Cricket 1889

454 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. NOV. 28,1889. J. R. B. Owen, 'in his day one of the best English Association footballers is headmaster, the school found him an invaluable addition to their cricket strength. Five times in 1887 he got three figures for the eleven there, and in the Beason altogether he was able to boast an aggregate of 1,809 runs for an averageof over forty-three. Nordidhis capacity for scoring show any falling off last year. In the middle of the summer in particular, he was in exceptional form. In proof of this we may state that in the five weeks from June 16 to July 19, he made as many as 572 runs, and was only once out. He went in during this period seven times, and his scores were 35, 104, 205, 31, 119, 55 and 23, in the order given, with only one completed innings, that in which he got 55. This year he waB credited in all with 1,839 runs, and in addition 108wickets. His reputation was considerably increased by his consistently good perform­ ances in the better olass of matches during 1889. With Mr. A. P. Lucas he put on 185 runs for the first wicket of Essex against M.C.C. and Ground, at Leyton, at the end of May, as C r ic k e t readers will well remem­ ber. This, however, was not his best show, and his most noteworthy record so far for Essex is his performance at Leicester last July, when he carried his bat through the innings for 153 out of a total of 279 from the bat. Mr. Owen may without any savour of partiality be described as a good all-round cricketer. He is a patient bat without being at all tedious. He rarely indeed lets off a loose ball, and when he likes can hit with great vigour. Though not a brilliant he is a sure field with a safe pair of hands. Further he is a very fair change (medium right) bowler. During his University career Mr. Owen won distinction, too, in athletics. In one year’s college sports he won the 100 and 120 yards races, in 10 2-5ths and 12 l- 5 th seconds respectively, as well as the weight with a put of 33ft. 5 in. He also landed two University handicaps of 120 yards and pulled off the 200 yards open race in the Freshmen’s sports in 20 3-5ths seconds with three yards start. Startingfrom scratch in tho 120 yards in the University sports, though he ruptured a muscle in his right leg, an accident which brought his career on the running track to a close. In addition to his athletio successes just mentioned, he won the Open Hundred at the Ulster Cricket Club Sports, held at Belfast at Easter, 1883, and the same race at the meeting held by the Chelmsford C.C. He also keeps goal for Trent College, and occu­ pied that position once last winter for Notts County against Preston North End. Our portrait is from a photograph by A. Cox & Co., Tavistock Chambers, Notting­ ham. We accidentally omitted to mention in our last issue that the group of the Lancashire Eleven, given in C b ick e t of Oct. 81, was from a photograph by Messrs. Hawkins & Co., of Brighton, one of the most artistic of the many faithful reproductions of that well-known firm. C O U N T Y C R IC K E T IN 1890 . Gloucestershire proposes to confine its programme for 1890 to engagements with the seven other first-class counties. It is not thought expedient to make any other fixtures in the face of the visit of the Seventh Australian team, who are to play the county twice in August, first at Clifton and then at Cheltenham. Dr. E. M. Grace describes the old hands as ready and eager for the fray, but is evi­ dently dubious about the rising talent, of which there does not appear to be an excess. The Committee of the Kent County Club propose to play home and home matches in 1890 with the seven other first-class Counties, and the same with Warwickshire, as well as two matches with the Australians. The home fixtures will probably he decided on the following grounds—withNotts at Gravesend, York­ shire and Gloucestershire at Maidstone, Lancashire andWarwickshire at Becken­ ham, Middlesex at Tonbridge, Sussex at Town Mailing, Australians and Surrey at Canterbury (August 4-10), and the second matchwith theAustralians at Blackheath. It is probable that Kent will play at Manchester onWhit Monday. It is not likely that there will be any change in the Kent Eleven, except that of course Frank Hearne will nolonger appear in it; in his absence Bombardier Barton and Mr. Le Fleming will play oftener than they did in 1889. The Beckenham grounddidnot lastwellwhenKent played Notts there at the end of the season, and the centre is being re-laid by George Hearne, who is confident that he can make an excellentpitchthere. No young players good enough to be tried for the County appeared this year. Our information with regard to Lan­ cashire’s prospects for next year is not of the fullest. The Committee propose to arrange one match for the CountyEleven with the Australian team, who will, in addition, be seen twice at Manchester, to meet the North and a representative eleven of England. The Oxford fixtures will be repeated as of late years, and the Lancashire eleven will as usual be seen at Lord’s, in opposition to M.O.C. and Ground. Matches will alsobe played with the other Counties known as first class, and, we presume in the absence of any positive intelligence to guide us, that the programme will include engage­ ments, as has been the custom of late, with some of the minor shires. The MiddlesexCommittee do not meet tillnextweek,butwehavereasontobelieve that the same list of fixtures will in all probability be arranged for 1890 as this year, withanadditionofonematch against the comingAustralian team. "Wo under­ stand that all the members of the Eleven of 1889 will be available, while a new bowler likely tobe of great use will be at Mr. A. J. Webbe’s disposal in the person of Phillips, the Australian, who has been engaged at Lord’s for the last two sum­ mers and will be qualified by residence for Middlesex in 1890. The executive of the Notts County Club propose to play two Australian matches, the usual home and home matches with Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Gloucestershire, and Middlesex, as well as to arrange home and home fixtures withDerbyshire. This will make ten first-class matches on Trent Bridge. It is also just possible that one of the smaller counties may be played, so as to give a chance to a colt or two. The eleven to be put in the field will not differ much from last year, as all the old hands are still in good form, and several of themare arranging for practice during winter in a large old building in the suburbs. The two Butlers, Bennett, Guttridge, and one or two others, will have a further trial, and in addition to the usual Colts’ match, further steps will be taken to develop the rising talent. The Trent Bridge ground receives every attention through the autumn andwinter, the work pursued just nowby the ground- men being getting up of the daisy and plaintain rootswhich are.sodestructive to the turf. It is worthy of note that the Lancashire Club have had their county wickets dressed with the same kind of “ marl ” usedin Trent Bridge, andthough the wickets at Old Trafford may not be benefitted this coming season to any great extent, yet in future seasons they will be sounder and better for the process. The Surrey card is usually a heavy one, and the presence of an Australian team increases rather than reduces the responsibilities of the authorities at the Oval. The programme will be much as last year, with the addition of the Aus­ tralian fixtures. The combination to be brought to England by Mr. H. F. Bo.yle will play Surrey twice, and there will also be two representative matches, one against, perhaps, the Gentlemen or the South, the other against England. The English fixtures will include home and home engagements with the seven other leading Counties, as well as with Hampshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and the usual contests with Oxford and Cambridge, besides the usual meeting between Gentlemen and Players at the Oval, The Committee have been unable to accept challenges from several other Counties, but it ishoped that the numb»r of Second Eleven fixtures, which proved so successful last year, may be increased. All the old players will be to the fore as far as we know, while the later matches of 1889 showed that there were some promisingplayers in reserve. Mr. W. E. Boiler will be available next summer, and everyone will hope to see him once again of permanent use to the County. Sussex will meet the Australian team to visit England next year on the County ground,anditishopedthat asecondmatch will be arranged there with the combina­ tion tobe brought over by H. F. Boyle. An additional feature for 1890 will be the match between Sussex and Oxford University, to be played on the ground at Hove. In addition to the above, home and home fixtures have been arranged as in 1889withYorkshire,Lancashire, Notts, Gloucestershire, Hants, Surrey andKent, as well as the usual match between Sussex and Cambridge University, to be played at Hove. The Sussex Committee entertainhopes of bringing both Univer­ sity teams to the Hove ground in the same week; and there is no doubt that such a University week would prove highly attractive, and lead to interesting discussions on the ultimate issue of the Inter-University contest. It is worthy of notice that the rival Blues will, this season, be captained by two cricketers long associated with Sussex, namely, Mr. F. H. Gresson (Oxford), of Worthing, and Mr. S. M. J. Woods, the Old Brightonian NEXT ISSUE, DECEMBER 27.