Cricket 1888

S E P T . 6,1888. CRICKET r A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAMS. 398 explored by English cricketers. The names of those who have promised to make tho trip have been given before, and, as I have already stated, the party will be absent from England for about three months, commencing from Nov. 15. T h e result of this latest development of the touring system will be awaited with considerable interest. One thing, atleast, is certain, with so many cricketers from the old country among the Settlers in South Africa, that the team will have a hearty reception. Everything, indeed, betokens an enjoyable outing, and Major Warton and his followers will, according to all appearances, have what is known as a high old time of it out of England. I have just learned from Major Warton that the following eleven have definitely promised to accompany him :—Mr. C. A. Smith, the Sussex captain, Mr. M. P, Bowden of Surrey, Hon, 0. Coventry, Messrs. 0. McMaster and B. A. F. Grieve, and' Lohmann, Maurice Bead, Briggs, Abel, and Fothergill. The thirteenth place, for which there are several appli­ cants, will be filled up in the next week or two. It is in contemplation to visit Natal during the trip with a view to play one or more matches, and I understand that guarantees have already been pro­ vided for fixtures in some of the up- country districts off the line of railway connecting Cape Colony. I lea rn from the manager of the Australian team, that he has given up all idea of taking America or the Cape on the homeward journey of the team. He has decided, indeed, that the party shall return in the Orient steamer “ Cuzco,” which is due to leave London on the twelfth of October. The team are, as I stated last week, to be the guests ol the President of the New South Wales Association at a banquet in London on the 25th inst., so that tne various members will have a fortnight wherein to amuse themselves, and without any thought of cricket to trouble them, beforethey require to prepare for their embarkation. I n t e l li g e n c e , I see, has just reached one of the London sporting papers that arrangements have been made for the visit of a mixed team of American baseball players and cricketers to Australia during the coming winter. It is some months since, I may mention incidentally, I gave full particulars of the tour, furnished by reliable authority, none other than Mr. Albert G. Spalding, of Chicago, one of the leaders of American baseball. Mr. S. will, no doubt, be remembered by many cricketers as one of the principal figures in the combination which visited England several years in the hope, which was never realised, of introducing the national game of the United States into this country. M r . S p a ld in g , who, I may add, is one of the chief promoters of the trip in question, is sanguine that the athletes of Australia will take more kindly to baseball than has the young Englishman of to-day. George Wright, who, the cablegram states, is to have the management of the cricket part of the trip and to captain the eleven, was also over here with the baseballers from Philadelphia and Boston, and did good service in the cricket matches that took place during that visit. He is a prominent and active member of the Longwood Club, of Boston. T h e following table will show the results of the matches played between the eight principal counties this year. Surrey Kent Yorksh. Glostersh Lancs. Notts Middx. Sussex <u>> cJ E Won Lost Drawn Surrey ww WW WD WL WW ww ww u 12 1 1 Kent... L L D L L L WW WD ww vvw 14 7 5 2 Yorks. L L DW WD I) WDW L L ww 14 6 4 4 Gloster L D WW L D D L L W WL DW 14 5 5 4 Lancs. LWL h D L DW D D WW D L 14 4 5 5 Notts. L L L D D L WL D D L D WW L4 3 6 5 Middx. L L L L WW L W L L WD 12 4 7 1 Sussex L L L Li L L D L DW L L 12 1 9 2 By reading from left to right the result of every match may be seen at a glance, with the number of victories, defeats, and draws. W, won; L, lost; D, drawn. A copy of an old newspaper published in London, under the title of the Grub — not inappropriate for cricket — Street Journal , which has recently come into my possession, contains the following para­ graph, anent a cricket match played on the previous day:— Yefterday at the cricket-match on Bromly common [between the Prince of Wales and the Earl of Middlesex for a ioooZ. DP. 500 guineas DA.] the Londoners got 72 [ 73 . I)J.] the firft innings, the Kentilh men 95 . [98 D J.] London fide went in again and got only 9 above the Kentifh men, who won the match. L P ------There was a great deal o f mifchief done, by fome falling from their horfes, others being rode over, &c. and one Man was carried off for dead as his royal highneis paffed by, juft at tiie entrance of the Common. DP. To judge by the paragraph, which I have given as it appeared, verbatim et litteratim , the lot of a spectator at a cricket match a hundred and fifty years ago could not be considered altogether a happy one. The paper, it may be of interest to state, was published on July 31, 1735, which I may add was eleven years prior to the date of the first cricket match recorded in “ Scores and Biographies.’‘ T h e same journal contains still another paragraph giving results o f two matches, o f which a copy w ill be found below :— Latt W ednesday a great cricket-match was played on Mole fey-hurft, between 9 Surrey men a n d 9 Middlesex men for 40 1. which was won by the former P .------------'Between the gentlemen of Chelfea and the gentlemen of Clapham, on Chelfea common, for 50 guineas, which was won by the former : Mr. R ow , one of the gamefters broke his arm in a fall. G. -------------Yefterday the great cricket-match. between 11 gentlemen of Lambeth, and 11 of the Borough, on Kennington common, for a confiderable fum o f money, which was won by the former with great ea*e. DJ. T h e following lines are reproduced from the September number of Outing. They are from the pen of Mr. Howard MacNutt, who was over in England in 1884 with the Gentlemen of Philadelphia. TO MY CRICKET BAT. Old cricket bat! ten thousand times the ball repulsed Has felt thy stinging blow, and baffled, rolled away Only to return again with fierce and swift assault And find thee ever watchful guardian of my wicket. What battle-scars more honorable than these thy dents ? What Wounds more glorious than these upon thy scarred and beaten face ? ’Tis true thou hast at times made some bad strokes, But mine, not thine, the error was; my failing eye, My nerveless arm and weakening wrist the error made, And took away from thee the courage to play well. But now, thy many battles fought, I’ll sing thy praise, Attune my lay to make thy memory famous; Like bard of olden time, I ’ll tell what thou hast done In loud exulting strain, and metre of heroic length. Each inch of wood within thy tried and seasoned blade, Each withe and strip which gives thy handle strength, Has knit together, closer, firmer, till, conjoined In one grand perfect piece—a paragon ot bats, A trusty blade which bowlers must respect. And is thy service ended ? Nay—not so! My sinews grip thee with an iron strength, Hold thee aloft, and make each fancied stroke With which thou oft has played the suffering ball. I fetl thee cut and draw, and smartly ‘ ‘snick” to leg, Clap sudden down, and block a “ Yorker” fast. 1 swing thee thus about, and mark the drive Which, o’er the boundary flying, scores me “ six.” Thy service is not ended—nay, thy heart would break, Each crack and seam upon thy face would wider grow Like aged wrinkles, if I pensioned thee ; While 1 , in future, vainly would thine equal seek. Nay, nay, my brave old b a t! I’ll play with thee As long as life and sinew give me strength ; And when upon the fateful book of life My final score is made, my wickets down, And God, the mighty umpire, calls me home, I’ll take thee in my hand, good, brave old bat! Walk slowly from the field and wave good-bye, Then lay me down, my cricket armour on, And with thee for my pillow, fall asleep. H o w ard M ac N ut t . PRINCIPAL MATCHES FOR NEXT WEEK. T h u r s d a y , S e p t . 6 :— Scaroorough—Australians v. Lord Londes- borough s Eleveu. Leicester—Gentn. of Leicestershire v.Parsees. F r id a y , S ept. 7 :— ISorchampton—Northamptonshire v. Surrey (J. & li. M o n d a y , Sept. 10:— Hoibeck—Australians v. Shrewsbury’s Team. Buxton—Gentlemen of Derbyshire) v. Parses. W e d n e s d a y , S e p t . 12: — Kennington Oval—Gentn. of Surrey v. Parsees