Cricket 1887

CR ICK ET : A W E E K L Y RECORD OF THE GAM E . 475 Drawn. En^lj. n Team, 258 ; Twenty-Two of Maryboro' i 98 and 55 for fourteen wickets. T w e l f t h M a t c h — v . T w e n t y -T w o op S a le , —Sale, Dec. 19 and 20. English Team won by an innings and three runs. English Team, 152 (Mr. Bowden 44, Mr. Vernon 38); Twenty- Two of Sale, 51 and 98. T h i r t e e n t h M a t c h — v. E l e v e n o f S o u th A u s t r a l i a . —Adelaide, Deo. 24, 26, 27. Eng­ lish Team made 383 (Mr. W. W. Read 183, Mr. O’Brien 43, Mr. Stoddarfc 38 and Peel 31). South Australia, 147 (A. H. Jarvis 75) and 249 for one wicket, (Godfrey 113 not out, G. Giffen not out 89). [Finish not yet to hand.] SHREWSBURY’S TEAM. Matches played 9—won 7, drawn 1, lost 1. F i r s t M a t c h — v . E ig h t e e n o f P a r a m a t t a . —Paramatta, Nov. 4 and 5. Shrewsbury’s Team,— ; 18 of Paramatta,—. Drawn. S e c o n d M a t c h — v . E l e v e n o f N e w S o u th W a l e s . —Sydney, Nov. 11 a n d 12. Shrews­ bury’s Team, 49 and 6 6 ; NewSouth W a les, 94 and 28 for no wickets. New South Wales won by 10 wickets. Shrewsbury scored 21 and 3, and Lohmann 4 and 20, for English Eleven ; P. S. McDonnell 27 and 15 (not out), A. Bannerman 21, and C. J. Turner 13, for New South Wales. T h ir d M a t c h — v . E ig h t e e n o f Q u e e n s la n d . —Brisbane, Nov. 18 a n d 19. Shrewsbury’s T e a m , 138 and 1 for no wickets Eighteen of Queensland, 79 and 59. English Eleven won by 10 wickets. Shrewsbury scored 35, Briggs 26, and M r. Docker 21. In the second innings of the Eighteen M r. C. A. Smith took 10 wickets for 24 runs. F o u r t h M a t c h — v . T w e n t y -T w o ‘o f M a r y ­ b o r o u g h . — Maryborough, Nov. 23 and 24. English Team, 166; Twenty-two ofMary­ borough, 41 and 104. English Team won by an innings and 21 runs. Lohmann scored 49, Mr. L. C. Docker 28, Shrewsbury and Briggs each 26. F i f t h M a t c h — v . T w e n ty -T w o o f G ym pie. —Gympie, Nov. 25 and 26. Shrewsbury’s Team, 269; Twenty-two of Gympie, 45 and 79. English Team won by an innings and 145 runs. M r. Docker scored 58, Mr. Smith 49, Maurice Read 39, and Pilling 31 (not out). Power contributed 31 of Gympie’s second total. S ix t h M a t c h — v . E ig h t e e n o f Q u e e n s ­ la n d . —Brisbane, Dec. 2, 3, and 5. English Team won by 114 runs. English Team, 133 and 187 ; Eighteen of Queensland, 180 and 116 (Rosser 31 and 41). Lohmann scored 13 and 53, Briggs 45 and 0, Shrowsbury 0 and 41; Preston 14 and 20. S e v e n t h M a t c h — v. N ew ' S o u th W a le s .— Sydney, Dec. 9,10, and 12. English Team won by ten wickets. English Team, 279 and 39 for no wickets ; New South Wales, 149 and 165 (H. Moses 78, not out, and 68). Mr. C. A. Smith scored 69, Shrewsbury 48, Briggs 46, M. Read 35, and Pougher 25 (not out). E i g h t h M a t c h — v. V ic t o r ia .— Melbourne, Dec. 16, 17, and 19. English Team won by an innings and 456 runs. English Team, 624; Victoria, 68 and 100 (Horan 49, not out). Shrewsbury scored 232, Mr. Brann 118, and Briggs 75. N in t h M a t c h — v . T w e n ty -T w o o f B a l­ l a r a t . —Ballarat, December 24, 26 and 27. English Team won by eight wickets. English Team, 152 (Mr. L. C. Docker 50, Ulyett 49) and 83 for two wickets (Maurice Bead 55 not out); Twenty-two of BalJaratt, 102 and 127. W is d e n ’s Almanack for 188S has just appeared. It contains as usual reports and *ull scores of all the principal matches, and in addition several new features of interest. As a complete record of current cricket history, it is invaluable to cricketers. “ W a tch es, J k w e llk r y .”—Midland Counties W atch Company.—Ladies’ or gents’ fine silver crystal glass heavy cased watches. 25s ; ladies’ heavy case gold levers, 70s ; gents’ ditto, 8; s. Send for catalogue, beautifully illustrated, 1,000 copper­ plate engravings, 1,'G0 testimonials, gratis and post free to any part of the world.—A. P e r c y , Manager, Vyse Street, Birmingham. COUNTY CRICKET COUNCIL. O n Monday, Dec. 5, the County Cricke, Council formed in July last held its firs meeting in the Pavilion at Lord’s. Eighteen counties were represented as under :— Gloucestershire—Mr. W. G. Grace (captain). Kent—Mr. G. Marsham. Lancashire—Mr. A. Appleby, Mr. S. H. Swire (hon. sec.). Middlesex—Mr. A. J. Webb9 (captain), Mr. P. M. Thornton (hon. sec.), Notts—Mr. W. H. C. Oates (hon. sec.) and Mr. E . Browne (asst. sec.). Surrey—Mr. J. Shuter (captain) and Mr. C. W. Alcock (sec.). Sussex—Mr. M. Turner and Mr. C. H. Smith. Yorkshire—Mr. M. J. Ellis (president) and Mr. J. B. Wostinholm (sec.). Cheshire—Mr. J. Horner (hon. sec.). Derbyshire—Hon. W. M. Jervis (hon. sec). Durham—Mr. R. H. Mallett. Essex—Mr. M. P. Bettst(sec.) and Mr. H. Fowler. Hampshire—Mr. R. Bencraft (hon. sec.). Hertfordshire—Mr.*C. Pigg (hon. sec.). Leicestershire—Mr. Bonner and Mr. T. Bur- dett (hon. sec ). Staffordshire—Mr. A. H. Heath (hon. sec.). Somersetshire—Mr. H. E. Murray-Anderton (hon. sec.). Warwickshire—Mr. W. Ansell (hon. sec.). Mr. H. Perkins, the secretary of the Mary­ lebone Club, was also present. Lord Harris having been voted to the chair, the meeting proceeded to consider the Bye-laws framed by the Sub-Committee, which were adopted as published in C r ic k e t of Nov. 24, with some slight alterations. On the motion of Mr. P. M. Thornton, the subscription for the present year was fixed at £1, payable on May 1- Lord Harris was appointed Chairman, and after some discussion as to the advisability of having a paid Secretary, Mr. A.J. Webbe con­ sented to act as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer for the first year. Lord Harris, the introductory business hav­ ing been concluded, introduced the subject of abnormal scoring, of which he had given uotice. He stated that it was not his intention, as the council was in a rather embryo state, to conclude with a motion, his intention being merely to raise a discussion, so that the delegates would be prepared to consider at a subsequent meeting a definite proposal to recommend to the Marylebone Club any altera­ tion in the laws of ericket. In view of the long scores of the past season, he thought they might consider whether the time had not arrived when the towler, in the interest of cricket, should be placed on moro equal terms with the batsman. He was unable to place before the meeting any statistics of the heavy scoring, but he should be surprised if anyone would not acknowledge that in several cases last season the scores were very abnormal. Certainly, in his own recollection of cricket he could not call to mind any season in which there were so many long scores, both by individuals and by sides. And there was a very strong feeling that these scores Jiad been very much" the effect of a style of play that had become noticeable within the last three or four years; and from the letters he had received he had no hc>itation in saying that entlemen of the older cricket world were ecidedly of opinion that some alteration was required in the law of leg-before-wicket. Perhaps cricketers as a body were inclined to undervalue the opinion of men of an old tin^e —and he would not exempt himself from the category—but at tho same time there was always some value to be placed upon their opinion. Last year he was doubtful himself whether the bowler would not be given a better chance against the batsman jf some alteration was made in the height or width of the wicket. But he now felt it would scarcely be possible to arrive at any really valuable decision on that point without practical experience, and it would be difficult to arrange I and carry out a series of matches with wiokets of different heights and widths. He had there­ fore abandoned any idea of changing the size of the wicket, and was inclined to think that an alteration of the leg-before- wicket rule would be valuable and of importance. The first question was : “ Is it necessary to give the bowler a better chance or not ?” and he thought the scores of last year were a justification for thinking it was necessary. He thought the style of play which had become—he would not say notorious, but— noticeable during the last two or three years, was one that had given the bowler as few chances as possible, and had allowed the bats­ man far more chance than he was ever in­ tended to have against the bowler. On the question of altering the law, he had received a valuable ■uggestion from Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell, who had written stating he was of opinion that a man should be out whose leg was between wicket and wicket and was hit by a ball that would take the wicket. Another old cricketer, Mr. V. E. Walker, had also written expressing himself in favour of an extension of the law, so that a man who wilfully put his leg in front of the wicket, and was hit by a ball, which in the umpire’s opinion would take the wicket, should be out; while Lord Beseborough was also in favour of an alteration in the law. There were other questions which they might consider, including the hours for commencing a three days’ match, and he suggested that a special meeting should be hela, when the delegates, being instructed by their various committees, could make a definite recommen­ dation to the Marylebone Club. Mr. J. B. Wostinholm said the Yorkshire Committee felt strongly on the subject of l.b.w. The attendances of the public were becoming smaller year by year, and if the practice which was now in vogue continued, the interest in cricket, so far as the North of England was concerned, would materially diminish. It was important to alter the rule as soon as possible. Mr. A. J. Webbe thought the rule should bo altered so as to prevent batsmen wilfully crossing the wicket to stop balls on the off-side with their legs. A letter was read from Lord Bessborough, who suggested a return to the old law of fifty years ago. Mr. Ellison gave notice that, “ At a special meeting of the Council, to be held in February, he would move a resolution ‘ to call the attention of the Marylebone Club to the unsatisfactory effect of Law 24, and to recommend that it should be so altered as to secure that a batsman shall be out if with any part of his person, being in a straight line between wicket and wicket, he stop the ball, which in the opinion of the umpire would have hit the wicket.’ ” Mr. A. H. Heath thought something might be done in the interest of cricket by enolosing the grounds with a board two feet high, and causing boundaryhits to be run out. A cricket match now was a rather tame thing to watch, as in every three hours the ball was dead at least twenty-five minutes. This it was settled should be brought before the meeting in Feb­ ruary, as also the proposal of Mr. A. J. Webbe. Mr. Ellison drew attention to the question of drawing stumps on the concluding day of a match, and suggested that it should be left to the discretion of umpires to prolong play so that a game might be finished, provided not more than twenty runs were required, or not more than two wickets to fall. Lord Harris thought this suggestion was open to two objections, first of placing more responsibility on the umpires, and secondly whether umpires were men on whom more responsibility should be placed. He thought Yorkshire was beginning at the wrong end— and it was better to commence early in the morning. Mr. W. G. Grace thought every county match should begin on the first day at twelve o’clock, and on the second and third days at eleven. The meeting shortly afterwards terminated with a vote of thanks to Lord Harris for presiding, N E X T IS SU E , JANUARY 26.