Cricket 1888

452 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. NOV. 29,1888. THE MELBOURNE CLUB. The annual meeting of the Melbourne Club was held in the pavilion on Sept. 8th, the President, Mr. Frank Grey Smith, occupying the ohair. The report read by the Secretary, Major Wardill, oontained the following reference to the English team which visited Australia last winter under the auspioes and management of the club. “ It was hardly anticipated that the club would escape loss in bringing out a team from England under the circumstances exist­ ing at the time, and that anticipation had been realised, the result being a debit balance of £3,582 15s. 3d., whioh had to be provided out of the general resouroes of the club. Not­ withstanding this adverse result, the season closed with the comparatively small indebted­ ness to the bank of £518 Is. 3d. The team played eight first-class matches, winning six, losing one, and drawing one. They also played 17 matches against odds, winning four and drawing 13. The total number of matches played was 25, and the brilliant character of the batting and bowling of the team was shown by the averages obtained. Mr. W . W. Read heads the list in batting in first-class matches with the average of 65*77 per innings, Peel being second with 3972, and Mr. Stod­ dart third with 32 07, while in matches against odds Mr. Stoddart is at the top with 42 83 in 18 innings, Mr. O’Brien 31*50, and Peel 30 21. The average total per innings for first-class matches was 273*51, and for matches against odds 249*68 per innings. Amongst the best innings played were 382 against South Aus­ tralia, 337 against New South Wales, 556 against 18 juniors, 477 against 22 of Ballarat, and 417 against 18 of Bendigo. In first-class matches Attewell obtained the best bowling average, getting 53 wickets for 11*05 runs per wicket, Peel being second with an average of 19*10 runs per wicket. Against odds the posi­ tion was reversed, Peel being first with 4 85 runs per wicket for 173 wickets, and Attewell next with 5*26 runs per wicket. In all matches Peel and Attewell had exactly the same averages, 7*54 runs per wicket. The former bowled 5,579 balls for 213 wickets, and the latter bowled 5,222 balls for 135 wickets. It was greatly to be regretted that the visit was marred owing to the sudden bereavement sus­ tained by the Hon. Martin Hawke, the popular captain of the eleven, necessitating his retire­ ment before one-third of the matches had been played. The serious accident to Bates, one of the professionals, was greatly deplored, and his valuable services were also lost to the team at an early stage of the tour. Through the generous response of the members of this club, and of other clubs, to an appeal on his behalf, aided by the spontaneous offer of the Carlton and Port Melbourne Football Clubs to play a match for his benefit, a sum of £250 na3 already been forwarded to England on Bates’ behalf to assist him in his altered cir­ cumstances.” “ Negotiations,” the report added, “ had been entered into with teams of American baseball players for exhibition matches on the ground, when the national out-door game of Amerioa will be shown by the most celebrated exponents. The senior eleven of the club had been engaged in 13 first-class matches, eight of which were won and five drawn. There were in all 33 matches played, 20 of which ware won, one lost, and 10 drawn. The season has thus been very suc­ cessful, and compares favourably with any previous one. The only match lost was that against Northern Tasmania. The club now holds the leading position for the Challenge Cup, no cup match having been lost. The best performances were 335 against South Melbourne, and 322 against Ballarat. The usual high standard of individual batting averages had been maintained, Mr. F. H. Walters securing the first place in first-class matches with 42*10 runs per innings for 12 innings, Mr. J. Blackham being close up with 40*83, while for all matches Mr. Walters had the fine average of 65*25, obtained in 20 inn­ ings (four not outs), Mr. E, H. Bond coming next with an excellent average, for so young a player, of 56. The century was passed three times by Mr. Walters, he made 107 against Ballarat, 156 (not out) against the East Mel­ bourne Trades, and 152 against the Victorian Railways. Mr. W. Bruce got 141 against the Railways, and Mr. C. H. L. Ross 118 (not out) against the Brighton Club. In bowling in first-class matches Mr. H. Trumble took the premier position, getting 36 wickets for the splendid average of 6*77 runs per wicket, Mr. F. Spofforth coming next with the good average of 8 07 obtained for 27 wickets, Mr. Bruce being third with 11.61 runs per wicket. In all matches Mr. J. Morris has the remark­ able average of 2'56 runs per wicket for 25 wickets, Cotter (prof.) coming next with 5*11, getting 69 wickets, Mr. H. Trumble taking third position by getting 45 wickets for 6*33 runs per wicket. The senior second eleven secured the Challenge Cup given by the V.C.A., having played 10 matches against the second elevens of associated clubs without sustaining a defeat. The record of the senior second eleven for the past five seasons shows that out of 60 matches played, 44 were won, 14 were drawn, and only two lost. Mr. C. J. Dunne, for the second season in succession, heads the list of averages in the senior eleven with 28*26 for seven innings, Mr. A. E. Stephen coming next with 16*25 runs for eight innings. The best bowling average was secured by Mr. J. C. Allan, with 7.78 runs per wicket for 28. There had been 405 new members admitted during the twelve months, and the number now on the roll was 2,230, showing an increase of 193 on the previous season. The receipts from subscriptions and entrance fees amounted to £4,996 18s., being £671 8s. 6d. in excess of last year. The revenue and receipts from all sources for the season amounted to £7,618 16s. lid .—a large increase on previous years.” The Chairman said that the first eleven were in the leading position for the Challenge Cup, and the second eleven had already won theirs. He did not think it necessary to justify the action of the committee in having invited a team of cricketers to come here from England. The step was authorised by the club, and although there might have been a mistake, and the anticipations might not have been realised, he did not regret at all that they had invited that team to come out here. The policy of their proceedings on that occasion was vindicated in the balance sheet. Last year he enunciated from the chair a principle that it was greatly to the advantage of cricket and cognate sports that they should go to the other colonies and countries under the auspices of a recognised club, and he reiterated that principle. The report was carried unanimously. The election of office-bearers resulted in the re-election of Mr. Frank Grey Smith as presi­ dent, Messrs. W. H. Handfield and F. G. Moule as vice-presidents, and Mr. J . Travis as hon. treasurer. There were nine candidates for the seven vacancies on the committee, and on a poll being taken the following were declared elected— Messrs. Ryall, Bruce, Pleasance, Harrison, M’Laughlin, Forrester, and W. H. Moule. BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Aver. SHERBORNE SCHOOL. Matches played 8—Won 2, drawn 1, lost 5. BATTING AVERAGES. Times Most in Inns, not out. Runs, an Inns. Aver. W. H. J. Price 10 ... 0 ... 55 ... 18 .... 5.5 A. C. Clapin ... 10 ... 1 ..., 103 ... 38 .... 11.44 G. A. Ellis ... 9 ... 0 ..., 177 ... 68 ..,. 19.66 T. H. Fenwick 10 ... 0 ..., 119 ... 49 . 11.9 P. H. Morres... 10 ... 0 ..., 108 ... 81 .... 10.8 A. L. Jacob ... 10 ... 0 ... 141 ... 31 ... 14.1 A. H. Radcliffe 12 ... 0 ..., 160 ... 41 .... 13.33 H. E. Baker ... 10 ... 3 ..., 124 ... 28 .... 17.71 C. D. Baker ... 7 ... 4 ... 4D ... 25 ..,. 13.33 E. Dixon.......... 4 ... 1 ... 29 ... 4 .... 9.66 H. C. Bryant... 3 ... 0 . 13 ... 11 .... 4.33 W. H. Price 4 . 2 .. 4 .. 1 .. 4. A. C. Clapin 159.1 . . 46 .. 351 .. 25 .. 14.04 G. A. Ellis... 163.4 . . 57 .. 246 .. 33 .. 8.97 T.H.Fenwick 29 . . 6 .. 74 .. 7 .. 10.57 P. H. Morres 40 . . 8 .. 87 .. 4 .. 21.72 C. D. Baker 61.2 . . 18 .. 114 .. 7 .. 16.28 COMPARISONS ABE ODIOUS. A fig for the music of hounds and of horn ! A southerly wind and a soft cloudy morn, Though some folks enjoy them no doubt; They cannot, in my poor opinion, compare W ith days when there’s sunshine and heat in the air, And “ flannels ’* are all you in comfort can wear, And there’s light to see what you’re about I don’t like the mud half way up to your knees, The dank sodden grass, and the bare leafless trees, And general sense of decay. The hounds and the horn may be all very fine, And music to some ears, they are not to mine, My longings and tastes do not that way incline, For no pleasure to me they convey. But give me the sky of cerulean blue, The sun blazing down fit to burn you in two, (For me it can ne’er be too hot) And give me the pitch mown as close as can be, And not out of truth to the hundredth degree, But firm—aye, and fast if you like, ’twill suit me, And I envy no mortal his lot. What music can rival the smack of a drive, That tells of the ball that is going for “ five,” Not six inches over the grass. The hum of the cut as like lightning it goes Past point, and past slip, to the far distant rows Of gazers, who hastily pick up their toes, Very keen upon letting it pass. What pleasure there is when you feel you’re well set, And likely as not a neat hundred to get, Before there’s a row at your stumps. When somehow you se6 every ball all the way, And laugh at the dodges and tricks that they Play, Well knowing they’re harmless, since this is “ your day,” And you answer their cunning with crumps. Or when at the wicket you’re really in form, And take every ball be it ever so warm, While stumping a man now and then; Or fielding at point when a “ hot ’un ” you hold, And thereby your rivals’ big hitter is sold In not piling up all the runs he’d foretold When he talked rather big to your men. In cricket what Kudos or glory you gain, You gain it yourself, by your own might and main, Not looking to horse or to hound. You’ve nothing to aid you, on self you rely, On sureness of hand, and on quickness of eye, On nerves firm as steel you can trust to defy Cruel luck, when Dame Fortune has frowned. S o m e r v ille G ib n e y . How t o P la c e a C r ic k e t F i e l d . ” — J u s t P u b lis h e d . T h e N e w L aw s o f C b ic k e t. —As revised by the Marylebone Cricket Club, with five specially arranged diagrams “ How to Place a Cricket Field” as follows:—1. To Slow Bowler (either Rouad-arm or “ Lobs ” ); 2. A slow or medium Left-handed Bowler (Round-arm); 3. To an Ordinary Medium-pace Bowler; 4. To a Fast Left-handed Bowler (Round-arm); 5. To a Fast Round-arm Bowler. Sent post free 2£d. Wright and Co., 41, St. Andrew’s H ill, Doctors Commons, E.O. or from a ll dealers. NEXT ISSUE, DECEMBER 27.