Cricket 1887

O B IC E E T : A W E E K L Y RECORD OF THE GAME . OCT. 27, 1887, in the first match of the great week. A wicket­ keeper does not come out soprominently in the scores as a batsman or a bowler, and it is rarely that he secures particular notice. Itwill be enough to say that Pilling was generally accounted to have no superior in his own particular line, and if proof of this were wanted, it would be enough to show that in 1881 he was chosen for the Players against the Gentlemen in both matches at the Oval, as well as at Lord’s. In 1880, for England against Daft’s American Eleven, he carried out his bat for 33 out of a total of 212, but his best innings during the earlier part of his con­ nection with Lancashire was liis 78 against Somersetshire at Old Trafford, in 1882. It was in this year, too, that he did one of the best of his many good performances at the wicket. In the first innings of the Yorkshire match at Old Trafford, he caught three, besides ■tumping two batsmen. In the match alto­ gether he was credited with the dismissal of ■even Yorkshiremen, and his fine wicket- keeping helped materially towards the brilliant victory of Lancashire by 16 runs. Meanwhile, (during the previous winter) he had visited Australia as a member of Shaw’s English team. There, too, he not only earned a high reputation as a cricketer, but considerable popularity, so much so as to be the recipient of a presentation, subscribed for by the principal Lancastrians resident in the Colonies. It is open to doubt whether this Australian trip was productive of unmixed good to Pil­ ling. At least he has not been altogether in the best of health of late years, a result which rightly or wrongly we have heard attriouted to the effects of the Australian climate during this tour. In 1884 he stumped eleven in addi­ tion to catching nineteen batsmen for Lan­ cashire, but his greatest success was last year, when he did a brilliant performance, catching no less than thirty-one, besides stumping eleven batsmen in the sixteen matches in which he kept wicket for the county. Illness kept him out of nine of the eighteen matches played by Lancashire in 1885, but oddly enough it was during this season that he obtained his best score in an important match. His performance with Briggs in the return against Surrey at Liverpool will not be forgotten. The Surrey bowling has not been so completely collared during the last three years, and it is hardly necessary to recall the fact that the two professionals added as many as 173 runs for the last wicket, the best record of the kind in an important match. This year Pilling appears to have been in much better fettle, and the fact that he has just arrived in Australia with Shrews­ bury’s team lends colour to the confident belief that he has quiterecovered his health. During the summer, too, his hands showed no lack of their ancient cunning. Sherwin, it is true, was selected to represent the Players against the Gentlemen in both matches, but still the consistently brilliant form shown by the Lan­ cashire player in county matches proved un­ mistakably that he is at the present time as good as ever he was at the wicket. In fact, however opinions may differ as to the respective merit ot the two chief English wicket-Keepers, no one will venture to say that Pilling has, at least, any superior. Naturally modest and unobtrusive, he maintains his character at the wicket. There is no semblance of show in his keeping, but he yields to no one in pli ck or in rapidity of execution. He is remarkably quick on both sides, and in the precision with which he takes, and stumps from, the most difficult balls he has not an equal. Standing very close up to the sticks, he does not lose a moment in getting the ball there, and in this respect we are inclined to think he stands without a rival—in England, at least. The perfection of neatness, without any pretence or swagger, there can not be a better model for young wicktt-keepers. In the jul'm ent of mmy he is the best English wicket-keeper of the day, and he has had no praater ad'iiirers than among the Australian teams wl o have visited England during the last nine years. He plays, too, in good style, and is, indeed, a better batsman than many would think from his scores. His unobtrusive demeanour has made him many friends, not only in Lancashire, but among all classes of cricketers, and there is no rofessional in business in Manchester more eservedly respected. Ha is, we may add, in partnership with Alec. Watson as a cricket and athletic outfitter. Our portrait is from a photograph by Hawkins & Co., 108, King’s Road, Brighton, COLYESTON CLUB. Total matches 29—won 11, drawn 6 , lost 12. RESU LTS OF MATCHES. May 7—v. Enfield. Drawn. Enfield, 10J ; Colveston did not bat. May 14—v. Ilford. Lost. Colveston, 19 for 8 wickets ; Ilford, 60. May 30—v. W oodford W ells' Lost. Colveston, 68; W oodford W ells, 255. June 4—v. Cheshunt. W on. Colveston, 47; Cheshunt, 43 and 88 for 9 wickets. June 11—v. Eaton Hovers F.C. Lost. Colveston, 44; Eaton Rovers F.C., 155. June 14—v. Brentwood. W on. Colveston, 185; Brentwood, 132. June 18—v. Amhurst. Lost. Colveston, £0 ; Am - hurst, 116. June 21—v. Ilford. Lost. Colveston, C4 for 8 w ickets; Ilford, 88 and 230. June 25—v. London Rifle Brigade. Won. Colves­ ton, 101 for 7 w ickets; London Rifle Brigade, 72. June 27—v. Bexhill. Won. Colveston, 177 and 38 for 4 wickets ; Bexhill, 122. June 28—v. Eastbourne. W on. Colveston, 146 and 62 for 5 w ickets; Eastbourne, 142. June 29—v. South Saxons. W on. Colveston, 189; South Faxons, 125. June 30—v. W indm ill Bill. W on. Colveston,223; W indm ill Bill, 70 and 50 for 8 wickets. July 1—v. Guestling. Lost. Colveston, 83 and 57 for 7 w ickets; Guestling, 81. July 2—v. South Saxons. Lost- Colveston, 105; South Saxons, 292. July 9—v. Leyton. Lost. Colveston, 46; Leyton, 60. July 12—v. Gravesend. Lost. Colveston, 39 and 75; Gravesend, 132 and 135. July 16—v. Amhurst. Lost. Colveston, 52; Am ­ hurst, 74. July 21—v. Forest Hill. Won. Colveston, 109; Forest Hill, 93 and 191. July 23—v. Cheshunt. W on. Colveston, 98; Ches­ hunt, 16 and 73. July £0—v. Edm onton. L ost. Colveston, 98; Ed­ m onton, 130. Aug. 6—v. Leyton. Drawn. Leyton, 317 for 7 wickets ; Colveston did not bat. Aug. 13—v. London Rifle Brigade. Won. Colves­ ton, 172; London Rifle Brigade, 81. Aug 16—v. Brentwood. Drawn. Colveston, 503 for 9 wickets ; Brentwood did not bat. Aug. 20—v. Islington Albion. Drawn. Colveston, 158; Islington Albion, 27 for 4 wickets. Aug. 25—v. Gravesend. Lost. Colveston, 85 and 140 for s w ickets; Gravesend, 166. Aug. 27—v. Enfield. Drawn. Colveston, 14 for 3 wickets ; Enfield, 231. Sept. 3—v. Edm onton. Drawn. Colveston, 215 ; Edmonton, 21 for no wicket. Sept. 6 —v. Forest Hill. W on. Colveston, 103 and 83 for 5 wickets ; Forest Hill, 71. B A TTIN G AVERAG ES. Times Inns, not out. Runs. Most in an Inns. Aver. H. Clemetson ... 2') ... 3 ... 55 i ... 131 .... 25 W . P. Russell ... 3 J ... 5 ... 430 ... 186 ... 15.10 F. Clemetson ... 27 ... 3 ,... 345 ... 63 ... 14.9 E. Finch ... 24 ... 2 ... 287 ... 67 ... 13.1 H .W .Fritchett ... 21 ... 3 .... 213 ... 33 .. . 11.15 H. E. Gr.dsdon ... 25 ... 2 ... 212 ... 39*.... 10.12 R. Kelsey ... ... 11 ... 2 ... 84 ... 27*.. . 9.3 C. H. Finch ... 19 0 '... 168 ... 22 ... 8.16 T. J. Ave ing ... 15 ... 2 ... 106 ... 24 ... 8.2 W . W. Hayworth 2* ... 1 ... 172 ... 30 ... 7.18 A. Gadsdon ... 11 ... 2 ... 71 ... 37 .... 78 W . B. Trick ... 16 ... 0 ... 82 ... 33 ... f\2 G. B. Bruce... ... 10 ... 1 ... 47 ... 20 .. . 5.2 J. Dowell ... Under 10 innings. ... 9 ... 1 ... 103 ... 3V*.... 32.7 E. O. Pope ... 8 ... 1 ... 49 ... 13 ... 7 E. Holsworth ... 5 ... 1 ... 12 ... 11 ... 3 BOWLING AVERAGES. Inns. Wkts. Wkts. Total bowled in bowled causrht wkts. H. Clemetson ... ... 23 ... 70 ... 31 . .. H»1 W . w . Hayworth ... 2) ... 35 ... 25 ... 60 H. W. Pritchett ... 10 ... 21 ... 14 ... 85 A. Gadsdon ... 9 ... 17 ... 6 ... 23 F. Clemetson ... ... 16 .... 14 ... 5 ... 1J MELBOURNE CLUB. A l a r g e attendance of members of the Mel­ bourne Club assembled at the Pavilion on Saturday, Sept. 10, on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Club. The annual report stated that, notwithstand­ ing heavy expenditure in improvements and in the extension of the building, the balance- sheet showed a credit balance of £357 Is. There was also a deposit of £500 coming due in November, and the liabilities did not exceed £350. The revenue and receipts from all sources for the season amounted to .£6,884 14s. 2d. Taking the whole of the accounts together the total liabilities of the club were as follows: —Debentures on the pavilion, £4,000; deben­ tures on the grand stand, £ 10 , 000 ; debit balance on the grand stand account, £1,385 12s.; outstanding accounts, £350; old grand stand account, £23 13s. lOd.; total, £15,759 5s. lOd.; while the cash assets are stated at— £2,239 2s. lid. at the credit of pavilion sinking fund account, £826 at the credit of grand stand sinking fund account, and £857 Is. at credit of general account; total, £3,922 3s. lid. The senior eleven played in 17 first-class matches, winning 9, losing 4, and drawing 4. They played in all 31 matches, 17 of which were won, 5 lost, and 9 drawn. Phillips (prof.) was at the head of the list of batting averages in first-class matches, having been four times not out in five innings for a total of 90 runs, thus making his average 90. Mr. F. Walters, having played in 14 innings, averaged 50.25, and secured the baage to be given to the highest average scorer; Mr. W. Bruce was next, with the average of 41.37. In bowling, in first-class matches Mr. W. Bruce carried off the trophy, with an average of 7.07 runs per wicket. The chairman, Mr. Frank Grey Smith, who visited England last year, stated inhis remarks that the tour of theAustralasian Eleven to the Old Country in 1886 was fairly successful financially. The team of amateur cricketers coming out from home by invitation of the club was expected to arrive shortly. Promises of hearty oo-operation had been received from the cricketing associations in South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and New Zealand, with the object of making the visit a success. Arrangements had not yet been concluded with the trustees for the Asso­ ciation Ground in Sydney, but it was hoped to secure such appointments there as would be satisfactory. The opinion expressed in the report as to international cricket being con­ ducted under tha auspices of such a club as this was not confined to Australia. He and others had had an opportunity of ascertaining when in England from a leading member of the highest cricketing association in the world, the Marylebone Club, that that opinion was shared in there. Efforts would probably be made on future occasions to bring out other visiting teams under such auspices. THE TWO ENGLISH TEAMS IN AUSTRALIA. A t a meeting of the New South Wales Asso­ ciation held on Sept. 12, in Sydney, letters were read from Major Wardill, the Secretary of the Melbourne Club, on one hand, and from the Trustees of the Association Ground at Sydney, asking for the patronage of the Association for fixtures on behalf of the Melbourne Club and Shrewsbury and Lillywhite’s team respec­ tively. Major Wardill stated that he would like the team to play a match with Combined Australia on the Association Ground, after the inter-colonial match in Sydney in January. He added that the first match against the combination would be played in Melbourne on 31st and following days, and the team would also, no doubt, wish to play a return match with New South Wales if it could be managed. The Trustees of the Association Ground wrote stating that they were desirous of arranging on behalf of Messrs. Lillywhite, Shaw, and Shrewsbury’s team of cricketers, a match against New South Wales on November 9th and following dates, and for a return match N E X T IS SU E , NOVEMBER 24.