Cricket 1885

SEPT. 24, 1885. CRICKET ; A W EEK LY RECORD OF THE GAMBS 423 to the enemy, but with straight bowlers no long-stop is wanted. To have one is waste of strength. The other day when we (Kent) played Lancashire they only got one ‘ extra ’ in an entire innings, and the same against Surrey, and we had no long-stop.” “ About the position of the hand in bowl- ing ?” “ That is pretty wfell decided upon. The majority are agreed that with the hand carried high much better direction is got than of old. One result of improved bowling is the few wide balls given. All changes act on the game and reacton each other. Good bowlinghas inagreat measure abolished long- stop and long-leg, and the result is that the ball is kept by the bowler more on the off­ side than on the leg, and the slashing leg- hit is becoming rarer every day.” “ Has batting improved like bowling ?” “ Hardly, I should think, silica Mr. W. Grace reduced it to an exact science. The Australians learned to bat in this country, and have now some excellent bats­ men.” ‘ ‘ Gentlemen cricketers, as a rule, bat better than they bowl—just the reverse of professionals.” •‘ There is much truth in this, and the reason is not remote. People who Imve any­ thing else to do cannot afford the timo to practise bowling. As it now is there are few things requiring snch constant and severe practice. Fair bowling—not throwing—ia very hard work, and it must now be done to perfection to be good for anything. Very few except professionals can give the time to it, and amateur bowlers get tired or careless. The man who lives by it does it better just because lie is paid for it. Tho first-class professional cricketer is paid so much per match ; and, if his play falls off, is apt to see himself superseded by a brilliant 1colt,’ and has to depend on bowling at the nets, With­ out getting the plums of first-class matches.” “ Xsuppose a professional cricketer’s life is a poor one ?” “ That is a matter of comparison. If you compare him with an agricultural labourer lie is well off. If with a skilled artisan not so well. He is generally a very respect ■ able well-conducted man, doing his best, but he has his disadvantages to fight against. First of all, cricket, his trade, only lasts during the summer months, and to be at all comfortable he must make enough in six months to keep him for the twelve. Now, this is not particularly easy for any­ body, and I like to impress on wealthier cricketers the necessity for finding work for the professionals in the winter. Many of them can do something besides (ticket, and at least should not be allowed to stand idle. They are popular and have legions of admirers, ready to treat them to drink and talk to them, but this is precisely the reverse of what is wanted. The cricketer, if let alone, is generally a steady man, and would gladly work through the winter if he could. But employers do not like a man who is available only in winter, when there is a plethora of labour and not much to do. All this tends to make a cricketer’s life a poor one—very unlike a jockey’s. If he is lucky and fully employed throughout the summer, he may put by enough to carry him over the winter, but this is all he can do. I dwell upon this because I think good cricket, for reasons before piven, depends on keeping up a certain professional staff. Fortunately there are men born in every rank of life who have capacity for our national game, but the vast majority have not .leisure to pursue it thoroughly. Those who do so and have exceptional ability should, I think, be adequately remunerated. Paid bowlers are now more than ever necessary. And we should not forget that the spring and autumn work of cricket is hard on the professional. The grass is often wet and he has not his patron’s array of boots and shoes to fall back upon. Also he becomes very hot with the exertion of bowling md has not a servant as we have, to bring us an overcoat when we sit down to luncheon after an easymorning’s shooting. Consequently pulmonary disease often at­ tacks the professional cricketer, who rarely makes old bones. Popular as the game is it offers no substantial reward for excellence. In his whole life a successful cricketer never gets such a sum as a good shot at 'Wimble­ don. or as much as a jockey of equal calibre has presented to him a dozen times a year. Old Tom Adams saved some money because when he was asked to drink he asked the barmaid to take the money and that he would come back for the drink 1after he had seen the gentlemen in the pavilion.’ The barmaid kept the money for Tom and handed it to him ‘ dry.’ ” “ Cricket seems to be spreading all over the world.” “ Not quite. For some inscrutable reason it has not taken root in the United States or in Canada. The dry, hot summers are hardly an explanation ; for they occur in Australia, and a wicket could be made and kept as well in one place as in another. My impression is that cricket is too long a job for the Americans. They are an excitable people, and do not endure such things as two and three days’ matches.” “ I coiifess I am quite of the opinion of America. Anything in the nature of amatch or race which lasts two or three days seems hideously tedious! Could not cricketers settle it in one innings ? In olden times they had the stupid nonsense of heats in horse- racing. Time may laugh at the two in­ nings of a cricket match.” “ Anything, as you know, may occur but what is expected. Yet those who go to see cricket go to see the game, not to bet on the issue, ani the advantage of a two or three days’ matoh is that spectators who cannot go on on* day to see Spofforth bowl or W. G. Grace bat can go on the next. The delay is not tedious to cricketers, although it may be to some all-round sportsmen. Cricket is still really a sport, an amusement—not a medium for gambling. And I should not be astonished to see it get foothold in the East. 1 have not seen cricket become popular in the United States or in Canada, but I have seen little boys playing it in Ceylon, and the Parsees of Bombay hard at work at cricket on the Maidans.” THE END OF THE CR ICKETING SEASON. (From Punch). A ttend , all ye who love to see our noble Cricket “ cracks,” Here you may get a peep at them, their faces and their backs, And these are broad, and those aro bright, for merry men of muscle Are they who on our British sward have met in many a tussle. Foremost stands William Gilbert Grace, he of the raven beard, By British bowlers dreaded much, by British boys revered. For t-ventyyears our Champion unchallenged, still he stands With boyish zeal and nerves of steel, broad shoulders, mighty hands. Shoulders that “ open” smitingly, and hands that never “ muff,” Of whose long scores the cheering “ ring ” have never quantum stiff. How many an English lad, if asked who would he choose to be Of all our worthies, like a shot would answer —W.G. ? And him to whom Leviathan, low bending, gaily chats, Pray who is he? The great I.D,, erst brilliantest of bats. Sit at the Oval, or at Lord’s, and many an ancient talker, Will tell you of the wondrous feata lang syne of I. D. Walker, Ex-Captain be of Middlesex. Behold, too, at his side His smart successor, A. J. Webbe, aforetime Oxford’s pride. Whilst close behind him, Lancashire’s great hero of the bat, Sita, as the Cockneys know him well a-field “ without ’is ’a t! ” The dashing A. N. Hornby. With his hand upon his hip. Lord Harris stands. He Kent commands, and seldom a chance lets slip. Above his shoulder peers the face ef W. W. Bead, The boast of Surrey, piler up of scores right few succeed In topping. To C. W. Wright, ex-Cantab crack, chats he, Above them both behold the Studd, Cam­ bridge’s great C.T., Late brilliant bat and bowler grand, to Cricket lost, alas ! Since he to “ where Chineses drive,” as preacher pleased to pass. They do not “ drive ” as once lie drove—for sixes. Cam’s great sons Find yet another member in his neighbour, genial “ Buns,” The Slogger C. I. Thornton, save by Bonnor never beaten, Who spanked o’er the Pavilioa when, a lad, he played for Eton, And can hit to the next parish when he fairly “ lauds ” a ball. Lord! how the groundlings chortle at his hitting clean and tall 1 Brilliant O’Brien, Oxford’s joy, comes next, then Surrey’s crack, The slim and supple Diver, clean of limb, and straight of back, Who runs like George, and throws like Thor. Next stands his Captain smart, The dashing J. C. Shuter, who right well has played his part. Far to the right sits A. G. Steel, ex-Cantab, master he Alike of bat a»d ball, to none save only W.G. Second, the pride of Lancashire, in style, as skill, A 1. Close at his back, with curly crop, stands great A. Lyttelton, Behind the stumps unbeatable, free bat and slashing field. Without sits A. P. Lucas; he to none afoot need yield In mingled fire and finish, so correct and clean of play, All hope upon the tented field to see him many a day. 8o Punch's pen plays picture-guide, and gives unto the million, That joy of every Cricketer, a Peep at the Pavilion! * W hy I. 0.1— Eo. Next Issue October 29.