Cricket 1888

108 CRICKET* A WEEKLY RECORD 0*’ THE GAME. MAY 8, 1888. in the Club House at the Oval, under the presidency of the president of the club, Viscount Oxenbridge. The colours will be red, yellow and black, the same as were worn by the team of 1882. Percy McDonnell will act as captain, and the committee to select the elevens for the different matches will be the captain, with J. M. Blackham and A. C. Bannerman. The names of the members of the team are as under:— P. McDonnell(N.S.W.), capt. A. C. Bannerman (N.S.W.) J. McC. Blackham (V.) G. J. Bonnor (V.) J. D. Edwards (V.) J. Ferris (N.S.W.) H. F. Boyle (V.) S. P. Jones (N.S.W.) A. H. Jarvis (S.A.) J. J. Lyons (S.A.) C. T. B. Turner (N.S.W.) H . Trott (V.) J. Worrall (V.) C. W . Beal (N.S.W.) Manager. The following comments on their chances are from the Melbourne Leader and the Sydney Referee respectively. They have lost the three matches played before leaving, and that is quite enough for the judges of the present day. On all sides they have heard nothing but condemnation, and in hardly any case allowance made for the fact, freely admitted by their conquerers, that two at any rate out of the three matches were won by the weather. Of course everybody knows that men like Spofforth, Palmer, Horan, Giffen, Moses, Bruce, M’llwraith and Trumble cannot be replaced, and that their absence weakens the team terribly : but six of these cannot go, and Giffen won’t, therefore Charley Beal and his advisers have had to do their best, and under the circumstances have done it well. Blackham enjoys the distinction of being the only member of the team who has occupied a place in every one of the six Australian elevens that have left here for England, and after a dozen years of first-class wicket-keeping, he is this season as good as ever, and the same busy batsman as of yore. Bannerman, M’Donnell, and Jones return to the scenes of many former triumphs in England, and in offering a place to Alec, the old stagers showed better judgment than the present day wiseacres, who live to shunt their best men after two or three failures. We shall see in two or three months who knew best; and if Alec Bannerman is a failure I will freely admit mv incorrect judgment, but I have no feeling of apprehension in waiting for the news. Naturally enough the first appearance in England of Turner and Kerriswill be an event of surpassing Interest. I have always maintained that Turner is immeasurably the best bowler of the two, and the popular belief that he can only bowl on sticky wickets is immense. Like all others he has no “ devil ” in his bowling when the wicket Is perfect, but I have perfect confidence in Turner acquitting himself to the credit of Australia *•regardless of wind or of weather.” Jarvis as second wicket­ keeper and a good punishing bat on good wickets is a valuable man in the team, and I am confident that Lyons will prove himself what I have always held him to be, a first-class all-round man. The newblood from Victoria consists of Trott, Edwards and Worrall. I claim the credit of being the first to suggest the inclusion ofTrott and Worrall when it became known that Moses. Giffen, Spofforth, Horan and others were not going, and am there­ fore pleased at their inclusion. Both haveimproved greatly, and with the benefit of the sea trip I am not afraid of either failing to justify his selection. The opposition shown by some people to Edwards is to my mind absolutely absurd and illogical For years his performances have unmistakably stamped him a first flight man, and I look upon hia success as merely a question of health. Why have I left my old friend Boyle to the last, do you ask? Well, candidly speaking, because under circumstances which may almost be called “ ordinary ” from recent experience of English summers, I think he will probably be the weakest man in the team. We appear to be changing climates with the old country, in the summer at any rate, and the English wickets are as a rule very much better and drier than they used to be. Should the team experience another fine English summer, '-oyle will be a decidedly weak man. but, if wet wickets prevail,especially in the big matches against All England, when the talent will be fully arrayed, Charley Turner will be lucky to have “ old Boyley ” at the other end, for none of them dare take a liberty with him on a “ sticky ’un.” As to playing All England on their merits. I can­ didly think the Australians could onlv win on a shockingly bad wicket, which would kill the im­ mensely superior English batting, or else by a fluke. But with the miserable wailing which I hear all round I have no sympathy. I believe the team will perform far better than is expected, in fact I am sure they will, and I have not the slightest hesitation in prognosticating that, although not so strong as some of their prede cessors.they will win morematches than they lose, and on occasions (big ones possibly) surprise those who peem to think they are never to win a match. Before leaving for England, J. Worrall was pre sented with a handsome locket by his comrades of the Fitzroy Football Club, of which he was captain. I doubt if there is a football player in the colony more generally or more deservedly esteemed than the sturdy little Fitzroy skipper, and there was no mistake about the enthusiasm of those who assembled at the presentation. Worrall’s fellow employes on the composing staff of the Age also took an opportunity on Wednesday morning to ask “ Jack ” to meet them at Young and Jackson’s,wherethey presented their departed friend with a purse of sovereigns. A man can hardly be insensible to the genuineness of an ex­ pression of esteem coming from those amongst whom he is accustomed to perform his daily work, and the unostentatious little ceremony to which I refer was one of the most genuine trir utes to the sterling qualities of a mate that I have ever wit­ nessed. That Worrall was deeply affected by the. circumstance was only a proof of his manly feeling. ---- Briefly glancing at the personnel of the team as above 1 fancy they will acquit themselves with credit. Of course one must not be blind to the fact that theyhave metwith three crushing defeats here on theirnative soil, but, apart from thefactthat the luck was all against them in the whole three con­ tests,I really think that theywerebeatenbystronger teams. We all know what a heavy season’scricket the present one has b»en, and, as all our good men have to attend to business aa well as the game, the continual worry and excitement was not without its ill effect in the form of some, if not all of our best men. To the great number of first-class matches requiring the services of our crack bowlers, Turner and Ferris, a deal of the non­ success of the colonial teams of late may be attributed. Turner, who is a regular heap of muscle, stuck to his post well and manfully, too ; but latterly his fingers were beginning to show signs of the tremendous amount of bowling which he had performed. During the last match his fingers were quite sore, and it would be simply audacious to expect him to do as well as of yore, but he did his best, which showed a better record than any of his companions. By the time they start their first match on British soil, Turner will be quite recovered, at all events, let us hope so. J. Ferris, too, from overwork, was in­ capacitated through injuring some muscles, and, in some correspondence to the Press lately a few "croakers” would leave him out of the team. Well, folks say that there is no account­ ing for taste, and this is quite true, for, to my mind, the young left-hander comes after Turner and Giffen only as a trundler in the colonies. We cannot overlook performances, but even if Ferris never came off half so well as he has he would be an acquisition to any team. He has the style, pitch, and break, and all else that he requires is txperience on all kinds of wickets against all kinds of batsmen. If by any means Turner does not win the bowling average this young Belvidere trundler is the only one who can wrest the laurels from the Carlton crack. Turner has always been a very good batsman, but through giving so much attention to the ball he fell away, though during the last few months he came on again, and is at present in good form with thewillow. Ferris, who was when a junior a trimming batsman, has also been showing an improvement in this line lately, and if his will bethe lowest average in this depart­ ment then the team will be a success. CLAPHAM W AND ER ER S CLUB. F ix t u r e s f o r 1888. May 5—at Croydon, v. Croydon May 8—at Oval, v. Surrey Colts May 12—at Ewell, v. Ewell May 21—at Eltham, v. Eltham May 26—at East Acton, v. Pallingswick June 2—at Hampton Wick, v. Hampton Wick June 9—at Bushey Park, v. Teddington June 13—at Tottenham, v. Bruce Castle June 2t- at Carshalton, v. Carshalton June 23—at Kensington, v. Kensington June 30—at Dorking, v. Dorking July 7—at Epsom, v. Epsom July 34—at Ealing, v. Ealing July 21—at Ewell, v. Ewell July 23—at Oval, v. Surrey C. and G. July 26—at Hampstead, v. Hampstead July 28—at Eltham, v Eltham Aug. 1—at Sydenham, v. Crystal Palace Aug. 4—at East Moulsey, v. East Moulsey T h e T o u r . Aug. 6—at Lewes Priory, v. Lewes Priory Aug. 7—at Tunbridge Wells, v. Tunbridge Wells Aug. 8, 9—at Tonbridge, v. Tonbridge Aug. 10, 11—at St. Leonards-on-Sea, v. South Saxons SU RREY COUNTY CLUB. The following is a complete list of the fixtures for 1888:— May 1—Godalming, Surrey C. and G. t . Broad­ water May 3—Oval, Surrey Colts v. Honor Oak May 3—Oval, Annual Gen. Meeting and Dinner May 5—Mitcham, Surrey Colts v. Mitcham May 7—Richmond, Surrey C. and G. v. XV. Young Players May 8—Oval, Surrey Colts v. Clapham Wanderers May 9—Oval, Surrey Colts v. Guy’s Hospital May 12—Blackheath, Surrey C. and G. v. Black­ heath Club ♦May 1 4 - Oval, S u rr e y v . A u s tra lia n s May 16—Batterse», Surrey C. and G. v. Battersea Club ♦May 17—Oval, Surrey v. Gloucestershire May 19—Mitcham Surrey C. and G. v. Mitcham Club ♦May 21—Nottingham, Surrey v. Notts •May 24—Derby, Surrey v. Derbyshire May 26—Oval, Charity Match (City v. West End) ♦May 28—Leicester, Surrey v. Leicestershire May 29—Purley, Surrey C. and G. v. Cane Hill Asylum ♦May 31— Oval, A ustralians v . P la yer s of E ngland ♦June 4—Leyton, Surrey v. Essex June 6—Hackbridge, Surrey C.r and G. v. Hack- bridge House ♦June 7—Oval, Surrey v. Yorkshire ♦June 11— Oval, Surrey v. Kent June 13— Willesden, Surrey C. and G.v. Merchant Taylors’ School June 13— Guildford, Surrey C. and G. v. Guildford ♦June 14—Oval, Surrey v. Cambridge University June 14—Dulwich, Surrey C. and G. v. Dulwich Club ♦June 18—Lord’s, Surrey v. Middlesex June 19—Richmond, Surrey C. and G. v. Rich­ mond Town Club June 20—Dulwich, Surrey C. and G. v. Dulwich College aJune 20—Crystal Palace, Surrey C. and G. v. Crystal Palace aJune 22 -Oval, G en t lem en op S u r r e y v . P arsees ♦June 25—Oval, Surrey v. Oxford University June 27—Farnham, Surrey C. and G. v. Farnham ♦June 28—Oval, Surrey v. Hants June 28—Carshalton, Surrey C. and G. v. Car­ shalton July 2-Oval, Surrey C. and G. v. Northampton­ shire aJuly 4—Honor Oak, Surrey C. and G. v. Honor Oak July 7—Epsom. Surrey C. and G. v. Epsom Coll. July 9 - Oval, Surrey C. and G. v. London and Suburban Association July 11—Hampton Court, Surrey C. and G. v. East Molesey July 11—Margate, Surrey C. and G. v. Margate Club ♦July 12—Oval, Gentlemen v. Players "July 12—Brighton. Surrey v. Sussex July 19—Oval, Surrey v. Middlesex ♦July 23-Beckenham, Surrey v. Kent July 23—Oval, Surrey C. and G. v Clapham Wan. July 25—Croydon, Surrey C. and G. v. Croydon Club ♦July 26—Oval, Surrey v. Sussex. ♦July 30—Oval, S u rr e y v . A u stra lian s ♦Aug. 2—Manchester, Surrey v. Lancashire Aug. 3—Oval, Surrey C. and G. v. Clifton College ♦Aug. 6—Oval, Surrey v. Notts ♦Aug. 9— Southampton, Surrey v. Hants oAug. 10—Oval, G e n tle m e n op S u rre y v . Parsees ♦Aug. 11—Norwood, Surrey C. and G. v. Norwood Park ♦Aug. 13—Oval, E ngland v. A ustralia ♦Aug. 15—Kenley, Surrey C. and G. v. Kenley ♦Aug. 16—Oval, Surrey v. Lancashire ♦Aug. 20—Bradford. Surrey ▼. Yorkshire aAug. 22—Eastbourne, Surrey C. and G. v. Devon­ shire Park ♦Aug. 23—Oval, 8urrey v. Leicestershire ♦Aug 27—Clifton, Surrey v. Gloucestershire ♦*ug. 3)—Oval, Surrey v. Essex ♦Sept. 3—Oval, Surrey v. Derbyshire oSept. 7—Northampton, SurreyC. and G. v. North­ ampton . ♦Three-day Matches. a Two-day Matches. B ICK L EY PA RK v. ER ITH . Mr. W . H. Patterson, the Kent cricketer, opened the season very successfully on Satur­ day last in this match, played at Bickley Park. He went in first with Mr. Christopherson, and was not out till he had secured 130, nearly one half of the total made by the home club. Mr. Carleton Tufnell, an amateur who played for Kent some years ago, and at present in England on leave from India, also did good service for Bickley with ball as well as bat.