Cricket 1886

FEB. 25, 1886. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 25 Bombay Medal with the unusually high scratch score of 130. Mr. T. A. Raynes, who played for Sussex some thirty years ago and has been for years connected with the Surrey Club, was third in the same competition. The election of the Hon. Sydney Herbert to succeed to the vacancy in the representation of the Croydon Division of Surrey, consequent on the acceptance of a judgeship by Mr. W. H. Grantham (another supporter of our national game by the way), has added another cricketer to the new House of Commons. The return of the Liberal party to power has bowled out not a few cricketers who were taking part in the administration of the Government of the country. Cricket, which had not a few exponents in the late Government, is indeed hardly represented, if at all, in the higher offices of the new Ministry; at least I cannot call to mind any one who has gained high repute on the cricket field among the chief lieutenants of the “ Grand Old Man.” I am glad to learn, on the authority of Mr. W . G. Grace, that there is every probability of the Gloucestershire Comity Club very shortly coming into possession of a ground of its own. The committee, I understand, have arranged to take a piece of land for the purpose at Eastville, which is about two miles from Bristol. At present a path crosses the ground, but application will be made to the local authorities to allow it to be diverted, and there is no reason to believe that this will constitute a real difficulty. The ground, I am intormed by the Gloucestershire captain, lies high, and as it is always dry it possesses, as will be gathered, all the elements for run-getting. Should the negotiations now progressing end satis­ factorily and the Gloucestershire Club be­ come lessees there is no intention of using it for cricket purposes before the season of 1887. Gloucestershire has been much indebted to the authorities of Clifton Col­ lege for the use of that splendid ground attached to that institution, and the County Eleven will be fortunate if their new head-quarters furnish such excellent wickets. At the same time the acquisi­ tion of an enclosure of its own will place the County Club in a permanent and alto­ gether much better position, and it is certain that under the watchful eye of Mr. W. G. Grace everything will be done to make it in the best condition for cricket. F or a junior fifteen against a mixed twelve of Port Melbourne, in a match played on Jan. 9, a young bowler named Parkinson at the fall of the tenth man had clean bowled nine wickets for no runs. When the last man went in the record was 14, and Parkinson then had a bit of bad luck, his second ball to the new comer being put up in the slips, and badly missed. Four runs were got off him alter this, and his average altogether was 10 wickets for 4 runs against a team ncluding six of the best Port Melbourne batsmen. The Australasian, from which these particulars are taken, is right in calling this a very fine bowling perform­ ance. T h e cricket fraternity played an important part in the opening of the new theatre at Oxford on Saturday last. The representation of Tw elfth N ight gave great satisfaction, and altogether the per­ formance was a most successful one. The role of Sebastian was taken by F. T. Higgins, the old Westminster Captain, and A. B. Cobb represented Valentine. P. Coles, J. H. Brain and H. 0 . Whitby were also entrusted with subordinate characters. I need hardly add that all these five are well known on the cricket field. A c c o r d in g to “ Mid-on ” in the M el­ bourne Leader, a discussion took place during the course of the Inter-University match, between Melbourne and Sydney, at Melbourne, on a point there should have been little doubt about. The question was the right of appeal in the event of the doubts of one umpire to his mate at the other end, and the case is given thus:— Bruce thought' that he had clean bowled Adams, and appealed to Phillips (the umpire at the bowler’s end), who declared himself un­ able to decide, and referred it to Blackham, who was umpiring for the Sydney men at the other end. Blackham without hesitation gave Adams out, and to my surprise, I found ex­ perienced cricketers in the pavilion arguing that he had exceeded his duty. No doubt was expressed as to the correctness of Blackham’s decision (excepting by the batsmen, who both thought that the ball had rebounded from the wioketkeeper’s pads), but it was stated that the bowler’s umpire could not make an appeal to his confrere in such a case. I ca n hardly understand any doubt, as rule 47 is very explicit on this poin t:— The umpire at the bowler’s wicket shall be appealed to before the other umpire in all cases, except in those of stumping, hit wicket, run out at the striker’swicket, or arising out of Law 42, but in any case in which an umpire is unable to give a decision he shall appeal to the other umpire, whose decision shall be final. Th e Hon. Ivo Bligh, who with Mrs. Bligh, is, I believe, making a short stay in the Colonies, arrived at Melbourne early last month in the “ Valetta.” According to the Adelaide Observer, of Jan. 16, he was present at a recent meeting of the Commit­ tee ofthe MelbourneClub. On that occasion he is said to have assured the executive of the M.C.C. that the coming team would meet with a gratifying reception in England. It is hardly necessary to add in the face of recent events, that Mr. Bligh in such a statement fully represents the opinion of cricketers in the old Country. A n o th e r English cricketer also arrived in Melbourne in the early part of last month in the “ Carthage.” I refer to E. B. Bawlinson, the Yorkshire professional who did good service for his county some fifteen years ago. He was present on the Melbourne Ground during the later stages of the trial match between the probable Australian team and an eleven of Victoria. His intention was, it is said, if possible, to secure an engagement as coach, either in New South Wales or Queensland, a position for which he ought to be thorough­ ly well qualified. The Australasian claims, and no doubt justly, that the new grand stand of the Melbourne Club has no equal on any other ground in Australia, or in the world. The following particulars of the building, which it is said has cost over .£12,000, will be read with interest. The ground floor, built entirely of brick, furnishes splendid accommodation, namely— Members’ ladies’ luncheon room, 56ft. x 25ft., with bar, cloak-room, pantry, lavatory, &c., attached, with a separate stair leading down to the same from the top of the stand; recrea- tion-room, 68ft. x 39ft.; ladies’ lavatory &c., for use of those who patronise the public portion of the stand, with separate stair leading to it from the top of the stand; grand stand refreshment bar, 57ft. x 32ft., with counter 80ft. long; grand stand luncheon-room, 48ft. x 39ft.; refreshment bar for outside ground, 39ft. x 18ft. There are two excellent and spacious entrances from the Richmond-pad- dock side. The stand itself provides sitting accommodation for 1,850 persons, and the ladies’ pavilion will seat 450. Comfortable and neat Amerioan turn-up chairs form the seating in the ladies’ pavilion, and already they have been much appreciated by the fair sex. The frontage of the structure is 305ft. and the back 326ft., by a width of 42ft. The building follows the curve of the ground. The height to the top of the roof is 40ft. Between the stand and the playing area there is an excellent promenade 70ft. wide, 15ft. of which close to the stand is asphalted. The remaining portion, though in the rough just now, will be a beautiful expanse of turf by next season. Th e remains of a keen cricketer, and indeed of an enthusiastic follower of sport of every kind, were consigned to their last resting place at Hythe, on Tuesday. Col. Percy Barrow is, unhappily, one of many cricketers and good soldiers who suffered severely from the onslaughts of the Arab hordes duringthe operations which caused the loss of so many of England’s bravest sons in the Soudan. Col. Barrow was wounded while in command of the 19th Hussars, but recovered in a compara­ tively short time from the effects. H e was unfortunate enough, though, to reopen the wound some time afterwards, while engaged in the popular amusejnent of tent-pegging, in Cairo, and the result was this time fatal. He was Captain of the Aldershot Divisional Cricket Club in 1883, ancf there were few better fields at point. He was also a good man to hounds, and in fact, as I have already said, as an all-round sportsman, he was not only singularly proficient, but also most de­ servedly popular. Th e many cricketers who have used the Oval on Saturday afternoons and in minor matches outside the scope of the N£xt Issue March 25-