Cricket 1888

NOV. 1, 1888. ORICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 441 fixture, the hon. sec. is Mr. J. B. Parker, Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. Play­ ing recently for the Married against the Single of the club, one Clisby took six wickets in two overs for no runs. M a jo r -G e n e r a l M a it l a n d , C.B., the Director General of Ordnance Factories, an enthusiastic follower of cricket, has sent me the following very interesting account of an experiment to test the speed of a representative bowler. Mr. C. T. B. Turner, of the Australian team, than whom there could not well have been a more fitting subject, furnished the test required, and the result of General Mait­ land’s trial will be found in the brief report he has very kindly sent me :— I rigged up an apparatus for taking the velocity of Mr. Turner’s bowling at a point about mid-way between the wiokets, orrather between the bowler’s crease and the pitch of a good length ball. The apparatus consists of the Boulenge chronograph, and two specially prepared screens. These screens are frames across which are stretched copper wires, through which an electric current passes to the chronograph, which records the moment at which the wire is cut. For the high velocity attained by projectiles fired from guns and rifles any ordinary fine copper wire is suit­ able, but it was found very difficult to get wire fine enough and brittle enough to be instantaneously snapped bv the cricket ball, which pushed the wires aside, simply stretch­ ing them, and causing no interruption of the electric current. After several trials, how­ ever, this was achieved, and the ball broke a wire of each screen, recording the moments of its passage on the instrument, and con­ sequently the time taken to pass between the two screens. The result when worked out gave 81 feet per second, or about 55 miles an hour. It would be interesting to rig up an "arrangement at the Oval some day, and take velocity just before and just after the pitch, particularly with bowlers who are supposed to come off the ground quickly. Turner fully believes that his bowling is frequently faster after the pitch, but I am of opinion that no spin could make ,up for the loss of velocity due to striking the ground even when hard. As the result of a special appeal from Lord Harris, I hear the Committee of the Surrey County Club have forwarded a cheque for £71 18s. 5d., the nett receipts of the Sussex matches of this year as a donation to the Cricketers’ Fund. It would be a great boon to an institution having for its object the support of a very deserving body of men if some organised system of assistance were given by the leading clubs to the Fund over which Lord Harris presides. It would not be difficult. I should fancy, for some arrange­ ment to be made, by which some definite grant, say one day’s receipts, should be set apart on the different grounds for the use of the Cricketers’ Fund. I would at least respectfully suggest some such idea to the notice of the executives of the various county clubs. A l l the accounts received from South Africa combine to show that the approaching visit of the English cricket team, under the management of Major Warton, is exciting the greatest enthu­ siasm in the Cape Colony as well as in Natal, and even in the Transvaal. The team, which is to be commanded by the Sussex captain, has been definitely fixed, and will consist, in addition to Mr. C. A. Smith, of Major Warton, who will act as Hon. Sec., Hon. C. Coventry, Messrs. M. P. Bowden, E. McMaster, A. C. Skinner, J. H. Roberts, B. A. F. Grieve, and H. Wood, Maurice Read, Abel, Briggs, Fothergill and Frank Hearne. T h e programme as originally fixed was as under:— ENGLISH CRICKET TEAM. December 20, 21, 22—Cape Town, v. Western Province District (18). December 27, 28, 29—Cape Town, v. South Africa. January 2, 3, 4—Oudtshoorn, v. South Western District (22). January 7 ,8, 9—Kimberley, v. Kimberley District. January 10 , 11 , 12 —Kimberley, v. Ecclectic C.C. January 16, 17,18—Graham’s Town, v. Graham’s Town District. January 21, 22, 23—Port Elizabeth, v. Eastern Province District. January 24, 25, 26—Port Elizabeth, v. Cape Colony. January 31, and February 1, 2—Pietermaritzburg, v. P.M .Burg District. February 4, 5, 6—Pietermaritzburg, v. Natal. February 7, 8, 9—Pietermaritzburg, v. Natal. February 11,12,13—Durban, v. Durban District. February 18, 19. 20—Port Elizabeth, v. Cape Colony (Return). February 25, 26, 27—Kimberley, v. Kimberley District (Return). March 4, 5, 6—Cape Town, v. Western Province District (18, Return). March 7,8, 9—Cape Town, v. South Africa. S e v e r a l additional fixtures, though, have had to be made, and, in addition to two matches v. King Williams Town and one v. Graaf-Reinet, the team will go to Johannesberg, in the Transvaal, to play twice, once against Johannesberg, and once against the Transvaal, quite a new departure for the Boers. These arrange­ ments will cause some alterations in the dates. They will necessitate Oudtshoorn being taken on the return trip, and the team will go direct from Cape Town to Kimberley, commencing their first match at the latter place on the 1st of January. The guarantee fund now amounts to over three thousand pounds, and the fact that the Cape Government has given the team the run of the railways at an almost nominal rate will serve to show that general interest is being taken in the trip. The team are to leave London in the steamer “ Garth Castle” on the 21st of this month, with one exception, Frank Hcarne, who sailed in the “ Norham Castle ” yesterday week, being engaged to do a little coaching at the Cape be­ fore the arrival of the rest of the party. I t will be of interest to C r ic k e t readers, more especially those who do not despise what some one terms “ the elegant sim­ plicity of the three per cents.,” to know that the “ Magic Bat ” is getting into good company. That is to say a Company is just about to see the light for the purpose of developing the manufacture of the “ Magic Bat ” introduced some few years ago by Mr. W. H. Cook. Personally, I know little of the City or its affairs, but with such experts in the use o f the bat as Mr. W. W. Read, who is to be chairman, Lord Hawke, and Messrs. W. G. Grace, A. J. Webbe, J. Shuter and A. N. Hornby on the Directorate, it stands to reason that the practical part of the business of the new Company will be in the most capable hands. T h e recent issue of the balance sheet of the Hastings Week of 1888 furnished the gratifying intelligence that the confident belief of the leading citizens of that most pleasant of sea-side resorts in the financial success sure to follow the production offirst- class cricket was thoroughly well justified. Messrs. Lydgate, Carless and their fellow townsmen, who have worked hard to bring Hastings to the front as a cricket centre, have, indeed, every reason to be satisfiedwith the success which has already attended the youngest of cricket weeks. When all the accounts have been settled, it is expected that there will be a balance of quite thirty pounds, and considering that this was only the second gathering the Committee are to be thoroughly con­ gratulated on the success. N ot the least satisfactory part of the last meeting was the courtesy shown to the leading cricketers who took part in the programme, and I have heard more than one of them speak in the most grate­ ful terms of the hospitable reception extended to them. The intention of those who have the management of affairs is to maintain in every way the high reputa­ tion the Hastings festival has already gained for itself, and next year at least will witness, as far as one can judge, quite as interesting a display of cricket as was furnished in September. It is in­ tended to have, as in 1888, two first-class matches. North and South will again form the opening attraction, to be followed by Gentlemen and Players if a thoroughly representative side of amateurs can be collected, or in default to substitute Gentlemen against Players of the South. Messrs. W. G. Grace, Key, and W. W. Read have already promised to take part in the next Hastings Week, which it is hoped will immediately follow the Scar­ borough festival. T h e Sydney Sporting L ife is m y authority for the statement that W. L. Murdoch, greatest of Australian batsmen, is about to return to New South Wales after having been located in Melbourne for some time. The Sporting Life's in­ formant was Mr. Woolcott, who had also been a sojourner in Melbourne, and it was to him that Murdoch announced his intention to remove to Sydney again at an early date. Murdoch has played little or no cricket during his abode in Victoria, but it is said that he will don flannels again when he returns to New South Wales, and will be seen in the ranks of the Carltons. It is hoped that his re­ appearance in club matches will give senior cricket in the Colony an impetus it much needs. NEXT ISSUE, NOVEMBER 29.