Cricket 1886

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron, Registered^s^TmumiSou Abroad. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1886. PR ICE 2 d. MR. JOHN W IL L IA M T R U M B L E . O f the thirteen cricketers forming the Mel­ bourne Club Australian team, Mr. Trumble is the youngest bar one. The iunior of the party is Mr. Bruce, who completedhis twenty-second year on Saturday last, and can claim an advantage in point of age over his comrade and great chum, though only to the extent of nine months. Born in Melbourne on Sept. 16, 1863, Mr. Trumble will reach the close of his twenty-third year just about the time he will be leaving England with the rest of the Australian cricketers, on their return to the Colonies. Educated at Melbourne University,Mr. Trumble threw in his lot with the South Melbourne Club, with which society he has been closely and aotively identified during his career. For some years past he has played a leading part in Victorian cricket, though it is only recently that he has figured in Inter-Colonial and representative matches. The season of 1882-83 is the first, as far as we can trace, in which he came out at all prominently, and the records of that summer credit him with more than one score of three figures. It was not, though, until the season before last, that he really established his reputa­ tion as one of the foremost cricketers of Victoria. Sinco that time he has occupied a prominent position as one of the best all-round players in the Colony. The first Inter-Colonial match of 1884-86, begun on Boxing Day, saw him in excellent form, both with bat and ball. Going in first wicket, after a long stand by Messrs. Scott and McDonnell, he played excellent cricket, and in addition to a contribution of 87 to the Victorian total of 482, was instrumental in the dismissal of two wickets in the first innings of New South Wales, at a cost of twenty runs. This promising } >erformance he followed up a week ater, with another display of equal merit against the English team which visited Australia under the auspices of Shaw. Shrewsbury, and Lillywhite. The absence oi the members of Murdoch’s Australian team from the combined eleven on that occasion, gave several of the younger players an oppor­ tunity of distinction, of whicn they were not slow to avail themselves. Mr. Trumble, in particular, proved his abilities unmistakably, took six wickets for 84 runs. The organisation of the Melbourne University Club compelled Mr. Trumble last season to give up his old love, South Melbourne, and the University eleven found in him one of their most reliable all-round players. As a batsman as well as a bowler, he maintained his reputation thor­ oughly, and several of his performances in both departments were particularly note­ worthy. Mr. Scott and he were the two principal contributors to the long score made for Melbourne in the Inter- University match, and these two, indeed, were credited with 224 of the total of 346 from the bat, of which Mr. Scott subscribed no less than 168. Meanwhile, he had done an excellent performance with the ball for his University against the Richmond Club, five of whose wickets he had taken at a cost of only eight runs. Though only moderately successful in tha two Inter-Colonial matches, his all-round cricket was good enough to give him a position among theprobable candidates for a place in the Fifth Australian team, organised under the auspices of the Melbourne Club. His chances were regarded as a little doubtful, btit an excellent performance in the test match against, the Victorian eleven made his position secure. A capital innings of forty was his contribution to the Australian total of 375, but this was not his only credential,’ and indeed, his bowling v as even more note­ worthy. His analysis in the first innings of the Victorian eleven was remarkable. At one period, he sent down no less than nineteen maiden overs, and in all he delivered 120 balls (25 maidens), for seven runs and one wicket. So far, Mr. Trumble has taken part in two of the three matches played by the Australian team in England, and in these he has not been very successful, though the same remark will apply to a majority of the team. He has, in fact, still to make his mark on English grounds, and for this reason the best comments on his play will be those of a writer who knows his form Well on Australian soil. “ Felix,” a practical and capable critic, in the Australasian , in comparing the qualifi­ cations of various candidates for the Australian team, speaks highly of Mr. Trumble’s abilities as a crioketer. “ Trumble,” he says, “ is good enough for any team in Australia. He watches the ball well, has an excellent defence, can hit hard when he feels so disposed, and can adapt and his score of 69 was not onlv the third In point of value, but one of the best innings of the matoh in merit. In the last of the engagements between Shaw’s Eleven and a Combined Team of Australia at the end of the English tour he was, too, again successful. Both with bat and ball he did good service, and in addition to two creditable scores of 34 not out and 10, he was credited with three English wickets at a cost of only fourteen runs. The return match between Victoria and $New South Wales was also a success for him, and here again his all-round cricket was much above the average. Two excellent scores of 16 and 35 were credited to him, but his best performance was with the ball, and in the first innings of New South Wales he