Cricket 1885

0© :( -A ---- 1— 3 ft ^ J j BJ& __ J il l fir . Wry a ^ m Basafv. ** H?c-ptf J j j i 'terA-iy B __ --- 9 o' f) k PM§ro'Jp -A jp, * i -*•" J | 7 C -fA zr mil \lJ 1 1. mil Cr/iV' jkf v*• .*», — ■ J ---^ i r 7" “ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. No. 9 9 . VOL. IV . , Registered (or Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1885. PRICE 2d JOHN B E A U M O N T . T h e general scarcity ot young bowlers, at least of home production, has been one of the most noteworthy features in the cricket of the Southern shires of recent years. As far as we can remember there is hardly one in­ stance in which the bowling of a Southern County has been borne solely by native orisketers during the last twenty or even ten years. Surrey, in particular, has had cause for lamenting the dearth of capable young bowlera able to represent it by the best of all qualifications, birthright. With the exception of Jones, Mr. Boiler, and Mr. Horner, until just recently, the burden of the attack for Surrey during the last few years has been borne mostly by aliens. Southerton, though from his in­ fancy identified with Surrey, which was to all intents and purposes the nursery of his cricket, was not bom within its limits. Blamires, Potter and Barratt were none of them sons of the Boil, although the last-named can now lay claim to a lengthy residence on the South side of the Thames. Beau­ mont, who has proved such a very useful addition to the Surrey eleven this year, too, cannot claim the same unalterable qualification for the county as Mr. Hornei, Mr. Boiler or Lohmann. Born at Armitage Bridge, near Hud­ dersfield, Sept. 16,-1855, it is only to so recent a date as 1883 that Beau­ mont can trace the commencement of his career as a Surrey professional. His inclusion in the Surrey eleven this summer, though, did not form his first appearance in County cricket. Eight years ago he made his debut, and with a fair amount of success, in the Yorkshire team. The Colts’ matoh at Sheffield, on May, 1877, was the occasion of his introduction to York­ shire cricket. A woll played score of 25 secured him a place in the eleven selected to represent the Colts of Yorkshire against the Colts of Notts, a fortnight later, on the same ground, the match in which Bates also made his first bow to the publio as a claimant for County honours. This second fixture, however, was not «o favourable for him, as he only scored nineteen runs in his two innings in addition to taking one wicket for thirteen runs. Still hi« form was good enough all-round to satisfy one of the most liberal patrons of Yorkshire cricket. The York­ shire matches with Middlesex at that time were under the control of that keen sportsman, Lord Londesborough, and, under his auspices, Beaumont was first introduced into the County eleven. His batting, too, against Middlesex, at Lord’*, at the commencement of Jane, 1877. fully justified his selection. Indeed his play on that occasion was very promising. In the first innings he was in an hour and three- quarters for his score of twelve not out, in the second he was at the wickets nearly two hours for 24, a very creditable exhibition of steady cricket. Despite this excellent per­ formance, though, it was Beaumont’s one match for his County, in 1877, and it was not till the following summer that he had really a fair trial. Un­ fortunately for him the wickets during the early part of that season were not in a favourable condition for run- getting, and as he was evidently re­ garded more highly as a batsman than a bowler he was not seen to the best advantage. He was, indeed, singularly unsuccessful in the first four matches on the Yorkshire programme of 1878, and his one score of double figures was his sixteen not out against the Gentlemen of Scotland at Edinburgh. The six other innings he had only realised eight runs, and it can hardly be said that his all-round cricket during this season was good enough to justify his retention by the Yorkshire author­ ities. From that time, though he figured occasionally in the matches arranged mostly by Emmett under the title of the Yorkshire eleven, his con­ nection with the cricket of that county practically ceased. Still, though, on more than one occasion he showed capital all-round cricket in local fix­ tures of importance in Yorkshire, and against the first two Australian teams he was more than once very suc­ cessful. A very successful engage­ ment with the Holbeck Club, in which he gave great satisfaction, in­ duced him to try a new field, and an application for a place on the ground staff at the Oval brought Beaumont early in 1883 into residence in Surrey, where he has remained and ia, we should fancy, likely to remain now permanently. Though not, perhaps, marked by extraordinary Buocess, his oricket for the Surrey C &G.during 1883 and 1884 was good enough to raise hopes that he would, at the proper time, be of tome use to the County.