Cricket 1886

MABCH 25,1880. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME, 48 it is possible that on the arrival of the team they may think fit to fill one or all of these up. MAY. 13—Sheffield Park, Australians v. Lord Sheffield’s XI. 17—Nottingham, Australians v. Notts 20—Kennington Oval, Australians v. Surrey 24—Lord’s, Australians v. M.O.C. and Ground 27—Oxford, Australians v. Oxford University 31 —Manchester, Australians v. North of England JUNE. 3—Lord’s, Australians v. Gentlemen of England 7—Derby, Australians v. Derbyshire 10—Cambridge,Australiansv.CambridgeUniversity 14—Manchester, Australians v. Lancashire 17—Kennington Oval, Australians v. Gentlemen of England 21—Nottingham, Australians v. Players of England 21—Lord’s, Australians v. Middlesex 28—Chichester, Australians v. Lord March’s XI. (C. Howard’s Benefit). JULY. 5—Manchester, Australians v. England 8—Nottingham, Australians v. Notts 12—Sheffield, Australians v. Yorkshire 19—Lord’s, Australians v. England 22—Huddersfield, Australians v. Yorkshire 26—Stoke, Australians v. An England Eleven 29—Kennington Oval, Australians v. Surrey AUGUST. 2—Canterbury, Australians v. Kent 5—Clifton, Australians v. Gloucestershire 12—Kennington Oval, Australians v. England 16—Cheltenham, Australians v. Gloucestershire 19—Portsmouth, Australians v. United Services 23—Leyton, Australians v. Past and Present of Cambridge University 26—Brighton, Australians v. Sussex 30—Gravesend, Australians v. South of England SEPTEMBER. 2—Scarborough, Australians v. Gentlemen of England 6—Bradford, Australians v. North of England 9—Brighton, v. Sussex or South of England “ Censor,” in the Sydney Mail , makes the following remarks on the constitution of the team : The team may in every way be deemed a representative one, though it might have been strengthened by the substitution of M’Donnell for Trumble. This change would materially strengthen the batting and fielding depart­ ments, for with so many good bowlers in the thirteen Trumble’s loss in that department would not be felt. Trumble is slow in the field. M’Donnell is out of form at present, but the trip would restore that vigour which characterised his batting last year, when he was considered the best batsman in Australia. Otherwise with the available material the team could not he improved upon, for several good men—Murdoch and’ Massie—have quite lost their form. The great strength of the hand lies in the number and variety of its good bowlers, coupled with the additional source of strength which the presence of two such wicket-keepers as Blackham and Jarvis will lend to the team. Jarvis is one of the best batsmen in Australia, and even superior to Blackham as a wicket-keeper. All the bowlers can bat well save Spofforth, and he sometimes comes out of his shell with a good score. Jones and Garrett will appear in England much better batsmen than when they last figured before an English audience. In Bruce and Mcllwraith there is a pair of bats­ men which would not disgrace any first-class ■English eleven. Much interest will be mani­ fested by the English public to see Evans, and no doubt with good hard practice that popular cricketer will come out of the ordeal triumph­ antly, for he is one of those ardent players who is bound to improve with practice. With such batsmen as Scott, M’llwraith, Bruce, Jones, Bonnor, Giffen, and Jarvis, supported by men, all of whom can wield the willow efficiently, the English bowling will be put to a severe test. The batting of the Britishers will also be tested when opposed by a bowling phalanx like Spofforth, Palmer, Bruce, Evans, Garrett, Giffen, and Trumble. The Melbourne Argus has a more lengthy article on the same subject, which will we feel sure be read with interest. The cricketing team which the Melbourne Cricket Club has for some time past been engaged in organising, and which may fairly be called an Australian Eleven, since it is pro­ bably the strongest that has ever undertaken an English visit, has been finally completed, and is composed as follows: From Victoria: Blackham, Bruce, M‘I1wraith, Palmer, Scott, Trumble, and Spofforth; from New South Wales: Jones, Evans, Bonnor, and Garrett; and from South Australia: Jarvis and G. Giffen. The most effective comment as to the strength of the team is that two such batsmen as Horan and Walters, both willing to undertake the trip, should be unable to find a place in it. The M.C.C. were limited to 13 players, and possibly no two critics, however strongly im­ pressed with the necessity of having these two batsmen in the team, would agree in say­ ing who should retire to make room for them. A few days ago the committee of the M.C.C. were wavering as to whether Trumblo ■ should be included. It was urged by some good judges of the game that his style of batting would not suit English wickets, but luckily for Trumble, the return Intercolonial Match was played on apiece of turf that, for treachery and dampness, could not easily be surpassed in England, and as he made the most of his opportunities, while Horan again failed, the University player got the coveted thirteenth place. Horan, although batting as well as ever in practice, has been very unfortunate in all important matches, and much as lovers of the game may regret the exclusion of so popular and effective a batsman, the perform­ ances of the current season must count for something in the choice of a team for England. The new men in the team are Evans, Bruce, Trumble, and M‘Ilwraith, and all of them are likely to play their parts well. Evans has been coveted by all the promoters of Australian elevens, and the M.C.C. are specially fortunate in securing his services. In the recent Inter­ colonial Match he bowled in very fine form, and had all the catches given from his bowling been held, his average for the match would have been remarkably good. It is satisfactory that such a cricketer will be enabled at last to include amongst his many fine records the performances of an English season. Victorians look with confidence to M‘Ilwrraith to fill the places held formerly by such dashing batsmen as McDonnell and Massie, while Trumble has that precision as a bowler that may enable him to do for the present eleven much that Boyle did for the first four teams. Bruce has lately been uncertain as a bowler, but if he fails in that respect he is almost certain to figure prominently as an elegant and effective bats­ man, whilst his fast left-handed return from the field will upset the calculations of many pEnglish batsmen. Of the nine members of jthe team who have already visited England, it cannot be said that any have fallen away from their form, while in several instances a notable improvement is apparent. The Jones of the .present team is altogether a more effective cricketer than the colt who, going home with the third eleven, was left very much to follow his own inclination, and in the absence of a mentor, played seldom and poorly. During the last two seasons Jones has played some fine innings under difficult conditions. His 77 (not out) in the Intercolonial match on the Melbourne ground on a worn wicket, and his 67 in the return match at Sydney a few days ago, on an even worse wicket, although in each case not the highest scores, were universally admitted to be the finest innings of the two matches. Towards the close of last season he played a good innings of 40 (run out) against the English in Sydney, being content to keep up his wicket while Bonnor scored by perhaps the finest display of hitting ever seen in this colony. Referring to Jones’s play in this match, the special reporter of the Argus wrote: “ Amongst the batsmen on either side, none deserve more credit than Jones. No one but a Bonnor could have scored safely on the wicket by forward play, and Jones, recognising the fact, kept up his wicket at considerable personal damage and discomfort, and scored nearly the w'hole of his 40 runs by elegant back cuts, each of which brought ringing cheers from those who admire cricket in its most careful phases. In fielding Jones was keen and accurate. He dashed at the hardest hit like a greyhound at -a hare, and with far greater certainty. The position of the run­ ning batsmen seemed to be always known to the fieldsman, and from the fence to the furthest wicket the ball was returned with wonderful accuracy. Many rounds of cheers were given in acknowledgment of Jones’s fine fielding during the match.” That the young Sydney cricketer has earned a second trial by his play of the last two sea­ sons fewr can doubt. Scott was the most effective batsman in all the more important matches played by the last team, and his re­ cent performances on the Melbourne ground give him the right to be considered, perhaps, the best batsman in Australia. Of the others Jarvis is the only player who has not made more than one trip to England, and during this season he has performed brilliantly both at and behind the wTickets. On New Year’s Day he stumped four and caught two Vic­ torian batsmen in a single innings, and fol­ lowed up this exceptionally fine display of wicket-keeping w'ith a faultless innings of 77 not out. Telegrams inform us that, playing against Adelaide in a club match a fortnight since, Jarvis was twTo hours and a half at the wickets-for a score'of 112,run out, while on the Saturday following he hit up 124 against North Adelaide in an hour and 40 minutes. These signs show that the South Australian is not losing his form, and probably no one will be more pleased at his inclusion in the M.C.C. team than Blackham. The last team had on occasions to relieve their wicket-keeper by handing over the gloves to Bonnor and Mid­ winter, but nothing so heroic will be required on the present occasion. With the 13 players all in their best form, the difficult matter will be to select the best 11. In Sydney there has been some complaint that in choosing the team the M.C.C. neglected to give New South Wales a fair representation, but it is the mis­ fortune of the Sydney people and not the fault of the M.C.C. that the colony has not a great number of capable men at the present time. Notwithstanding the result of the last match the balance of power between the two colonies is largely in favour of Victoria—avery natural circumstance considering the opportunities given to cricketers in either capital. Those who advocate that each colony should have the same representation evidently forget the fact that only a few years ago the advisability of sending home a team composed entirely of New South Wales cricketers was seriously con­ sidered in Sydney, the contention being that no Victorian player had during that particular season shown sufficient merit to entitle him to a place in the team. These calculations wrere afterwards considerably upset, and by the time the next team is organised there is just a possi bility that present positions may be reversed, though few people anticipate seeing it. Before finally taking their departure for England the team will play a match in Ade­ laide, where a match committee of three will be appointed to select teams for the English matches. The captain of the team will also be chosen, Blackham and Garrett being looked upon as the two candidates for the honour and Ne*t Issue Aprii 15.