Cricket 1885

FEB. 26, 1885. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. P6 children of tlie famous Notts bowler, Fred Morley. “ Felix,” in the Austral­ asian, adds also that a collection was ta be made in the Pavilion on the Mel­ bourne ground, during the Inter-colo- nial match commenced on Boxing Day, for the same deserving cause. Pope said truly that “ charity is all mankind’s concern.” None the less this graceful act of the premier club of Australia will not soon be forgot­ ten. Nay, more, it will, I am sure, cement still more closely the friendly relations which will always exist be­ tween the real well-wishers of the game in the old country and the new. An Australian correspondent has called my attention to a new depar­ ture in cricket recorded in a match played on December 26 and 27, at Wentworth (N.S.W .), distant 250 miles from Adelaide. A local fifteen was opposed to a holiday eleven from Adelaide, and as this was the first visit of a South Australian team to New South Wales the occasion was utilised to open the new recreation ground. The Adelaide Federal eleven, which included George Giffen, were regarded as too strong for their op­ ponents, and with a view to put the two sides on something of an equality the locals were allowed three innings. Yet, on these terms, they were still too heavily handicapped, and while the eleven scored 192 (Giffen 64) the Fifteen in their three attempts had to be content with 36, 24 and 27, or only 87 in all. In their first two in­ nings Giffen was credited with seven­ teen wickets at a cost of 37 runs. A still more astonishing performance, though, was that of J. F. Traynor, who in the third innings of tlie locals took all fourteen wickets for only 17 runs. My correspondent asks if any­ one can recall a similar performance ? Old William Clarke, for the England Eleven, at Brighton, against Sixteen Amateurs of Sussex, on Sept. 16, 1850, got fourteen wickets in the second innings, the fifteenth being run out. Unless my memory deceives me, R.C.Tinley once got all the seven­ teen wickets in a match. A m o n g the names of those as­ piring to fill the position of City Solicitor, vacant by the death of Sir Thomas Nelson, I notice one well known to a large number of C r ic k e t readers. Mr. William Hayes, the Hon. Sec. of the Law Cricket Club, who has held for some time, and still holds a responsible position under the City Solicitor, is a candidate for the appointment, for which his experience of the requirements and thorough knowledge of the duties, ought eminently to qualify him. Many of the City fathers take great interest in the game, and I would commend Mr. Hayes to their' good offices. He has no small administrative abilities, as his management of the different ele­ ments in the Law Club has shown, and I know he is a good solicitor, using the word in its literal sense. To quote Bichard the Third, though, “ I think there be six Richmonds in the field.” M o r e cricketers for the Soudan, the cry is still they go. Among the names of the officers who are under orders for, or by this time on their road to Egypt, will be found those of Col. Bevan Edwards, C.B., Lieuts. Bonham Carter and H. E . Lindsay, all three of the Boyal Engineers, Capt. Bannatine and Lieut. F. E . All- sopp, both of the Boyal Aitillery. The Sappers have indeed furnished a rare contingent of cricketers for ser­ vice in the Soudan. Among those best known are Capts. F. W . Bennet, who played for Kent some years ago, C. K. Wood, and Yon Donop, and Lieut. Dumbleton, who last summer, as many will remember, helped with Capt. Young to add 464 runs for the fourth wicket of the Boyal Engineers against the Boyal Marines at Portsmouth. Besides these Col. Harrison, C.B., Col. Maitland, C.B. and Lieut.-Col. Leach, V.C., are cricketers. It may be interesting to some to know that Prince Hassan, the recently appointed High Commissioner for the Soudan, has also borne himself creditably on the cricket field. I recently came across the score of a match played at Oxford, on June 14, 1870, between the Bullingdon Club and the Butter­ flies, in which the Khedive’s brother— who was educated at Oxford—made ten for the former. I m a y add that two other Sappers who have borne themselves well on the cricket field, Major G. Barker and Lieut. Bythell, to wit, are at present with Sir Charles Warren’s expedition in Bechuana Land. Wellington’s oft- quoted remark that the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton will occur to many just at the present time. Englishmen everywhere and of all classes, just now are mourning the death of a good cricketer, and what is really a national loss, of a brave soldier, Sir Herbert Stewart, whose distinguished talents as a leader would have won for him the highest honours of his profession, but for those Arab bullets which have deprived England of so many gallant officers during the last few weeks. W h il e on the subject of cricketer- soldiers, it may be of interest to re produce a carious communication which I happened to come across the other day, in an old volume of the Sporting Magazine, published over ninety years ago. I have given it in fu ll:— To th e E ditors or the Sporting Magazine. G en tlem e n , As a constant readerof your Miscellany, I flatter myself you will not think me trou­ blesome if I point out to your notice a para­ graph which has appeared in most of the daily papers respecting the astonishing hero­ ism of one of our brave countrymen in the engagement between the French and com­ bined armies on the 8th instant, and in which the British guards displayed so much valour. The paragraph I allude to in one paper runs thus, and in most others to the same purport— “ Ensign Hamilton, of the 3rd Eegiment, had a very .narrow escape. A cannon ball was making directly for his head, but a sergeant who was near him, see­ ing it, held up his hand and altered its direc­ tion so much that it only went through Mr. H amilton ’ s hat. We are sorry to add that the brave fellow lost his hand by this signal proof of duty and heroism.” It is with equal regret, gentlemeD, with the rest of my countrymen, and more par­ ticularly with those men whose favourite amusement is congenial with my own, that I reflect on this unfortunate accident; which if it had not happened, the man being one of our club, we might have bad to boast of being possessed of the best hand at stopping a ball in the Kingdom. I am, Gentlemen, Yours <&c., A K entish C kicketek . Seven Oaks, May 20, 1793. I t is with sincere grief that I have to record the death of an old friend and once famous cricketer and athlete, Mr. WilliamPrest, of Sheffield. Some twenty years ago the deceased took an active part in cricket, not only in Sheffield, but for the County, for which on several occasions he did good ser­ vice. He was a left-handed batsman, and in addition to great powers of hitting, was an excellent field, particu­ larly at long-leg and cover-point. He was also an excellent runner, winning many prizes at short distances. Even after his retirement he continued to take the greatest interest in the game, as I have good reason to know. He was walking in Sheffield on Tuesday, the Next issue of Cricket March 26.