Cricket 1889

422 CRICKET : Averages: 1883—16 runs per innings; 1887—6.1 runs for 19,innings; 1888—13.1 for 12;; 1889—14.7 for 18. rSOWLINO. 1887—6 wickets for 60 v. Notts at Birmingham, and 6 for 8 v. Somerset at Birmingham. 1888—15 wickets for 16 v. Somerset at Bath, and 11 for 51 v. Yorks at Ha'ifax. 1889—9 wickets for 27 v. Leicestershire at Bir­ mingham; 9 for 52 v. Somerset at Birmingham, and 4 for 24 v. Staffordshire at Stoke. Averages: 1886—40 wickets for8 runs per wicket * 1887—51 for 12.29; 1888-68 for 486 (aver. 8.4)' 1889—91 for 1089 (aver. 11.9). As we have already stated, Pallett is one of the best all-round players in the M idlands, no small praise by the way, w ith such an array of- talent as is to b e found w ithin the exten­ sive area w h ich can fa irly be included u nder that broad title. So far, from considerations wh ich he has w isely regarded as weighty, his crioket has been m ostly confined to the loca lity in wh ich he h as spent his life and are all h is t ies. S till, for some reasons it is to be regretted that his ab ility has not found w ider scope and that h e has not had better opportunities for testing h is un ­ doubted skill in even a h igher class o f crioket. A t the same time it be ­ speaks a genuine and sportsmanlike spirit that he should devote all his attention to Warw icksh ire cricket, and everyone w ill fu lly appreciate his loyalty and good feeling . A steady bat, he plays in very neat style, and when, to use Emm ett’s characteristic expres­ sion, he has “ tuk ru t,” is not easy to dis­ lodge . He is a slow, round-arm bow ler, w ith a h igh de live r ;, and as he is not on ly accurate of p itch but can break both ways , he is generally effective. Warw icksh ire is indeed fortunate in possessing so capable an all­ round cricketer, and one who wou ld take h is own part in the best company. Our portrait is from a photograph by M r. John Collier, of 66, New S t.,B irm ingham . T H E G A M E O F C R IC K E T -M A T C H . [F rom the ClifIonian, of A ug ., 1889.] M asters * he E ditors , — M y distin­ guished countryman, M ax O’Rell, has represented the manners of the English people, their religion, their politic, &c., and truly their games ; but his relation of the game of cricket-matoh—bah! it is silhouette ! Perhaps he understand it not, possibly. My faith ! it is difficult. Look then ! Myself, I shall essay it, its follies, its savagery— betises. I have a friend—English, you say? You have reason. My friend say, “ Come, then, we have a cricket-match, you shall see.” I reply, “ It is just—good. I come— but at what hour ?” “ The wickets,” say my friend, “ will be pitched at eleven hours.” “ How then ! pitched ! It is horrible. They shall be black and glutinous ! and, pah ! they shall smell! ” He put himself to laugh. “ No, no, Monsieur, not as that! They will be pitched, placed in small holes.” “ B ien / ” say I, “ but, my faith ! it shall be difficult.” We are arrived, the wickets have pitched themselves, they stand. Mes­ sieurs the players are in the field, in disorder, everywhere; they are far, they are near, they stand together, apart—ali over the shop, as my friend say. In face o f the wicket a man with a bat—behind, A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE a man with ’ gloves. My faith ! what gloves—horrible! “ Tell then,” say I, “ what is it that the man with the bat is ?” “ He defends the wicket.” “ And the other with the gloves ?” “ He is the wicket-keeper.” “ Ah ! good ! they shall assist them­ selves. The wicket is safe, is it not ?” “ Not exactly,” say he, in laughing ; “ but look, they commence.” Truly Monsieur “ the bowler ” launch a ball with all his force at the wicket; e poor man with the bat hardly escape, but the good “ wicket-keeper ” arrest the ball, he hold it in his gloves. Courage 1 vies deux amis, your wicket is safe. Five times the ball fly, bu th two friends are alert—one time the bat, one time the gloves ; the ball is stopped always. “ Regard then,” I say, •' these men walk themselves upon the field, their ands are in their pockets. What is it, hen, that i is ?” “ It is over,” say my friend. “ How then over ? My faith ! but it is short. It is a game very dangerous. Let us g o ! ” “ Stay,” say he; “ it is but a phrase. See, they commence again.” Again the ball fly ; but the one with the bat [is angry, e strike the villain ball. The ball roll precipitately, the one with the b t run, they all run. He, the bat­ man, cannot find his wicket; he run to and fro, he is in despair. But the good wicket-keeper hold out his arms, his friend rush into them, the ball arrive too late, they embrace, t e spectators applaud. Courage 1 Again the wicket is safe. But now, again the ball is come ; the bat is raised, but, alas! the ball turns itself, the bat touches it not—the good wioket-keeper dreams, perhaps—the ball escapes, the wicket falls to the earth, the batman walk slowly away, the chin on his breast ; he is sad, perhaps. I ask my friend what he has, the batman? He say, “ He is bold.” It is possible, but he do not look so. The wicket-keeper has another friend ; together they protect their wicket; but, alas for human nature ! one time the ball come slow, slow ; the batman advance, he strike with precipitation, he missed, and the perfidious wicket-keeper catch the ball, and dash it into his friend’s wicket. Traitor 1 sacre nom de bomb I he is bribed by the enemy, he is a scelerat ! Bah ! it is nothing ! It is these English! How they are droll! They applaud i t ; it is a i>laisanterie ? j|C * * * * My friend explique the game ; he say, See then, that little man, long distant ? He is long-leg.” “ For why,” I ask, “ he is long-leg, himself so short ?” “ Because he throw so well the ball,” say he. “ My faith ! ” respond I, “ he not throw the ball with his leg ; he should be long- arm.” But he only laugh at me. Another batman, he stand firm ; he is big, heavy, solid. The ball fly, he run, he pant, he perspire, he run again,—n o ! he has forgotten something! He go back 1 He GAME. SEPT. 26, 1889, _too late, the ball is there also, his wicket is broken; it is evident that he suspect the wicket-keeper, but he has not seen him, he dares not to accuse him ; he too place the chin on the breast, he de­ part. The evil wicket-keeper sjnile; but his time is short. Tho bowler has seen h im ; he knows his treachery; he aim the ball, perhaps at the wicket, who knows ? It bumps upon the earth, it hit the perfidious wicket-keeper on the nose, the red blood drip. The bowler rub his hands with sawdust, as a proof of his gratification. It is w ell! ■ Again another batman. He is cunning ; he protect the wicket with more than his bat—with what then? With his leg. The arbiter declares him guilty. He forbid the leg in front. He give judg­ ment, he say, “ On one side or behind, yes—but in front, no ! ” He go. Now the ball pass the batman, elude the keeper, and roll on with velocity amazing. The batman run, one time and again ; the people say “ Hurrah ! ” A man in the crowd laugh, “ By Jove, that’s a sell! ” I ask my friend “ What then ? tell me ! ” And he reply, “ That was a buy.” “ How then,” say I, “ Monsieur here call it a sell; you say it is a buy—which have reason ? You cannot, perhaps, be right the both.” But again he only laugh, and mock himself of me in saying, “ Whichever you like, my little dear ; you pay your money (two franc fifty at the entrance) and you take your choice ! ” But it is enough. The cricket-match is a game barbarian; you run, you perspire, you are en deshabille ; the ball is hard, you drop it and they execrate you, it hurts you and they laugh, you avoid it and are disgraced, you confrot’ i it and are crippled for ever. It is ^«ime for savages. It has no tactic, no calculation, no imagination. Ma foi ! Regard the dominoes. V oila / a game in verity. Who are the people most polished of all ? -—The French people. Who are the people most rude of all?—The English people. The French people play domi­ noes. The English people play cricket- match. Voila tout ! Agreez Messieurs, &c., &c., L a G rande N ation . W rNCHESTEE COLLEGE . Matohes played, 1 8—won 5, drawn BATTING AVEKAGES. Times Most in Inns, not out. Runs, an inn. Av«r. B. L.Richmond... 7 ... 3 ... 260 ... 87 .,. 371 C. W. Little......... 10 ... 1 ... 260 ... 80 ... 26 F.Leveson-Gower 14 ... 1 ... 324 ... 85 ... 23.9 A. H. C. Barker... 9 ... 0 ... 195 ... 89 ... 21.6 T. B. Case (capt.) 13 ... 1 ... 276 ... 69 ... 213 V. T. Hill .......... 11 ... 0 ... 17J ... 62 .,.. 15 5 A. J. Boger.......... 6 ... 5 ..., 77 ... £8* ... 12.5 E. J. Neve .......... 12 ... 1 ... , 141 ... 32 ... 11.9 B. J B. Stephens 9 ... 1 ... , 86 ... 22 .. . 9 5 C. Wigram......... 10 ... 2 .... 94 ... 30 ... 94 E. M. L.-Gower... 7 ... 2 ..,. 48 ... 2 i ... 6.6 G. H. Blore......... 7 ... 1 ... , 30 ... 15 ... 4.2 BOWLING AVERAGES. Balls. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Aver. E. M L.-Gower... 786 ... 57 ... *293 ... S-7 ...10.23 V. T. Hill .......... 1151 ... 56 ... 544 .. 42 ...32.40 A. J. Boger.......... 1640 .,. 106 ... 585 ,. 42 ...13-39 B. J. B. Stephens 155 ... 7 ,... 60 ... 4 .,..15 C. W igram ... ... S02 ... 16 ... 209 .,.. 12 ...17.5 E.J. Neve ......... 136 ... 4 ... 74 ... 3 ...23.2 G. H. Blore......... 355 ... 25 ... 143 .. 4 ...37.2 E. M. L.-Gower bowled two wides, V. T. Hill o n e no-ball, A. J. Boger o n e ;W id e , B. J. B. Stephens two wides, and C, Wigram one wide. 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