Cricket 1885

j u l y 9.1885. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 247 GENTLEMEN v. PLAYEES. T he O v a l M atch . Three full daya’ cricket proved insufficient to bring the first of the two annual matches between Gentlemen and Players, begun at the Oval on Thursday last, to a definite conclusion. The result, though the draw was all in favour of the Players, was very creditable to the Gentlemen, who, certainly the weaker side on paper, had so much the worst of the earlier part of the game that they were obliged to follow on in a minority of 180 runs. Neither eleven was as origin­ ally selected. Messrs. A. G. Steel, Roller and Hornby were unable to assist the Gentlemen, and the absence of the two first named weakened their all-round cricket materially. Earlow, too, had to withdraw hia name in order to do duty for Lancashire against Essex, and as it proved hi* bowling might have been very useful to the Players. The general impres­ sion was that the Gentlemen were this time out classed, and the presence of three fast bowlers in the eleven did not augur favour­ ably for their ohances against such strength of batting as was to bo found in the Players’ team. Just at the present time, indeed, the Gentlemen are weaker in bowling than they have been for many years, and there does not seem, as far as one can see, to be a sign of any immediate improvement. Last week’smatch, though,showed that despite the recent retire­ ment of several well known amateurs, their batting is almo3t,if not quite,aH strong as ever, and their performance under the circum stances was very praiseworlhy. Better cricktt, on the whole, has Hardly ever been witnessed even in this match, audit is some yearj, at least, since the Oval ha3 seen such a close finish in the best fixture of the sea son. Though the weather was a little dull on the first day, it was, on the whole, most genial, and as the wicket was in excellent condition everything was in favour of high scoring. In all 1,011 runs were totalled,audit is interesting to note that the two best amateur and the most successful professional batamen of the year, Mr. \V. G. Grace, Mr. W.W. Bead, and Gunn, all played up to their reputations. The feature of the firat day’B cricket was the batting of Gunn, Shrews­ bury, and Briggs. These three batsmen contributed 242 of 338 from the bat. Gunn was just under two hours and a half at the wickets, and his 93 was in every sense a brilliant display. He might have been caught at the wicket when he had made 63, but this was his only mistake and better form has certainly not been shown in this match. Shrewsbury and Briggs added 118 runs for the seventh wicket, and both played admirably in their different styles. Mr. Read very nearly made a wonderful catch at point from a hard hit by Shrewsbury, which would have secured the batsman’s dismissal when he had made only 14. Otherwise the play was faultless and both scored freely, Briggs’ hitting, in par­ ticular, being very fine all round. Following on on Friday afternoon in a minority of 180 runs the Gentlemen began their second innings disastrously, losing two wickets—those of Messrs. Brain and New- ham-^for only thirteen runs. Here, with the game all against the Gentlemen, Messrs, W. G. Grace and Read became partners, and some of the very best cricket of the match followed. Mr. Bead gave a very difficult chance to Peate ofi his own bowling, but this was the only possible flaw during a partner­ ship lasting close on two hours and a quarter. While they were together the two batsmen had put on 135 runs, and Mr. Grace was dismissed just before time on the second day, and then only by a piece of bad luck, playing the ball off his hand on to his body and thence into the wicket. His 76 was without a flaw, and in every way worthy of his reputation. Mr. Read, who was not out 66 on Friday night, continued to play grand cricket on Saturday until he had made 125, when he was missed in the long- field by Scotton. This was a fatal mistake for the Players, and one which materially influenced the result; Mr. Read added 34 more when he was caught at short-slip off the wicket-keeper, thus bringing to an end one of the finest innings ever recorded for the Gentlemen. Going in second wicket down at 13 he was seventh out at 306, having been batting for four hours and three-quarters. With the exception of the very hard return to Peate and his chance late in the innings to Scotton, his play was without a fault. His figures werj twenty-four fours, six threes, ten twos and twenty-five singles. His score has only been beaten in the matches between Gentlemen and Players by two batsmen. Messra. W. G. Grace and I. D Walker. The former made 215 at the Oval iu 1870, 169 at Lord’s in 1876 and 163 at Lord’s in 1873, Mr. Walker 165 at Oval in 1868. Mr. Kemp played very well for hia 60, not out, an innings of the greatest value considering the position of the game. When they went in a second time the Players were in a difficult position. With 193 to win and only two hours and a-half for play, it was hardly possible that they could get the runs, while just on the cards,after their long outing, that they might lose. Four good wicketa were down for 68, and there was an outside chance that the Gentlemen might win. By very good play, though, Bead and Shrews­ bury entirely altered the aapect of the game, and they put on 80 runa while they were together. Juat before time the former waa caught at slip, and the match thus ended in a draw all in favour of the Players, who only wanted 45 to win with five wickets to fall. Mr. Kemp and Sherwin, it will be seen, each caught five batamen at the wickets. F layers . First Innings. Second Innings. Gunn, b Xoppin.................. 93 o Kemp, bHorner 4 Scotton, c Kemp, b Chris­ topherson .. ................... 8 o Kemp,b Grace 8 TJlyett, c Grace, b Horner .. 17 b G ace.......... 36 Barnes, b Horner...................15 c Kemp, b Grace 18 Shrewsbury, c and Page .. 64 not out.......... 34 Bead, b Toppin ...................3 c Brain, b Chris­ topherson ,. 45 Bates, o Horner, b Toppin.. 7 Briggs,candbChristopherson 85 Flowers, c Kemp, b Grace .. 36 Sherwin, run out.................. 6 Feate, not out ...................4 B 11,1 b 3 ...................14 B S .l b l .. 3 Total Total ..148 . . ..352 G es TLKMEH. First Innings. Second Innings. Mr.W. G. Grace,b Barnes.. 22 b Flowers .. ..7 6 Mr. J. H. Brain, b Peate .. 0 c Sherwin, b Flowers .. .. 2 Mr. W. Newham, c Flowers, b Peate.................................. 28 c Shrewsbury, b Peate.................. 1 Mr. W. W . Bead, c Bates, b P eate...................................1 oBarnes,bFlowersl59 Mr. W . W . Pullen, c Ulyett, b Peate..................................27 cSherwin,bBarnes 22 Mr. K. J. Key, c Scotton, b Flowers .. .. .. .. 49 c Sherwin,bBarnes 6 Mr. H, V. Page, c Sherwin, b Flow ers...........................11 c Bates, b Peate.. 3 Mr. M. 0. Kemp, b Flowers 2 not ou t...................60 Mr, 0. Toppin, b Flowers .. 15 b Flowers ,. ..1 1 Mr. S. Christopherson, o Sherwin, b Flowers .. .. 11 runout.. . . ..3 1 Mr. C. E. Horner, not ont.. 0 runout...................2 B 4,1 b 2........................... 6 B 7,1 b 1, w 1 9 BOWLING ANALYSIS. Second Innings. O. W . B. W. .. 22.3 12 29 1 .. 28 13 48 3 . . 5 0 18 0 ..8 4 10 33 1 . . 3 0 17 0 Total ...................172 Total ,.372 P layers . First Innings. O. M. B.W. Christopherson34 13 50 2 .. Grace .. .. 32.3 15 59 1 .. Toppin.. ..4 7 13 93 3 .. Hom er.. .. 48 20 87 2 .. Page .. .. 15 1 49 1 .. G entlemen . First Innings. Second Innings. O.M. B. W. O. M. B. W. Peate .. .. 68 42 65 4 .. .. 67.3 24 128 2 Barnes .. .. 27 12 50 1 .. .. 37 16 55 2 Flowers.. .. 45 28 51 5 .. .. 72 29 117 4 Bates .. 16 8 24 0 Briggs .. 20 8 39 0 Peate bowled a wide. MR. J. W. HOBBS’ v. BEOOKFIELD. Played at Selhurst on July 4. B rookfield . E. H. Lea, b Mills T. W. Farmiloe, c Elsey, b Gorman .. ! M. Lea, b Gorman .. A. Glover, c Jakeman, b Gorman.................. N. Wheeler, b Gorman W. A. Locker, 1 b w, b G orm an................... C. Saunders, b Mills .. E. C. Commin, b G orm an .................. G. Hickson, b Mills .. G. Goodsir, b Gorman E. Swan, not oat.. .. B 8 ,1 b 4 .. .. Total . 19 3 3 . 4 ,. 12 .107 J. W. H obbs ’. A. Wheeler, o and b W h eeler..................82 T, Brown, o Hickson, b Saunders .. .. 5 W. Peters, b M. Lea .. 0 H. Adams, 1 b w, b Saunders.................. 8 E, Mills, run out.. .. 4 J, Ayers, b M, Lea .. 21 J. Jakeman, b Wheeler 5 J. Crowhurst, b M. Lea 2 J. Gorman, b Wheeler 9 G. Elsey, b Wheeler .. fi A. Thomson, not out.. 3 B .......................... 4 Total . MERCHANT TAYLORS’ SCHOOL v. BLACKHEATH PROP. SCHOOL, Played at Blackheath on July 1. S. M.W.Hervey,b Umney R. A. Fegan, ron out.. E. P. Isaacs, b Umney N.F.Kendall, b Umney W. H. Hay, l b w t b Uinney ................... F. K. Kendall, not out B. P, 0. T. Watney, b Umney 14 E. G. North, 1 b w, b Umney .................. 0 C. D. Springthorpe, b Umney .................. 5 H. E. Brooke, c Chater, b Um ney...................2 E. P. Parsons, cChater, b Lucas ...................5 M. T, R. S. Lucas, 1 b w, b W a tn e y .................. 130 P. D. Chater, b Isaacs 30 G. F. Arnold, b Hay .. 3 H. Rankin, c Brooke, b Isaacs..........................108 W . E. Drake, B. Long, Helby did not bat. E x tr a s .......................2 Total .. ..4 0 S. L. G. J. Lavie, b Hay 4 W. F. Umney, not out 25 F. D. Head, not ou t.. 0 Extras..................... 10 Total.....................310 E. Ringrose, and E. H. CLAPHAM v. FAIRFIELD. Played at Lower Tooting on July 4. C lapham . S. Colman,b A. Cosens 22 J. Walton, b Simpson 5 F. J. Bate, b Simpson 0 A. Winterbottom, b H ockley...................21 R. W. Smith,bHockley 0 A. Cafferata, b Hockley 0 Howard Smith, c Glass, b Hockley .. 11 A. Meynell, c Ledger, b Sim pson................... F. Budge, c Flint, b Simpson................... S. Southgate, not out R. M. Gatliff, absent.. E x tras................... Total . 2 0 0 10 78 F a irfie ld . First Innings, F. W . Ledger, c and b Walton ................... F. Moore, b Walton .. C, H. Wall, b R. W. Smith ................... A. CoseDS, b Walton .. L. Wood, b Walton .. A. Glass, c Winter- bottom, b Walton .. R. W. Gaskin, b R. W . Smith........................... S. Flint, b Walton .. 7 H. E. Hockley, not out 7 A. Simpson, c and b B a te ...........................13 J. C. Lamming, b Walton ...................0 E xtras...................10 Tetal , 70 In tho Second Innings L. Wood scored, c Southgate* b Bate, 7, C.H. Wall (not out), 22, 8 . Flint (notout) 6 ; extras, 9-Total, 44.