Cricket 1886

58 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE- GAME.- A p r il is , i88d B orrow es — H olden .— March 31, at St. Paul’s, Kuightsbridge, Captain K. Borrowes, 11th Hussars, sou of SirE.D. Borrowes,Bart., Barrets Town, Castle Naas, to Julia Aline, daughter of the late W. Holden, E sq., Palace House, Lancashire. The above extract from a recent daily paper will be read with interest by cricketers. Captain I£. Borrowes, who was Captain of the Cheltenham Eleven in 1871, kept wicket for Middlesex in the season of 1882, on various occasions when the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton could not officiate. His most noteworthy achieve­ ment during his connection with Middle­ sex was in the match against Yorkshire, at Lord’s, in 1882. In their second innings, the Yorkshiremen were dismissed for 72 runs only, a result in a great measure due te the skill of the old Cheltonian, who stumped four batsmen, including Ulyett, Emmett, and Bates. Altogether in the five county matches in which he played in 1882, the Captain stumped six and caught seven batsmen, not a bad average. I n o t i c e by the passenger list of the Orient steamer Austral, which is bringing the Australian team home, that the cricketers do not come unaccompanied. In addition to P. R. Spofforth, G. J. Bon­ nor, S. P. Jones, E. Evans, A. H. Jarvis, W. Trumble, G. E. Palmer, G. Giffen, H. J. EL Scott, W. Bruce, J. M. Blackham, I observe the names of Mr. and Mrs. Garrett, Mr. and Mrs. Mcllwraith, and Mr. and Mrs. Wardill. Unless I am mis­ taken, Mrs. Scott, who also appears among the passengers, is the mother of the famous batsman. In addition, several supporters of Australian cricket are now on their way in the Austral. Sir William Clarke, the President, and Mr. Francis Grey Smith, Vice-President of the Melbourne Club, are already in this country. I h ave m u ch pleasure in giv in g p u b li­ city to th e fo llo w in g a p p e a l:— B ear S ir , —You were kind enough to allow me to appeal in your valuable paper last year in aid of our village Cricket Club,—will you again let me do the same now that the season is approaching for this popular recreation? We should be most grateful for any cast-off bats, balls, and all cricketing gear that richer clubs and kind private players could bestow on our “ Combe Cricket Club,” and any small donations would be thankfully received, for we want much to purchase a mowing machine if we can collect the necessary money. From the results of a concert we held last year we were able to purchase the fencing thatnow surrounds our permanent public village cricket ground, which we are very proud of possessing, having had to overcome great difficulties to secure it, and which is perfectly level, and we hope many a good match will be played and won on it this ear by our club. We have also bought a good eavy roller, and we hope (if your kind readers will help us) to get a mowing machine. I should add that a gentleman presented a bat to the member of the club with the best batting average, and we should be glad if someone else would offer to do the same this year, as it is a jre.it impetus to the members of the club. Any contributions or gifts of things for the club will be gratefully acknowledged by Yours faithfully, (Miss) A dela B rooke . Combe, near Woodstock, Oxon. [Parcels should be addressed to the Secretary of the Combe Cricket Club, Handborough Sta­ tion, Oxfordshire, thence by carrier to Combe.] S h o u ld all have gone well the “ Austral,” with the incoming Colonial team on board, should reach Aden to-day or to-morrow. Another run of five days should bring them to Suez, and should Mr. Wardill, the manager, and any of. the party come overland there is every probability that they will be in London before two more numbers of C r ic k e t have seen the light of print. The Fifth Australian Team will be able to claim for itself one special recommendation not possessed by any of its predecessors, that every mem­ ber is an Australian by birth. It Seems doubtful whether the party will be located at the Tavistock Hotel, while in London, as heretotore, and there is also some reason to believe that Mitcham Green will riot be the scene of their preliminary practice, as in previous visits. L o n d o n e r s will, this year, have an unusual treat in the shape of a first-class cricket match on Easter Monday. They have to thank the coming Australian team for such a privilege, and, indeed, but for the alterations caused by the revision of the County programme, the frequenters of the Oval would have had to wait till the 17th of May, when Surrey meets Hamp­ shire, for their first taste of the better class of cricket. As it is, with Suirey and Gloucestershire both well represented, some good play should be witnessed at Kennington on the 26th of this month. Mr. W. G. Grace informs me that he will be assisted by his brother E. M., Messrs. W. R. Gilbert, F. Townsend, J. A. Bush, J. H. Brain, H. Y. Page, O. G. Radcliffe (late of Somersetshire), now qualified to play for Gloucestershire under the residential qualification, Woof, Painter, and Gregg. The Surrey Eleven, I expect, will be selected from Messrs. J. Shuter, W. W. Read, W. E. Roller, K. J. Key, E. J. Diver, M. P. Bowden, Lohmann, Abel, M. Read, Wood, Beaumont, and Bowley. The Essex County Club will also open its season at Leyton, on Easter Monday, with a match between Mr. C. E. Green’s eleven and Pickett’s eleven. Yet still one more match for the Bank Holiday. The public will have an opportunity of inspecting the new ground of the Blackheath Club, of which I hear capital accounts, on Monday week, when G. G. Hearrie will bring an eleven to oppose the Club. Altogether there will be plenty of good sport for the London public this Easter Monday at least. A co p y of a letter addressed by Lord Harris to The Standard a fortnight ago, on the subject of the disposal of any surplus accruing to the Melbourne Club as the outcome of the visit of the Australian cricketers to England this summer, as well as a reply from Mr. Francis Grey Smith, vice-presidentofthe Melbourne C.C., which appeared in the same journal of yesterday, will be found in another part of this paper. L o r d H a r r is , though he seesnoobjection to tho team themselves dividing any profits that may arise from such tours, contends that it is beneath the dignity of a society like the Melbourne Club to take to itself any profits derivable from the visit of the Fifth Australian Team. Any expression of opinion on the subject of cricket from the Kent captain is of course entitled to the highest respect, arid every­ one will readily concede that in this instance he has been actuated by the best of feeling to the Melbourne Club. P e r s o n a lly , I have no desire to discuss the question as to whether a Club sacri­ fices its dignity by such a venture as that undertaken by the Melbourne Club. Nor does it seein to me' to be altogether pertinent tothe issue Lord Harris raises whether any, or if any what English Clubs benefit pecuniarily by the now fre­ quent recurring visits of these Australian teams. My own feeling is that it is dis­ tinctly better to have such tour? under the management of a club of acknow­ ledged standing, which will distribute aiiy profits for the development of cricket, rather than allow theni to degenerate into mere speculative trips, organised by an individual or individuals on a principle Of mutual shares, and in which the profits were divisible for personal benefit, rather than devoted the encouragement of sport, as I fear would have been the ultimate fate of these Australian tours had they continued on the same lines. I v e n t u r e myself to think, indeed, that had the Melbourne Club, or one of the leading Associations not interposed with a view of smoothing the difficulties which had arisen to disturb the course of Inter­ national relations between the cricketers of England and Australia, a team, repre­ sentative of the Australian Colonies, would not be at the present time on its way to this Country. I am inclined to think that the financial advantages of these Aus­ tralian tours to English clubs are more general than Lord Harris seems to imagine, but that hardly affects the question. That the Colonial cricketers, though, have done very material good to the game itself, few I fancy will be bold enough to deny. W h a t the arrangements of the Mel­ bourne Club are in respect of this year’s visit seems to me to be a matter affecting that body alone. The premier club of Australia has by its consistent hospital­ ity to cricketers of all classes, visit­ ing the Colonies, deserved well of the English public, and I am disposed to think that the general feeling will be one of satisfaction that Australian teams will come home for the future under proper control, and under the auspices of a responsible body whose sole aim is to encourage cricket. That the main object of the executive of the Melbourne Club in associating themselves with the formation and management of the Fifth Australian Team has been to remove friction caused by certain events of recent occurrence which should now be forgotten will be readily imderstood. In undertaking such a mission they are, I opine, entitled to the consideration and good wishes of all cricketers,