Cricket 1886

: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. _______ 89 APRIL 29, 1886. CRICKET of the Australians to visit the Park with the kindly object of enabling them to have an opportunity of loosening their shoulders after their sea trip. T h e all-round cricket of G. Giffen (who, by the way, will this time act with the Captain, H. J. H. Seott, and J. M. Blackham, as a Committee of selection for the Australian team) for South Aus­ tralia, in the Inter-Colonial match with Victoria, just prior to his departure for England, was so good as to deserve a prominent place in “ Gossip.” Indeed, but for him, tfie Colony would hardly have gained such a creditable victory. On a splendid wicket—English cricketers who have batted on the Oval at Adelaide know the run-getting capacities of the turf on that enclosure—he took seventeen wickets at a cost of 201 runs. This was not a bad performance, but, in addition, he scored 20 and 82, so that the value of his services will be fully appreciated. The South Australian Association was only paying a fair tribute to an exceptional display of cricket in presenting Giffen with a gold medal in commemoration thereof. I h a v e had occasion several times during the last twelve months to record tho numerous expressions and actions indicative of sympathy with athletic sports of the ex-Bishop of Melbourne, recently arrived in England to take charge of the important diocese of Manchester, in succession to the late Dr. Fraser. Bishop Moorhouse, in a recent interview with a representative of the Pall Mall Gazette, reiterates the good feeling he has always shown towards athletics of every kind. In a recent article reproduced in this paper, the veteran journalist, George Augustus Sala, wrote in a certain tone of disparagement of the athletic tastes of the present age. Bishop Moorhouse, though, takes a different view of this now important question, and C r ic k e t readers at least will be thoroughly in accord with the sentiments of the latter. His views on the subject of a hearty alliance between the old country and her colonial posses­ sions are not only those of a broad-minded clergyman, but of a sound and far-seeing politician. He expressed himself warmly in favour of Imperial Federation, and said that the Aus­ tralian cricketers coming here and our teams going to the Colony, and England giving such a Bishop as Dr. Barry, no less than the em­ ployment of Australian citizen soldiers, tended to bind together the mother Country and the Colony. He said that in England no idea existed of the great future before the Austra­ lian Colonies, and he should be happy if he could make English statesmen realise the importance of Colonial questions. And so say all of us. The Bishop added that he had played vigorously at cricket on board the steamer which brought him home, during his voyage of thirty-seven days from Melbourne. I h a v e seen no mention anywhere in the sporting papers of the death of a cricketer who did good service for Surrey some few years ago. I refer to E. Blamires, who died last week of consumption. The deceased, who will be well remem­ bered by habitues of the Oval, a Yorkshire- man by birth, was attached to the staff of ground bowlers on the Surrey cricket ground for several summers. He played for the County in 1880 and 1881under the resi­ dential qualification, and was of great use with his fast left-hand bowling. In 1880, indeed, he proved very effective, sharing with Potter the burden of the Surrey bowling that season. G lo u c e s t e r s h ir e introduced at the Oval this week, in the person of Mr. Harold Hale, an all-round cricketer who bids fair to be of no small value to the County. Mr. Hale, who was bom in Perth, West Australia, learned his cricket at Hobart Town, being a member of the same club as Mr. Butler, a Tasmanian who figured in English cricket some few years ago, taking part, if I remember rightly, in the Southern Eleven, under the Captaincy of Mr. W. G. Grace, against the North at Prince’s. Mr. Hale, whose family has been resident at Alderley, near Badminton, for generations, only returned home last August, and the match this week at the Oval is his first appearance in an important fixture. It will be of interest to the authorities at Cambridge to know that Mr. Hale, who has already matricu­ lated at Trinity College, will go into residence there in October next. I may add he has only just celebrated his nine­ teenth birthday. R o b e r t T hom s has been good enough to forward me the names of the Sixteen Middlesex Colts to oppose M.C.C. and Ground, on May 6 and 7, at Lord’s. They are as under :—A. K. Bourlce, H. P. Charles, J. W. Emmerson, J. P. Geo- ghegan, J. Halliwell ,G. W. Hillyard, J. T. Jones, P. F. Kelley, N. Masters, F. J. Ticknor, Barratt, Dunkley, Graves, Louis, Lawton, Bussell, Upstill, and Wickenden. Mr. I. D. Walker will captain the youngsters, among whom, I notice, will be two fast bowlers, Dunkley and Louis, who played in the same match last year. F o r t u n e , most fickle of jades though she is, smiled on the authorities of the Surrey County Club on Monday last, and the experiment of an Eastertide fixture proved such a distinct success from every point of view that I shall be very much surprised if it is not repeated whenever a favourable opportunity occurs. The man­ agement of the Oval was undoubtedly very fortunate in the weather, even though the late period at which Easter falls this year justified the hope that the elements would be propitious. S t i l l the large attendance of spectators, considering that the season had not prac­ tically begun, must be taken as practical, and, at the same time, highly gratifying evidence of the general interest taken in County Cricket. The enthusiasm shown by th,e fifteen thousand spectators present on the Bank Holiday, and the thoroughly impartial way in which every piece of good cricket, either by a Surrey or Gloucestershire man, was applauded, too, must have been eminently satisfactory, as I have reason to know that it was, to the visiting team. On the first day, 13,788 paid for admission into the ground; on the second day, over 7,000; and on the third, about 500; so that, altogether, payment was received in the match for over twenty-one thousand persons. The receipts at the gate alone must, therefore, have amounted to nearly five hundred and fifty pounds. I am speaking, of course, without my book when I say that no first-class cricket match has taken place before on Easter Monday. That one is in the records this year is due mainly to the visit of the Australian team; and, indeed, but for the collision of the original fixture with that between the Gentlemen of England and the Australians at Lord’s, Surrey and Gloucestershire would have met at the Oval on June 8. F ro m a cricket stand-point, too, the match was a marked success. Although the bleak weather prevalent during most of March, as well as April, was not con­ ducive to the preparation of grounds, the wicket played very well, and the cricket all-round was, throughout, very interest­ ing. Mr. Townsend’s score of a hundred and six was a remarkably fine display, of batting, without a chance, and veteran as he is, I am inclined to think .that this is one of the best, if not the very best, innings he has ever played. A thorough cricketer, Mr. Townsend has worked hard since the institution of the County Club for Gloucestershire, and the auspicious way in which he has opened the season wi] give great satisfaction to the cricket public1 T h e instances oftwo scorea of a hundred in the first match of the season are, I should fancy, extremely rare, even if there are any, which I should be inclined to doubt. Abel’sscore of 110for Surrey will give the greatest satisfaction to all supporters of Surrey cricket. No cricketer, amateur or professional, has ever worked harder to improve his play, and indeed, Abel is a no­ tableexample of what can be accomplished by real perseverance and strict care, the outcome of a gentiae love of the game. “ The Guv’nor,” who, by the way, carried his bat through the innings the last time he played Gloucestershire, is highly popular among all classes of cricketers, and every one will hope that this is only the forerunner of many equally good displays during the season.