Cricket 1888

“ T o g e t h e r j o i n e d i n c r i c k e t ’ s m a n l y t o i l . ”— B y r o n . Eegistoe'd^o^TranS&esim Abroad. T H U R S D A Y , MAY 2 4 , 1 8 8 8 . P R IC E 2d. M R . J O H N D U N L O P E D W A R D S . T h o u g h the exigencies of his profession have prevented Mr. Edwards from gaining the same amount of prominence which has been the good fortune of many Australian cricketers, some of whom have hardly been up to his standard as all-round players, his record in Colonial cricket is by no means an ordinary or uneventful one. It is rather his misfortune than his fault that his name is not so familiar to the public as those of some other members of the team now over here, with whom on his home form he can fairly challenge comparison as an all-round performer. Mr. Edwards, like the majority of the Australian cricketers who have visited England, is a native of Australasia. Born in Melbourne on June 12, 1861, he has spent his life in Victoria, and the last nine years, at least, of it in the service of Victorian cricket. Educated at the Wesley College in Melbourne, he was early initiated into the mysteries of cricket under capable tutors. His School career, too, was one of no small distinction. The Melbourne Club has a custom of recognising rising talent by pre­ senting a card of honorary member­ ship for two years to the best player in each of the leading colleges in the Victorian capital. The captain of the Australian team now with us, Mr. Percy McDonnell, if we mistake nnt, was the recipient of this pri­ vilege, and Mr. Edwards was also selected for the same order of merit as the best all-round player of the year. He was, in fact, at the time one of the most likely young cricketers in Melbourne, and his score of 153 for Wesley College against Hawthorn Grammar School will be well remembered by Vic­ torians as a finished display of batting not often recorded to the credit of a youngster. After leaving school, Mr. Edwards identified him ­ self actively with the Melbourne Club, and was one of the eleven which won for the M.C.C. the Cleveland Challenge Cup. As a batsman he fully upheld his promise for the premier club of Victoria, and the value of his services can be understood when we state that he wdn the prize for batting that year with a splendid average of sixty runs. He was iust coming into prominence as a cricketer when the First Australian eleven visited England, and his first match of any importance was for Victoria against Gregory’steam on their return home. While fortunate enough on that occa­ sion to score thiity-two in good style, he added considerably to his reputation in the Inter-colonial match of the same year (1879), by his excellent all-round cricket, being equally successful against New South Wales with bat and ball. He continued, too, to represent Victoria with credit for some years until an illness, whioh stopped him playing entirely for a season, broke the sequence of matches. A removal from the Bank of New South Wales in Melbourne to a branch in Sandhurst in 1885 also had the effect of severing his connec­ tion with Melbourne cricket, to the general regret of all interested in the development of the game in Victoria. Though always chosen to represent Victoria in the Inter-colonial match, the claims of business prevented his getting the necessary leave of absence. As a consequence his opportunities of distinction have been of late very limited, and, in fact, his cricket has been really confined to the matches in which be has played for the Sand­ hurst Club. His performances for that club during the last three seasons, though,have been quite out of the common, and his batting average, commencing with fifty-three, reached a hundred and one in the second, and ninety-five in the third year. During the Australian season just over Mr. Edwards scored largely. In each of the last two innings he played for Sandhurst before leaving Aus­ tralia hewas not out, and this double performance was a most remarkable one. In the first match, against North Bendigo, he made 254 not out, and in the second, against Castle- maine, a good all-round team, he was also not out with 104, thus scoring in the two games 358 runs without losing his wicket. Hia consistent scoring for Sandhurst added considerably to the feeling of regret that his opportunities for first-class cricket were so few. His performances, too, against both the English teams touring in Australia last winter were good enough to bring him prominently before the public. Against Mr. Vernon’s team he was credited with scores of 22 and 27, but his show against Shrewsbury’s combination was even better, and his innings of 63 on Jan. 2nd, for Eighteen of Sand­ hurst, was one of distinct merit. His excellent all-round cricket during the last Australian season did not escape the notice of those responsible for the formation of the Sixth Australian team, and the news of his inclusion, as was shown in C r ic k e t of April 26, was received with satisfaction by some of the chief Australian critics. An injury to his hand compelled him to retire in the opening match at Norbury, and he was not able to play until Monday last at Sheffield, when he showed good steady cricket for his twenty-four against Yorkshire. Though he is only 5 ft. 6 ins. in height, and 10 st. in weight, he is none the less a good all­ round cricketer. He has good defence as well as hitting powers, and is when set a very diffi­ cult wicket to get. He is, too, a very fair bowler with a leg break, and in addition a