Cricket 1886

108 CRICKET: A WEEKLY feECORI) OF THE GAME. MAY 6.1886. t. THE (ADELAIDE) OVAL AS IT IS. T H E A D E L A ID E OVAL . In C r ic k e t of April 22, we gave a sketch of the Oval at Kennington as it was some thirty years ago. Through the kindness of a cor­ respondent in Adelaide we are able to give this week a picture of the principal cricket ground in that city, the Oval, one as well- known to Australian players as the enclosure bearing the same name held by the Committee of the Surrey County Club as tenants of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as Duke of Cornwall. Charming in situation and pic­ turesque in its surroundings, the Oval at Adelaide is one of the most popular cricket grounds in the Colonies. The wickets there, too, are of the very best to be had, even in Australia, where everything is, as a rule, in favour of run-getting, and most of the English teams which have visited the Colonies can testify to the facilities offered by the Adelaide Oval for high scoring. In the match between Shaw and Shrewsbury’s team of English pro­ fessionals and Murdoch’s Australian team of 1884, as many as 870 runs were made for 32 wickets, and one batsman on each side (Barnes and McDonnell) got into three figures. Against a combined Fifteen j ust before their departure for England, the Australian cricketers now in this country secured 422 runs in their first innings, and in all in the four days over which the game extended 1,099 runs were totalled for forty-three wickets, an average of over 25 for each batsman. This representation of the Oval in the capital of South Australia will, we hope, be a fitting accompanimentto that to its ancestor, -the Oval in the Old Country. T he C r ic k e t F ie l d . By R ev. James Pycroft, The Standard Work on the Game. Cheap edition, just out, cloth bound, price 2 s. 6 d., post free, 2s. 9d. C on tain sO rigin of the Game of Cricket; The General Character of Cricket; The Hamble­ don Club and the Old Players; Cricket generally established as a National Game by the end of the Last Century; First Twenty Years of the Present Century; A Dark Chapter in the History of Cricket; The Surrey—its History; The Zingari— their Origin, Battalogia, or the Science and Art of Batting; Hints against Slow Bowling; A Chapter on Bowling; Hints on Fielding; The Gentlemen and Players Matches to end of 1883— W r ig h t an d Co. (Cricket Press), 41, St. Andrew’s Hill, Doctors’ Commons, London, E.C. M ARY LEBON .E C LU B . T here was a good attendance of members at Lord’s yesterday on the occasion of the Ninety- ninth Anniversary meeting of M.C.C. Lord Wenlock, the President, was in the Chair. The annual report was read as follows :— “ Your Committee Report— “ That the number of members who paid in 1885 was 2,804; abroad, 226; Life Members, 21: total, 3.051, as against 2,939 in the previous year. “ Your Committee have purchased the lease of No. 21, Elm Tree Road, in the garden of which the luncheon tables were spread last year, and it is intended to utilise the garden for a similar purpose during next season. A road has also been opened into Elm Tree Road, which will greatly relieve the carriage traffio on crowded days. “ The tar-paved road which was laid down from the Members’ Entrance Gate to the Pavilion having given satisfaction, a similar road has been continued from the Pavilion to the eastend of the Grand Stand, and from the Members’ Dining Room to the east end of the Racquet Court. “ Your Committee regret that the negocia- tions with the trustees of the Clergy Orphan Corporation for the purchase of the freehold of Henderson’s Nursery Gardens have fallen through, owing to the Charity Commissioners having refused their consentto theterms agreed upon between the Corporation and your Com­ mittee. “ The number of Matches played by the Club last year was 136, of which 72 were won, 34 drawn, and 30 lost. “ Messrs. R. C. Antrobus, W. E. Denison, C. B.Marsham, and V. E. Walker retire by rota­ tion from the Committee. Lord Wenlock, Messrs. C. E. Boyle, I. D. Walker, and A. J. Webbe have been duly nominated and have expressed their willingness to serve. “ In the existing Rules of the Club nothing is said as to the time in which a newly-elected member must take up his membership. Your Committee therefore submit two Rules to meet this requirement, and the meeting will afterwards be made special for the adoption of these Rules. “ An Australian Eleven, under the auspices of the Melbourne Cricket Club, will visit England this year, and play' four matches on this ground. “ An Eleven of Parsees will also visit Eng­ land, and play their first match at Lord’s on May 27th. “ Your Committee have decided that no Out-match shall be made unless a Member of the Club can be found who will be responsible for the M.C.C. side; and they trust that in future the M.C.C. W ill be represented by a full team. A book containing the names and addresses of playing members will be provided, and your Committee believe that this will greatly assist managers in getting up their teams. “ The Ground Staff will consist of T. Hearne, Farrands, West, Flanagan, Clayton, Rylott, Wild, W. Mycroft, G. G. Hearne, Wheeler, Sherwin, T. Mycroft, W. Hearn, Flowers, Price, Barnes, Gunn, Scotton, Hay, Fothergill, F. Hearne, Attewell, Parnham, Burton, Pickett, Wootton, Davenport, Pentecost, Titchmarsh, Chatterton, West (Middlesex), and Martin. “ The Hon. Alfred Lyttelton and Mr. J. M. Heathcote are the holders of the Gold and Silver Tennis Prizes respectively.” In the evening the Annual Dinner was held. Lord Lyttelton is the President for the ensuing year. LAW CLUB. F ixtu res for 1886. May 1.—Willesden Green, v. Guy’s Hospital May 8 .—Willesden Green, v. Hampstead Nonde­ scripts May 15.—Willesden Green, v. Richmond May 22.—Hampstead, v. Hampstead May 29.—Chessington, v. Ne’er-do-Weels June 5.—Willesden Green, v. Blackheath June 12.—Bushey Park, v. Hampton Wick June 14.—Plaistow, v. Plaistow June 19.—Willesden Green, v. Highgate June 21.—Willesden Green, v. XI. of Clergy June 22.—Willesden Green, v. Ne’er-do-Weels June 23.—Willesden Green, v. Charlton Park June 24.—Willesden Green, v. Hampton Wick June 25.—Willesden Green, v. M.C.C. & G. June 26.—Willesden Green, Over v. Under 30 July 3.—Willesden Green, v. St. Thomas’ Hospital July 7 —Willesden Green, v. Merchant Taylors’ School July 10.—Willesden Green, v. Hampstead July 17.—Blackheath, v. Blackheath July 20.—Bickley, v. Bickley Park July 24.—Willesden Green, v. Stygians July 27.—Surbiton, v. Surbiton July 29.—Richmond, v. Richmond July 31.—Willesden Green, v. Guildhall C. & A. C. Aug. 2.—Willesden Green, v. Emeriti Aug. 7.—Charlton, v. Charlton Park Aug. 14.—Rochester, v. Rochester Aug. 20, 21.—Salisbury, v. South Wilts Aug. 23, 24.—Sidmouth, v. Sidmouth Aug. 25, 26.—Plymouth, v. Plymouth Garrison Aug. 27, 28.—Newton Abbot, v. South Devon A t Blackheath, on May 1, for Lyncombe v. Croydon, E. H, Edwards performed the “ hat trick.’'