Cricket 1888

NOV . 29, 1888. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAMS. 467 years of age, and in proof of his devotion to the game, it need only be added that he has been an active player for no less than fifty-six summers. He has been, too, as I am able to state of my own per­ sonal voucher, to the best of his ability, a liberal supporter of cricketers, and if only for that reason, is entitled to the respect of all well-wishers of the game. During last summer, I may add, he carried his bat through the innings no less than three times for the Pall Mall Wanderers, and on one occasion he was over three hours at the wickets, running all his runs, a remarkable performance for anyone of his age and weight. The following table will show the total number of runs and wickets got by Mr. Absolon for the last fifteen years. Yrs. Runs. Wkts Yrs. Runs. Wkts. 1874 ... ... 1,066 ... ... 500 1882... ... 1,047 . . ... 289 1875 ... ... 658 ... ... 233 1883... ... 1,049 . . ... 222 1876 ... ... 1,151 ... ... 356 1884... ... 1,190 . . ... 263 1877 ... ... 1,079 ... ... 362 1885... ... 1,021 . . ... 320 1878 ... ... 974 ... ... 300 1886... ... 1,075 ........204 3879 ... ... 685 ... ... 178 1887 ... ... 1,070 .......222 1880 ... ... 910 ... ... 254 1888... ... 1,055 . . ...129 1881 ... ... 924 ... ... 230 A n item of intelligence which cannot fail to give universal satisfaction to English cricketers will be gleaned from the letter of our Australian correspondent, to be found on page 460. I refer to the in­ formation that Mr. W . E. Boiler, the well known Surrey amateur, who left last August to have the benefit of a winter in Australia, was playing in Sydney last month and with success. Mr. Roller assisted the University Club against Sydney, early in October, and proved to be the highest scorer on the side with 17 out of a total of 53. Mr. Roller, I am informed, was not only looking well, but seemed to be in good health. Everyone will hope to find that his trip to Australia has proved of such permanent benefit as to enable him to resume the prominent place he has held for the last few years in English cricket. T he following extract is, it is super­ fluous to add, from an American paper : . A tramp up in Illinois recently backed him ­ self and his cattle dog to play eleven of the best cricketers in Fairfield, a village in those parts. The match ezcited great interest, as the old fellow was known to put all the money he possessed on the match. The eleven won the toss, and, owing to the old man’s good bowl­ ing and the dog’s clever fielding, only made 63 runs. The old man went in, and remained at the wicket all day. He made 27 off his first hit, 34 off his seoond, and 14 off his third, and so on. This was brought about by his dog, which was evidently trained to seizing the ball between his teeth and dodging about with it till he was captured. The smallest snick would result in from 10 to 40runs. One time it seemed as if the old man would be caught, but the dog jumped and knocked the man down who was about to make the catoh. Theeleven gave the match to the old man at night. He then offered to play twenty-two, but the offer was declined. A n amateur, well known in connection with Kent cricket about a decade ago, passed away on the first of this month in the person of Mr. 'William Wallace Rodger, of Hadlow Castle. Mr. Rodger’s name is to be found in the Kent eleven in 1867, and the six succeeding years. He also gained distinction in other sports, and as a pigeon shot, as well as a billiard player, was very much the average. He represented Oxford University at billiards for several years, and at one time had few, if any, superiors among amateurs. He was at Canterbury during the cricket week last August, and apparently in good health, so that to many the news of his death will come as a great surprise. D u rin g the last few weeks, indeed, death has been more than usually busy among cricketers. Since the last number of C ricket appeared two Surrey cricketers have passed away, in Tom Sewell, the elder, and W. J. Carter. The former, who was the oldest professional cricketer living for many years, died at the end of last month, at the age of 82. Born at Mitcham, he was engaged at Lord’s for many years, and about 1852 was found in the Kent eleven a few times. He also took part in the match between Gentlemen and Players, though he did not make his appearance in this contest until 1839, when he was 33 years old. W. J. Carter, whose remains were placed in Kingston Ceme­ tery on Saturday last, played for Surrey in a lew matches some sixteen years since, and occasionally also figured in the United South of England Eleven about the same period. He was in his forty- seventh year at the time of his death. I t will be of use to many Secretaries of Clubs to know that at the General Meet­ ing of the Crystal Palace Club, held in the Palace on Monday, the 12th inst., John Aste, jun. (Beulah, Cator Boad, Sydenham, S.E.), was elected Hon. Sec., in the place of Charles Eastlake Smith, resigned. Mr. Smith held the office for fifteen years, and I can myself testify that no club has ever had a more zealous officer. He was an indefatigable worker, and it is no reflection on those who suc­ ceed him in the post to say that they will have a very high standard to reach if they hope to fill the responsible position he has vacated with the same energy and tact. No testimonial in connection with cricket was ever, it is satisfactory to be able to say, more thoroughly merited than that presented to Mr. S. H. Swire, the Hon. Sec. of the Lancashire Club. It was not until 1864 that any attempt was made to play matches under the title of Lancashire, and Mr. Swire’s name is to be found as one of the County Eleven in its first recorded match on June 15 of that year. During the quarter of a century that has passed since the inauguration of the Lancashire Club, Mr. Swire has been its Hon. Sec, so that he is the doyen of the County Secretaries of to-day. Under his fostering care, too, Lancashire has risen to be one of the strongest as well as influential Counties of modern date. In his hands the club has.grown until it ha,s one of the largest muster rolls in England or elsewhere, and it is not too much to say that much of its prosperity is due to Mr. Swire’s personal energy. Saturday’s tribute, which must have been particularly gratifying to its recipient, from the fact that the subscribers numbered as many as 550, was only a fitting reward of a long and honorable career in the service of cricket. N ot very long since I had the pleasure of notifying that Mr. H. J. H. Scott, the popular captain of the Australian team of 1886, had received a medical appoint­ ment in New South Wales. Mr. Scott’s many friends in England will learn with equal pleasure of another important event in his life. Mr. Scott has, I believe I am correct in stating, taken unto himself a wife, in the person of a young Australian lady who was in Eng­ land two years ago during the visit of the Fifth Australian team. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have the best wishes of English as well as Colonial cricketers. S ec reta ries of clubs whose pro­ grammes in any way depend on the more important matches of the season will find it useful to know that the Inter' University march of 1889 will be played at Lord’s on July 1, 2, and 3. The match between Gentlemen and Players at the Oval will, under these circum­ stances, take place on the three following days, and I take it that Gentlemen and Players and Eton and Harrow will occupy Lord’s the next week, the former on July 8, 9, and 10, the latter on July 12 and 13. Pilling’s benefit (North and South) is down for the three days commencing July 11 . T he Castle Line steamer bound for the Cape with Mr. C. A. Smith and the other English cricketers on board left Lisbon, their final port of call in Europe, on Mon­ day last for Madeira and Cape Town. As it is the first time an English team has visited South Africa their tour will be watched with general interest, and Mr. Smith and his men will carry with them the good wishes of all at home, that the trip may not only be an enjoyable one, but further that it may conduce to a material development of the game in the several divisions of South Africa. There are not a few good cricketers out there, as C r ic k e t readers will be aware, and it is to be hoped that this first visit of Eng­ lish players may be as successful as the other inter-changes of hospitality between the cricketers of the Old Country and her Colonies. T h e annual nigger show of the Croydon Club will be held at the Town Hall, Croydon, on Saturday, Dec. 8, at eight p.m. NEXT ISSUE, DECEMBER 27.