Cricket 1887

SEPT. 1, 1887. CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 87? A s o m e w h a t rare feat was recorded in the match between Surrey and Hamp­ shire at Southampton. It is not a common experience to find a batsman bowled with the very first ball of the innings,especiallyin games ofany great im­ portance, and a double success ofthis kind is quite an exceptional record. It is im­ possible to say how often such a case has oceurred, but Robert Thoms, who has had an experience in cricket equalled by very few, cannot call to mind a similar instance in a first-class fixture—that is, of a bowler securing a wicket with the first ball of each innings. This, though, is what Lohmann did in the match referred to. In the first innings Mr. Forster was caught at the wicket from his bowling, and in the second he clean bowled Mr. Wynyard. In commenting on the brilliant scoring of the Yorkshire eleven in their two matches against Lancashire this season, a writer in the Athletic Newt doubts whether their performance in making 1,004 runs in their two innings of the year against Lancashire bowling has ever been recorded in the annals of first-class county cricket. I would point out that in 1885 Surrey scored 631 against Sussex at the Oval, and 501 in the return at Brighton, giving an aggregate of 1,132. M b . W . G. G race is a national institu­ tion,and his brilliant success of last week, winding up as it does a more eventful season than any that has been recorded to him during the last ten years, will be a subject for national congratulation. It is only another instance of his wonderful vitality and unparalleled ability, and it is in the eternal fitness of things that the only similar case in which a batsman has made a hundred or more twice in an im- ortant match should have been furnished y himself. None but himself can be his parallel. T h e only other instance of the kind in an important match up to 1868, when Mr. Grace scored 130 and 102 not out for the North against the South at Canter­ bury, I may remark, is W. Lambert’s 107 not out and 157 for Sussex against Epsom at Lord’s in 1817. Indeed, there have been few, very few, records of the same kind in fixtures of any sort. The only batsmen who have performed this feat just of late have been, as far as I know, Messrs. D. G. Spiro, who scored 117 and 106 for CambridgeAthenseum against the Bulling- don Club on May 30, 1884, and F. W. Maude, who made 146 and 143 for M.C.C. and Ground v. Wiltshire at Lord’s on August 25 and 26, 1886. M r . G r a c e ’s brilliant record this year has called attention to some of his beat performances during the almost a quarter of a century he has participated in first- class cricket. Prominent mention has been made of his doings in 1876, the best summer he has ever had with the one exception of 1871. In important matches from the 3rd to the 19th of the month he made 1,164 runs in eight completed innings, but even his record for that season fell short of that of 1871, when he had an aggregate of 2,739 runs in first- class matches for thirty-five completed inningB, or an average of 78, Ju st at the present time, when Mr. Grace’s doings are occupying the at­ tention of cricketers, it will be of interest if I reproduce his averages in first-class matches since 1864, when he first figured in important fixtures, up to last year. Cmptd. Cmptd. Inns. Rns. Avr. Inns. Rns. Avr. 1864 ... 78 .. 401 ... 57 1876 ... 46 .. 2622 ... 62 1865 ... 13 ... 319 ... 24 1877 ... 37 .. 1474 ... 39 1866 ... 15 ... 640 ... 42 1878 ... 38 .. 1115 ... 29 1867 ... 5 ... 154 ... 30 1879 ... 25 .. 880 ... 35 1868 ... 9 .. . 588 ... 65 1880 ... 24 .. 951 ... 39 1869 ... 23 . . 1320 ... 57 1881 ... 21 .. 792 ... 87 1870 ... 33 . . 1808 ... 54 1882 ... 37 .. 975 ... 26 1871 ... 35 . . 2739 ... 78 1883 ... 39 .. 1352 ... 34 1872 ... 26 . . 1485 ... 57 1884 ... 40 .. 1361 ... 34 1873 ... 30 . . 2139 ... 71 1885 ... 39 .. 1688 ... 43 1874 ... 31 . . 1658 ... 53 1886 ... 62 .. 1846 ... 35 1875 ... 80 ... 1814 ... 36 These figures, taken from Mr. W. Meth- ven-Brownlee’s Biography of W.G., show that in these twenty-three years he had 675 completed innings for an aggregate of 30,122 and an average of 44£ runs. I t is not often that a batsman gets out in a more peculiar way than did Quaife, the promising young Sussex professional, at the Oval on Monday, the first day of the Sussex match. In playing forward to Lohmann the ball beat him altogether, and he lost his balance. Thinking that he had been bowled from the noise of the ball hitting the wicket, which it did with­ out dislodging either of the bails, he left his ground, apparently under the impres­ sion that he was out, and was promptly stumped by the Surrey wicket-keeper. T h e following are the results of the various matches played by the leading Counties this summer. There are no fixtures now to be decided, so that the posi­ tions of the nine competitors this year can be gathered from the table— Played. W on. Lost. D raw n 16 12 2 2 Middlesex ........... 10 4 2 4 Lancashire ....... 14 10 3 1 14 8 3 a Yorkshire ........... 16 6 3 7 12 2 8 2 14 1 8 5 Gloucestershire .. 14 1 9 4 D erbyshire........... 6 0 6 0 E veryone will be glad to hear that Mr. W . E . Boiler, who owing to ill health has been absent from the cricket-field for several weeks, is very much better. He was present at the Oval during the match between Surrey and Sussex, concluded yesterday, and Australian cricketers, in particular, will be glad to learn that he has revoked his refusal to accompany Mr. Vemon’s team to the Colonies. The in­ telligence that he will form one of that party will be received with satisfaction by Colonial players, and all his many friends will hope to see him return to England next summer thoroughly invigorated, and, in fact, able once more to play the impor­ tant part he has always taken in County cricket. The Australian infant, G. J. Bonnor whose presence in Jersey I lately noticed, after a visit to some friends in that island has returned to England, and is now temporarily located in the Great City. He does not intend to return to Australia, I am assured, for another year, but it is doubtful, I believe, whether he will identify himself actively,- at all events, with the Australian team which is to visit England next summer under the auspices of the New South Wales Asso­ ciation. He has, in fact, been playing very little cricket just of late, although I hear that he gave the good people of Jersey a taste of his remarkable powers of hitting once during his stay there. While on the subject of Australian cricketers, I may add that H. J. H. Scott, the Captain of the team which visited us in 1886, who has not concluded his medical examinations, does not expect to return home much before next Christmas. SCORE BOOK— Continued. S T J B B E Y v . S U S S E X . The Surrey eleven brought a very successfu season to a close at the Oval yesterday with the completion of the return match against Sussex. The ground at the outset was Blow from the rains of Sunday night, and the game on the second andthird days was considerably interfered with by heavy showers. The play on Monday was in favour of Sussex, who had a lead of 45 runs when each side had had an innings. The Surrey men, though, fully re­ trieved the ground they had lost on the first day, thanks mainly to some excellent cricket by Maurice Bead and Abel. The two profes­ sionals while they were together added 97 runs, and their stand did much to change the whole course of the game. Occasional showers made the wicket fairly easy yesterday, and Messrs. Read and Key both scored freely, assisting the score to the extent of 105 before Mr. Read, who had batted with great judg­ ment and freedom for his 58, played on. Mr. Key continued ;to get |runs fast, but waa unlucky enough to be given out leg before when only one run short of his hundred, after an innings of great merit as well as value to the side. With the object of winning if pos­ sible the innings was brought to a close, and Sussex had to go in soon after five o’clock with quite a chance of losing the match. Just at first the wicket did not play very difficult, but after a short time it began to help the bowler, and Lohmann did a very fine perform­ ance. Twice he got two wickets with succes­ sive balls, and all the seven batsmen out when time was up were from .his bowling, a brilliant close to many brilliant performances this season at the Oval. He very nearly, indeed, won the match for his side, and, as it was, in all probability, a very short prolongation of the game would have given Surrey the victory. At the finish Sussex wanted 267 to win with only three wickets to go down.