Cricket 1889

SEPT. 12,1889. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 897 enthusiastic cricket friend of mine points out, is the ninety-second innings of a hundred runs the Grand Old Man has made in strictly first-class matches. The nearest batsman to him in this particular respect is Mr.W. W.'Read with twenty-five innings. In these 92 innings, in l'J of which he was not out, Dr. Grace has totalled 13,495 runs. He has therefore completed 73 innings, which give.3 an average of 184 runs per innings. These hundreds have been compiled against the following teams :—- P layers................. 13 Notts and Yorks 1 11 Gentn. of Sussex 1 P layers of North 2 Surrey ................. 8 Gentn. o f North 1 9 Players o f South 4 3 Australians.. . • 8 Yorkshire . •10 M .C .C. ................2 K e n t ................. 6 O x fo rd ................. 2 Lancashire2 Cambridge . . England . . 2 2 Middlesex 4 Married . • 1 Total 92 The great strike. W. G. Grace! And what is more, to judge by his score of last week at Scarborough, there is small chance of our cricket strike being over for a long time to come. Esto perpet tut I I t is worthy of remark, too, while the brilliant performance in which the Grand Old Man played such an important part last Saturday is on the tapis, that the number of runs scored by Mr. W. G. Grace and Abel during their partnership in the second innings of the South, is the best record for the first wicket in what are recognised as first-class matches this year. As far as I know, too, it has only been twice beaten in important fixtures—to wit, in 1869, when Messrs. W. G. Grace and B. B. Cooper put on 283 for the Gentleman of the South against the Players of the South at the Oval, and in 1887, in the opening match of the Centenary Week at Lord’s, when Mr- A. E. Stoddart and Shrewsbury were credited with 266 for the first wicket. As was pointed out in the biography of Mr. Leslie Wilson a fortnight ago, that gentle­ man shares with Mr. W. G. Wyld the distinction of the best performance of the kind in matches of any sort. It may be as well, perhaps, to repeat that the two amateurs named put on 470 runs, and that without the loss of a wicket, for Beckenham against Bexley, at Becken­ ham, on August 1, 1885. T he announcement that Lord Harris had been presented with a son and heir was received last week with unmixed satisfaction by his many friends, not only in the political world, but among cricketers of all classes. The cricket public is never wanting in gratitude, and it is not likely to forget the unceasing zeal he has always shown in advancing the game, the fearlessness with which he has always opposed anything which might seem to tend towards lowering its dignity or interfere with the popularity of the higher class of cricket. In season and Out of season Lord Harris has spased no trouble to interest the public in our national game, as well as to demonstrate the moral as well as physical good it inculcates. Cricketers of every grade will offer their hearty congratulations, with, at the same time, the hope that the inherent love of the game which Lord Harris has never lost, even in the sterner world of politics, will be inherited to the full by his son, and that one of the most honoured names in the history of cricket will be perpetuated in the next generation. T he following, on the subject of big hits, furnished to me by the author of “ The Cricket Field,” will be of interest to CRiCKET-readers :— Some years since, while Mr. Thornton w as practising at a w icket close to the Brighton pavilion, I saw him h it straight over his bowler’s head—a h it requiring obviously the most force of any—into the road over the pay gate. Th is distance was measured by me with the chain as 142 yards. From the height the ball passed over the gate, and the fact of the ball dropping am idst some oabmen, I can safely say that the ball grounded fu ll 160 yards from the bat. I should be glad to hear of any great hits carefully measured. When Griffiths h it Bennett four fours out of the Hastings ground, C arpenter measured the fence as 100 yards from the bat. J mes P tcroft . T he retirement of the Marquis of Londonderry from the Vice-Royalty of Ireland has been a subject for general regret in which English as well as Irish cricketers will heartily share. T h e Society Herald, alluding to his departure, expresses this feeling in the following general kindly way :— Lamentation deep and b itter is the word for society, the hunting field, the cricket world, and the paddock at the departure of our late genial and popular V iceroy . Whatever may be the feelings w ith which Lord Londonderry is regarded by his political opponents, there is no doubt as to the universal liking for him among all classes of society in Ireland. A courteous host, and a keen sportsman, his was just the character that appeals most to an Irishman, with whom hospitality and a love o f the field cover a multitude of s ins. A striking proof of this was the presentation to their Excellencies by the V iceregal House­ hold on their departure. Both Lord and Lady Londonderry seemed very much moved by this spontaneous expression of regret, and replied kindly and touchingly. *' Farewell, my lord, say all true Irishmen, may your shadow never be less.” P avilion Gossips have recently had occasion to deplore the loss of one of the most genial of the fraternity. The news of the death of the Bev. W. K. Mott will be heard with deep regret by many who, like myself, enjoyed the personal acquain­ tance of one of the most cheery of cricket enthusiasts. His pleasant face and kindly manner will, indeed, be greatly missed by the members of the Marylebone and Snrrey Clubs, by whom, in particular, he was well known. Never absent from any fixture of importance within the metro­ politan district, his form was familiar to all habitues of Lord’s and the Oval, and, indeed, there were few contests of public interest at which he was not present. He saw, if I remember rightly, the extra­ ordinary finish of the match between Surrey and Yorkshire at the Oval, and was as interested as any of the crowd at Surrey’s hard-earned victory. He was at one time vicar of Wall, near Lichfield, but had of late, I believe, not held any regular benefice, though officiating when­ ever help was really wanted. He was an ardent supporter of sport of all kind, and was mostly to be seen at the principal races within the Home Division. He was so well known, indeed, at some of those nearer London as to be called by his familiar friends the Bishop of San- down-cum-Kempton. He was attending Derby races last week as a guest of Mr. Boden, one of the stewards, when the seizure which caused his death took place. He was standing at the refreshment buffet taking luncheon when he fell back, a d expired in a few minutes. The doctor certified t at the cause of death was apoplexy. G. S. P atterson , o e of the few mem­ bers of t e Philadelphian team who made any stay in England after the close of the tour, left Liverpool yesterday for America, in the Inman Steamer “ City of Berlin.” F. E. Brewster was, I under­ stood, to return with him, but I am not able to state whether he did accompany Patterson or not. W. Scott and N. Etting have, I believe, been making an extended tour on the Continent, and are not due home, as far as I can learn, for some weeks. G. B. Warder, who acted as Secretary of the team, remains in this country, too, for some time yet. Mr. Patterson, when he left, was in hopes of reaching h me in time to take part in the International match between the United States and Canada, which is to be brought off, as far as I can hear, during the latter part of this month. S urrey cricketers will be interested to know that a young W. W. has recently been introduced into theworld. It is a little early as yet to venture on the prediction that he will be one of the cricketers of the future. Lik his father, though, it is gratifying to know that he is Surrey born, and if he only shows the same aptitude, and at an equally early age, the public will be looking forward to his first appearance in County cricket, say, somewhere about the year 1906. T he following (writes a correspondent) is, I venture to think, worthy of note in “ Pavilion Gossip.” Mr. C. W. M. Feist (who has batted well throughout the season) has scored as tinder in his last five innings for the Croydon Club, viz :— July 27—v. Sntton ........................ ... 46 Aug. 10—v. City Fruit Trades ........... 53* 17—v. N orw ood ................ ... ... 64* 31—v. Beddington ............................. 24 Sep. 7—v. Oakleigh Wanderers........... 44* Total .............. 1 Average for two completed innings, 115J.