Cricket 1888

58 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. A P R IL 12, 1888. O n e of the best of Giffen’s recent per­ formances with the ball was recorded in a minor match between the Norwood and Hindmarsh Clubs, played on the Oval, at Adelaide, on Feb. 11. He got eight of the Hindmarsh team out on a perfect pitch for 22 runs, and as the two other batsmen were run out, he was credited with all the wickets that fell ito the bowler. Giffen’s refusal to join the team now on their way to England has naturally met with severe censure from the Australian critics. It is certainly to be regretted that anything should have occurred to induce him to stay at home. Whatever the reasons that have influenced his decision, it seems that they are of his own creation, for, as far as I can hear, the requisite leave had been secured to enable him to visit England, and, in addi­ tion, pressure from the most influential quarters used to persuade him to recon­ sider his resolution, but without success. The attempts to make him Gijf in and join the team were indeed an utter failure. T h e advisability of the inclusion of the veteran, H . F. Boyle, in the coming Australian team has given rise to a good deal of criticism, and that mostly, it must be admitted, not of a favourable character, over here as well as in Australia. As a rule English cricketers, I am inclined to think, will agree in doubting his claims to a place in a representative team of the Colonies, but still it must be stated that he was in the original selection of the promoters of this Sixth Australian tour, and they should be capable of managing their own affairs. I t is of interest in this connection, as the following remarks will show, to point out that “ Felix,” the cricket critic of the Australasian, whose judgment is entitled to the greatest respect, is by no means of the opinion that Boyle, whom personally every one here will be glad to see again, will be without use on our wickets during this summer:—- A good deal of adverse comment has been passed upon Boyle’s inclusion in the team. 1 have always maintained that Boyle in England is quite a different man to Boyle in Australia, and I think anyone who takes the trouble to refer to his bowling performances on English fields against the flower of English cricketers must admit that the old Bendigonian has acquitted himself wonderfully well. He now wears a handsome diamond ring, which he won through gaining first place in the Australian Eleven of 1882 (the best team by far that ever visited England), when he bore away the palm from such a formidable quartet as Spofforth, Giffen, Palmer, and Garrett. "When Spofforth got a place in Vanity Fair for his fine bowling in 1878 against the Marylebone Club, Boyle, who was scarcely noticed, had actually tbe better average. I am free to confess that Boyle is not as young as he used to be (no abstruse mental calcula­ tion is necessary to recognise the truth of this), and that he is passing—or has passed—into the evening of his cricket days; but for all that, if he be sound enough in body and possess the neccssary stamina, there is no Australian bowler better qualified than the veteran Boyle to take Turner’s place on sticky wickets. If anything happened to Turner, Boyle lif in good health) would be a host in himself on bad wickets, his length is so remarkably consistent. His bowling perform­ ances in England in 1878,1880, and 1882 were first-class, and I give the lie direct to the state­ ments made that he cannot go to England. If he can, and the veteran will do as well now as of old, and should be able to last, I think his figures will read by no means badly at the close of the totir. S u s s e x has had so many misfortunes to contend against during the last few years, notably by the deaths of Messrs. W . Blackman and F. M. Lucas, as well as Juniper, that cricketers will be glad to hear of anything likely to lead to its advancement. It is satisfactory to note that great efforts are being made in Brighton to improve and develop the game in the County, and the formation of the Brighton Association cannot fail to exercise beneficial results in this direction. At the inaugural meeting oftheAssociation, as many will remember, Alderman Saunders offered a silver Challenge Cup for the Senior Clubs, and since that time through the kindness of Mr. H . J. Infield, editor of the Argus and the Sussex Daily News, a trophy has also been presented to the Association for competition among the Juniors. The former has been named the Saunders Challenge Cup, the latter the Argus Challenge Cup. Brighton cricket has reason to be grateful to Alderman Saunders for the success which has so far attended the new Association. A f r e q u e n t and valued correspon­ dent of mine, whose style will not, I venture to think, be unfamiliar to readers of this paper, sends me the following comments anent “ P ’s ” interesting com­ munication which appeared in C r ic k e t of March 29, on the vexed question of lbw :— That lbw letter on the vile legging, etc., is capitally handled, and to the purpose. Of course if the majority of those playing at the game want it to be shortened, by all means let the law be altered and give the bowlers the turn, which will at once do so. But as a rule cricketers and spectators too, up to date, are most pleased when the batsman makes the best display; and it’s a question if “ earth­ quake ”—or collapsing—cricket, which would then “ come off” more than even it does now, would be good for the game. Anyhow, when a polled majority of practical cricketers think so then “snuff ” the batsman, but not till then. T h r o u g h the courtesy of the editor of the Times of Ceylon I am able to give particulars of a remarkable bowling per­ formance recorded in a match played in that colony. The game in question was between the Dimbula and Amblamana Clubs, and the hero of the feat was W. F. Halliley of the former. With the last four balls of one over he clean bowled as many batsmen, with the first ball of his next over he clean bowled another, and before that over was finished a wicket was taken off his bowling. Thus six good bats were disposed of in two overs by Mr. Halliley, and five of them clean bowled. Next to F. L. Shand, the Old Harrovian, whose left-hand deliveries, as many will remember, proved so effective in the Harrow and Eton match of 1873, Hal­ liley is the best bowler in Ceylon. The members of the Dimbula Club, I under­ stand, have presented him with a testi­ monial in appreciation of his fine bowling in the match above-mentioned. I a m glad, as, indeed, will all C r ic k e t readersbe, to learn that the game isflourish- ing in Ceylon. Three years in succession it has sent a team to India—once to Cal­ cutta, once to Madras, and once to Bombay —and on none of these occasions have its representatives been defeated. Ceylon is, I may add, trying to put a team into the field in England this year. Many of the best batsmen will be at home during the coming summer, and Mr. G. II. Alston, the Old Marlburian, who kept wicket so well to Mr. A. G. Steel during his Marlborough days, is, I learn, now in England with a view to make the necessary arrangements. The team, as I am informed, will include F. L. Shand and A. Tabor, both old Har­ rovians, F. F. Mackenzie, of Wellington College, and many other old Public School boys, I a m glad to learn that a movement is on foot among Derbyshire cricketers to offer to Mr. S. Richardson, for eighteen years the Assistant Secretary of the Derby County Club, some suitable recognition of the untiring devotion he has shown in the interests, not only of the game in Derby­ shire, but of cricket generally. It has been my fortune to be thrown into per­ sonal contact with Mr. Richardson in matters connected with the two great English sports, cricket and football, and of my own knowledge I can bear practical testimony, not only to the great ability with which he has always carried out every detail in the management of matters entrusted to his care, but also to the tact with which he conducted the affairs of the club for which he worked so unceasingly, not by any means an easy task, as any­ one who has had to bear the responsibility of any undertaking when luck is not only not with, but altogether against it, will know. M r . R ic h a r d s o n ’ s connection with the Derbyshire County Club has not been by anymeans, ofapurely managerial kind. He did good work on the field as well as off it, though this is not, perhaps, generally known. He was, indeed, one of the Derbyshire eleven in the County’s opening engagement in 1871, and played regularly until 1877, when he was obliged to curtail his cricket owing to the death of his father, whose business he had to carry on. During all these years he kept wicket to Platts, Hickton, Gregory and William Mycroft, all of them then bowlers of no mean pace. He played for the first time against the All England Eleven at Buxton, in the match for Tinley’s benefit, when he found himself opposed to such giants as Hay­ ward, Carpenter, George Parr, Willsher, Jackson, Csesar, Diver, R . Daft, A. Clarke and H. H . Stephenson, H is performances as a boy, too, were very much out of the common. In his