Cricket 1886

APBL15.18 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 57 Some time ago I stated that prepara­ tions were on foot for the visit of a mixed team of English cricketers to Australia next winter -under the auspices of the Melbourne Club. The announcement that Shaw and Shrewsbury had already en­ gaged several well-known professionals with the same object, a tour to the antipodes at the end of 1886, does not seem to have checked the negotiations of the M.O.C., to judge by the following circular sent out in February to the principal cricket clubs in the Colonies :— Dear Sir,—It is under the consideration of the committee of the.M.C.C. to invite a team of English cricketers to visit the Colonies during the season 1886-87 (to arrive in Adelaide about the end of October this year). I am desirous of arranging a programme of matches for the tour, and shall he glad to receive either the offer of a lump sum, free of all expenditure to the team (the latter only paying travelling and hotel expenses) for a one, two, or three days’ match on your ground; or, if this method is not suitable to you, please name the terms for your ground for each match, to be played on dates conveniennt to the arrangements of the team. In the latter case, the team would pay all expenses of advertising, &c. (but not of opposing players, preparation of ground, and expenses properly attaching to the match itself); the team receiving gross takings of ground, stands, sale of booths, &c., and taking the management of the match. An early reply is requested. I gather from later information that at a special meeting ol the Melbourne Club held on March 6, the proposition of the committee to bring out a team of cricketers from England to play a series of matches next season was adopted. It was stated that it was intended the team should be composed principally of amateurs. The cricketing authorities of the other colonies had, it was stated, been communicated with, and were all in favour of the proposal. In my last budget of gossip I referred to the arrival in Melbourne of Mr. R. Wood, the old Carthusian, well known for several years in connection with Lancashire cricket. It Will interest many of the keen sportsmen in that district to know that he made his mark unmistakeably on his first appearance against the Melbourne Club. Playing for East Melbourne on the Melbourne ground on Feb.27, he proved the saviour of his side. Six wickets, including those of Horan and Boyle, were down for ‘.46,when Messrs.Wood andAllee,alsoknown to English cricketers, became partners. When the latter was given out lbw, the score was90, but the Laneastriancontimied to play fine free cricket, and at the end of the day he was not out, having contributed 77 out of 150 for nine wickets. The Melbourne Argus , in commenting on his plav, says “ In ev,ery respect his exhibition of cricket stamped him as a first-class batsman.” The Adelaide Observer records the death of a promising up-country cricketer of South Australia on Feb. ‘27 under pain­ ful circumstances. William Tucker on the previous day was on his way to Angaston with the object of visiting Crawler on the following day with the Angaston team, and when within a mile of Keyrieton his horse stumbled on the edge of some road metal and rolled over him. Finding himself unable to mount again he crawled into an adjoining field and shouted for assistance. A neighbour heard the cry and carried him to his house, but, although all that was possible was done, he died on the following afternoon. He was only 23 years of age, and was respected throughout the whole Angaston district. His funeral was attended by about 400 persons, who came from Angaston, Eden Valley, Sedan, North Rhine, and other places. Six of the leading cricketers in the district carried the coffin to the grave. W a l t e r G if f e n , the well - known cricketer, who was considered a likely candidate for a place in the coming Aus­ tralian team, met with an unfortunate accident at the Brompton Gasworks, Adelaide, on Feb. .24, Giffen, who is an employe at the works, by some means got his left hand between a pair of cogweels, with the result that the tops of two of the fingers were taken off. The sufferer was attended by a doctor, who dressed the wounds, but it was not expected that he would be able to represent. South Aus­ tralia in the Intercolonial match with Victoria, t:> commence at Adelaide on March 11. T h e success of the petition which un­ seated Mr. Bullard has added another cricketer to the House of Commons in the person of Mr. Samuel Hoare, who was returned unopposed last week for Norwich. Mr. Hoare was a prominent figure in Harrow cricket in the days of “ Bob ” Lang, R. D. Walker and Daniel. He had no superior as a long stop, as those who remember the way in which he stood up to the lightning deliveries of Lang in 1858 and 1859 can vouch. In commenting on the Eton and Harrow match of the latter year in “ Scores and Biographies,” Mr. Arthur Haygarth, himself an Old Harrovian, only pays a fair tribute to Mr. Hoare’s remark­ able ability when he says, “ Mr. Lang’s bowling was so tremendous in speed that it would have been impossible to have let him bowl, or, at least, only for a few overs, had not the Harrovians fortunately pos­ sessed one of the best of long stops, namely, Mr. S. Hoare.” T h o u g h Mr. Hoare’s name has hardly been seen at all of late in connection with cricket, his sympathy with the game has been shown frequently in many material ways. If I mistake not, Mr.Hoare, who is a partner in the banking firm of Barnett, Hoare, & Co., identified himself very actively with the movement for the pur­ chase of the capacious enclosure at Catford Bridge, now in the possession of the Private Banks Cricket Club, one of the best-kept grounds within the Metropolitan district. Indeed, I think I am right in stating that it was mainly to Mr. Hoare’s influence that the late Mr. John Walker agreed to the transfer of George Hearne from Southgate to the ground of the Private Banks, a change of some import­ ance at least to Kent, whose cricket has received material benefit durinjr the last few years from the assistance of the three sons of the ground-keeper at Catford Bridge. I t occurs to me while on the subject of the cricketing element in the House of Commons, that I omitted in my enumera­ tion of the Members who had been or are identified with the game, the name of Mr. E. H. Llewellyn, who sits at the present time for West Somerset. He was a member of the Incogniti Club for some years, and on several occasions most hospitably entertained the Incogs on the excellent ground attached to his seat at Langford Court, Somerse', A n o t h e r figure familiar at one time to the cricket public at least of London will be seen no more. I refer to the death of Mr. James Prince, who succumbed on the 2nd of this month, at Brighton, to a severe attack of bronchitis after a very short illness. Though best known as the proprietors of the famous Club in connec­ tion with racquets and tennis, the two sports most favoured by the habitues of that aristocratic rendezvous, the brothers Prince deserve well of cricketers for the enterprise they showed during the few years Prince’s ground was the scene of important matches. As will be remembered, many of the best fixtures of the season were decided in the pretty well-arranged enclosure in Hans Place. The Gentlemen met the Players there five times, in 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, and 1877, if I remember rightly, and in addition to other attractive matches, such as North and South, Gentlemen of South v. Players of North, the First Australian team figured there twice in 1878, meeting the Gentlemen in the early, and the Players in the later part of their tour. The gradual advance of the builder reduced the limits of the original Prince’s ground, year by year, until its area became far too limited for cricket, and the brothers Prince had to “ seek fresh woods and pastures new.” An excellent piece of ground was fortunately found in Albert Road, Battersea Park, and there the Household Brigade has recently played its matches. The late Mr. James Prince was mainly responsible for the preparation of this new ground, and it was only a week or so before liis death that the writer of “ Gossip ” inspected it in his com­ pany It was his intention, if possible, to arrange for the decision of some important fixtures, and the Parsees are down to play Prince's Club there on June 2 and 3. The authorities of the Surrey County Club, too, have reason to be indebted to the brothers Prince for many acts of courtesy. Of my own personal knowledge I can vouch for the interest taken by the de­ ceased in Surrey cricket, As will be gathered from the County fixtures, the Surrey Club and Ground play South Wales at Prince's, which is situated in -Surrey, on July 28 and 29.