Cricket 1887

SEPT. 15, 1887. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECOED OP THE GAME. 409 the last match ot the season between North and South. On the first day, when play was resumed after luncheon, aparty of hoys were seen to take up their positions close to the Castle ruins on the top of the Castle Hill that overlooks the town, an altitude of some three hundred feet. Nor did they leave their castle in the air until stumps were drawn for the day at six o’clock. T h e following illustration, taken from the Illustrated London News of Sept­ ember, will be of interest, referring as it does to a period just a hundred years ago. It represents Miss Wicket, and the infer­ ence is that ladies indulged in cricket then, as they did in archery, a comforting reflection, no doubt, to the many fair girl graduates whose names figure occasion­ ally in the scores of ladies’ cricket matches. The World of 1787 states that there were large sums of money played for at cricket, though some assert that these stakes were purely imaginary. “ There was a match,*’ says the World, “ on Sept. 17, at the New Cricket Ground, Marylebone, between an eleven of Lord Winchelsea and another of Sir Horace Mann, when the Lord and the Baronet made ‘ another match for a cool thousand.’ ” A h e a r t i e r round of applause has hardly been heard than on the Central Ground, at Hastings, last week, when Bates landed one of Lohmann’s slow balls over the feace and hard against the Unitarian Chapel outside. It was one of the best hits.seen on a cricket-field for a long time, and perhaps the “ ovation”— this is another pet phrase of the reporters —it met received additional force from the memories it recalled of some other big hits on the same ground many years ago. 1 need hardly say I refer to the sensa­ tional feat of Ben Griffiths, the lion hitter of Surrey. Many will remember how after hitting the first three balls of an over from Farmer Bennett clean out of the ground, ho rushed half-way down the pitch and earned immortal fame by driving the fourth, and last, considerably further than its three predecessors. H a v in g failed to get the satisfaction he so richly deserved for the disgraceful at­ tacks to which he has been subjected, the Earl of Sheffield has made up his mind to cast the dust off his feet and leave Shef­ field Park. I heard last week, during a flying visit to Hastings, that he had come to this decision, but I see it now definitely announced that he is taking his departure from his lovely seat in East Sussex, and that the Park is to be closed for some years. That such a course should ever have been forced on him is a lasting dis­ grace to those who have had any hand in the contemptible proceedings which have led to Lord Sheffield’s retirement from the neighbourhood. Cricketers of all classes, while deeply regretting that such a course has been found necessary, will be sorry to hear that the most picturesque ground in England will be lost to the game if only for a time. As far as cricket is concerned the temporary loss of Sheffield Park is almost a national calamity. believe. Jim Leggett, an enthusiastic cricketer and devoted Surreyite, was there—all there—applauded every big hit, cheered the not-outs at the finish till hoarse, and—well, it was avery hot day and details are unnecessary, but he enjoyed himself hugely, and finally reached his suburban residence in the South- Eastern district about 11.30. This was the colloquy that then ensued in the hall with the wife of his bosom :— Mrs. L .:“ Oh! Jim dear, where have you been so late ? What is the matter ? And I know you said they 1draw ’ at seven, and the evening paper says the winning hit was made at five, two hours earlier still ! ” Jim (gravely) : “ Qui’ right my dear Alish, qui’ right! buty’see, match sho ’xcitih’ an sush plendid game al’gether, an shun sho hot, me—hie—brainsh qui’ in a whirl. Gran' cricket, glor’ous victory Shurrey! Blowley an’ I.ohmont an’ Rowley an’—an’—Bowmann all exsh’llent and the three Reads were mrrer berrer : An’ isn’-hic—curious? one side’sh got a Gunn, an’ th’other a Shuter ? ” Mrs. L. (with quiet sarcasm): “ Yes, Jim; anything else ? ” Jim : “ Oh ! lotsh—le’ see—hie—Shrews’by was magnici-nificent ! inim-mimitable! an’ Sherlock kep’ wioket ’n gran’ style I an’ Shack —hie—mush’n mix ’em up—Shackwin an’ Shulley an’ Shaw bowled—no, stop —not Shaw—course! D ’you know, sushalark; I had shmallbet twice with Tom Burkitt that Shaw was playin’, an ’ lost both times ! ” Mrs. L. (aminute later): “ Susan, make your master some strong coffee ! ” T h e Orient steamer “ Iberia,” which is to convey the members of both the two teams of English cricketers engaged to visit Australia this winter, is due to leave Tilbury this afternoon, though, in fact, in the ordinary way I believe the Orient boats do not sail until the Friday morning. As far as I know the majority of Mr. Vernon’s team are to make the whole journey in the “ Iberia,” and there will in all probability be a goodly muster of their well-wishers to speed the parting guests. From information I have received I think I am right in stating that those who are going from Tilbury will start from Fen- church Street Station by the 2.8 p.m. train to-day. I t is stated that all the members of the other team, conducted by Shrewsbury and Lillywhite, are to join the “ Iberia” at Plymouth with the one exception of Mr. 0. A. Smith, who, it is said, will captain the eleven in the field. Whatever opinions there may be as to the action of those who are responsible for the presence of two English teams in the Colonies, Eng­ lish cricketers will, now that the travellers are on the eve of departure, wish them a good voyage and a safe return home. It is announced, and I believe on good authority, that obstacles have arisen to prevent Mr. Boiler’s joining the team going out under the auspices of the Mel­ bourne Club. It will be a matter of general regret if this report should prove to be correct. T h e following is from the Sydenham and Crystal Palace Times of September 3 :— An incident after the Surrey v. Notts great match at the Oval, not hitherto recorded, I I t is eminently satisfactory to learn that the promoters of the Hastings Week are thoroughly well pleased with the result of their first venture. As every one knows, the difficulty is to start affairs of this kind: when once the machineryisin motion there is little or no need for assist­ ance. It is eminently gratifying to those who have shared the responsibility of the undertaking to know that the Hastings public, none too prone to encourage cricket, it seems, has shown a full appre­ ciation of the enterprise which lias marked the management throughout. The re­ ceipts, I learn, quite came up to expecta­ tions, and, financially, the week has been such a success that there is every inten­ tion of making it an annual affair. In fact, negotiations are already on foot with the object of securing a visit from the Austra­ lian team who are to appear in England next summer under the auspices of the trustees of the Association Ground at Sydney. C o m m e n tin g on that splendid square- leg hit, which sent a hall of Frank Hearne’s out of the Oval in the recent match between Surrey and Kent, I mentioned the one other occasion on which, in my own experience, a ball had been hit out of the Surrey Ground with­ out a pitch—to wit, in 1878, when Mr. Game landed the “ Demon ” Spofforth into the road by the Clayton Arms. Griffith and Mr. C . I. Thornton both gained the same distinction ; and another instance of which I have seen no notice has been furnished me. In the match between the Gentlemen and the Players at the Oval in 1860, Bobert Carpenter hit a ball bowled by Mr. F. P. Miller out of the ground. Carpenter on that occasion scored 119, and he is able to recall the match from the fact that his inseparable