Cricket 1889

446 CBICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. OCT. 81,1889. Sydney indicate that ho has an intention of settling down in business in Sydney. The Sydney Mail ismy authority for the statement that hewill probably play with the Belvidere Olub, of that city, in the Australian season just begun. T h e news of the appointment of Mr. J. S. Udal tothe office ofAttorney-General of the Fiji Islands will give satisfactionto his many friends in the cricket world. I mean that the intelligence of his advance­ ment will be received with pleasure, though not a few will miss, as I shall, his familiar figure on London grounds when another season comes round. The name of Udal has been well known for years in cricket circles in Birmingham, and J. S. of that name was educated in that district, at Bromsgrove School, which he left to go to Oxford. In 1870 he beganto play for the Marylebone Club, and he has also been for many years—since 1872—1 am told a member of the Ineogniti, serving on the Committee of that Club, until he removed into the country, and was no longer able to attend. For some years he lived near Bridport, and during that time played for Dorsetshire, as well as pretty regularly for the Kingston Park Club. At times he scored veryheavilyas a batsman, and was always an excellent field, having a great advantage in being ambidextrous. Mr. Udal has served on the Committee of the Marylebone Club, if I remember rightly, more than once, and is a member of that body at the present time. Mr., now the Hon. J. S. Udal left London in the Orient steamer “ Austral ” on the 16th of this month to fulfil the duties of his new office. T h e editor of the English Illustrated Magazine is evidently bent on giving a good innings to cricketers during their leisure season to judge by the names of some of those who are announced as con­ tributors in the present as well as in the future. An early number will contain an accountonChurchSundayschoolsfromthe pen of the Hon. E. P. Thesiger, C.B., who was for many years the mainstay of the Civil Service Cricket Club, and is at resent on the list of the half-pay mem- ers of I Zingari. Another distinguished name is that oftheHon. AlfredLyttelton, who is, in conjunction with Mr. H. C. Maxwell Lyte, C.B., to contribute one of the series of papers treating on the Public Schools of England. Eton will, of course, be his theme, while justice will be done to Harrow by two of the most popular of old Harrovians—Messrs. P. M. Thornton and A. J. Webbe, hon. sec. and captain respectively of the Middlesex County Club. The Secretary of the Surrey County Cricket Club is also, I hear, to furnish a paper on the Association game of football, and it would not surprise me greatly to hear that the Grand Old Man (W. G.) was to wield his pen in the same magazine in the cause of cricket. T h e Sydney Mail vouches for the fol­ lowing curious decision given by an umpire in a recent match in New South Wales:— Two batsmen were at the wickets, aud one of them played a ball to mid-on. Both started to run and then turned back, but did not cross, and before the batsman at the bowler’s end could regain the crease his wicket was put down. To the surprise of everybody the umpire gave the player at the other end out, and on being asked his reason for such a verdict repliedthat the striker was out because he had called his fellow-batsman and then did not run. I h a v e frequently had occasion to refer to the enterprise our good friends in Hollandhave shown, andarestill showing, in popularising cricket among the young blood of that country under difficulties, too, which would thoroughly damp the ardour of any but really enthusiastic followers of the game. As anillustration of this enterprise, I may mention that Holland boasts an illustrated weekly' sportingpaper. The Sportsblad is doing, indeed, excellent service for both cricket and football in the Low Countries. To show that no pains are spared to do the work thoroughly, I may add that all the matches played by the Newton Blues, Northern Rovers, andBrixtonWanderers last summer were followed by a special reporter of the Sportsblad, which gave elaborate accounts of the various games. The Editor informs me that he has in preparation an Illus­ trated Christmas number, and I expect to see portraits of some of our leading English cricketers in its pages. T h e writerof“Who’sWho” inth eEven­ ing News and Post sometime since, turn­ ing over a collection ofCambridge cricket scores and analysis, came upon a report of a match between Peterhouse and Mag­ dalene played on June 7, 1867, a line of which he thinks was not without interest. C. S. Parnell, b Ebsworth 0. It is hardly necessary to say [he adds] that the hapless batsman was the present leader of the Irish Nationalist party, while the bowler who brought down his wicket so speedily is now the Kev. Canon Ebsworth, vicar of Bast Ket- ford, Notts. Mr. Parnell was himself some­ thing of a bowler in those days. He had a very high delivery, and bowled a rather slow ball, which, however, had a knack of getting wickets. It will not be news to C r ic k e t readers to learn that the uncrowned King of Ireland was in his day a fair cricketer. I have more than once called attention to incidents in his cricket career. T h e r e have been few better or more unselfish workers in the cause of local cricket of late years than Mr. W. W. Thomson, the Hon. Sec. of the Mit­ cham Club. The good people of that village, whohave always beenenthusiastic supporters of the noble game, too, found a favourable opportunity of testifying their hearty appreciation of Mr. Thom­ son’s unwearying services to cricket, as well as the high esteem in which he is held by all classes, at the annual dinner of the club held in the Vestry Hall on the 28th of last month. They had prepared, in fact, a pleasant surprise for him in the shape of a testimonial consisting of a silver salver with a handsomely illumin­ ated address on vellum. The address, in whichare the names of some seventysub­ scribers, bears thefollowing inscription:— Presented to W. W. Thomson, Esq., with a piece of plate in recognition of his invaluable services as honorary secretary, formerly cap­ tain, of the Mitoham Cricket Club, by the ollowing members and friends: I t has been my good fortune to be associated with “ Tommy Thomson ” in more than one branch of athletics, and this association extends over more years than I care to mention. In a long ac­ quaintance, too, with sport, I have known no better sportsman, no more kindly soul. This mark of the personal affection of the people among whom he has lived and lives too, I can judge well, will havo gone straight to his heart. In alluding to the sad death of Mr. H. E. Rhodes last month, the sportingpapers generally seem to have over-looked the fact that he was a cricketer considerably above the average. Though of courso best known as an oarsman, and latterly as a yacht o.wner, he was a “ dry” as well as a “ wet bob.” His chief performances were of course on the river, and besides rowing stroke of the Cambridge crew in 1878, ’74, and ’75, as well as No. 7 in the boat of 1876, he was equally well known in late years as the successful coach of the Light Blues. Only in the spring he purchased the 40-ton cutter yacht “ Sleuthhound” fromthe executors of the late Lord Francis Cecil, and but for the accident which led to his death, he would in all probability have taken a pro­ minent part in yacht racing. He played a good deal for the Henley club, if I remember rightly, as well as, I fancy, for some of the nomadic clubs, and was a useful all-round cricketer. He had pro­ mised to form one of Mr. G. F. Vernon’s English Amateur Team leaving London to-day for India. The marriage o f Doctor Russell Ben­ craft, the well-known Hampshire cricketer, is an incident which will be heard of with interest by CRiCKET-readers generally. The event was recorded in the marriage column of the D aily News thusly:— B e n c r a f t — P e r k in s —On Oct. 8 th, at High- field Church, Southampton, Henry William Russell Bencraft, of Anglesea Place, South­ ampton, to Kate Margaret, daughter of W Perkins, of Portswood House, Southampton" Among the wedding presents Doctor Bencraft received a handsome carved oak bookcase and ■writing table from the members of the Hampshire County C.C., a silver tea tray from the Ordnance Survey Club, and a set of teaspoons from the Southampton Club. NEXT ISSUE, NOVEMBER 28.