s on Saturday. Five wides and five balls without a run from the b a t! Prodigious! T he University bowling this year has been thoroughly relished at least by one batsman, Maurice Read to wit. In the four innings he has had against Oxford and Cambridge he has scored 15, 88 not out, 5!) and 97, or 259 for three completed innings. It was certainly hard luck that he just failed to reach three figures on Tuesday. He has not as yet, I think I am correct in stating, made a hundred in a county match. I t has been officially announced that the Cambridge eleven for the Inter-University fixture on Monday will be the same as in the recent matches at the Oval and Lord’s. There is some chance, though small, that a slight change may, even now at the very last moment, be made iii the Oxford team to admit of the in­ clusion of another bowler. The players as at present arranged are :— Cambridge: Hon. M. B. Hawke (capt.), 0 . W. vVright, J. A . Turner, H. W. Bainbridge, C. A. Smith, P. J. de Paravicini, C. W . Rock, F. Marchant, G. Kemp, C. D. Buxton, and C. Toppin. Oxford : H. V. Page