Cricket 1888

A P R IL 26, 1888. CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. £0 I t is of interest to know that Mr. C. W- Beal, the Manager of the Sixth Australian team, ia very far from depressed at the defection of more than one notable cricketer,on whom he had cpunted to take his place in the party he is personally con­ ducting to England this summer. In a letter just received, he states that though of course he has not got the team he anticipated, he knows he has a really good one when they get together a bit, and has no fear for their success. From what I learn, George Giffen was one of the first to consent, but, although in deference to his wish it was arranged to take his brother Walter as one of the team, he subsequently not only refused to go himself, but also wired his brother’s refusal. And to this resolve, declining at the same time to give any explanation of this change of front, as every one knows, he has obstinately adhered. I m a y add that there is every chance, indeed, it almost amounts to a certainty, that the Australians will open at an earlier date than was expected. There is hardly a doubt now that their first fixture will be against Warwickshire at Birming­ ham, at the end of the week termin­ ating on .May 12. It is not as yet definitely fixed whether the match will be made for three or only for two days. I have not heard yet where the head­ quarters of the team are to be, but they will foregather, I expect, either at their old habitation The Tavistock or the Old Hummums, the former for choice. T h e French steamer “ Oceanien,” by which they have travelled, was not timed to reach Marseilles until Saturday, but the team were fully expecting when they left Australia to be in London by that date, and I fully expect to have an opportunity of shaking hands with them by that even­ ing. In this case they should be very close on the heels of the English tourists, the members of Mr. Vernon’sparty, who are due in the “ Austral,” at Plymouth, on Saturday, and should be in London by Sunday. J. W. T r u m b l e , it was confidently expected almost to the very last would join, but the sudden resolution to com­ mence practice as a solicitor at Nihill compelled him to forego the opportunity of a second trip to England. Horan and Moses wore both in the position of the guest who had a wife and could not come, in fact, in each case, this was the reason of their absence. Every effort was made, I believe, to interest Mrs. Moses in the tour to the extent of securing tho inclusion of the crack batsmanof New South Wales, but without success as it proved. Horan did actually consent, and would have undertaken the trip but for the continued illness of his wife, which forced himeventually to withdraw. Spofforth, I understand, could not get away, and Bruce would not, so that Mr. Beal, it will be seen, had for a time his work fully cut out in constituting the team. B'e the way, Mr? Beal seems to have a good opinion of 3. Wood, of tho Sydney University, whom I mentioned as well wqythy of the attention of the authorities at .Cambridge University, whither he is presently bound. At the time the letter left Sydney (March 13), he was considered to be one of the probable reserves for the Australian team of 1888. The manager describes him as a fine dashing bat, and a good bowler. T h e new chums in the Australian team are, as far as one knows, Lyons, Turner, Trott, Edwards, Ferris and Worrall. Of these the first three have figured in C r ic k e t ' s gallery of distinguished worthies during the last few months, and their features, as well as their doings, have, by this means, become familiar. As the other trio are comparatively un­ known to tho general public, it will be of interest to reproduce the opinions of Aus­ tralian c'ritics On their several capacities. A n d first for Edwards. This is what the writer of “ Cricket Notes ” in the Sydney Referee has to say of him. Edwards, I am pleased to see, has been asked to go. His all-round excellence as a plajer is well-known. As a batsman he has performed wonderfully well, and this season has an average of over 90 for the Bendigo United olub. In addition he is a very fine field and fair change bowler. It will much surprise me if he is not one of the successes of the team. It is undoubtedly a bold resolve to include Trott, but I think the selection a wise one. In batting I am perfectly satisfied he will prove a valuable acquieition to the eleven. He has fine defensive powers, and there is no more likely bowler in Australia at the present time to effcct the separation of two batsmen when well set on a good wicket. Taking all his qualifications into consideration, I feel justified in expressing the opinion that he is worth a place in the team. His innings on Saturday last was a sterling one. Edwards seems to be a great favourite in his own locality, Sandhurst, and his departure thence was utilised by his fel­ low townsmen to speed the parting guest. After the usual convivialities at the City Hotel, he was escorted to the station and cheered heartily as the train left. In alluding to the last match of Mr. Vernon’s team in Australia, “ Felix,” the critic of the Aastralaiian, pays a high tribute to Worrall’s bowling : Of the Victorian bowlers J. Worrall deserves by far the highest praise. In the second in­ nings, when the wicket was in rare run-getting order, Worrall obtained the remarkably fine figures of S wickets for 83~runs off 115 balls. When the quality of the opposing batting is taken into account, and the further circum­ stance that Mr. W. W . Read was thoroughly set and scoring fast when Worrall went on, the merit of the sturdy Jolimonter’s achievement stands out very conspicuously indeed. He kept a good length on the off-side, and varied his paco with judgment. . . Worrall’s field­ ing was of that brilliant and fearless character which has for a considerable time stamped the efforts qf this sterling player. “ Approbation from Sir Hubert Stan- ley! ” T h e excellent performances of the New South Wales bowlor, J, Ferris, though to .some extent'dwarfed b j those of his mate known as “ The Terror,” to wit, C. T. B: Turner, during the last two seasons in Australia have proved his ability beyond all dispute. And it ia significant to know that the critical “ Spoff ” himself enter­ tains a high opinion of his capacities. “ As to Ferris,” Spofforth said in a recent interview published in the Sydney Daily Telegraph , I look upon him as second to Turner only, though I believe there are some who consider him superior. B ut to my mind a left-hand bowler is never as good as a right hand man. He will supply a want that has hitherto been felt in Australian elevens. We never had a left-hand bowler, except Frank Allan, who was not a success. Some batsmen, once they get set, can play a right-hand bowler all day long, but if you send them a left-hand they get puzzled at once, and in this way you get them out. Ferris and Turner will do best on sticky wickets. A t t e w e l l , it will be particularly grati­ fying to English cricketers to learn, takes first honours of the Australian season just over for bowling in eleven-a-side matches; his average being 10.34. Lohmann comes second, with 10.G2 ; and Turner third, with 13.78. Turner has, however, sent down 1,186 more balls than Attewell, and 1,625 more than Lohmann. A review of Turner’s bowling performances this season as given in the Sydney Mail will be found interesting. In the first match with Shaw’s team his averages were—22runs four wickets,and 23runs six wickets. In the second they were—117 for seven wickets and 21 for 0; and in the third, 39 for eight and 40 for eight. Against Mr. Ver­ non’s team they read—106 for seven, and 40 for two; while in the inter-colonial they stand 17 for five, and 97 for four. In the match between Shaw’s team and a combined eleven of New South Wales and Victoria, played on February 3, 4, 6. and 7, he took one wicket for 80, and three for 19. In the second match between the combined English teams and a non-representative eleven of All Australia he secured five wickets for 44, and seven for 43. In the return match against Mr. Vernon’steam he took five wickets for 123, and one for 34. On February 24 and 25 he played with the Sixth Australian eleven against Shaw’s team, and secured five wickets for 04 runs, four of them being clean bowled. On March 2, 3, and 5, playing with the same eleven against Mr. Ver- nOn’steam in Melbourne,he tookfour wickets for 71 runs, and seven for 48, and on March 9, 10, 12, and 13, playing with the same eleven against Shaw’s team, he took seven wickets for 72 runs, and four for 136. His full average reads—4,267 balls, 473 maidens, 1,451 runs, 106 wickets, average 13.78. “ F e l ix ,” the most capable of Australian critics, calls attention to a peculiar expe­ rience in the match b.etween Mr. Vernon’s team and Victoria, the last of the English tour. At one time of the Victorian outing, while J. W. Trumble was bowling, he had not a solitary man on the on-side. This arrangement of the field was tho more conspicuous as Mr. Stoddart, not by any means a batsman of one particular kind of stroke, was, at the time, at -the wicket. “ Felix” asserts that he never saw this before on any cricket field. C r ic k e t readers, generally, will be very pleased to hear that Messrs. C. A. Smith, W . Newham, and UpBrann are not, as -has beeii persistently rumoured