Cricket 1885

FEB. 26,1885. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 27 to play for the Combined Eleven of Australia will detract considerably from the interest taken in the visits of Australian players to this country. I protested strongly,last summer,against the decision of Barnes, Shrewsbury and Flowers,not|to help the Players against the Australians, at Sheffield, except on their own terms. The withdrawal of Murdoch, JBlackham, Bannerman, Bonner, Boyle, McDonnell, Palmer and Scott, from the match at Mel­ bourne, on Boxing Day, was, though, quite as blameable, and even their best wishers in this country will deeply regret that they thought fit to act in such an unpatriotic manner. Captain of the Eton Eleven, and represented the Gentlemen against the Players in both matches of 1883. His score of eighty for I Zingari against the Australians last Septem­ ber, at Scarborough, was one of the best displays of hitting seen during the season. Me. A. W . H emming , o f the Colonial Office, has been assisting Sir Edward Malet, the British Ambassador at Berlin, in the deliberations o f the Congo Conference held in the German capital. Cricketers will recognise in him the popular lion. sec. of the In- cogniti Club. I n o tice that a matinee was given at the Gaiety Theatre, yesterday fort­ night, with the object of assisting the funds of the United Thespians C.C. The Thespian Club was formed a year or two ago by some members of the dramatic profession, which, by-the- way, can boast not a few very fair cricketers, and, for so young a body, has certainly been very successful. The varied programme included a trifle, called “ Our Cricket Match,” written, I presume, specially iu hon­ our of the occasion, by Mr. J. B. Crauford, the Secretary of the Thes­ pians. Mr. William Yardley was, of course, a conspicuous figure on the cricket-field as it was presented on the Gaiety stage. Mr. Wilson Bar­ rett, I observe, appeared as Chatter- ton, not inappropriately, but whether as a special compliment to the Derby­ shire professional I am not able to say. A mong the announcements of forth­ coming marriages, which have caugbt my eye just recently, are those of two Amateurs, both of whom occupy a very high position at the present time, and both of them Old Etonians. The Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, it is stated, is shortly to lead to the altar, Laura, daughter of Mr. Charles Tennant, M.P. for Peeblesshire, and sister to Lady Ribblesdale. The Globe is my authority for the statement that another member of the famous I Zingari is also soon to become a Benedict. “ A marriage,” it says, “ is arranged between Mr. Walter F. Forbes, son of Lieutenant - Colonel Forbes, and the Hon. Katherine Law- ley, youngest sister of Lord Wenlock.” Mr. Forbes who, by-the-way, can claim the distinction of having made, when eighteen, the longest authenti­ cated throw with the cricket ball, was H enderson , the young Surrey pro­ fessional,with G. F. Hearne, of Lord’s, left Melbourne for home Ofi the 23rd of January, in the Orient steamer “ Austral,” and are due, I believe, in England next week. I hear that the former has derived the greatest benefit from the trip, and it is to be hoped for the sake of Surrey cricket that this improvement will be lasting. Mr. I. D. Walker, I may add, is also homeward bound, having leftWellington (N.Z.) on Jan. 14 in the “ Aorangi” for England via Rio de Janeiro and Madeira. Unless he should make anything of a stay at Bio, in all likelihood he will be home again about the end of next month. A report has also reached me that Mr. G. F. Vernon, who, it is not un­ likely, will make a long stay in the Colonies, is to be married early next month. T he Melbourne papers announce that Midwinter intends to leave Victoria and settle in Brisbane, where he is going in for hotel-keeping. Palmer, it is said, is also about to enter a bank in the same city. There is, too, a possibility that Blackham may soon take up his quarters there, Should this trio settle in the colony cricket in Queensland will receive a considerable impetus. S ince I wrote the note referring to the action of some of the members of Murdoch’s team in refusing to play for the Combined Team of Aus­ tralia against the Englishmen, I learn that the Victorian Cricketers’ Association, at a meeting on Jan. 13, unanimously adopted the following resolution:— That the replies received from the mem­ bers of the Victorian contingent of the Aus­ tralian Eleven, who have been asked for an explanation of their action in refusing to play in the combined match against the Englishmen, are unsatisfactory to this Asso­ ciation, and that the selector of teams be instructed not to select for the future any one of the contingent to play in any match under the auspices of the Association. I cannot but think that the members of the team referred to in this motion will have long before this regretted that their resentment, even if just, against one man should have carried them so far as to induce them to for­ get their loyalty to Australian cricket. T here has been, evidently, a bitter feeling between the Australian Team, and the accredited representative of Shaw, Shrewsbury, and Lillywhite, in the Colonies, and the latter, cer­ tainly, does not seem to have'acted at times in quite the best taste. Had Murdoch and his men disbanded on their arrival at home, or refused to take part in any match arranged by Mr. Conway, they would, at least, have acted in conformity with their expressed opinions. As it is, they have not been consistent, to say the least of it, and the refusal of the Victorian contingent to help the Combined Team, from, accord­ ing to their own account, dislike of the English agent, all unprejudiced critics, even those who really wish them well, will agree, was singularly ill advised. Spoflbrth, it may be re­ marked, repudiates the action of the Victorian members of the team, in this matter, and I learn also that Giffen, who was, singularly enough, it is said, not asked to help the Com­ bined Team, would have played with pleasure, had he been invited. I hope, even yet, to hear that wiser counsels have prevailed, to adjust differences which must act prejudicially to cricket in the Greater Britain. M essrs L ongmans and Co. have courteously sent me a copy of Mr. Frederick Gale’s Memoir of the Eon. Robert Grimston. It was my privi­ lege to have Mr. Grimston’s personal acquaintance for many years, and from its first appearance, this paper liadno more sincere well-wisher, Mr. Gale, I can vouch, has truthfully portrayed the character of one of the best sports­ men and kindest of men ; a represen­ tative of a good old school fast dying out, a typical specimen of an English gentleman, uniformly considerate to and willing to assist everyone with­ out distinction of class or position. Next issue of Cricket March 26.