Cricket 1888

MAY 3, 188 a CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 105 Australia at the end of next year, to give them a lead in the cricket way before their departure for the Australian Colonies. T h e following are the entries for the London and Suburban Association Chal­ lenge Cup:— Beckenham United, *Bees, Brixton W an­ derers, *Brockwell Park, Chichester, ‘ IDart- mouth Park, Enfield, Grove, Gymnastic Society, *Kilburn, Lower Clapton, ‘ Lough­ borough, Noel Park, Old Kensington, Pad- nington, *Polytechnio, *St. Mark’s (Kenning- toni, Sloane Park, Surrey Gardens, Tottenham College, Townley Park, *Walham Green. * Competed last year, f Last year’s winner. The draw will take place on May 8. The ties are to be played on May 19. T h e following are the names of the Middlesex Colts who will play at Lord’s to-day and to-morrow, v. M.C.C. and Ground:— A. S. Bull, S. Cheesman, C. E. Damian, J. Drawater, C. L. Kennett, G. M. Lannowe, A. Leeohman, B . S. Lucas, W . Miles, J. R. Mo- Naughton, G. A. Parker, J. Richmond, F. Swinstead, C. Skilton, Blackburn, Curnow, Filliston, Gale, Hammond, Hearne, Jennings, Smith. Either Mr. I. D. Walker or Mr. A. J. Webbe will be captain. R, T h om s , in sending me this list of Colts, adds “ If some of the Colts only play or bowl up to the form they have dis­ played with their clubs, they will make a good show. The rasping fast bowler, up to County form, is, indeed, hard to spot, for like the proverbial black swans, they don't seem to be plentiful in any district. Yet who can foretell or say that a Mid­ dlesex express—migratory or otherwise— may not, ere long, be secured for the home county.” I am very pleased to learn from Messrs. Swan, Sonneschein, Lowrey and Co. that Mr. Frederick Gale’s latest work, “ The Game of Cricket,” issued last summer, has been so well received as tonecessitate the preparation of another edition. It will interest C r ic k e t readers generally to know that the same firm are about to publish another volume from the pen of the “ Old Buffer.” The title will be “ Sports and Recreations in Town and Country.” I am sorry to hear that as yet a satis­ factory arrangement has not been come to between the Committee of the Recreation Ground at Hastings and the Management of the Cricket Week with regard to a continuance of the successful Festival initiated at Hastings last Sep­ tember. It is much to be regretted that any obstacles should be placed in the way of a movement which cannot fail to be of great benefit to the town and its inhabi­ tants, and it is to be hoped that all classes will work in concert to make the Cricket Week, so well inaugurated and in the face, be it added, of no small difficulties last year, a permanent institution. It 'will be very short-sighted polioy if opposition of any kind is offered to a scheme which has already commenced under most promising auspices, and I hope to hear that any differences offeeling have been happily adjusted in the interests of the greatest good of the greatest number. T h e May number of Time, it may be of interest to those who have agitated them­ selves during the winter over the subject of “ 1-b-w” to know, has an article on that important question by the Hon. Randolph Stewart. Mr. Stewart, who describes himself as “ sometime of the Harrow eleven,” favours the policy of leaving well alone. His views, I may add, are altogether opposed to any alteration of the rule, and his opinion of any change in the direction intended by the leaders of the recent agitation can be gathered from his statement that the rejection of the resolution as passed at the meeting of the Counties’ Council “ must be considered a matter of congratulation by all the loversof the science of cricket.” Had the Sub-Committee recommended an alteration of the rule in question, he thinks they would have sapped the very foundations of good cricket. “ Quot homines tot sententice.” So muoh ink has been wasted over this vexed question that I should perhaps be exercising a wise discretion by leaving well alone, now that the Committee of the Marylebone Club has determined for the time being, at least, not to take any action on the question of 1-b-w. I can not, though, forbear from quoting the closing sentence of Mr. Stewart’s article, more especially as he represents the line of opinion which I have consistently advo­ cated during the course of this somewhat protracted discussion. The words are as follow:— The rules of Cricket have now lastedformany generations, and it is to be hoped that they will be allowed to remain as they are for many more, for they should not be lightly altered without due and prolonged consideration, and therefore the action of the Marylebone Cricket Club Committee is strongly to be commended for not giving wayto an outcry which, if carried out, would at once destroy one of the most distinctive features of the noble game. A n American correspondent has sent me information that several radical changes in the rules of the game were made at the eleventh annual convention of the Cricketers Association of the United States, held at the Penn Club,Philadelphia, on the evening of Friday, the thirteenth of April. The changes seem to be the adoption of six balls to the over, and making a deficit of forty per cent, neces­ sitate a follow-on. I may add that what the Americans call the Ellison leg-before- wicket amendment was also adopted. I know myself that several prominent American citizens are strongly in favour of the alteration in the rule of 1-b-w, as passed by the Counties. While on the subject ofAmerican Cricket and Cricketers I may state that the veteran Mr. C. A. Newhall, who was over here with the Gentlemen of Philadelphia, has definitely decided to retire from active cricket. S in c e I wrote the foregoing paragraph anent the cricket week at Hastings, I have, I am glad to say, received informa­ tion of a more reassuring character on the subject. Mr. Robert Lydgate, who, as everyone knows, was chairman of the committee of management last year, and has, in fact, been the moving spirit of the organisation since the idea of a festival of the kind was conceived, tells me, in­ deed, that all the arrangements for the second week have been already completed. The guarantee fund, he states, is ample for all requirements, and there is every reason to predict that this year’s meeting will be a great success—greater than its predecessor. It has been decided to have a full Cricket Week, commencing on September 10, and nothing will be spared, he assures me, to get together the very best talent in the Country. The first fixture will be North and South, the second, it is hoped, between the Aus­ tralians and the pick of the two divisions. Mr. Beal, the Australian Manager, has signified his readiness to visit Hastings during the week, but it is not actually settled whether they will choose the first or the second three days. That will depend on whether the Australian team arrange a second fixture with Shrewsbury’s team, as they expect to do, in the North for Sept. 13 and two following days. Everyone will be gratified to hear that the good folk of Hastings are fully alive to the importance of cricket gatherings of a throughly representative character. T h e newPaddingtonRecreationGround, which was opened in thoroughly fitting style by His Royal Highness the Com- mander-in-Chief on Saturday last, bids fair to be an immense boon to all classes of residents in the populous district sur­ rounding. Through the courtesy of the Hon. Sec., Mr. J. Bates, I had the pleasure of assisting at the opening ceremonial, and though disappointed of course personally in some measure to find that there was no cricket match as advertised, none the less I have to thank the authorities for an enjoyable aftetnoon. It is gratifying to those who have had the^responsibility of getting the ground into order, to feel that they were able at the same time to confer the best kind of charity by providing honest work for numbers of the unem­ ployed during the severe weather of last winter, a happy thought, the inspiration of Mr. R. M. Beachcroft, who has been the moving spirit in the movement so happily brought to a completion on Satur­ day last. T h e entire area of the ground is, I believe, twenty-one acres, and there is room for every kind of athletic exercise, as well as for the children’s playground. The portion devoted to cricket, too, is very considerable, and I think I heard during the course of the speeches on Saturday that there is plenty of space for the decision of as many as ten matches. In addition to the Duke of Cambridge, Lord Randolph Churchill and Mr. John Aird, the two Members for Paddington, assisted at Saturday’s ceremony. The