Cricket 1889

JAN. 24, 1889. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 9 Wright, and P. M. Walters, and subse­ quently at TrinityHall, Cambridge, proved himself to be a useful all-round cricketer. As many C bic k e t readers will know, he made a name as an Association footballer, and on more than one occasion represented England in International matches. I h ave reason to believe that the team to represent the Gentlemen of Philadel­ phia in England in the summer will, in all probability, be selected from the following sixteen :— Messrs. William Brockie, jun., William C. Morgan, jun., Henry I. Brown, George S. Patterson, and Warner J. Duhring, of the German­ town Club ; Francis E. Brewster, E. Walter Clark, and Daniel S. Newhall, of the Young America C.C. ; Newbold Etting, William C. Lowry, Jos. W. Sharp, jun., John B. Thayer, jun., and Archie G. Thomson, of Merion C.C. ; and J. Allison Scott, Walter Scott, and David P. Stoever, of Belmont C.C. Of the above, I may add, Messrs. Brockie, Morgan, Brewster, Lowry, Clark, Thayer, J. A. Scott, and Stoever will be known to English cricketers, having formed part of the team which visited us in 1884. Robert Carpenter, I understand, has been engaged by the Philadelphians to act as umpire in the several matches. A re cen t number of The American CricTteier contams the following letter on the subject of the early days of cricket in the States. The communication is of great interest as a proof that the game was played on the other side of the Atlantic in the middle of the last century. Library Company of Phila. (Ridgway Branch), Nov. 24th, 1888. To the Editor of The Cricketer. D ear Sir, —The following notice—from Bradford’s Journal, August 1, 1754— may be of interest to cricketers, as showing the early actice of the game in this country. “ We ear that there is to be a great crioket match, for a good sum, played on Saturday next near Mr. Aaron Rawling’s Spring, between eleven young men of this city (Annapolis) and the same number of Prince George’s County.”— Yours truly, B unford Samuel. T he announcement which follows will be of interest to C ricket readers generally, but particularly to Old Harrovians. M arriage .— Dec. 22, at St. Jude’s, Southsea, by the Rev. J. S. Blake, M. A., vicar, Reginald Courtney Weloh, of 6, Southwick-place, Hyde- Park, son of the late John Welch, Esq., of the Inner Temple, to Adeline (Memie) younger daughter of the late Abingdon Compton, Esq., Bombay Civil Service. Mr. Welch was in the Harrow School Eleven of 1871, under the captaincy of Mr. E. P. Baily, and has for many years been well known in connection with Metropolitan cricket. He acted for a long time as Hon. Sec. of the Nondescripts Club. As an Association football player, too, he occupied a high position for several years, and did duty, for England more than once. T he following extract from an Indian paper shows that Mr. C. T, Studd, who left England some years ago for mission work in China, is following the calling he has undertaken with zeal and energy. Mr. Charles Ptudd, a once well-known cricketer in England, and now engaged in mission work in China, has written an appeal to the Salvation Army in India for a force to assist him. In the course of his letter he says:—“ Here is our Salvation troup in Lungan- fu—£ against 20,000 in this town alone, to say nothing of eight large towns within a radius of 40 miles. I beat the big drum, Stanley Smith the gong, and a native gentleman the cymbals, and twonatives carry banners. Some of our people have been lecturing us, saying it is beneath our dignity to go out thus, but we sing and play and speak just the same.” I f the following paragraph, taken from a Canadian paper, is correct, providing work for cricketers is not always free from risks for the enthusiastic supporter of the game. Mr. Ogden, of Hutchinson and Ogden, of Wissaliickon, Pa., at least, is likely, should the case go asW. Priestly would wish, to find it a costly experiment. William Priestly, the crack bowler of St. Timothy’s Cricket Club, Wissahickon, Pa., has sued Hutchinson and Ogden, the mill owners, for $10,000 damages. He claims that he was employed by Mr, Ogden, who is an en­ thusiastic cricketer, to work in the mill, but ostensibly to play cricket, at $15 a week, this method of procedure being taken in order to avoid any infraction of the amateur rules. In the mill he was general utility man, but could play at his favourite game whenever be desired. One day a belt broke and destroyed the sight of his left eye, and he now sues for $10,000. T h e cricketers on the other side of the big drink seem to have opened the New Year in a novel and agreeable manner, which must have been quite unexpected. An American paper gives an account of a cricket match played in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, on New Year’s Day, and said to be the first time on record on which cricket has been played there on the first day of the year. Members of the Manhattan, Albion, tod King’s County Clubs took part in the game, which was won by J. G. Davis’ side, who scored 64 to 48 made by H. Coyne’s side. Davis was the top scorer with 18. On Jan. 3 the Brampton (Canada) Club had also a game on their grounds, and as the weather was described as warm and balmy, the cricketers must have experienced quite a new winter sensation. Is sad reality Derbyshire cricket has had too many proofs of the truth of the adage that troubles come not as single spies but in battalions. During the last few years Fortune has been more than unkind, it has simply rained blow after blow on the heads of Derbyshire cricketers, and to the credit of the executive, it must be admitted, without so far inflicting a fatal wound. Cricketers everywhere will most heartily sympathise with the County in the heavy loss it has recently sustained in the unfortunate death of one of its very best all-round players, William Cropper. Well known in every part of England, Cropper had made a reputation as a very promisingand capable all-round cricketer, and I am inclined to think that had he had better opportunities he would have been quite in the forefront of cricket. H is connection with Derbyshire began in 1882, when he was eighteen, and he at once established himself in the team. Both as a bowler and a batsman he proved of consistent use, and his all-round cricket contributed in a great measure to the few victories which have fallen to the lot of the Derbyshire eleven of late. A good footballer as well as a cricketer, Cropper met with his end in pursuit of sport, receiving an accidental kick while playing for his club, Staveley, against Grimsby Town at Grimsby, on Jan. 12, which resulted in his death on the following day. A correspondent has been good enough to forward me his batting and bowling averages for Derby­ shire since 1882, which will prove the value of his services to that County. B atting . 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 Runs .. 159 281 172 430 446 293 234 Aver. .. 15.9 14.1 11.7 17.5 18.14 17.14 11.3 Total runs .. 2,015. Aver. .. 15.35. B owling . 1882 1883 1884 1885 1888 1887 1888 Runs .. 133 435 606 514 739 580 387 Wkts. .. 4 24 34 35 46 37 22 Aver. .. 33.11 18.3 17.28 14.24 16.3 15.25 17.13 Total runs 3,394. Wkts. 202. Aver. 16.16. T he Commander-in-Chief has selected Major-General J. B. Edwards, C.B., R.E., for the command of the troops at Hong Kong and in the Straits Settlements, in succession to Lieut.-General W. G. Cameron, C.B., who vacates the appoint­ ment on promotion. Major - General Edwards will take up the command inApril. The General will be well known to C ricket readers as a keen follower of the game. His name has figured prominently in the records of the Royal Engineers Cricket Club during the last ten years, and, on several occasions, his all-round cricket has been of great use to the Sappers. T h e following announcement will be read with interest by cricketers of all classes :— On the 21st Dec., at St. Patriok’s Cathedral, Dublin, by the Very Rev. H. H. Dickenson, Dean of the Chapel Royal, assisted by the Hon. and Rev. Arthur Lyttelton, the Hon. and Rev. Edward Lyttelton, Assistant Master in Eton College, to Caroline Amy, youngest daughter of the Very Rev. John "West, D.D., Dean of St. Patrick’s, Dublin. T h e executive of the Hastings Week, following on the lines of last year, have wisely determined that the programme for 1889 shall consist of two thoroughly representative matches. The opening fixture will be between North and South of England, to commence on Thursday, Sept. 12, and will be followed by another old fixture which I am glad to see revived, Gentlemen v. Players of South, which is down for the first three days of the suc­ cessive week. Many of the best known players, amateur and professional, have already promised to play, so there is every ground for predicting that the Hastings NEXT ISSUE, FEBRUARY 21,