Cricket 1888

M AY 24, 1888. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. to be ascribed. Old Mao. wag never tired of his work and no trouble was too great to ensure the comfort and con­ venience of those who visited the enclosure in which he took such a keen interest. MacAlpine, who was sixty-one years of age, leaves behind him a widow and eight children. C ricket readers will be glad to hear news of Mr. C. T. Studd, the old Cantabi who it will be remembered left England a year or two ago to assist in the good work of the China Mission. A corres­ pondent has been kind enough to send me a copy of the Chinese Times, a paper pub­ lished in Tientsin, of April 7, which con­ tains some particulars relative to the labours in which Mr. Studd is engaged. The public were invited to the Temperance Hall last night tu hear Mr. C. T. Studd, mis­ sionary from Shansi. His address, which was of the revivalist type and of thin intellectual texture, was listened to with close attention, although it had really nothing to recommend it beyond the subdued eloquence and the obvious sincerity of the speaker. Mr. Studd was followed by a lady missionary, Miss Stewart—before these lines come out of the press she will have become Mrs. Studd, am! we wish much health and happiness to them both—who held the audience spell-bound while she related the startling Saint Teresa-like experiences of her own life. Every one will wish Mr. and Mrs. Studd long life and health to carry on the work to which they have devoted themselves. T hough the season is quite in its infancy there has been already some tall scoring recorded in what are termed first class matches, as well as in those of lesser impor­ tance. In Sussex in particular the bats­ men have been having a good time of it, and in addition to the big figures realised at Brighton in the oontest between Sussex and Gloucestershire,accounts have reached me of some exceptional scoring at St. Leonards. In a match between the South Saxons and Hastings Bovers played on the 9th of May, Mr. A. M. Sutthery, of last year’s Cambridge eleven, made 158 for the former, and on Tuesday last the same batsman, playing again for South Saxons, reached a still higher pitch, scoring 206 against the Edmonton Club at St. Leo­ nards. Mr. A. H . Trevor, the old Oxonian, was also a liberal contributor on the latter occasion, being credited with 132 of the 447 made by the South Saxons. T h e Parsee Cricketers, who are to spend the three best months of the summer with us, left Bombay, as arranged, in the Austro-Hungarian steamer “ Poseidon ” on Monday, the 7th inst., and are to be expected in London this day week or thereabouts. The team, which I am told has been strengthened by the inclusion at the last moment of Messrs. B. D. Cooper and D. N. Writer, has been definitely made up of the following four­ teen: A. D. Vatcha, D. C. Pandole, D. F. Dubash, D. N. Writer, D. S. Mehta, J. M. Divecha, J. M. Morenas, K. B. Eranee, M. 1). Kanga, M. E. Pavri, N. C. Bapa- sola, P. D. Kangg (captain), R. D. Cooper, and S. H. Uarver, Of these, only two— Messrs. J. M. Morenas and S. H . Harver, to wit—were members of the last team. The following clubs are represented in the combination now on the way to England :—The City of Bombay, Elphin­ stone, John Bright, Parsee C.C., Young Zoroastrian, Persian, Bolton, Parsee Baronet, and Great Western. I t may not, and I think will not, be generally known that Phillips, who made his first appearance as one of the ground staff for M.C.C. and Ground against Cam­ bridge University this week at Cambridge, is the bowler who has been engaged on the ground of the Melbourne Club for some seasons. Mr. B. J. Wardill, the secretary of the Melbourne Club, during his-visit to England in 1886, spoke highly of Phillips’ capabilities as a cricketer, and particularly as a bowler. Phillips has changed from the service of one M.C.C. into that of another, and, so far as can be judged from his performance in one match, should be of use to the parent club. I understood that Phillips was born in Middlesex, but I have reason to doubt, from information I have received, and from a thoroughly reliable source, whether he has a birth qualification to represent that county. E veryone will be glad to learn that Ulyett’sbenefit match last year has proved to be such a pronounced success finan­ cially. Few, very few indeed, if any, fixtures of the kind have resulted in a nett balance of over a thousand pounds, and Ulyett’s many friends outside the county will be very pleased that his sterling services for Yorkshire have met with such substantial recognition. It is pleasant to notice that the Australian team bore testimony to the respect in which he is held everywhere as a cricketer by adding to his subscription list a grant of twenty pounds. T h e eleven to represent the Gentlemen of England against the Australians, at Lord’s on Monday and Tuesday next, will, I am informed on the best authority, con­ sist of Messrs. W . G. Grace, W . W. Bead, K. J. Key, J. Shuter, A. H. Newnham, W . E. Boiler, E. H. Buckland, W . H. Patterson, O. G. Radcliffe, C. A. Smith, and a wicket-keeper. It is unwise, I know, to prophesy on matters cricketi- cal, but considering the scarcity of good amateur bowling just at the present time, and particularly the apparent lack in the team named, it will probably be quite as well, especially if the Australians should win the toss, that the match was fixed for the beginning of next week, and that the game will have to be con­ cluded on Tuesday night in consequence of Wednesday being Derby Day. I understand from Mr. C. W. Beal that he has absolutely arranged a fixture for the Australian Eleven against Shrews­ bury and Lillywhite’s team, to take place at Leeds on September 10 and two following days. So far,the Australians have had a triumphal march, and their record has indeed been one of which they have good reason to be proud. Australian cricket has not been so worthily upheld for a long time, and they have, it is not too much to say, by their performances up to the present, deserved thoroughly well of all who take interest in the development of the game. M r . W. G . G race ’ s latest performance only tends to increase the feeling of wonderment at his retention of really irreproachable ability as a batsmen. The grand old man of cricket will reach his fortieth year on the 18th of July next, and considering that he has been practically in a position by himself, “ Eclipse first, the rest nowhere,” for over twenty years, one can only ejaculate with Dominie Sampson in thinking of his remarkable innings of 215 at Brighton this week, “ Prodigious 1” Some seven­ teen summers ago I saw M r. Grace make 217 for the Gentlemen against the Players on the old ground at Brighton, on the occasion ofthe late John Lillywhite’s bene­ fit. And here he is again after all these years, still as keen as the keenest of cricketers, a very boy in heart, as he was when I saw him play first for South Wales at Brighton, now —Eheu Fugaces ! —twenty-four years ago. A very valuable work of cricket history has just been issued for private circula­ tion by Mr. Anthony Benitez de Lugo, a Spanish gentleman, and a Very enthusiast in his devotion to our national game. Mr. Benitez de Lugo, who spent a part of his boyhood at Croydon, is a member of the Surrey County Club. With the object of perpetuating Surrey’s doings, he has published the volume to which I refer, and which he has entitled 1 Surrey at the Wicket.” It is a complete record of all the matches played by the county eleven since the formation of the club, with yearly and general batting and bowling averages, as well as other information interesting to Surrey cricketers. “ Surrey at the Wicket ” is, too, in a way, unique, as it was not only compiled in Madrid, but also printed in that city. Mr. Benitez de Lugo, I believe, contemplates the publication of a still more pretentious work next year, nothing less than a volume giving the full scores of every county match played by Surrey since the club was formed. This, I believe, he pro­ poses 10 supplement with portraits and other features calculated to add to the interest and completeness of the book. SUSSEX v. GLOU CEST ER SH IRE . Pome remarkable scoring marked the first match of the season between these Counties, begun at Brighton on Monday, 1.117runs being totalled in the three days for thirty-three wickets. Gloucestershire were batting all the flrot day, securing 361 for the loss of only six wickets. Mr. W . G. Grace was the hero of the