Cricket 1889

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. N o. 2 2 8 - V O L . V III. Registered for Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1889. PR ICE 2d. M R . H U G H G L E N D W R ; O W E N . T h e agitation which resulted in the removal of the numerous anomalies, not to say abuses, which used to exist in the composition of County elevens as recently as fifteen years ago, has had something to do with, even if has not been one of the prinoipal factors in, the remarkable development of County cricket during the last threelustra. Twenty summers since there was no written law to guide those who were re­ sponsible for the selection of the players to take part in Inter-shiral contests. There was no recognised code, and everyone in a measure did what was right in his own eyes. Restrictions were, if not altogether unknown, certainly not of a kind to harass or annoy. A cricketer was not hampered even to the extent of being limited to one County in the same season. He could play by a double right, of residence as well as birth, and the late James South- erton, who, though generally to be found in the Surrey eleven, by virtue of the former played for Sussex, by what was regarded as the higher claim of birth, against Surrey when­ ever those two neighbouring shires met. It was not until sixteen years since that an effort was made to place County cricket on a really sound basis, and to frame laws for its proper conduct. The rules drawn up by the representatives of the leading Counties in 1873 had to re­ ceive the sanction of the Maryle­ bone Club, which was elected the Court of Appeal in all cases of dispute. The qualifications estab­ lished by the Counties were birth and residence, but when the Bill came before the Upper Chamber, the House of Lord’s, a third was added, by which a player is able to represent the County in which his particular home is as long as it remains open to him as an occa­ sional residence. The necessity though of an enforcement of this particular provision has been very exceptional. As far as our own knowledge goes, the instances of the kind are very rare, and indeed, we are inclined to think that, except by those immediately in­ terested, and whose business it is to be con­ versant with the rules, the existence of this third qualification is hardly known to a con­ siderable section of the cricket public. Mr. Owen, who has done such good service for Essex during the last eight or nine years, is one of a few qualified to play for either of three Counties. Born at Bath (on May 19, 1859), Somersetshire could claim him by right of birth. Again his mastership at Trent College would make him, for crioket purposes, a Derby man under the residential clause; while his family home, the only qualification he has exercised, is at Bradwell-on-Sea, in Essex. Educated at a private school, he went up in October, 1879, to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he remained for four years. As far as we know, though, his first match of any importance was for Essex. A well got score of 51 for his County against M.C.C. and Ground in 1881 must have brought him more prominently before the University authorities, although he had already made himself conspicuous at Cam­ bridge by his consistently high scoring. The following year found him in a remarkable vein for run-getting, and indeed, his average in Inter-College matches for 1882 reached the high figure of 52,as the result of sixteen innings. His form, just at this time, was quite good enough to warrant a trial in the Cambridge Eleven, and two creditable performances in the test matches of 1882, under the auspices of the University C.C., convinced the executive that he was worthy of being well looked after. His first chance was in the Seniors’ match, but the game had to be drawn in consequence of rain, and he had not a complete innings, being not out 13. Still, his play was regarded as of sufficient promise to ensure him a place in the Sixteen who had to oppose the first Twelve a few days later. Here again he acquitted himself satisfactorily, and his score of 44 was one of the highest as well as the best of the match. Selected to represent the University against M.C.C. & G. in the opening fixture, he was, however, not able to do himself justice, only obtaining 16 runs in his two innings. His failure on this occasion was unfortunate, for it effectually settled any outside chance he might have had of secur­ ing his “ blue,” and indeed, this was, as far as we know, the only opportunity he had of playing for Cambridge. Later in the year he came on again, and he represented M.C.C. and Ground against Kent in the second fixture of the Canter­ buryWeek, though without success. It is mainly on his performances of the last five years, however, that Mr. Owen’sreputation as a cricketer has been based. His career as a county player indeed practically commenced in 1885. During that season he scored very heavily, and among his best innings for Essex were his 64 not out against Herts at the end of July, and 52 against Northamptonshire some fortnight later. At the same time his best records that year were in local cricket, in fact his average for the Bradwell and Tillingham Club in Essex amounted to 185 as the result of six innings. In the t\NO matches between Essex and Surrey in 1886 he had an aggregate of 160 runs, and in 1887 he was equally success­ ful, though against minor counties, scoring 75 not out against Norfolk, and 56 and 55 against Leicestershire. Settled by this time at Trent College, of which his brother, the Bey.