Cricket 1887

OCT. 27, 1887. CR IC K E T : A W E E K L Y RECORD OP TH E GAM E . 485 on dates to be hereafter fixed; also asking for patronage and the early arrangement of the proposed matches. They also asked for the arrangement of a match against New South Wales and Victoria combined, to be played as soon as possible after the inter-colonial match, whioh takes place on Jan. 26th and following dates; also for a match against All Australia upon a later date, to be hereafter arranged. A request was also made for patronage and the early arrangement of the matches referred to. In reply to a request for a list of fixtures on the Association Ground for Shaw’s team, the Trustees state that as far as they could be given at present they were—November 9th and following dates, v. New South Wales; December, return match; after inter-colonial, v. New South Wales and Victoria combined; on dates to be arranged, v. All Australia. In all so far four matches were settled, and pro­ bably others later on, not yet definitely fixed. The finance committee recommended that on all matches played in New South Wales by the English teams 5 per cent, be charged for patronage. With regard to the letters from the ground trustees, Mr. Clayton said the association should not acknowledge them as agents for any team. The trustees were going altogether beyond their trust in acting in any such capacity, and whatever management was required should undoubtedly be arranged through the association. He, therefore, moved —“ That the trustees be written to, informing them that this association cannot acknowledge them as trustees of the Association Cricket Ground acting as agents for any team of cricketers.” The motion was carried. At a public meeting representative of the Berrima district, held at Moss Vale on Sept. 10 th, it was deoided to arrange a match with the English Amateur team of cricketers against a district twenty-two. The match is to be played on the agricultural show-grounds there in November. At the monthly meeting of the Queensland National Association, held on Sept. 5th, the secretary stated that he was in negotiation with two English cricket teams for the Exhi­ bition grounds, but Jt'150 would be required to be spent before the ground would be fit to play on. It was explained that the money was required to make a cricket pitch. The park committee were authorised to spend the amount required. At a meeting of the Cootamundra Club held on Sept. 12th, the secretary, after reading the letters from Major Wardill, of the Melbourne Club, on behalf of the amateur English cricketers, and the trustees of the Association Ground, Sydney, on behalf of the English professional team, asking to make arrange­ ments for matches there, was instructed to write to Major Wardill and ask him if the amateur English cricketers would take the ground and relieve the club from all respon­ sibility. This should be a satisfactory ar­ rangement, as the last time the English team paid them a visit the sum of A‘195 was taken at the gate and booths. According to the Sydney Mail it is more than probable that the tov 7 n of Goulburn, N.S.W., will be gratified with a visit from the English amateur team this winter. Mr. Moon had last month received a communica­ tion from Major Wardill, inviting an offer for a two days’ match. Guarantors to the extent of £100 had been obtained, and it was believed that this sum was sufficient. A communica­ tion had also been received with reference to a match with the English professional team ; but asa loss resulted when the last team (Shaw and Lillywhite’s) was brought, the club had handed over the letter to the Olympic ground authorities.” The following is also from the Sydney Mail —Major Wardill, who will probably manage the team of English cricketers coming out to Victoria, has been quietly stealing a march into the enemy’s camp, and has practically secured matches with Goulburn and Coota­ mundra. As the country district business is the mostprofitable part of cricket speculations, the showman who gets ahead on the road will probably cut out his opponent. The big country districts are always ready to guarantee j £100 or so for a two days’ matcb, which, as a rule, is not played out, so that we are likely to be treated to a scramble between English “ gentlemen” players and professionals for the richest slice of the cake. There is a great probability, says the New Zealand Times , that during the season Wel­ lington will receive a visit from Mr. Vernon’s team of English cricketers. Inquiries were being made last month as to what facilities can be offered for a New Zealand tour. The management of the team offered to pay all expenses out of the gate money, and should there be any surplus after all expenses of the visit have been paid, to divide the game amongst the associations where matches have been played. Ca iTcspa itbciT fC , (W e are not answerable for the opinions expressed by our Correspondents.] DRAWN GAMES. To t h e E d i t o r o p “ C r i c k e t .” S i r , —Why should we have so many drawn games ? I wish it to be distinctly understood that the following remarks relate chiefly to “ Three-day Matches,” in which are included nearly all the important contests of the season. I believe all lovers of cricket, whether players or spectators, will agree that a draw is deci­ dedly an unsatisfactory conclusion to amatch; and I venture to say that they would gladly see results of this kind diminished in number, or better still, entirely abolished. I fear, how­ ever, that one can scarcely hope for complete success in this respect. Nevertheless it might be worth while for the influential members of the M.C.C. to attempt some improvement. With this view I beg to suggest the following modus operandi: The first innings of each eleven being completed in the usual way, let the second innings be carried on after the manner of a time race. Thus: Count the number of available hours contained between the fall of the last wicket in the first innings and the time fixed for drawing stumps on the final day. Then, having deducted one hour (for refreshment, rolling, clearing the ground, &c.), together with any fractional part of an hour which may be left; let the remaining time be shared equally by the two teams for their second innings, which must be stopped by the umpire of the opposite side at the expiration of the allotted time. In case a hit should be made just as the inn­ ings is on the point of being stopped, suffi­ cient extra time must be allowed for complet­ ing the results of that hit. If the ball reach a boundary the runs would be scored as usual, and there would be an end of the matter. Otherwise the batsmen must run according to custom. There is one remote possibility which should be provided for. It is, that the first innings of each eleven might be so exception­ ally protracted as to leave very little time for the second innings. In which case it would be well for the law to be—that unless, after deducting ample time for preliminary matters, each side could be assured of one full hour’s batting, the match should be decided by the first innings. In the event of a follow-on the above plan would scarcely be needed, such matches being generally played out. Never­ theless, it might be applied, and would at any rate prevent the probability of a draw, and also the necessity of the same eleven fielding during two innings in succession. I hope that our cricketing legislators may be induced to consider the above proposition for the fol­ lowing reasons. In the first place, as regards county matches there is occasionally some unfairness in the contending parties being bracketed as equal when, if the match could have been played out, there scarcely exists the slightest doubt as to which eleven would be victorious. Again, the second innings would most likely be of a more lively character in the way of hitting, and so form a contrast to the generally steady play of the first innings. Lastly, the gate-money would probably be increased on the third day of the match, see­ ing that it would be more interesting to see each side batting during a given time, and thus coming to a decisive finish, than to see a complete second innings of one side only. There could be no great harm in giving the proposed plan a trial. A ground match of this kind might be got up either at Lord’s or the Oval, and if the event were made known to the cricketing world, I think the novelty alone might prove attractive.—Yours, <fcc., C.B.D. CRICKET AVERAGES. To t h e E d i t o r o f “ C r i c k e t . ” S ir ,—If you will kindly allow me space in the next issue of your interesting paper, I should like to make a suggestion to those whose duty it is to make up the list of averages of their respective clubs. I am more and more struck each year, when the time comes round for the publication of these statistics, of the unfinished appearance— if I may so call it—of the returns : I allude to the fractional remainders. The decimal point is printed, but the calculations are not worked to decimals. Consequently, it follows that when several members of a club average the same number of runs per innings, having, in each case, a different division and a different remainder, the reader is compelled to calculate for himself the exact position to which each man is entitled Take, for instance, the batting averages of the Richmond Club, which appear in C r i c k e t of Sept. 22:— Tim es Inns, not out. Runs. Aver. H. G. W edderburn... 16 ... 2 ... 457 ... 32.9 F. W . Bush .............. 31 ... 2 ... 944 ... 32.15 A. S. BuU .............. 12 ... 2 ... 323 ... 32.3 The remainders are 9, 10, and 3—what? Well, to find out, one has to look at the number of innings, deduct from that the number of not­ out innings, and then the fact is arrived at that the remainders are, respectively, 9-14ths, 16-29ths, and 3-10ths. M v suggestion, there­ fore, is that all averages be worked out into decimals—two places would suffice; by this means the table will show at a glance the exact difference between each man—this, I think, will be plainly seen if I illustrate my meaning by the aid of the above instences. Worked out into decimals, the figures would be : Mr. W edderbnrn......................................32.64 Mr. R u s h ................................................. 32.55 Mr. Bull ..................................................32.30 Surely it would be far simpler, and, may I say, mathematically more correct, if decimals were to be substituted for these unfinished vulgar fractions.—I am, sir, your obedient servant, F o rm a t a G l a n c e . UXBRIDGE v. SWAKELEYS PARK. Played at Uxbridge on September 7. SW AKELEYS PARK. First Innings. Second Innings. F. Bradbury, retired hurt 33 L. W eeden, b B urge............ 1 not out ............ 7 F. Butler, b W oods ............ 2 b G arrard............ 2 F. Curzon, c Stevens, b W oods................................... 5 cColes.bThom as 3 G. N eeden, b W oods ... 0 c F.ves.bThomas 10 C Putler, not out ............ 9 b G arrard............. 2 A. Edlin, b W oods ............ 0 n o to u t ............15 F. Brow n, b W o o d s ............ 0 G. Laich, c Eves, b W oods 7 E. Johnson, b Woods ... 0 J. Randal, b W o o d s ........... 0 B 6, w l .......................... 7 B 8,1 b ... 0 Total W oods, c Curzon, b Butler .................. 32 C. Coles, b F. Butler 7 C.E.-tevens.c Brown, b F. Butler .......... 2 O. Thom as, c Brown, b F. Butler ..............19 W .L.Eves, b F. Eutler 6 A, W .C ar ick, n otou t 4. . 64 U x b r id g e . T o al 49 G. Garrard, c Brown, b F. Butler ...........24 H. Burge, b Brown ... 11 W. Garner, b Brown 0 F. B. Eves, b Brown 7 F. J. Rutter, b Brown 0 B 2,1b 4 ........... G Tota ...1GJ N E X T IS S U E , NOVEMBER 24,