Cricket 1886

AUG. 12, 1886. CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 341 T h e Parsee cricketers were highly gratified at the royal reception they met with at Cumberland Lodge, on Saturday last, on the occasion of their last appear­ ance on the cricket-field this summer. The match was arranged at the express desire of the Queen, and Dr. Patell and his comrades had every reason to be pleased with the hospitable welcome accorded to them. Carriages were sent to meet them at Windsor, and on their arrival they were cordially received by His Royal Highness Prince Christian as well as the Princess, to whom the team were introduced. Prince Christian Victor and his brother, Prince Albert, were in the Cumberland Lodge eleven. At luncheon Prince Christian proposed the “ Health of the Parsee Cricketers,” prais­ ing the pluck which had induced them to undertake such a trip, in order to acquire a better knowledge of our national game. In reply, Dr. Patell expressed the great gratification felt by the Parsee Team at the uniformly warm welcome extended to them by all classes and on all sides, from the commencement to the close of the tour. M r . G. H. C o t t e r i l l , the Captain of the Brighton College, who has been scor­ ing very heavily this season, made his first appearance in County Cricket on Monday, representing Sussex against Lancashire at Brighton. Mr. Cotterill is a son of the Rev. G. E. Cotterill, who was also in the Brighton College Eleven in 1855-6-7, and subsequently played for Cambridge and Sussex, and nephew of the still more celebrated cricketer Dr. J. M. Cotterill. The young Brightonian, who stands well over six feet high, it will interest many C r ic k e t readers to know, goes up to Cambridge in October, 1837. Mr. Cotterell has an average of 54.2 for Brighton College this year, having made 596 runs in thirteen innings, with two not outs. T h e Captain of the eleven which represented Hampstead Club against the Stoics, has been good enough to furnish me with particulars of the extraordinary innings of 814 on the Hampstead ground yesterday week, the full score of which will be found in another part of this paper. Hampstead went in at 11.30 sharp, and at the end of an hour the score was 150, one wicket having fallen meanwhile. Mr. A. E. Stoddart, who had gpne in first, continued to score at a tremendous rate and at luncheon time (2 o’clock) the total was 370, this large number having been made in two hours and a half. Play was re-commenced at 3 o’clock sharp and the innings closed at 6.45 with the fall of the ninth wicket. It will be seen that the 814 runs were got in six hours and a quarter, a most remarkable average of 130 runs in the hour. in six hours and ten minutes he scored 485, thus making his runs at an average of 78 per hour. He played perfect cricket from first to last, and was only caught at last from a miss-hit. He had, it may be added, only given one semblance of a chance, when he had beaten the previous record (Mr. Carrick’s score of 419 not out last year) by two runs, and this was from a very hard drive for which two were run, after the ball had been just touched by mid-on. The wickets fell thus :—- 1 2 3 4 3 6 7 8 9 28 212 269 652 659 742 811 814 814 The stand between the third and fourth wickets lasted about three hours. A t one time 650 runs had been made with only three batsmen gone. Mr. Stoddart was eighth out at 811. Though I notice one report of the match states, quite unnecessarily I think, that “ The Stoics did not bat,” I may say that they played up very well, and indeed, never fell to pieces despite the tremendous pace at which runs were coming. There were no chances missed, and Kelly, a fast left- handed bowler, in particular was not only very straight, but kept a good length. Not the least curious feature of the long innings is the fact that there was only one wide and not one no-ball, which will show how well the Stoics stuck to their work. Mr. Stoddart’s hits, I may add, included one 8(4 for an overthrow), three 5’s, and sixty-four 4’s. The wicket, it may be of interest to know, was as nearly as possible in the centre of the ground. The Hampstead total, be it known, is not the highest innings on record, a distinction which belongs to the 920 of the Orleans Club against Rickling Green, at Rickling Green in 1882, though, as the latter ex­ tended over two days, Hampstead can claim the best record for a day’s match. C r ic k e t readers know well my opinion of Mr. Stoddart’s capabilities, and I am personally glad that he is able to claim the merit of the highest individual innings ever made. Hampstead confirmed their form of the previous Wednesday three days later, also on their own ground, when they scored 459 for four wickets against Blackheath. This total wa« got in rather less than four hours, so that the average of run-getting was nearly, if not as quite as good as against the Stoics. Mr. Stoddart added another fine score of 207, and as he was credited with 98 against Gloucestershire on Monday, in three innings (within five days) he secured an aggregate of 790 rims. I am pleased to be able to state, as I fancied would be the case, that Mr. Stoddart has found it difficult to tear himself from cricket and football here. I have it, in fact, on the best authority that he has decided after all to remain in England. M r . S t o d d a r t remained at the wickets until within five minutes of time, so that W h i l e on the subject of the Hamp­ stead Club it gives me gratification to have to record a pleasant ceremony which took place on its ground on August 2. I refer to the presentation by the members to Mr. A. Russell Parker of a costly gold watch and chain as a mark of personal esteem and their appreciation of his services to the club. The presentation was made after luncheon in the presence of a large gathering of members in the pavilion, by Mr. H. S. Turberville, who made a graceful allusion to Mr. Parker’s twenty years’ connection with the club. In the course of his reply Mr. Parker remarked that the position the club had attained was due to the members collec­ tively rather than to himself, and observed that they might well be proud of having “ the best club, the best ground, and (refer­ ring to Mr. Stoddart) one of the best men in Middlesex.” I am sorry to hear that the benefit recently given to Henry Phillips, the Sussex wicket keeper, has not been a very great success. Including the handsome donation of £100 given by Lord Sheffield the total, I learn, only comes to about £300. Phillips’ list will remain open till the end of the season, and I hope to hear that it has been materially augmented during the few weeks that still remain before the season closes. I can conscientiously say that there has never been a keener or move hard-working cricketer, certainly no pro­ fessional who has borne himself in a manner calculated to ensure the respect of all with whom he has associated on the cricket-field. M r . E. J. S a n d e rs has kindly fo r­ warded me the names of the eleven Amateurs who are to leave England on Wednesday next for a tour in America under his management. As I anticipated, Parliamentary duties will prevent Colonel Walrond accompanying the team, a great loss, as he is an excellent captain in every way. . In his absence Mr. W. E. Roller will be asked to take charge of the eleven in the field. Mr. Sanders will have as his mates Rev. A. T. Fortescue, Messrs. W. E. Roller, J. A. Turner, A. R. Cobb, T. R. Hine-Haycock, H. W. Bainbridge, C. E. Cottrell, II. Rotherham, F. T. Welman, E. H. Buckland and K. J. Key. Con sidering the difficulties incidental to the collection of a team for such a trip, Mr. Sanders is to be congratulated on the success of his efforts. T he eleven is a ll-round, in d eed , an excellen t on e, a n d th ose w h o k n ow them person a lly n eed h a rd ly be told that they are sure to ha ve a pleasant tim e o f it. T h e ir fixtures w ill be as follow Sept. 1, 2, 3. v. Staten Island, at New York. Sept. 7, 8, 9. v. Toronto, at Toronto. Sept. 11, 13,14. v. Montreal, at Montreal. Sept. 15,16,17. V. New England, at Boston. Sept. 20, 21, 22. v. Baltimore, at Baltimore. Sept. 23, 21, 25. v. Philadelphia, at Philadelphia. Sept. 27, 28, 29. v. All New York, at New York. Oct. 1, 2, 4. v. Philadelphia, at Philadelphia.