Cricket 1885

470 CRICKET • A WEEKLY RECORD OE THE GAME. d e c. 24 . was. CRICKET MATCHES. (From the Evening Standard). Continental folks regard our newspapers as amazingly solid and dull—altogether given over to Parliament and trade, and deriving no piquancy from attention bestowed on the lighter side of life ; and, from their point of view, they are right Even our sports and pastimes partake of the national character. We are very much in earnest about them. Our heart is in them, as foreign readers of our news might have observed from a recent notable instance. A memoer of our Upper Legislative Assembly, now a Minister of the Crown, recently for­ warded to the daily prints a diplomatie- ally-worded communication upon a subject he seemed to consider a very vital one to the interests of England. Other authorities took the same view, and leading columns, usually filled with discussion of the Empires State affairs, were devoted to the theme Lord Harris had drawn attention to. There is hardly a decently-educated man in the country who has not by this time given his voice for or against Lord Harris in private discussion; and for years, indeed, this subject has been quite a burning public question ? What is it ? The intelligent but astonished foreigner finds that all this deep concern is concentrated on the action of two men who make a living as professional cricketers, and whose style bl bowling is peculiar. Is their delivery fair or unfair? This is the subject that excites the minds of many thousands of her Majesty’s subjects. More logic, good and bad. has been brought to bear on the question than is at the pres­ ent time devoted to the study of Locke’s Metaphysics or Darwin’s Theory of Tails. Bowling is an endless subject; it is as pro­ found, almost, as the Mystery of Being itself, and is excelled in interest only by that still more exquisite problem, l.b.w. What vexation of argument has the great British nation suffered on account of this momentous and never-to-be-ended question of what, in view of accepted styles of bowling, should justly constitute “ leg before wicket!” Happy foreigner, whose existence has never been rendered uneasy by the tormenting sense of the insolubility of this problem I We lately met a young Belgian gentleman who had just arrived in London for the first time. He talked of the sight seeing before him. “ But first and foremost,” said he,-*I am to go and see jrour cricketers at Lord’s. My father says it is the finest sight in the world.” We congratulated our new acquaint­ ance on the possession of a parent who expressed such lofty views of humanity’s civilization, and we forthwith arranged to take him to the match of *1Middlesex versus Yorkshire.” And the result was not dis­ appointment. “ It is as beautiful as peace,” said he, “ and as glorious as war! ” We then reminded him of Wellington’s saying, that the battle of Waterloo had been won on the playing fields of Eton. It was in these same cricket fields of Eton, by the way, that Charles Lamb’s brother uttered his one recorded witticism—“ Pity that all these fine lads will by and by turn into frivolous members of Parliament! ” There are some whom the rough-and- tumble of football reminds of the old gladi­ atorial melees. We have little sympathy with those who seek to depreciate this manly sport; but assuredly football does not afford the contrast with the Homan arena that cricket does. Take a great day at one of our chief cricket grounds Some thirty thousand spectators are assembled, and sit hour after hour in a broiling sun to witness the contest. On the field each combatant will have quite as much need of a strong arm, a quick eye, sound wind, steady nerve, as any hostiarius or retiarius of the Colos­ seum had. At the given signal, forth come an eleven of pleasingly-clad, well-strung, healthy men. Some of them may be Peer.-, or lawyers, or doctors. Eyery class of edu­ cated man will be found represented in good county teams. With the eleven come out two of their opponents, who commence bat­ ting to make a British holiday. Is not the scene in its very opening a wonderful tab­ leau of civilisation’s power? The prover­ bial vagaries of cricketers’ luck keep up a constant interest in the movements of all ihe players. Each ball is watched, each nimble stroke is applauded. What element in the excitement of manly trial of strength with strength is here wanting ? Only blood. But it is national athleticism like this that, as the Iron Duke hinted, makes Englishmen so ready and able to risk their very blood when necessary. All over our land on a Saturday afternoon we can see one of the finest exhibitions of our national character on the green and velvety grass, whereon the manly, white clad forms stand out in grace­ ful relief against the black rows of specta­ tors, while the sun shines through the beauty of English cloud-land upon them, and the shadows of chirping birds flit over the ground Perhaps in point of artistic effect, there is another tableau of the cricket- field equallygood, thatwhich occurs while the tired fielders recline on the grass, awaiting the new batsman, who comes stalking from the cricket house. Of course there is again the wonderful display the womankind makes on the occasion of an Oxford and Cambridge or an Eton and Harrow match. Then Lord’s blossoms as the rose; the carriage drive and the stands become a sort of human flower garden filled with gay dresses, miraculous bonnets and pretty faces. Even in the assemblage of smiling women watching with eagerness the prowess of brothers, or cousins, or sweethearts, we have something very English, and something to be proud of. We cannot, however, go the length of saying that we approve the latest incursion of the woman’s rights folk into the cricket field. We do not consider that lady cricketers ever succeed in playing gracefully. Their dress precludes graceful and free movement. But apart from the mere (esthetics of the question, it appears to us that there is something repellent in 'the sight of softly-moulded women standing up, bat in hand, to face a tnllthat, if forcibly directed, could do them grievous harm. Bather, say we, let the ladies stick to that airy nothing, tennis-ball, and exhibit in its management all the grace­ ful movement which the healthy game of tennis occasions. The republicanising influence of this game must strike all who have watched it closely. In the field itself, every man is for the time as good as another, whethr he be a pro­ fessional or a nobleman, an attorney or a judge. Among the spectators equal toler­ ation and good fellowship prevails. It is impossible to sit for a few hours watching exciting play, and not give vent to your private comments You must speak to your neighbour, and soon are freely discussing with him the history of cricket clubs and the idiosyncracies of players. You hardly ti ouble to consider who your casual acquaintance is ; one day a clergyman, the next he may be a baker in disguise, or a thief. Of course, plenty of odd humsn life crops out in such conversations. One is sure to come across the old-school advocate who preferred the days of Daft and tall b’ack hats, and thinks that themodern game has become perfectly blood­ thirsty and dangerous. There is “ the man who knows,” too, who could pass an exam­ ination on the whole history of cricket, and who probably could not bowl a straight ball or hold his wicket up for a minute against a schoolboy. There is, again, the elderly cleric, who mingles allusions to mighty bishops and an occasional phrase unctuously Scriptural with keen criticisms on the form displayed by the cricketers on the ground. Types of this kind are innumerable. We heartily hope that among the benefits they carry to others from our land, Mr, Studd and his brave band of University missionaries will impre- s on the Chinaman the value of cricket. We recollect to have seen a letter purporting to be addressed by a Celestial in England to his friends at home ; and it began some­ what afterthis fashion :—“ These barbarians are quite mad about a national sport they call cricket. It is one of the cruellest public amusements that could be imagined. Two men are selected to be beaten with a ve’ y bard ball, which is hurled at them constantly with greatvigour. They are allowed twopieces of wood wherewith to defend themselves, but it is painful to observe their efforts to avoid being absolutely killed; and though they frequently attempt to run away, they rar ly succeed, for eleven men, fleet of foot, are placed round the field to intercept them.” It was in this style that the description ran. Mr. Studd, as an apostle of the game, must instruct the Chinaman to better purpose. THESPIAN CLUB. Matches played 43: won, 20, drawn 5, lost 18. BATTING AVERAGES. Times Most Inns, not oat. Runs, in Inns. Aver. C. J. Fulton ..1 8 .. 2 ..8 1 9 . . 64 .. 29 P. Wells .. .. 11 .. 2 .. 175 . . 49 .. 198 C. S. Tregellas.. 9 .. 1 .. 158 . . 58 .. 19 (i J. B. Brookbank 65 .. 5 .. 931 .. 68 .. JK.31 E .V . Gardner.. 26 .. 0 .. 454 .. 81 .. 17 2 H.Marchmont.. 35 .. 8 .. 48L .. 5 l* ,, l j l Haywood .. .. 44 .. 3 .. 494 . . 37 .. 12 2 A Wheatman.. 82 .. 4 .. 331 .. 41 ,. 11 2’! h. Dixon .. .. 47 .. 8 .. 447 . . 56 .. 1 .18 1'. Bovill .. .. 5 .. 1 .. 29 .. 18* .. 7.1 J.R. Crauford.. 7 .. 4 .. 19 .. 1 1 * .. 61 0. Eaton .. .. 9 .. 2 .. 42 ., 14 .. G D. Lely .. .. 36 .. 2 .. 178 .. 20 .. 58 Hr R. Roberts.. 4 . . 0 .. 23 .. 11 .. 6 .K H. G. Stacey .. 23 .. 3 .. 102 .. 24 .. 52 K. Barrington .. 28 .. 2 .. 130 .. 21 .. 5 W. T. Robertson 18 .. 0 .. 58 .. 11 .. 4 6 G. Barrett.. .. 24 .. 4 .. 85 .. 13 .. 4.5 H. Leigh .. .. 1J .. 3 .. 38 .. 7 * .. 4 i C. Routledge .. 4 .. 0 17 .. 11 .. 4.L J. Wheatman .. 9 .. 0 .. 80 .. 15 .. 3:1 H. Bracy .. .. 5 .. 1 .. 13 .. 10 .. .si W .H . Elliott .. 10 .. 2 .. 19 .. 6 .. 23. O. Glenney .. 5 .. 1 .. 10 .. 8 .. 2 2 8 . Bourne.. .. 8 ••0 . . 12 .. 9 ,, 1.4 A. Whittaker .. 5 .. 0 .. 8 ., 6 .. l.t J. B. Ashley ..1 0 .. 4 .. 1 .. 3 .. 1.1 The following played in less than four imineri: -R . Temple, 0, 0, 0 ; G. H. Snazelle, 0, 0 ; 11 . Zimmer- mann, 0,2, 5; H. Elwood, 0,17 ; W . Carlile, J, 6 2 * ; O. Gurth, 0*, 0*, 4; B. Holmes, 7*, 0; F. Olive, 11,1 ; E. Barrett, 10, 48; 0, Alleyne, 0; M. ■. York, 0; t. W . Tew, 0 JJ.H . Irolthouse, 24. B u rlin g to n W a n d e re rs C lu b . —'Ihe Annual Dinner took place at the Holboru Restaurant on the 28th Nov. Forty sal down under the presidency of Mr. S. Mar­ riott, one of the Vice-Presidents. The usual loyal and other toasts were done full justice to, and Messrs. Hazard, Williamson, Ham­ mond, Gould, and Sydney Hann contributed greatly to the pleasure of the evening by their vocal and instrumental performances. Next Issue January 28-