Cricket 1888

462 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. NOV. 29,18.88. C O U N T Y C R IC K E T IN 1889 . In view of the annual meeting at Lord’s on the eleventh of next month for the arrangement of the various programmes for 1889, it will be of interest to cricketers generally to have something like an idea of the arrangements proposed for the several county elevens. The present article deals solely with the eight leading shires, and, as the information in each case has been received from the respon­ sible officer, the particulars which follow may be accepted as thoroughly reliable. The committee of the Gloucestershire Club, Dr. W. G. Grace informs us, intend to play all the leading counties as in 1888, so that home and home matches will be arranged with Kent, Lancashire, Middle­ sex, Notts, Surrey, Sussex, and Yorkshire. In addition, if suitable dates can be found, two fixtures will be made with Warwick­ shire, so that, in all, there will be sixteen engagements as in 1888, Warwickshire taking the place of the Australian team. Mr. J. Cranston, it is reported, will be again seen in the Gloucestershire eleven, and, should he come back at all to his old form, is sure to be of use. The new county ground has been relaid by George Hearne, and, according to Dr. Grace, is already in very good order. With a per­ manent ground—and one which bids fair to prove one of the best in the country, the Gloucestershire Club is entering on a new era with, it is to be hoped, a long lease of prosperity. The committee of the Kent County Club have been, and justly, so satisfied with the results of last season that there has been naturally a disposition to frame the pro­ gramme for 1889 as closely as possible on the lines of the previous year. Out and home matches will, therefore, be played against each of the other seven leading counties, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Surrey, Sussex, and Yorkshire to wit, in all fourteen im ­ portant fixtures. With a view to utilise, as much as possible, the latent talent, the executive have wisely determined to secure, if arrangements can be made, the use of a ground or grounds in the neighbourhood of London, for the purpose of testing the merits of any likely players before the actual commencement of the season, fol­ lowing the system introduced by the Surrey Club, under the advice and personal direction of Mr. Frederick Burbidge some few years since,; Kent has of late never been lacking in batting, on the contrary, it has always had an abundance of run- getters. Last year, though, with Alec Hearne, Martin, Walter Wright, and Wootton, it presented as formidable an attack as any county in England, and, as there is every reason to believe that the eleven will be quite as strong an all-round combination, Kent should with ordinary luck next summer be again quite in the front of county cricket. The home match with Lancashire is to be played at Canter­ bury during the Week ; with Surrey at Blackheath, with Notts and Sussex at Maidstone, with Yorkshire at Gravesend, and with Middlesex at Beckenham. The Gentlemen of Philadelphia are to meet the Gentlemen of Kent at Town Mailing. Lancashire, if the anticipations of those best acquainted with the county affairs are realised, should be well to the fore again. It is expected that both Mr. A. G. Steel and the Bev. J. B. Napier will be able to give their services somewhat oftener to the county than heretofore, and the assistance of these two fine all-round cricketers should be of great value. The committee intend to give a trial to Mold, the fast bowler from Northamptonshire, who will be qualified next summer by residence, and, if he should prove as suc­ cessful as there is reason to hope he will from his recent form, the great want of the county of late years will be supplied. Another recruit who will have a good chance is A. Ward—no relation, by the way, to the Lancashire professional, Frank, of that name—of whom report speaks highly. He was born in Yorkshire, but has been actively associated with Leyland for some time. In recognition of the valuable services of Pilling, the committee have determined to give that prince of wicket-keepers a benefit match. This will be North v. South, to be played on the same days as the Eton and Harrow match, and Pilling’s popularity with all classes of cricketers is so general that it is safe to anticipate for him a great success. The committee do not propose to play Derbyshire next year, a resolve which, however much the incident is to be regretted, has been, it must be con­ fessed, in a great measure forced on them by the reception the eleven have met at Derby recently. Otherwise the programme of matches will be much the same as last year. The handsome testimonial pre­ sented last Saturday to Mr. S. H. Swire, who has acted as honorary secretary of the Lancashire County Club for just a qnarter of a century, is only another instance of the hearty appreciation the sport-loving folk of the Palatinate are wont to show to those who in any way contribute to their amusement or enjoy­ ment. In Mr. Swire’s case, too, it can be said, without venturing in the smallest degree into the language of flattery, that no presentation in connection with cricket, or indeed of any kind of sport, has ever been more thoroughly deserved. The hon. secretary of the Lancashire Club has seen the county rise from the humblest position until it has come to be one of the most influential and prosperous organisa­ tions of its class in the kingdom, Under his management the roll of members has advanced from comparatively insignificant numbers until it has reached a position equalled perhaps by only one other similar combination in England. For twenty-five years, in fact, Mr. Swire has been the moving spirit of Lancashire cricket, and everyone interested in the game will heartily join with the members of his county club in their appreciation of the long and unselfish services he has ren­ dered to the game. We understand that Middlesex will be unable to repeat the fixture it was able to arrange last year with Derbyshire. Other­ wise the programme, with of course the omission of the Australian match, will in all probability be the same as in 1888, consisting of out and home contests with Gloucestershire, Kent, Lancashire, Notts, Surrey, and Yorkshire. It will be seen, therefore, that, unless the committee of the county club, who are to meet to-day, by the way, should see fit to make any alteration, the Middlesex card will, in ail likelihood, consist of twelve engagements. As far as is known, Mr. A. J. Webbe will be able to count on all the amateurs who assisted last year, although Mr. E . H. Buckland, who is now, it will be inte­ resting to C r ic k e t readers to know, a master at Winchester College, will, in consequence of his duties there, be unable to take part in the earlier fixtures. Mr. A. E. Stoddart’s return to England will, however, as far as one can tell, enable Mr. Webbe to secure the co-operation of one of the keenest and best all-round cricketers Middlesex has had for a long time, and his reappearance should prove of incalculable benefit to the side. By next summer, too, Bawlin, the old York­ shire player, will have completed the period necessary to qualify by residence for Mid­ dlesex, and it should be to the advantage of the county to be able to claim the ser­ vices of so useful an all-round player. The committee of the Notts County Club, satisfied with the extent of the pro­ gramme arranged for the eleven in 1887, have resolved to play the same matches as last year. All the more important counties, therefore, will have to be met, and there will, consequently, be fourteen what are termed first-class matches, con­ sisting of out and home with each ot the following: Gloucestershire, Kent, Lan­ cashire, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex;, and Yorkshire. It was hoped that a match or matches with Cambridge would be in­ cluded in the list, but the University authorities could not see their way to make any arrangements. As far as is known, all the members of last year’s team will be available, and these, with Arthur Shrewsbury—whose return will be welcomed by every class of cricketers— should enable the county to show a bold front. Surrey will provide the attraction for the Whit Monday fixture at Trent Bridge, and the Nottinghamshire eleven will, as usual, return the compliment by appearing at the Oval on the August Bank Holiday. The Surrey executive, satisfied appa­ rently with the amount of work the eleven have done of late years, do not propose, we hear, to add to the number of Inter-County fixtures. Overtures, we believe, have been received from more than one of the newer shires, but the Committee are of opinion that the card is lengthy enough, and with the exception of a return with Oxford at Oxford, the programme the team will have to carry out will be the same as last year. Each of the principal Counties will be met twice, while in addition there will be out and home fixtures with Hampshire, Leicestershire, Essex, Derbyshire, Oxford University, and one at the Oval against Cambridge University. The annual match between the Gentlemen and Players will be played on the Surrey ground on July 4, 5, and 6, the last three days of the Oxlord and Cambridge week, and it is proposed, we understand NEXT ISSUE, DECEMBER 27.