Cricket 1885

APRIL 30, 1885. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 89 who have tried are fully aware, but it has been done more than once. Mr. Arthur Haygarth, in “ Scores and Biographies,” states that Mr. W. G. Grace threw a cricket ball at East­ bourne 122 yards, and also on another occasion 109 yards one way and 105 yards back. “ F. G .” tellsmethat“ The Champion,” at some athletic sports at the Oval—I fancy it must have been at the meeting held during the visit of the Aboriginal cricketers, in 1868— threw three successive times 116, 117, and 118 yards. Further to disprove the theory that no one could throw a hundred yards both ways, he exceeded that distance in a return heave. In my “ Gossip ” of April 16th, I reproduced from the Warrnambool Standard, a curiosity of cricket re­ corded in its columns. It was a double tie, two clubs in successive matches each scoring 32. A valued correspondent, to whom I am indebted for very much and valuable informa­ tion on cricket lore, has kindly sent me the following instances of Ue matches from “ Scores and Bio­ graphies.” 1818. Aug. 22.—Woking v. Shiere, at Woking. Woking 71 and 71. Shiere 71 and 71. 1853- Oct 3.—Coleorton v. Whitwick, on Sir G. Beaumont’s Ground. Coleor­ ton 61 and 41. Whitwick 41 and 61. 1863. Sept 10.—Castle Thorpe v. Yardley Gobion, at Yardley Gobion. Cattle Thorpe 73 and 38. Yardley Gobion 73 and 38. 1864. Aug. 16, 17.—Cranbury Park V' I Zingari, at Cranbury Park. Cran­ bury Park 188 and 94. I Zinga i 188 and 94. 1807. (No date or place given.)—Richmond (Yorks) v. Bedale. Richmond 49 and 72. Bedale 49 and 72. 1872. Sept. 3.— (No place given). St. Neots v. Brampton. St. Neots 43 and 49. Brampton 43 and 49. (St. Neots were one short.) I n commenting on the match at Cranbury Park, the Compiler of “ Scores and Biographies” rightly describes it as a most remarkable one. Not only was it a double tie match, the two innings of each being similar, but the second total of each was exactly half of that of the first. He also notices that there was a difference in age of thirty-nine years between two members of the I Zingari team. Sir Frederick Bathurst at that time was fifty-seven, Mr. C. F. Buller only eighteen. T he Surrey Colts were hard at work on Thursday and Friday last at the Oval under the watchful eye of Mr. Frederick Burbidge. If there was no as yet bright particular star there was some promising cricket, and some of the youngsters with care will train out and be of use to the County. J. D. F. Campbell, the Captain of the Haileybury eleven of this year, is a very fair all round cricketer. He bowls slow round arm left, and generally of a good length, can break both ways. The best of those who appeared last week are to come up to the County ground to-day, and there will be a match in which some of the most prominent members of the Surrey eleven will take part. I understand, too, that there will be a field day at the Oval on Saturday, when there will be a pick up in which the best players of the County and the most promising youngsters will be distributed in the two elevens. Play will begin for this occasion only at ten o ’clock. A v e t e r a n , whom many of the old school of metropolitan players, were I to mention his name, would well remember in connection with the Islington Albion Club, has been good enough to send me the following on the subject of big hits, alluded to in last week’s “ Gossip.” In your “ Pavilion Gossip ” of last week you speak of some big hits, &a. I was playing in two matches, when the following strange occurrences t >ok place, which I trust you will think worthy of insertion in your next edition. Some twenty summers since, when playing on Chipperfield Common, Ben Roberson, a player at the time well-known round London, hit a ball to forward square leg. The fieldsman, who was about sixty yards off, in attempting to catch it, dislo­ cated one of his fingers. Yet, so powerful was the hit that seven runs were got for it, and without any overthrow or delay in fielding the ball. On another occasion, when playing on Hemel Hempstead Common,'a hit wasmide worth only tworuns. Adog,however, Jwhile the ball was travelling, picked it up in j his mouth and ran away with it. He was at once chased all over the common, and before he could be induced to drop it and it was returned to the wicket-keeper, six runs were made. It not being a lost ball, any number of runs could have been got, so long as the dog was in view. I believe Thoms was standing as umpire on the two occasions referred to. R obert T homs writes me that he stood in both the matches mentioned at Chipperfield Common and Hemel Hempstead. He adds that as umpire he well recollects both affairs, the dog business especially. “ It was” he says, “ a case of a dog hunt all over the com­ mon, for the more the mob ran the faster the dog, and as the owner, a very stout party, was a bad goer, it was some time before the ball was recovered from the extra fielder.” I h a v e also received a letter from an old Marlburian, giving instances of the same kind within his recollection. In June, 1868, C. S. Gordon (“ B ox” of that ilk), playing for Marlborough College against C. L. Bell’s Eleven, hit a clean “ tenner ” to square leg. This I saw, though the other two which follow I did not myself see. In June, 1875, for Marlborough College v. Exeter College, Oxford, H. C. King hit a “ thirteener.” i believe he was in with A.G . Steel. The other hit was a funny one. A. C. Bartholomew, playing against his old school hit the first ball of the match for eight, and was run out in running the ninth. M r . S pybey , of 43, Long Eow, Nottingham, writes me on the subject of the Nottingham Colts, as follows :— In “ Pavilion Gossip ” in the No. for April 16, you, in common with other newspapers, fall into the error of giving J. E. Budd’s place of birth as Southwell. He, however, hails from a village some seven miles to the west of Nottingham, viz :—Stapleford. The error in his birth-place must have crept into the reports through his having played for the Southwell Town Club. Knowing you like these inaccuracies rectified when practicable, I venture herewith to correct. I t will be interesting to C ricket readers generally, to know that Mr. A. G. Steel has already begun the season’s work. On Saturday last, three of the four members of the great brotherhood of Lancashire Cricketers represented the Liverpool Club, in a twelve-a-side match with the Childwall Bovers, on the ground of the former, at Aigburth. D. Q., A. G., and H. B. were all engaged, but the big hitter was not able to get a notch, and A. G. just beat his elder brother by one run, scoring fifteen to fourteen of D. Q. A. G. took two, and H. B. one of the four wickets of the Rovers down at the call of time. A f ig u r e conspicuous on the cricket fields of Australia, for many years past, will be seen no more. The news of the death of Mr. E . Elliott, of Mel­ bourne, will be received with regret here, not only by the members of those English teams which have visited Australia, to whom he was personally well-known, but generally by cricketers to whom his name is familiar as one of the best and most respected umpires in the Colonies. His death