Cricket 1885

418 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. s e p t . 24, us*. from a heavy hit 80 yards from the wicket. Although he may be really described as a bat iman with ‘ plenty of hits,’ his runs were chiefly made by leg-hits and off-drives— whilst any amount of singles were added by placing the balls on the leg side. It is something of a coincidence, too. that another batsman without doubt one of the best of his day), Mr. F. M. Lucas—whom I also had the pleasure of watching just a month be­ fore, when he scor«d 215 not out at Brighton, should also be left-handed—and also that both batsmen do their business with the leg stump guard only. Another incident, connected with this long score of Mr. Car­ rick’s, ought to be recorded. When time had just arrived for drawing stumps to close the match, he had then made 408 runs, but knowing the record was Mr. Roe’s 415, I asked him privately whether, if Chichester were agreeable, he would then leave off with a not out or leep on and try and beat the record. 1Keep on 1’ he replied, which he did until it was beaten; and it is not too much to say that he appeared the least fatigued of any of us engaged in that match, which my old friend James Lillywhite will confirm.” Mr. Carrick not only bats, but also bowls, left-handed. He bowls slow, round-arm, varying his pace and pitch, and using his head well. He has, too, made a high reputation among the Rugby Union footballers of Scotland. For many years he played full-back for the Glasgow Academi­ cals, one of the best Rugby clubs on the other side of the border, and on several occasions represented Glasgow in its annual matches with Edinburgh. In addi­ tion, he did duty twice—in 1876 and 1877— for Scotland against England, playing full­ back in both these contests with great credit. Our portrait, and that of Grimshaw in last week’s C k ick e t , were taken from pho­ tographs by Messrs. E. Hawkins & Co., of 108, King’s Road, Brighton. “ ’T IS S IX T Y Y E A R S S IN C E .” S ome M usings by a M em ber of the M.C.C. WHO JOINED THE CLUB IN 1825. B y L ord C h arles J. F . R u ssell . Continued from page 402. It may be well just to contrast suoh a finale with a break in an innings that was seen at Lord-’g in the Gentlemen and Players’ match of 1875. On the Gentlemen beginning their inning* their two champions, who left the pavilion and walked to the wicksts, were in as strong contrast as Mentor and Telemachus, and when the game began the divinity of cricket was soon seen in the Mentor of the game, Mr. W. G. Grace; his Telemachus, Mr. A. J. Webbe, was fresh from his University of Oxford, and had been playing in one or two of the first-class matches at Lord’s,withoutmuch success. His reputation, however, sustained him, and he was chosen 0,8 one of the eleven Gentlemen of England, but it was a nervous time of trial for a young player. The first ball he met was with a full bat, and it was an encouraging sound that said so ; several more were played strongly and well, bat no run made, till one, like some of its predecessors, went straight to long-slip, but,travelling rather more slowly, it was a run, but nothing more. Mr. Grace, alive to its importance, called and made it, and so delivered his Telemachus from the dread of a “ duck.” The batters were just set, when the dreadful luncheon bell stopped the play, and Mr. Grace, who had not then adopted the M.D., was more intent upon pre­ vention than cure, and was seen to lead his mate to a corner of the pavilion to face two plates of sandwiches with two bottles of soda water, about as much discoloured as a cricketer’ s complexion in June; this careful treatment enabled the happy pair to make 200 runs before they parted; a feat unequalled on Lord’s classic ground in any Gentlemen V. Players’ match, although Mr. W. G ., with praiseworthy im­ partiality, had performed the same feat at the Oval in 1869 with Mr. Cooper. It is further said of his Grace of cricket that he learnt it on milk, but was unable to continue it in London on the liquid there bearing the name. Well then, as cricket has certainly advanced in wicket-keeping and morale, to these may be added the certainty of its vast and increasing popularity. The first evidence of this must be drawn from the fountain- head and main reservoir of the national game—the renowned, long-tried and well- sustained M.C.C., or Marylebone Cricket Club. Sixty years ago the club employed 6 bowlers (they now employ 26) for the practice of its members, who amount to 2,657. Some few years ago they became the proprietors of their ground at a cost of £31,101 6s. 8d., since which they have added to it an adjoining nursery-ground for £1,788. In the year 1872, ten years ago, they expended £6,000 in the support of cricket, while in the same year the Surrey Club, at th# Oval, spent £2,700 on the same cause, giving a total of £8,700 devoted in one year to the support of the national game in the metropolis. But still the supply was not equal to the demand, a third cricket ground [was demanded for the more fashionable part of London; civilisa­ tion moves westward, and that which one autumn was a market garden at the back of Sloane Street, in the succeeding spring burst into a cricket ground, known as “ Prince’s.” It ran its brief but not unsuccessful career, and was in turn appropriated by theMetropoli- tan Board of Works. Perhaps the largest gathering of spectators in LondoD, at a cricket match, was at the Oval in 1882, when 39,000 paid £3,106 4s. to look at the Australian match during the solid part of three days, proving the interest of the game in the class of shopkeepers and working­ men. The interest of a different class—the ‘ ‘ soup, fish and pattypart of the creation”— maybe found in the extraordinary assem­ blage at Lord’s to witness the annual Eton and Harrow match. Certainly as far as the main part of the company are concerned it is hardly anything better than a gigantic picnic; some strict cricketers would say, a slur upon cricket, perhaps call it by a harder name; others, while seeing its insincerity would still claim it as homage. It is a wonderful sight, and would giv« “ the intelligent foreigner” about as clear a motion of our public-school education as the Epsom Downs on the Derby day would of Yorkshire horse racing; here are two pleasant anecdotes associated with it. The late Bishop Wordsworth used to relate how in a public school match he bowled out Cardinal Manning, adding he could do so again, and just now a Doctor of Divinity and an ecclesiastical dignitary, writing of a missionary move­ ment conducted by a public-school cricketer, and aided by his friends, writes : “ It makes me happy to think of this new connection between the delights of the good old game and the service of the poor.” The University match at Lord’s is an unique social cricket gathering, full of loving association, and abounding in young ordained men fresh from their rural cures. It is well within reasonable hope that they may return from the contest of the shades of blue, to pro­ mote the harmony of the blue ribbons of the village coffee-rooms, with their cricket greens. In the season of 1884 two matches were played by the rival counties of York­ shire and Nottinghamshire for the benefit of Lockwood and Oscroft, neither had the best of it, each contributing £600 to their respec­ tive champions; while on the occasion of Mr. W. G. Grace entering upon the medical profession, and adding M.D. to his name, he was presented with a testimonial of the value of £1,500. Thus substantiating the estimate formed of him by Charlewood, the Sussex professional, who on saying “ he is worth any two of u s,” was met by the remark, 1 ‘ nearer three; ” and thus, as our population has increased so has our national game in popularity, and that is sound national progress. A wise man of our history has said, “ Let me make the ballads of the people, then others may make their laws.” I add, let me make their pastimes. My brother, Earl Russell, writing of my great-grandfather, John, fourth Duke of Bedford, more than a century ago, says, “ Of a warm and eager dis­ position, and of a social and cheerful temper, he devoted himself with ardour to political affairs, enjoyed with keen delight the playhouse or the opera, and then turned with equal delight to see his oats carried, or join in a game of cricket: the country habits, the love of home, the activity in rural business, and rural sports in which the Duke of Bedford and others of his class delighted, preserved the English aristocracy from a flood which swept over half of Europe.” We have our ballads and pastimes, we must guard and extend them—it is at once our privilege and interest to do so, may it ever be our practice and delight. SINGLE WICKET MATCH. Played on the Meadows Ground, Notting­ ham, on September 7. Walter Wright, of the Notts County Eleven, opposed XI. Players of the Town of Nottingham, Wright being allowed one fielder. Walter Wright, b Thos. Clark .................58 N k 2 . n l ............................................3 T o ta l.................................................. 61 XI. P la y e r s o f N o ttin g h a m . First Innings. Second Innings, Freak. Johnson, b Wright 0 b Wright................. 0 G . Simms, b Wright .. 0 b Wright................. 0 G . Roberts, b Wright .. 0 b Wright................. 0 H. Burton, b Wright .. 0c Brooks, b Wright 1 0. Limb, b Wright .. .. 0 b Wright................. 1 Thos. Clark, b Wright .. 0 b Wright................. o H. Seaton, b Wright.. .. 8 o andb Wright .. 4 A rth u r Clark, b W right.. 8 b Wright................. o John Johnson, b Wright 0 b Wright.................0 W. Waite, b Wright.. .. 0 b Wright................. o W. Mustam, b Wright .. 0 b Wright.................0 T o ta l...................6 Total .. 6 P layino for the Brixton Wanderers v. King’s Langley, on Sept. 12, C. F. Jones took 4 wickets with 4 successive balls (all clean bowled). He sent one of the bails a distance of 36 yards. Next Issue October 29.