Cricket 1889

MAT i6 ,1889. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 121 T he extraordinary scoring of G. Giffen during the winter has received frequent notice in C ricket . His continuous suc­ cess, though, has hardly been represented to better advantage than in a review of the South Australian cricket season of 1888-89 recently published in the Adelaide Observer. From the figures of the Norwood Club it appears that he batted in seven innings with one not out, and totalled 572 runs, which gives him an uverage of 95'2. T he record of the Norwood Club, too, was quite out of the common. Except against the Souths on a wet wicket, they never averaged less than 30 runs per wicket. Four times was the third century passed, once against each of the other clubs, while the second century was passed twice for the loss of less than half the wickets. Altogether the club scored over 2,000 runs, an unprecedented feat in the colony. Much of the success was due to the remarkable batting of G. Giffen. Three times he passed the century—a performance only equalled by Jarvis, who in 1886-87 obtained similar distinction. Giffen, however, piledup in seven innings the mammoth total of 572 runs, about 170 more than were ever made in one season by a senior player. Mr. C yril H. N orton , of Hunsdon Rectory, near Ware, writes me thusly— The compliment you paid Mr. F. A. Bishop of placing his portrait in your distinguished array of cricketers was well deserved and will be quite appreciated by us men of Essex. He has served his county with most praiseworthy loyalty, indeed since he first appeared in county matches at the beginning of 1885 he has not been away from a single Essex match! Is not this a record for an amateur ? I should say near it — certainly very near it. T h e y have been finishing the season in Melbourne with a flourish of trumpets in the way of tall scores, and no mistake. The echoes of that extraordinary rungetting match between Melbourne and South Mel­ bourne were still fresh, when came the news of another big total, this time by East Melbourne. The East, who on March 30 had made 175 against Fitzroy for the loss of only two wickets, were in all the following Saturday, and then had only lost six batsmen, the total showing 515 with four wickets still to go down. J. Harry,who has batted with success against several of the English teams at Sandhurst, was responsible for 168, Laver for 149, and H. Musgrove 59, the two last named being both not out. It speaks highly for the efficiency of the Fitzroy wicket keeper that there were only eleven extras in the huge total of the East. As an illustration oftheamount of work English teams starring in the Colonies have to do in addition to the by no means easy labours of the cricket field, the fol­ lowing table of the mileage covered by Major Warton and his merry men, during their recent tour in the Colonies, will be of interest. It will be seen they covered altogether 15,975 miles. Abel’s remini­ scences of his moving incidents by flood and field would make the fortune of any enterprising impresario lucky enough to be able to secure his services for the lecture hall. Distances travelled by Major Warton’s Team between 22nd Nov. 1888 and 15th April 1889. Miles. England to Cape Town......................6,065 Cape Town to Port Elizabeth ... ... 430 Port Elizabeth to Mossel Bay ......... 191 Mossel Bay to George ...................... 45 George to Oudtshoorn...................... 40 Oudtshoorn to Prince Albert ......... 58 Prince Albert to Prince Albert Road 29 Prince Albert Hoad"to Kimberley ... 381 Kimberley to Johannesburg ......... 285 Johannesburg to Ladysmith ......... 245 ‘ Ladysmith to Durban ...................... 189 Durban to E. London ... ................ 252 E.London to King Williamstown ... 42 King Williamstown to Grahamstowu 52 Grahamstown to Graaf lieinet......... 291. Graaf Reinet to Port Elizabeth......... 184 Port Elizabeth to Kimberley ......... 485 Kimberley to Cape Town ............... 646 Cape Town to England......................6,C65 Total............................ 15,975 Miles. By Steamer......... .............................13,003 By Coach or Cart ............................. 751 By Railway......................................... 2,218 Total .„ ......................15,975 The trip lasted 146 days of which 41 were spent on board ship 4 practice before commencing to play at Cape Town 14Sundays 25 Travelling by Coach, Cart or Rail 57 Playing Matches 5 Off days 146 “ S eeing Mr. W. W. F. Pullen’s average given in your last number of C ricket , may I,” writes Mr.F.G.Spybey,ofNotting­ ham, “ venture to give you that of Arthur Shrewsbury up to date. He has played five innings and has been once not out.” Scotton’s XI. v. Hucknall Torkard ............ 63 County XI. v. 22 Colts of the County ............ *46 Shaw & Shrewsbury’s XI. of own firm v. Notts Castle ............ ....................................64 Notts Castle v. Ruddington ...................... 60 Notts Castle v. Basford Park ......................133 866 Average 91.2 C ricket readers will be pleased to see that he has not lost any of the brilliant form, which was so conspicuous in 1887. O ne of the new Laws of Cricket re­ ceived a novel confirmation on Thursday last, May 9th, which will perhaps be unique for a while. In a match played on Thursday last on the Forest Ground, at Nottingham, the winning side (an eleven of All Saints), after putting on 186 without the loss of a wicket, took advan­ tage of the new Law, and putting their op­ ponents (Cullen Brothers) in, got them all out for 40 runs, half-an-hour before time. Of the total of 186 Robert Warner scored 103 not out, Thomas Parr, 70 not out, and extras, 13. T h e question of Mr. F. R. Spofforth playing for Derbyshire, which has caused a good deal of vexation of spirit, and not a small quantity of ink slinging, during the last few weeks, came up again in a practical shape on Monday last, this time at Lord’s. The patres conscripti of cricket, the Committee of the Marylebone Club, had under their consideration the propriety of the inclusion of “ the Demon ” in the eleven which was to re­ present Derbyshire in its match against the Marylebone Club and Ground, at Lord’s. The Marylebone Club, as every­ one knows, is indifferent to the composi­ tion of the opposition it has to meet. At least, it does not concern itself, as a rule, with the qualifications of the players brought against it by either the Counties or the Clubs with which it makes fixtures, and the stronger the combination it has to face, the better it is pleased. I n the present instance there was, too, a disposition to allow the County perfectly free hands, and in fact to accede to the Derbyshire proposal without any reser­ vation. I am given to understand, though, that the counsel of one of the oldest and most experienced of our cricket legislators, the Earl of Bessborough, who has been Vice-President, I may add, of the Surrey County C.C. since its formation in 1845, ultimately prevailed, and the following resolution was carried enabling Mr. Spofforth to play in this particular match at Lord's without prejudice to county cricket. “ The attention of the committee of the M.C.C. having been called to the fact that Mr. Spofforth is about to play on the 20th of the month for Derbyshire in the match between the county and the M.C.C., and that Mr. Spofforth is not qualified to play on behalf of Derbyshire, the committee think it right to place on their minutes that Mr. Spofforth is allowed to play as a concession to Derbyshire, and that such permission must not be regarded as a precedent in any way affecting the rules relating to the qualification of county players.” The new President, Sir Henry James, presided over the deliberations of the Committee of M.C.C. on this occasion, and it is eminently satisfactory to learn that this ruling met with the approval of such an eminent interpreter of legal technicalities. As the matter stands at the present time, I believe Surrey, Leicestershire, and Essex have, and rightly, as at least the majority of impartial critics must admit, felt compelled to stand out for the main­ tenance of the law. The report in some of last week’s papers that Leicestershire had come to an opposite decision was alto­ gether unfounded, and I believe the only shire that can claim the credit of an un­ conditional agreement to accept Mr. Spofforth as one of the Derbyshire eleven is Yorkshire. The promise of Notts, I believe, was contingent on an affirmative reply from the other counties interested, and as it was not forthcoming that pro­ mise had to be revoked. I am given to understand, though, that there is a proba­ bility that Mr. Spofforth may yet be able to take part in all the County matches if a modification of the title should not be opposed by the authorities at Derby. I f they could play Derbyshire with Mr.