Cricket 1885

“ T o g e t h e r j o i n e d in c r i c k e t ’s m a n l y t o i l . ”— Byron . p.,gi.u>«d0(oJT7.na2i°^n licit. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1885. p r i c e 2 d MR. CLAUDE W ILL IAM ROCK. Oxford and Cambridge have both of late years had occasion more than once to be grateful for the services rendered to them by cricketers of Colonial birth. A few notable instances occur to us at the moment. Mr. Donald Campbell, who batted so well for Ox­ ford in 1874, was a Victorian born and bred, and after his return was of great use to his Colony, notably against Lord Harris’s team and Melbourne, when he played a splendid innings of 128. Mr. 11. C. Ramsay, the old Harrovian, him­ self at least now an Australian, as a slow slow bowler proved deadly in the Cam­ bridge matches of 1882, and was particu-. - larly successful against the Australian Ij teamwhichvisitedEngland thatsummer, tj During the last two years Cambridge (jl cricket has found even a more valuable y assistant in a young Tasmanian, Mr. C. W. Rock. In the latter case, too, Australia can claim the whole credit cf his early training on the cricket field. Indeed, Mr. Rock, who was born in June, 1863, at Deloraine in Northern Tasmania, did not leave that Colony till he was eighteen. (When thirteen years of age he went to the Gram­ mar Sohool at Lannceston, where he soon began to show proficiency as a cricketer, playing with the School eleven till lie left. While in that town, too, he became actively identified with the Launceston Club, which was cap­ tained at the time by 0. H. Bailey, who then enjoyed ahigh reputation, sufficient indeed to warrant his selection by Con­ way to visit England in 1878 as one of the first Australian team. Before his departure from Tasmania Mr. Rock took part in most of the principal matches played in the northern division of the colony, and with fair success. He represented the North against the South several times, and though we have not the actual figures we know that he was distinctly of use both in batting and bowling on more than one occasion. Though he left for England in February, 1882, with a view to study at Cam­ bridge, it was not until the following October installed in the Clare eleven. He carried out his bat for 127 against Pembroke, and this, with other excellent performances for his college with both bat and ball brought him directly before the notice of the University authorities. Fortu­ nately, too, for Cambridge cricket, he was selected at the last moment to play in the Seniors’ Match at the commence­ ment of May. The two elevens on that occasion were captained respectively by Messrs. J. E. K. Studd and C. W. Wright, and Mr. Rock did good service for the latter, in addition to two scores of fifteen and twenty-two, the second on the side, taking five wickets in the first innings of Mr. Studd’s side at a cost of only sixteen runs. Though he con­ tinued to show good all-round cricket, he did not appear in the University Eleven until the match against M.C.C. and Ground, on which occasion he was successful with the ball. The fixture against the Australians, too, found him again in the Cambridge team, and bis bowling figures were by no means discreditable, although, as will still be remembered, the result was a decisive victory for the colonial eleven. Though rather expensive as a bowler against Surrey at the Oval, he proved himself to he possessed of stubborn defence, a qualification which was of immense use a fow days later at Lord’s in tbe great match of the University year. Mr. Rock’s unwearying defence in the second innings of Cambridge was indeed one of the very best features of last year’s inter-Univei sity contest. His coolness at a time when the game was altogether against his side, was worthy of the highest commendation, and had the tail of the Cambridge team only lent him fair assistance it is just possi­ ble that his stand might have turned the scale against Oxford. As it was he was at the wickets three hours and twenty minutes for his score of fifty-six, one of the most noteworthy instances of defensive cricket recorded in this particular match for many years. During the summer Mr. Rock maintained his reputation as an excellent all­ round cricketer, and though unable to accept that he went into residence at that University after a summer aftogether free from cricket. When, too, he did take up the game in the May term of 1883 he was quite out of form and indeed, was not successful in obtaining a place in the eleven of his College—Clare. In the Long Vacation that year, however, he showed to better advantage both in batting and bowling, and, in faot, his all round cricket was of great use in the matches of the Long Vacation Club of King’s and Clare Colleges. The early part of the season of 1884 saw Mr. Rock safely Next Issue November 26-