Cricket 1887

JAN. 27, 1887, CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 0 d with the exception of an interval of out a quarter-of-an-hour in each innings, erris and he did the whole of the howling or the local team. F e l i x , the critic of the Australasian, and a right good critic too, asserts that “ Turner is one of the very best bowlers in the world on a sticky wicket. When the M.C.C. Australian Eleven was being chosen, he adds,the veteran D.W.Gregory, the Captain of the first Australian team, t hanwhom no betterjudge of cricket, open­ ly stated that on a sticky wicket he thought Turner equal to Spofforth or Boyle. The Bathurst man has a capital length, with more than average pace, rises quickly from the pitch, and breaks back so very abruptly that it is extremely difficult to negotiate his deliveries. I f he does not bowl you, you are very apt to pop him up in the slips.” “ Approbation from Sir Hubert Stanley is praise indeed.” I m ay add that a handsome trophy was presented to Mr. Turner in recognition of his excellent bowling on the occasion re­ ferred to. The trophy bears the follow­ ing inscription :— “ A11 England Eleven v. New South Wales, November, 1886. Frank II. C. Gleeson, of Carlton C.C., to C. F. B. Turner, for bowling 13 wickets for 54 runs.” T h e following verses are from a shor poem recently contributed to the New York Independent by Mr. Andrew Lang: Well, there’s one word that moved me when a That moves to-day: [boy It’s when the umpire, to the general joy, Pronounces “ Play /” When now the fields are set, and seniors, all Intent on cricket, Watch the first Oxford bowler's foremost ball Upset a wicket! May I, ere Time with all that he can bring Of sorrows serried; Takes that delight from the delight of spring, Be dead and buried, By some field-path where cricketers may pass Along its mazes, And over me the green short English grass, The English daisies! A k e e n cricketer has recently been the recipient of a well-earned recognition of good work in the service of cricket. Frank Cobden’s many friends will be gratified at the announcement that he has been lately presented with a silver salver in apprecia­ tion of his services to Radnorshire cricket. It bears the following inscription: “ Pre­ sented to Frank Carol Cobden, Esq., by numerous friends in the Badnorshire County Cricket Club, in recognition ol his invaluable services in the formation and maintenance of the club, and to his efforts to the advancement of cricket in the county.—January 7th, 1877.” I h a v e to thank a corraspondont for particulars of Shrewsbury’s scores in first- c la ss m a tc h e s . T h e y fo r m a fittin g a c ­ c o m p a n im e n t to th o s e o f M e s s rs . W. G . G ra ce a n d W. W . B e a d w h ic h I h a v e a lr e a d y g iv e n — 1st. 2nd. May 13—L ord Sheffield’s XI. v. Austra­ lians .................................................. 9 15* May 17—Nottingham v. Australians ... 8 — May 3'1—North of England v. Austra­ lians .................................................. 4 9* June 3 -N otts v. Lancashire ................... 56 — June 14—Notts v. S u r r e y .......................... 35 — June 17—Notts v. M iddlesex ................... 53 2 June 21—Players v. Australians ........... 15 — June 24—Notts v. Kent ...' .................. 2 53 June 28—Notts v. Gloucestershire.......... 6 227* July 1—N otts v. Yorkshire .................... 3 12 July 5—England v. Australia ............. 31 4 July 8—N otts v .Australians .................... 72 28 July 12—Players v. Gentlemen ... ... 17 0 July 15—Players v. Gentlemen .......127 — July 19—England v. Australia ... ... 164 — July 22—Notts v. Sussex ... ................... 3 — July 26—An England X I v. Australians 3 25 July29—N otts v. G loucestershire........... 66 — August 2—N otts v. Surrey.......................... 42 11* August 5—Notts v. Lancashire ........... 67 16 August 9—N otts v. Y ork sh ire................... 28 — August 12—England v. Australia ........... 44 — August 19 —N otts v. M iddlesex ........... 17 10 August 26—Notts v. K e n t......................... 66 54* Innings played 38—Times not out 5—Total runs 1,404—Average 42,18. T h e visit of the West Indian Amateurs to the United States and Canada last summer, everyone will be glad to hear, seems likely to be productive of material good to the game in the West Indian Islands. Mr. Guy Wyatt, the leading spirit of that tour, informs me that George Bromhead, the professional of the Germantown Club of Philadelphia, has been engaged by the Georgetown Club of Demerara, a move in the right direction which cannot fail to improve the quality of the cricket there, and also give an impetus to the game generally. It must be laborious work to gain ground in the West Indies if only on account of the difficulty of arranging matches, but Mr. Wyatt expresses his gratification at the advance—slow though it has been—cricket has made there, and it is to be hoped that his energy will meet with even a better reward. West Indian cricketers are looking forward to a return visit from their brethren in Canada and the States about this time, and it is even whispered that there is a chance of a West Indian team coming to England next year under somewhat similar arrangements to those which marked the visit of the Gentlemen of Philadelphia in 1884. T h e following is from the Austra­ lasian :— “ In a match at George Town a bowler bowled a ball which pitched a good deal to the off, ‘ Wide !’ called the umpire. The batsman, however, stepped out and hit the ball for three. Umpire to the scorers, ‘ Put down three wides.’ ” A c c o r d i n g to recent advices from Australia, it does not seem unlikely that there will be another hitch on the subject of the next visit of English cricketers to Australia. Some months ago I an­ nounced that the Secretary of the Mel­ bourne Club, who it will bo remembered gave up all idea of the visit contemplated by that body for this winter, in favour of Shaw, Shrewsbury and Lillywhite, had already invited, and received promises of support from several of our leading amateurs in view of a tom of a mixed English team through the Colonies in 1887-88. A c c o r d i n g to “ Felix," the critic of th Australasian , who has the best means of getting reliable information, the managers of the English team now in Australia are acting in conjunction with the New South Wales Association with precisely the same object, to take out a first-class English team, composed of amateurs and professionals, to Australia next season, (1887-88). “ Felix” further adds that Briggs, Shrewsbury, Lohmann, M. Read, and Sherwin have already signed an agreement to go. Bates and Barnes, how­ ever, he says have declined the offer made of X"270 each and expenses, wanting X‘300. I t is also stated in another paper that the New South Wales Association contemplate sending an Australian team to England next summer. In the face of certain correspondence which appeared in the English papers last summer, I shall await with no small curiosity further particulars respecting the appearance of this second Richmond in the field. I have myself good reason for believing that negotiations are already on foot over here to secure the assistance of some prominent cricketers on behalf of the Sydney project. T h e Secretary of an influential County Club, whose identity it will not be very difficult to establish, recently received a parcel addressed thusly — “ G. Adcock, Esq., Society Cricket Club, Kensington.” Mrs. Malaprop herself could hardly have been, I think, more successful m her “ derangement of epitaphs.” “ M id -o n ,” in the Melbourne Leader says that “ there is a probability of Aus­ tralia’s champion batsman, W. L. Mur­ doch, being seen again in the field during the present season. He has joined the East Melbourne Club, and intends going into practice for the proposed match be­ tween the E.M.C.C. and the English Eleven, if it is eleven a side. Though now residentially qualified to play for Victoria, Murdoch does not intend to play for that colony in the Inter-colonial. ‘ I have learnt and played all my cricket,’ he stated in reply to an enquiry, ‘ in and on behalf of New South Wales, and I don’t mind telling you that whenever sho has an eleven in the field I wish them to win no matter by whom they are opposed, and that being so I could not piay against them.’ ” I n last month’s “ Gossip ” I called attention to the removal of the Bromley (Kent) Club from the old historic ground at the back of the White Hart. In this Next Issue February 24