Cricket 1886

A p r il is , 1886. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. SB A C A T CH IN G IN C ID E N T . ('From the Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News.J “ I say, you fellows, did you see the catch Parsons made to-day ? ” cried little Toby Brown to a party of four or five men lolling in various attitudes indicative of ease on the close-shorn lawn of Burythorpe Grange. Dinner was just over, and they had come into the garden to enjoy their tobacco. “ No,” replied Stephens; “ was it a good one ? We had all gone round to look at the kennels just then.” “ A good one ? ” ejaculated Toby; “ I should rather think it wa3; I don’t ever remember seeing a better, excepting that one I made in the—” “ No, no ; come, old man, we really can’t stand that story again—we want to hear about Parsons’ catch, not yours.” “ That’s always the way with you fellows ; you never will iet me tell my own stories in my own way.” “ Of course not, because you will tell your own stories; at times we like to hear about someone else; but never mind, tell us about this catch.” “ Well, Parsons was fielding at square leg by the gorse, to Walker who was bowling lobs. One of the fellows who was in hit a tremendous ‘ skyer’ straight towards him ; he saw it was going over his head, and ran back for it, quite forgetting the gorse. Just as it dropped into his hands, his heels caught in the gorse, and he went down sitting in the middle of it. You should have heard him yell! Nothing could be seen of him except his legs, for there was a slight dip there, and somehow or the other he got himself jammed in. There he stuck till two of us went and hauled him out, and then we had to clear him of the thorns as well as we could. I was h elping, when a sudden idea flashed across me—you know this happened before lunch—and I left two of the biggest ones in. When we went to lunch I managed to get opposite to him, and anxiously waited the result of his sitting down—you fellows know the rest. I shan’t forget the look that came into his face for many a day. How I did laugh.” “ What an awful shame of you, Toby. It was rather too much of a joke.” “ Well,” replied Toby, laughing, “ he didn’t see the point of it, though he felt it.” “ But I say, Toby,” continued Fletcher, “ you haven’t told us if he managed to hold the ball.” “ Oh, he held it tight enough.” “ Well, then, you shouldn’t laugh at him, for it is more than you would have done under the circumstances.” “ Not a bit of it, Fletcher, you know I always could catch.” “ Well, if you say so I am bound to believe you, but hitherto i have always had my doubts on that point. I know you used to catch it in school, but I imagined it was different in the cricket field.” “ There you go again,” replied Toby, “ chaffing as usual. Now I’ll tell you what I’ll do. You know I am going to play for you fellows to morrow in the Langton match, and I’ll bet you an even five bob all round that if I get a catch I hold it.” “ Done with you,” replied each of the men standing b y ; and hot and furious became the chaff at poor Toby’s expense. . The following day turned out fine and bright, in fact a true cricket day. And Toby appeared in the field in all the glories of spotless nannels, and a marvellous fielding jacket resembling Joseph’s coat—it was of many colours. His innings could hardly be called a success, for he succeeded in running a good man out, and getting a “ nought” himself. But now he was in the field, and though he was by no means a good field, yet there was one thing he could do, and that was “ shy in,” so the captain had placed him at long leg and cover point. The Langton score had been rising steadily, chiefly owing to the careful play and tremendous hitting powers of their captain, Bartlett. Nothing seemed to bother him, he played or punished every ball as occasion required. At last he had a beauty to leg, away it went, high in the air, straight to Toby. Here was Toby’s chance. He hadn't to move a yard, bnt planted himself firmly to receive it. Describing a graceful arc, it fel neatly into his hands. “ Well caught! ” resounded from all parts of the field, but the cry was immediately changed to growling exclamations of “ muff,” “ duffer,” “ butterfingers,” when it was seen that Toby’s hands were empty. And yet as he came towards the wickets there was a smile on his countenance which could not be accounted for, and then he quietly produced the ball from his breast pocket where it had lodged, saying, “ I’ll trouble you fellows to hand out those five bobs, and not to say I can’t hold a catch again.” S o m e r v ille G ib n e y . CROYDON CLUB. F ix t u r e s f o r 1880. April 17. Croydon, Married v. Single April 24. Croydon, Captain v. Secretary April 2G. Croydon, v. City Ramblers May 1. Croydon, v. Fairfield May 1. Blackheath, v. Lyncombe May 8. Mitcham, v. Mitcham May 8. Croydon, v. St. John’s May 12. Croydon, v. Stoics May 15. Croydon, v. Whitgift Wanderers May 15. Penge, v. Penge May 19. Plaistow, Kent, v. Plaistow May 22. North End, Croydon,v.Whitgift School May 22. Croydon, v. South Norwood May 22. Norwood, v. South Norwood May 26. Croydon, v. Clapton May 29. Croydon, v. Granville May 29. Lee, v. Granville June 5. Sutton,-v. Sutton June 5. Croydon, v. City Ramblers June 5. North Park, Croydon, v. Carlton June 9. Hackbridge, v. Hackbridge House June 12. Norbury, v. Mr. J. W. Hobbs’s June 12. Croydon, v. Hampstead Nondescripts June 14. Addiscombe, v. Addiscombe June 14. Croydon, v. Addiscombe June 17. Hornsey, v. Hornsey June 19. Croydon, v. Crystal Palace June 19. North End. Croydon, v. Whitgift School June 22. Dorking, v. Dorking June 26. Croydon, v. Mitcham June 26. Gospel Oak, v, St. John’s • July 1. Croydon, v. Plaistow July 3. Norwood, v. Norwood July 3. Croydon, v. Penge July 10. Kenley, v. Kenley July 10. Croydon, v. Lyncombe July 14. Croydon, v. Hornsey July 17. Croydon, v. Mr. i. W. Hobbs’s July 17. Addiscombe, v. Addiscombe July 21. Clapton, v. Clapton July 24. Lee, v. Granville July 24. Croydon, v. Granville July 26. Croydon, v. Burlington Wanderers July 27. Croydon, v, Addiscombe July 28. Croydon, v. Surrey C. and G. July 29. Croydon, v. Stygians July 30. Croydon, v. Dorking July 31. Croydon, v. Sutton July 31. Norwood, v. South Norwood Aug. 2. Cane Hill, v. Cane Hill Asylum Aug. 7. Croydon, v. Whitgift Wanderers Aug. 7. North Park, Croydon, v. Carlton Aug. 11. Croydon, v. Norwood Aug. 14. Croydon v. Stoics Aug. 21. Croydon, v. Burlington:Wanderers Aug. 28. Croydon, v. Kenley Sept. 4. Croydon, v. Fairfield Sept. 11. Croydon, v. Hampstead Nondescripts A n A ssociation fo r D e a f an d D umb C r ic k e t and F o o tb all C l u b s . —In conse­ quence of the rapid growth of clubs in various towns of Great Britain, for the exclusive use of deaf mute cricketers and footballers, a con­ ference of the representatives of such clubs has been arranged to beheld in Derby on Saturday next, with the view of forming a Deaf and Dumb Cricket and Football Association, and to take into consideration the proposal of a challenge cup for competition by bona fide deaf and dumb clubs during the season of 1887. Mr. C . Gorham, of Leeds, is the hon. sec. (pro tern-) of the conference. STAR CLUB. F ix t u r e s fo r 1886. April 24. Priory Farm, Club Match April 26. Priory Farm, v. Yarra May 1. Priory Farm, v. Columbia M ay 1. Eltham, v. S.E. Ry. May 6. Oval, v. Surrey C. & G. M ay 8. Brixton, v. Loughborough M ay 8. Priory Farm, v. Ludgate May 13. Priory Farm, v. St. Martin’s May 15. Balham, v. Balham May 15. Priory Farm, v. Navarino May 19. Priory Farm, v. West Kent Wanderers M ay 22. Priory Farm, v. Balham May 22. Priory Farm, v. Caustons M ay 27. Priory Farm, v. Lower Clapton May 29. Priory Farm, v. Acorn May 29. Tufnell Park, v. Dartmouth Park June 3. Priory Farm, v. Orpheus June 5. Clapton, v. Phoenix June 10. Honor Oak, v. St. Martin’s June 12. Oval, v. One and All June 14. Southend-on-Sea, v. Wakering June 14. Priory Farm, v. Caustons June 17. Priory Farm, v. St. Stephen’s June 19. Priory Farm, v« Alleyn June 19. Eltham, v. S.E. Ry. June 24. Priory Farm, v. St. Saviour’s June 26. Priory Farm, v. Lower Tooting June 26. Honor Oak, v. Linden July 1. Priory Farm. v. Grove July 3. Priory Farm, Athletic Meeting July 8. Priory Farm, v. Columbia July 10. Priory Farm, v. One and All July 10. Oval, v. One and All (2nd) July 15. Priory Farm, v. Orpheus July 17. Priory Farm, v. Brixton July 17. Putney, v. Ludgate July 22. Priory Farm, v. Havelock United July 21. Blackheath, v. West Kent Wanderers July 29. Priory Farm, v. St. Saviour’s July 31. Priory Farm, v. Cecilian July 31. Brixton, v. Brixton August 2. Dorking, v. Holmwood August 7. Priory Farm, v. Columbia August 7. Priory Farm, v. Acorn August 12. Priory Farm, v. St. Stephen’s August 14. Priory Farm, v. Navarino. August 14. Tooting, v. Lower Tooting August 19. Dulwich, v. Grove August 21. Priory Farm, v. Phoenix August 26. Priory Farm, v. Havelock United August 28. Priory Farm, v. Dartmouth Park September 2. Pond Lane, v. Lower Clapton September 2. Priory Farm, Ground Men’s Eenefii Match September 11. Priory Farm, v. Cecilian September 11. Dulwich, v. Alleyn September 18. Priory Farm, v. Loughborough September 18. Brixton, v. Perseverance September 25. Clapham, v. Yarra N o tts C o lts v . Y orksh ire C o lts . —This match will be played at Sheffield on May 31, not on April 30 as previously annonnced. Y or k sh ir e v . C h e s h ir e . —The matches be* tween these Counties will be restricted to two days. They will be played at Stockport on June 11 and 12, at Halifax on July 16 and 17. N orthamptonshire C ounty C lub .—The annual general meeting of this club was held at the Plough Hotel, Northampton, on Friday last, Lieut-Col. Hollis in the chair. The hon. sec. (Mr. T. H. Vialls) in his report stated that last year the county played nine matches. Re­ peated efforts hadbeen made to induce the Aus­ tralians to play them this season, but without result; andEssex, afterbeing beatenthree out of four finished games, had declined to again meet thecounty. TheUppingham Rovers alsocannot play at Northampton this season. In spite of these disappointments the list is a good one. One of the best grounds in the Midlands is in course of formation, and there is every promise of a good wicket. There are arrangements for lawn tennis, bowls, bicycling, running, &c. A good pavilion is in progress, the whole costing about 4-4,700. Lowe is engaged as professional, and useful ground men in Stockwin and Luck are secured. Regular practice will commence on April 26. There are about three hundred and fifty members. An adverse balance of .£2811s. 6d. still exists, but this has accumulated during the past three years. Earl Spencer, K.G., is again president, the vice-presidents being Lord Wantage, K.G., Earl of Euston, Sir Herewald Wake, Bart., Lieut-Col Hollis, and Mr. Pickering Phipps. Mr. T. H. Vialls con­ tinues to act as hon. sec.