Cricket 1887

“ Together joined in cricket ’s m an ly toil.”— Byron. Eegis&^rJMAbroad. THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1887. PRICE 2d. minent in the International match with the United States, on which occasion he failed to score in either innings. Opening the sea­ son of 1894 auspiciously with a score of 103 for Trinity College against the Banks of Ontario he continued to make runs throughout. His inabilityto playin the International match was, consequently, the more disappointing, although, as it happened, he was not wanted, the Canadian team gaining the first victory over the United States for many years without his aid. A severe sprain received at football in the autumnof 1884unluckily stopped the course ofhis cricket, and he was, in fact, able to play very rarely duriDg the following summer, thoughhe played againsttheEnglish amateurs at Toronto in the fall and scored 29 in one innings in fair style. At the same time the accident did not, as it might have done, interfere with his future as a cricketer. On the contrary, in 1886, his form showed a material improvement, and he generally scored well, his best of several good innings, one of 85 (not out) for the Toronto Club against Trinity College. He had the distinction, too, of acting as Captain of the Canadian team in the International of that year, played at Seabright, N.Y., and though only personally responsible for twenty runs in his two innings, by his excellent wicket-keeping con­ tributed in no small measure to the creditable victory of the Canadian team by 97 runs. In the earlier fixtures of the tour just closing he was not particularly succe: s 'ul. In three innings at Dublin he had an aggregate of 34, but when he got rid of the effects of the sea trip he showed up in more of his real form, and some of his later innings have been most creditable. His first score of any account was one of 46 against the Gentlemen of Derby­ shire at Buxton, and on several occasions subsequently, notably at Lord’s and the Oval, he has shown batting of a highly creditable char­ acter. In both the Metropolitan fixtures, in­ deed, he played good cricket, and his three innings in London realised an aggregate of 151 runs for twice out. Mr. Saunders bats in a good, upright style, and with plenty of strength; can hit well all-round when fairly set. It is, though, as a wicket-keeper that he will be best remembered here, and good judges season he was chosen as one of the trial team for the International Match, but was only able to make 3 and 0 (not out), and his ill success did not justify the committee of selection in giving him a place in the eleven. Returning to his home in 1882, the Guelph Club had the full benefit of his help during that season, and it was for it that he realised his first innings of three figures—a score of MR. DYCE WILLCOCKS SAUNDERS. A lth o u g h in their earlier fixtures success was like X, an unknown quantity, the Gentle­ men of Canada—whose appearance on English grounds, it cannot be too prominently stated, has been mainly due to the enterprise of the Secretary of the Toronto Club, Mr. G.G.S. Lindsey—have, on thewhole, no reason to be dissatisfied with their visit to the Old Country. Whether socially or as cricketers, the Canadian teamhaveborne them­ selves in a way to reflect credit on the sport of the Dominion. In the latter capacity their trip has been of distinct use, for they have proved unmistakably that there is no lack of promising cricket in Canada only awaiting a fair chance of develop­ ment. Mr. Saunders may be cited as a conspicuous instance of the useful material Canadian cricket has been able to produce under, be it added, many disadvantages, not only climatic but general. His ex­ cellent all-round play has been, in­ deed, one of the most noteworthy features of the tour which comes to a close this week. The cricketers of Canada have reason, too, to be proud of the fact that Mr. Saunders is a Canuck thew and sinew. Born at Guelph, in Ontario, on March 22, 1862, his quarter of a centuryhasbeenpassed on Canadian soil. Though his earliest cricket was learned in his native City of Guelph, his career practically opened with the commencement of his public school life in 1877. Join­ ing at that time the Trinity College School, at Port Hope, an institution which has of late years played a prominent part in Canadian cricket, he soon acquired a reputation as an all-round player of no smallpromise. His second summer, indeed, found him Captain ofthe Schoolteam, and, though not very successful with the bat,he proved himself even then to be awicket-keeperverymuch above the average. After aseason ofvarying^successwiththe Guelph Club, he removed to Toronto for the purpose of studying law,, and though still playing for Guelph in the tie matches of the Ontario Association, he was mostly connected with the Toronto Club during the two following summers of 1880 and 1881. In the latter 107 (not out) against Trinity College, on the College ground at Toronto, made, too, without an actual chance. In 1883 he again identified himself actively with the Toronto Club, and during the earlier matches at least, with success, Scoring consistently well. Towards the close, though, he was singularly unfortu­ nate, and his ill-luck was disagreeably pro