Cricket 1887

JUNE 9, 1887. CRICKET?: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. Harris at the Annual Meeting of County Secretaries, in December, to illustrate what, according to his views, were the hardships of a residential qualification of two years, and as Mr. Bainbridgs played for Surrey in 1885, it does not seem quite clear how he can be qualified to represent Warwickshire, either by residence or the family qualification. The Committee of the Marylebone Club, the tribunal appointed to settle any questions under the laws of County cricket, decided, I may add, some years ago, when Surrey urged that the construction of the second part of Rule 3 allowed them to play Mr. 1’. II. Morton, although his family home qualification was only one of a few months, that the probationary period of two years was required equally for both qualifications. And except, therefore, that Mr. Bainbridge lives in Warwickshire, while Mr. Morton was not actually a resident in Surrey, the two cases seem to be quite of the same character. I am told, too, that Leicestershire pro- tested against Mr. Bainbridge, and of my own knowledge, I am able to say that on the fasts stated the Secretary of the Maryle- bono Club has ruled that he is not quali­ fied. It is essential for the well-being of County cricket that the laws should be respected. I cannot but think, unless I am wrong in my premises, that the executive of the Warwickshire Club will, on reflection, come to the conclusion that they have hardly acted wisely in electing to play a cricketer of whose qualifications they themselves, to say the least of it, could not have been thoroughly satisfied, when a reference to the Marylebone Club would have placed the matter beyond all doubt. A f r ie n d of mine, a cricketer who has in his time done service for Notts, writes me that what he calls “ the Surrey tactics” in the recent match on the Trent Bridge Ground are still, naturally, very much criticised in Nottingham. A correspon­ dent of the Field, too, seems to be very angry with the instructions given by Mr. J. Shuter to the later batsmen of Surrey to get out, under the opinion, apparently, that it was a new departure in cricket. It will be well within the recollection, though, of many readers of this paper that the same policy was initiated, at least as far as my experience goes, some years ago by Lord Harris, in a match at the Oval between Kent and Surrey, though on this occasion it did not come off. I should, too, myself be not a little curious to see the Captain who would not do the same thing under the circum­ stances. I have myself had the oppor­ tunity of taking the opinions of many of the most prominent cricketers of the day, including amateurs who have captained and still captain leading County elevens, and have heard but one opinion, that the Surrey captain was quite justified in taking the course lie did to prevent the game being drawn. In fact, the only possible exception I have heard taken to Mr. Shuter’s action is that he deferred it a little too long. At the same time I quite agree with the suggestion I have seen from several correspondents that it would be well to introduce into the Laws some clause giving a captain the right to terminate his innings at any period, if he should think fit. M r . 0. J. A nn an d , of Halifax, N.S., who takes the place of Mr. F. Harley, of Guelph, in the Canadian team to visit England this summer, though born at Halifax, is not altogether unknown to English cricketers. Some few years since he was well known on Metropolitan cricket grounds, and scored freely, if I remember rightly, for some of the leading Clubs of North London, besides for some on the other side ofthe Thames. He figured in some few matches, too, for the Surrey Colts, and at that time showed consider­ able promise as a cricketer. T h e cricket picture which, through the courtesy of the artists, Messrs. G. H. Barrable and B. Ponsonby Staples, I had some months ago the opportunity of inspecting while it was in anything but an advanced condition,'has been on show during the early part of this week at Messrs. Goupil & Co’s, gallery in New Bond Street. It represents an ideal cricket match at Lord’s between picked elevens of England and Australia, and is certainly the best representation of a cricket-field in full life, if I may use the expression, that I have myself seen. The Australians are out, and Garrett is just stopping a hit by W. G. Grace, who has W. W. Bead as his partner. Por­ traits of the various members of the two elevens are also introduced in the pre- della at the base of the picture, and the picture itself is enlivened by portraits of celebrities of various ranks and kinds, including their Boyal Highnesses the Prinoe and Princess of Wales, Sir Gerald Graham, Y.C., Mrs. Langtry, and Lady Colin Campbell. The best likenesses of English cricketers are perhaps those of the Earl of Bessborough, his brother Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane, K.O.B., the Treasurer of the M.O.C., Messrs. V. E. Walker, I. D. Walker, and A. J. Webbe. The reproduction by photo-gravure has been very successful, and those who have the chance will be well repaid by an inspection of the picture which, I believe, is to be shown at Lord’s during the latter part of next week, the Centenary of the Marylebone Club. T h e following performances of a Surrey Colt, a very young amateur, D. L. A. Jephson, who shows promise of ripening into a useful all-round player, for the Clapham Wanderers, are good enough, I think, to warrant a special notice in C r ic k e t . 5 “ a 3 “ 5 8 g § s. p; O S P h ^ April 33—E liot Place, Black­ heath ................... 48 9 3 3 12 8 May 9 -Surrey Colts ........... 152 30.2 16 30 5 May 28—Lennox, Dulwich ... 55 11 6 9 5 May 30—Eltham ... ........... 90 18 8 15 5 June 4— _ „ Ham pton W iok, 1st inn. ... 105 21 10 21 5 „ „ 2nd inn.... 55 11 3 14 8 505 101 46 101 26 One no ball. Average 2.29. CRiCKET-readers w ill b e v e r y pleased at the announcement that Mr. A. P. Lucas is down to assist Middlesex in the match against Notts, to be commenced at Lord’s to-day. Owing to ill-health Mr. Lucas has been an absentee from what is termed first-class cricket for the last two seasons, and the re-appearance of so good as well as popular an all-round player cannot fail to give the heartiest gratification to the public generally. M o r e than one correspondent has writ­ ten to say that I was mistaken in attribut­ ing the last victory of Surrey over Notts at Nottingham to the year 1864. I may say, in reply, that I was particular to ad­ mit I had no records by me at the time I wrote to enable me to make a positive assertion on the subject. In fact, I asked the question, When was the last occa­ sion on which Surrey had won at Not­ tingham ? I may add that it was on Aug. 27, 1870, when Surrey won with 53 runs to spare. A Nottingham C r ic k e t - reader informs me that this match was, in a measure, memorable as the last time on which George Parr assisted Notts in a County match. M r . W. W. B e a d , I believe, is to captain the England eleven which is to oppose M.C.C. and Ground, at Lord’s, in the first fixture of the Centenary Week, commencing on Monday. The ten pro* posed to assist him are Mr. A. E. Stoddart, Ulyett, Bates, Lohmann, Maurice Bead, Pilling, Briggs, Barlow, Hall and Shrewsbury. The Marylebone Eleven will, I understand, not be settled till to-day. It is at present doubtful whether Mr. A. G. Steel will be able to play. Mr. W. G. Grace will, though, be there, and, I believe, Messrs. Hornby and Webbe, in addition to Flowers, Barnes, Bawlin, and Sherwin. T h e munificent offer of the new Presi­ dent of the Derbyshire County Club to give iE400 towards the liquidation of the debts of that society provided a similar sum is raised from other sources, should enable the exeoutive to clear themselves of existing liabilities. A goodly amount, I hear, has already been collected, and cricketers generally will earnestly hope that the county club will soon placs Derbyshire cricket on a sound basis. A t Blackheath, on June 1, in a match between the Abbey School, Beckenham, and Stratheden House, the latter were dis­ missed for five runs; four of these were extras, so that the whole side made but one run between them. This was mainly due to the effective bowling of Bamford, a youth of 13. His analysis reads as f o l l o w s 5.2 overs, 5 maidens, 0 runs, 7 wickets. I n a match played on May 28, at Brighton, between Arlington House and Mr. Wathen’s Eleven, the latter were dismissed in their first innings for three runs, all from the bat. A. Maynard Taylor got four wickets in one over with successive balls. S ecretaries sending five stamps to the office of this paper will reoeire, securely packed, a new Reading Case, suitable for hold­ ing four numbers of C r ic k e t, for use in pavilion or club room.