Cricket 1886

Eegister^o^TransnXsafen Abroad. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1886. PR ICE 2d. “ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”—Byron. MR. JAM E S G EO RG E W A L K E R . S c o tt ish cricket, as every one has noticed with the greatest satisfaction, has shown a marked advance during the last few years. It is -hardly necessary to adduce proofs in support of the statement. There is plenty of evidence in the records, some of them even of a sensa­ tional character, of native Scotch players just recently. To the attention shown to the cultivation of proper form in the principal Schools on the other side of the border, is in a great measure due the improvement in the play so noticeable among cricketers of Scotch extraction. Fettes and Loretto, the latter in particular, have furnished during the last few years, considering their limited resources, a very respect­ able proportion of cricketers to the two English Universities. Born in Glasgow on Oct. 9,1859, Scotland is entitled to the credit of Mr. Walker’s early education. Sent to Loretto in his thirteenth year, he secured a place in the School cricket eleven in the summer of 1875, when not yet sixteen. His.performances at School from 1875 to 1879were distinctly above the average. In 1878 and 1879, in the last of which he was Captain, in particular, he scored heavily, and lie left Loretto with a high reputa­ tion as an all - round cricketer. During the winter of 1879 Mr. Walker went into residence at Trinity College, Oxford, but though tried once ill 1880 he failed to get his blue. That he was in capital form, though, was proved satisfactorily later in the season, and his brilliant perform­ ance at Glasgow at the end of that summer against the Australians will not soon be forgotten, particularly by Glasgowegians. Playing for Eighteen of the Clydesdale Club he defied for a long time all the best Colonial bowling, and his score of eighty-five in that match was one of the best innings made against the Second Australian Team. This brilliant performance gave him, as was only to be expected, a high reputation, and the authorities at Oxford were hopeful that he would provo a valuable acquisition in the following seasm. His opening performance of 1881, too, was of a kind to fully justify these expectations, a-id his first score of 81 out of 178 in the Seniors’ match was an excellent display of crickat. Unfortunately, though, a severe attack of bronchitis put an end to all his chances of cricket for the year, and he was prevented from playing in any of the Oxford matches during that summer—a great disappointment, it will be readily understood. The following season saw another old Lorettonian, Mr. Norman McLaclilan, Captain of the Oxford University Eleven, and again Mr. Walker was seen to advantage in the earliest of the trial fixtures. His 55 in the Seniors’ match secured him a place in the Eleven against the Sixteen Freshmen, and in this as well as in the next match, for the Twelve against the Next Six­ teen, he showed capital cricket, being highest scorer for his side with 25 and 57 in the former, and second in the latter with 42. Though only moderately successful against the Aus­ tralians he came out well in the next two fixtures—against M.C.C. and Ground and the Gentlemen of England:—contributing 87 by steady cricket in the first, and 50 in his first innings in the second of these two engage­ ments. His batting in 1882 at Oxford was particularly effective, but in London, on the other hand, he was most unfortunate. Against M.C.C. at Lord’s he was credited with 15 and 5, but at the Oval he failed to score either time, and in the University match he had to be content with 5 runs as the result of his two innings. Though he did not figure so well in the trial matches of Oxford in 1883, in the more important matches he was proportion­ ately fortunate, and his cricket through­ out the season was excellent in every sense. His highest scores in the earlier matches were his 93 and 29 against the Gentlemen, but he rarely failed to make a good show, and his 63 in the opening fixture against M.C.C. was, perhaps, his best innings. Against Cambridge, at Lord’s, too, nis batting was of the greatest use, and his second score of 51, for which he was two hours and ten minutes at the wickets, was an admirable display of defensive cricket. He played on a few occasions for M.C.C. in 1884, and with fair success, scoring 102 in six innings, of which 43 were made against Yorkshire —another good exhibition of defence. Mr. Walker has been actively identified of late years with the Free Foresters, and both for this club as well as for I Zingari, of which distinguished fraternity he is now a member, has done excellent service. His innings for the latter at Scarborough at the end of last summer against the Gentle­ men of England will be remembered by C r ic k e t readers. On that occasion he went in first, and was not out till the total had reached 229 of which 111 had come from his bat. Mr. Walker is a thoroughly sound bat with very strong defence. He is particu­ larly good on soft or difficult wickets, as he watches the ball most carefully. He cuts particularly well, and has a good stroke on the leg side—a pushing stroke in front of short leg. He is a most painstaking field, usually taking point, where though somewhat slow he is sure. Mr. Walker has also an excellent record as a football player at the Rugby Union game. He played for Oxford against Cambridge, and also for Scotland on three occasions. He was Captain of the Oxford team in 1883, but had to give up the game, having sprained his Next Issue March 25•