Cricket 1887

106 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. MAY 5,1887. between the Ulster and Macquarie (Jlubs at Sydney, in which 1,238 runs were made in an innings. That score has appeared in most of the publications re­ ferring to cricket in Sydney, and I have by me as I write a copy of Ironside's Australasian Cricketers’ Handbook, published in 1880, in which it is givon as correct. --------- T h e cricket critic of the Sydney Mail, in referring to the high scoring in the match between Smokers and Non- Smokers, too, takes exception to the mention of the former’s total of 803 as the highest made in the Colonies, claim­ ing that distinction for the score of 1,288 above named. On the other hand, “ Mid- On,” in the Melbourne Leader, refers to that innings in this w a y : “ A legend exists to the effect that in New South Wales in day3 gone by a team onoe scored over 1,200 runs in a single innings, but although the score, said to be correct, has appeared in print, I believe it has never been authenticated.” I am afraid that the general body of cricketers will agree with ‘‘ Mid-On,” and, in fact, it is not too much to say that the score is re­ garded as apocryphal. I a m sure English cricketers will all be pleased to read of the success which attended the veteran H. F. Boyle, who contributed so largely to the victories of the earlier Australian teams here, in the latter part of the season just over in the Colonies. It was in Sandhurst that Boyle learned the rudiments of the game, and his fine score against the English team there last March, therefore, would be particularly gratifying. In the only three innings he had against. Shaw’s team, Boyle can claim the very creditable average of 48 runs. I g a t h e r from a Melbourne paper that the Committee of the East Melbourne Club are trying to obtain the services of a first-class English professional to super­ intend the practice and coaoh players on its ground. Briggs is said to be the cricketer whom the East Melbourne authorities are anxious to secure; and enquiries are already on foot as to the prospect of raising the money neoessary to carry out such a project. As an in­ ducement they suggest that suitable em­ ployment during the winter months could be found for the player. It is further thought possible that if reasonable induce­ ment could be held out the Englishmen would be prepared to visit the Colonies for the Australian summer only, returning to England in time for the season there. A similar plan, it is argued, was adopted by Midwinter, and appeared to answer very well. The South Melbourne Executive are also recommended to consider the advisa­ bilityo f importing aman, and it is thought that the presence of two such fine all-round cricketers as Briggs and Lohmann would instil new life into the much-neglected club practice in Melbourne, as well as by their play and instruction improve the form of the rising cricketers. T h e lack of interest shown during the past s«a*en in Victorian oricket is sueh a serious matter that it is satisfactory to find the decline is occupying the earnest attention of the leaders of the game there. Nor is it apparently only in Victoria that there is some ground for anxiety. To judge from the following remarks on the meeting of the New South Wales Associa* tion by the writer of Cricket Notes in the Sydney Mail, there is some alarm, too, in the senior colony. There is not the slightest doubt that cricket, as wehave seenit for several years, isbeginning to be viewed by the publie with aversion. This is the fate which sooner or later overtakes every sport thatis oonverted into hard business. The public say, “ We want no more cricket for a couple of seasons,” and the managers reply, “ We do not care a snap about what you want. The question is, What can we make out of it this time ? " Cricket is a very nice game, but when people find gate-money matches thrust down their throats whenever they stir out of doors, they are apt to stay at home and pull down the blinds. Apart from that, our club cricket undoubtedly suffers by the Asso­ ciation Cricket Groundbeing takenup Saturday after Saturday by the big matches, while the clubs have to let their fixtures drop out of all time. M r . W. G. G r a c e , every one will be glad to see, is at work again, and appa­ rently in good fettle. His first appearance was on Saturday last, in amatch between the Clifton and Bedminster Clubs, in which several other members of the Gloucestershire County Eleven were engaged on one side or the other. The Champion and Mr. O. G . Radcliffe were, between them, responsible for the dis­ missal of all the Clifton batsmen, for whom, by-the-way, Mr. Frank Townsend contributed 50 of a total of 103. Mr. W. G. Grace’s opening contribution of the season was 21; the bulk of the Bed­ minster seore of 145 for four wickets being due to Mr. G. Francis, whoso 69 not out was an excellent display of batting. B .W .G . (Chester) sends me the follow­ ing, taken from the Sporting Magazine for October, 1805 :— The following Grand Match of Cricket was played on Friday, the 30th ulto., at Bowman’s Lodge, Dartford Heath, Kent, between eight of Bexley, with three of England, against Eleven of the County of Kent for Five Hundred Guineas. K ent . Read........ 0leg before wicket ... 2 c Ashdown Crawt........ 1 c Hammond ... 2 b Lord F. Beauclerk Ayling ... 1 c Winter ...12bT. Hampton Ring .........2 c H. Hampton ... 5b Hammond Smith.........1 c Hammond ...2 c Gilling Ward........ 0 c Pittman ... 2 b Lord F. Beauclerk Royzcll ... 0 c Ld F. Beauclerk... 5b Hampton Nordish ... 0 hit wicket ... 6 b Hammond Nicollson ... 0 c H. Hampton ... 2 not out Buge........ 0 not out ... 6 b Lord F. Beauclerk Tomlins ... 0 run out ... 0run out i?yes...O Byes... 0 B e x l e y . W in ter ................................... B ooker ............................ H . H a m p t o n ..................... L o rd F. B eauclerk A s h d o w n ............................. H a m m on d ..................... G illin g ............................. P ittm a n ............................. T . H a m pton ... ............ R L eig h , E sq r.................. E l l i s ...................................... B yes ............ 44 11 stu m p ! R ead 0 b ditto . 9 b W ard , 29 b ditto . 0 run out , 12 b Read 0 b R ead . 0 b ditto . 0 st N o r tijh 0 run out 1 b W ard 0 The name Ashdown, it may be added, has been retained in Bexley cricket until very recently. I l e a r n on the best authority that Mr. G. H. Strutt has accepted the Presi­ dency of the Derbyshire County Club just vacated by tho Hon. W. M. Jervis. The latter, as mentioned last week, has under­ taken to act as hon. secretary with tho hope of husbanding tho resources of the club, and trying to place it on a substantial footing—a sportsman­ like resolve in which he will have the best wishes of every one interested in county cricket. M e n t io n of Derbyshire, too, reminds me that the managing committee of the Kent County Club have arranged to substitute out and home matches with Essex in place of the two fixtures which the Derbyshire authorities felt compelled to abandon. Essex and Kent will there­ fore meet at Leyton on June 0, and at Tonbridge on Aug. 18. I d o not fancy any cricketer can claim to have been dismissed in sueh a peculiar way as was Scotton at the close of the sensational game between Smokers and Non-Smokers. The left-hander, who was in at the finish, had to receive thelastball of the match, and playing it gently towards point ran quickly after it, securing it as a memento of a remarkable contest. The Non-Smokers, who were quite sold by Scotton’s manoeuvre, and who were equally desirous of obtaining the ball, appealed to the umpire. As “ Over ” had not been called, and as the ball was in play when Scotton seized it, the umpire had of course to give him out for hand­ ling the ball. KENLEY v. EWELL. Played at Kenley on April 30. K e n l e y . E. Southey, b E. Gil­ bert ..................... 0 F. W . Janson, b E . G ilbert .................... 17 B . J oyce, b Sm ith ... 30 A. N orris, b Sm ith ... 2 A . J oyce, c Sm ith, b M ason ... ............11 A. C. J3rownloe, b Sharpe ... ... ... 11 E. W . T im m is, c and b S h a rp e .................... 2 H . M ason, n ot o u t ... 14 N. W ilson , c P ierce, b S m it h ............ ... 0 H . Stride, c and b Sharpe ............ ... 0 C. S outhey, b P ierce 7 E xtras ... ... 7 T o t a l.,. ...107 E w e l l . E. G ilbert, b R. J oycc R. M ason, c A. J oyce, b E. S o u th e y ............ C. Sm ith, b K. J oyce B earnes, n ot out P earce, b B . J oyce ... F. W ebber, b K. J oyce J. H . B ridges, b B. J oyce ..................... 3 T .S ton e,b E .S ou th ey 4 D .S harp.bE .S ou th ey 1 ix tr a a ... T T o t a l. 34 S u r r e y C o u n ty C l u b . —The annual general meeting will be held in the Pavilion at Ken­ nington Oval to-day (Thursday), at 5.30 p.m. A special meeting, for the purpose of consider­ ing ths new rules proposed by the Committed to take the place of the old rules, will be held three-quarters of an hour earlier. A t Pengt Cricket Ground on Saturday, F. E, Huish, who this year has been engaged as professional bowler by the Surrey Club, play­ ing for a local team against the Perseverance C.C., took eight wickets for 3 runs. His analysis read—Nine overs, se v «n m a id e n s three runs, eight w ick e ts.