Cricket 1888

Aug. i, 1888. CElOEETi A WEEKLY RECOED OF THE GAME. 318 T h e r e is a rumour that a visit of a team of American amateurs to England next summer is quite within the range of practical politics. Since the Gentle­ men of Philadelphia were here in 1884, cricket in the States has, beyond a doubt, shown a marked development, and the experience of the recent International match between America and Canada fur­ nished sufficient proof that there are young players of great promise well capa­ ble of upholding the reputation which American cricketers have made for them ­ selves, based on the labours of the New- halls and others, who have worked zealously and unceasingly for the fur­ therance of the game across the sea. Whether the idea reaches fulfilment or not, it is pleasant to think that there is at least a possibility of another visit of American cricketers. I t goes without saying that they will be heartily wel­ comed in the old country, and English C r ic k e t readers w ill hope to have a chance of shaking hands with their cousins from the other side next summer. M e n tion of the visit of the Gentlemen of Philadelphia to England in 1884 re­ minds me that Outing of this month numbers among its contributors one of that team, Mr. Howard McNutt, whose fine hitting, as many w ill remember, enabled the Philadelphians to secure a brilliant victory over the Gentlemen of Surrey, at the Oval. H is article on “ Philadelphian Cricket— Past and Pres­ ent,” is the latest authority for the rumour to which I have just referred, ofa second trip of American cricketers, and his remarks on the subject of this sug­ gested tour are practical, and well worthy of the attention of those for whom they are written. Mr. McNutt, though, has done an injustice to New South Wales in describing the great Australian bowler, Mr. Spofforth, as “ the wild uncanny Tas­ m anian.” Tasmania, as far as I know, has had no share in the production or cricket education of the great “ Spoff.” I h a v e not heard even during this bowler’s year of a more notable feat with the ball than was recorded to the credit of Tom Irving, of Workington, the left- handed bowler of Cumberland, on Wed­ nesday of last week. Irving, who is engaged at Old Trafford, was playing for Preston against Lancaster in place of Middlebrook, the Preston professional, who was doing duty for Yorkshire against Notts at Sheffield. He took all the ten wickets in the latter’s innings of 16, and his analysis was remarkable, showing eight overs, of which five were maidens, for only four runs. Of the ten wickets seven were clean bowled, one caught and bowled, and the other two caught. CRiCKET-readers everywhere will be pleased to learn that Mr. S. P. Jones, of the Australian team, who was some weeks ago so ill that his life was for a time considered to be seriously endangered, is now very nearly con­ valescent. During the last few days, I understand, he has been sojourn­ ing at Margate, to get the advantage of the bracing air always to be met with at the home—perhaps I should say “ ome,” of “ Arry ” by the sea. I hear that he has moved, or thinks of moving, westward for the next few days, but his mates of the Australian team are hopeful that he will be able to resume his place among them very shortly, and, indeed, it has been stated, and, I believe, on authority, that he may be able to make his appear­ ance at Canterbury when the Australians turn up at the St. Lawrence Cricket Field in that historic city on Monday next. A distortion of a newspaper cable­ gram sent out some weeks ago, when “Sammy Jones,"to use the familiar appel­ lation by which he is generally known, was at the worst, unfortunately, caused great consternation in Sydney, leading to the belief that the illness had proved fatal. The announcement that he is once again urging the flying ball will be hailed w ith universal satisfaction, and cricketers of all classes w ill hope that he may have the fortune refused to them for several weeks, of something like genial weather to bring him once again into the best of health and condition. T h e victory of the Parsee cricketers over the Gentlemen of Northamptonshire, at Northampton, I may remind C r ic k e t readers, is the third creditable success they have been abls to claim during their tour. These results are significant as practical evidence of the excellent effects produced by the visit of their prede*essors to E ng ­ land two years ago, and cannot fail to be not only satisfactory to the Parsee com­ munity but further very encouraging to all those who consider the development of the game among the races of India to be a source of political as well as moral good. Considering what a depressing effect the execrable weather prevalent since their arrival among us must have had on them in every way, their record has been on the whole very creditable, certainly better than many had expected. Their cricket altogether has shown a marked advance on that of the first team, and it is safe to predict that the 1essons ofthis second tour w ill contribute to a further advance­ ment in the education of Parsee cricketers when Mr. Kanga and his comrades return to India. Under most discouraging con­ ditions the team now here have not only played the game thoroughly, but have shown no small enterprise and pluck, and they will certainly carry away with them the best wishes of English cricketers. S hould nothing unforeseen happen, the Irish cricketers who are to spend some weeks touring in Canada and the States are down to leave Ireland in the steamer “ Sardinian ” of the Allan line on Satur­ day week. According to present arrange­ ments the first match will be at Halifax, and this w ill be followed by four other Canadian fixtures—at St. Joh n’s against Fifteen of the Maritime Provinces, at Peterborough against All Canada, at Orilla against Ontario, and at Toronto against All Canada. There are to be eight matches in America as follow— September 6, 7, v. P ittsbu rg; 8—10, v. B alti­ more ; 12,13,14, v. B oston: 15, v. Lawrence ; 17, v. St. P aul’s School, Concord ; 20, 21, 22, v. Phila­ delphia ; 24, 25,26, v. New York ; and September 27, 28, 29, v. Philadelphia. At a recent meeting the following were selected to go, though it is not certain that all w ill be able to make the trip. Messrs.D. N. Trotter, J , H . Nunn, J. Dunn, D N . Emerson, J . W . Hynes, D. Cronin, J . P. Fitzgerald, E . Fitzgerald, J. P. Maxwell, W . Johnston, J . M. Mel- don, H . Bruen, W . D . Ham ilton, F. Kennedy, T. Tobin, D . F. G illman and W . Synnott. S om e weeks ago I gave particulars of some remarkable bowling by Mr. C. T. B. Turner, of the Australian team, during a fortnight’s cricket. On the mud wickets of last month Peel, the Yorkshire pro­ fessional, was, if not quite, almost as successful, and his figures in the last six matches in which he has taken part are well worthy of special notice. The fol­ lowing table will show that he has bowled altogether 264 overs and a ball for 282 runs and 59 wickets, or an average of less than five runs a wicket, O. M. B. W. July 12—Gentlemen v. Players ... 24 10 3t 6 „ 16—England v. A ustralia ... 31.2 10 50 8 „ 19—Yorkshire v. Lancashire 76 46 62 12 „ 23—Yorkshire v. N o tts ..........64.1 37 33 14 „ 26—Yorkshire v. Australians 16 9 19 6 „ 8)—Yorkshire V. Glo’stershtre 62.2 25 84 13 I n the last seven matches, too, Briggs, as the following figures w ill show, has taken 56 wickets at an average of just over five and a-half runs— O. M.B. W . Lanca-hire v. Middlesex ... 61.3 83 13 13 Gentlemen v. Players ................ 42 22 41 I Gentlemen v. Playera ... .r. ... 31 18 28 6 England v. Australia .................. 25 9 35 5 Lancashire v. Yorkshire................. 81 45 55 8 Lancashire v. Derbyshire .« ... 60.3 43 39 13 Lancashire v. Gloucestershire ... 38 18 45 12 T h e following are the results of the matches played between the nine prin­ cipal Counties up to Saturday la s t:— Played. W on. Lost. Draw. Surrey ................ . 9 ... 9 . 0 ... 0 Lancashire ......... . 10 .,.. 4 2 „„ 4 Yorkshire ......... . 9 .,.. 4 ... 2 .,.. 3 Gloucestershire ... 8 ... 3 ... 3 .. 2 K e n t....................... . 10 ... 4 ... 4 ... 2 Nottinghamshire 10 .,.. 3 .,.. 4 .. 3 Middlesex ......... . 8 .,.. 2 .... 6 0 Sussex .*............... . 7 . .. 0 .. 5 .. „ 2 Derbyshire ......... . 3 ... 0 .. . 3 ..• PRINCIPAL MATCHES FOR NEXT WEEK. T hu rsda y , A u g . 2: Kennington Oval, Surrey C. and G. v. Clifton College—Hasting, South of England v. Australians —Manchester, Lanchshire v. Surrey—Nottingham , Notts v. Gloucestershire— Tonbridge, Kent v. Sussex. F rid a y, A ugust 3: Bournemouth, Gentlemen of District v. Parsees— Salisbury, W iltshire v. M.C.C. and G.—Worcester, Worcestershire v. Free Foresters. M onday , A ugust 6: Lord's, M.C.C. and G. v. Notts Castle— K «nnington Oval, Surrey, v. N otts—Canterbury, Kent v. Australians—Clifton, Gloucestershire v. Sussex—Birm ingham , M.C.C. and G. v. W arw ick­ shire—Kendal, Cum berland v. W estmoreland— Leicester, Leicestershire v. Derbyshire-Leyton, Essex v. Hertfordshire—Manchester, Lancashire v. Cheshire—Norwich, Parsees v. Gentlemen of Norfolk—Sheffield, Yorkshire v. Middlesex— Shrewsbury, Shropshire v. M.C.C. and G .—South­ am pton, Ham pshire v. Somersetshire—Stoke Staffordshire v. Northamptonshire. W e d n e sd a y , A ugust 8 : Torquay, Devonshire v. W iltshire.