Cricket 1889

Registered^for Transmi8sioi?Abroaa. THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1889. PRICE 2d. MR. DOMINIC CRONIN. T he Irish cricketers who have visited America and Canada have left behind them pleasurable recollections in the minds of those who sup­ port our national game on the other side of the Atlantic. Of our own knowledge, too, we are able to affirm that the team which starred in the United States and in the Dominion in the fall of last year, under the captaincy of the excellent all-round player whose portrait ornaments this number, won golden opinions from all kinds and condi­ tions of men. To fill satisfactorily the leadership of one of these long distant tours requires something more than the ability to manage an eleven on the field of play. It demands not only good temper but judgment, and the success which attended the last Irish touring party was in a great measure due to the tact with which the captain fulfilled his duties. Born at Monks* town in the county of Cork in 1863, Mr. Cronin is a native of Ireland. His early education, though, was not entrusted to Irish hands, and Beaumont College, Old Windsor, an establishment which has assisted in the trainiDg of many youngsters who have subsequently attained to cricket honours, can claim the credit of moulding his taste for athletic sports. Commencing his stay at the college in 1874, he re­ mained there some seven years, in the three last of which he was a member of the football as well as the cricket team. He acted as captain of the school cricket eleven in 1880 and 1881, and during both years proved his ability as one of the most reliable run-getters, more especially in his last year, in which he was very successful with the bat. Though he entered Trinity College, Dublin, at Christmas, 1881, he did not go into residence in the University until the following winter. Still he did not come to Dublin without a reputation as a cricketer, as he had played, and with some success, for Cork County during the summer of 1882. In the ordinary way his cricket career at Dublin would have been commenced in 1883, but a bad abscess on his right hand prevented his active participation in the game for his University, though towards the end of the summer he was able to render good service to Cork County. In 1884 there was no obstacle to his success as a oricketer, and he played in all the earlier fixtures of the University with the most satisfactory results. Throughout the season, indeed, his scoring was consistently good, and he had the highest average (28) of the year. His best performances were his two innings of 50 and 102 against the North of Ireland Club, but he rarely failed to do well, and among his other noteworthy scores were 29 and 11 against the Phoenix, and 48 against the Leinster Club. On his form of 1884, Mr. Cronin was one of the most promising cricketers on the other side of the St. George’s Channel, and his selection to represent Ireland in two of the most important matches of the season was only a fair tribute to his ability. Against the Zingari he did little good, but the Gentlemen of Philadelphia found his a difficult wicket to get, and his scores of 27 and 18 were among quite the best displays of the match. Trinity College found him again one of its most brilliant exponents in 1885, and the bowlers of the Leinster and North of Ireland Clubs, as in the previous year, had reason to remember his batting, his scores including 78 against the former and 73 against the latter. In 1886 he was even more suc­ cessful, and his average for Trinity reached the respectable figure of thirty-nine runs. Among other scores above the average he was credited with two innings of over a hundred, to wit, 165 (not out) against Dublin Garrison, and 126 against the Curragh Brigade. There was no falling of! again in his bat­ ting during the following season. On the contrary he had, as in 1886, the distinction of the best average for Trinity, and once more there were two scores of three figures to his credit. These were 117 against County Meath and 115 against the Leinster Club, while in addition he was credited with several excellent performances in other matches, notably 28 and 46 against the Military of Ireland, 54 and 13 against All Ireland, 20 and 78 for County Cork against Na Shuler, and 45 for Ireland against the Gen­ tlemen of Canada. Last summer Mr. Cronin identified himself with the Phcenix Club, the crack club of Ireland, though he was only able to play in a few innings, the most successful of which was his sixty- seven against the University. That he was in fine form, however, was evident from his general success. His highest score was his 122 for the Vice-Regal team against County' Meath, but in point of quality his best show was for the University against All England Eleven, and his first innings of 95 on that occasion was quite sufficient to stamp him as a batsman very much above the average. His selection to captain the team which went out to America to represent the Gentlemen of Ireland last autumn was a substantial proof of his popularity among Irish cricketers. Personally, he was out of luck as a batsman, and, indeed, his best records were his 4