Cricket 1889

NOV. 28,1889. CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECORD OF THE GAME. 461 A n interesting ceremony marked the opening meet of the Chiddingfold Hunt on Saturday, the 2nd inst., and one in which a well-known cricketer of the last generation was the principal figure. The Master of the Hunt is, as many C r ic k e t - readers know well, Lieutenant-General Marshall, a fine hitter in his day, and a great supporter of the game always. The opportunity of the breakfast, held at Broadwater, near Godalming, the General’s residence, on the occasion of the opening meet, was utilised to present the Master with a portrait of himself, as a token of 'the esteem in which he is held by all the members of the Hunt. The presentation was made by Mr. Cowley-Lambert, M.P., himself a keen cricketer, so that the national game was well representedall round. Themajority of CRiCKET-readers will remember that General Marshall was for many years President of the Surrey County Club, in succession to his uncle, Mr. Henry Marshall. He still takes a share in the management of Surrey cricket, having served on the Committee since his resig­ nation of the Presidency. T h e Bev. H. A. Douglas Hamilton,who was presented on Oct. 31, by the church­ wardens andparishioners ofWinslow,with a silver tea and breakfast service on his resignation of the living, to take that of Latimer, inthegift ofLord Chesham,must be the cricketer who didgood service for Cambridge University some fifteen years ago. Educated at Wellington College, he was inthe eleven there and was sub­ sequently a contemporary of G. H. Long­ man, A. S. Tabor, G. E. Jeffery, F.E. B. Fryer, W. J. Ford, C. Tillard, W. Blacker and H. M. Sims in Cambridge cricket. He represented the University in 1873 and 1875, and if I remember rightly, was occasionally to be found assisting the Gentlemen of Sussex, inwhich County he resided. He was fairly successful as a batsman and wicket-keeper, but did not keep up his cricket to any great extent after leavingCambridge, and, unless I am mistaken, practically gave up the game altogether soon afterwards. N o t a few C r ic k e t readers will still retain pleasant recollections of the grace­ ful style of the young left-handed bats­ man, Mr. W. Bruce, the junior member of the Australian team which visited England in 1886 under the auspices of the Melbourne club. They will be glad to learn that he opened the season just begun in Australia with a fine innings of 88 forMelbourne against East Melbourne. A correspondentwhoknowsthe gamewell saw the match and writes me that it was a brilliant display of cricket in the batsman’s best form. Mr. Bruce has been playing baseball all the winter and this has no doubt kept him in good con­ dition. He was, my informant adds, the only one in the match who shaped really well. I learn from the same source that W. L. Murdoch h ad h ad a hit a few days before the letter containing the infor­ mation contained in this paragraph left Melbourne. It will be interesting to cricketers on this side to learn that he still retains the ease and polish which marked his play when he was at his very best. He seems at least to have afforded considerable gratification to those who had an opportunity of witnessing his first practice after a five years' rest. In my “ Gossip” of last month I inci­ dentallyalludedto the enterpriseshownby ourgood friendsinHollandinbeingable to run an illustrated paper entirely devoted to sport. My attention has been called by the treasurer of the Dutch Cricket Union to the fact that in addition to the Sportsblad, towhichI thenreferred, there exist.-) another sporting paper of much longer standing, and also possessing a high reputation. This is the Neder- landsche Sport, published weekly by Ellermans, Harmsand Co., ofAmsterdam. Special correspondents, qualified to write on all kinds of sports, furnish the Ams­ terdam weekly with news from all parts of the world, and particular interest is taken in the doings of English cricketers both at home and abroad. Considering the recent development of sport in the Netherlands, all I have to say is that the young Dutch athlete has good reason to consider himself highly favoured in having two sportingjournals of high-class issued for his special amusement and instruction. T h e many friends of the English amateurs who are now on their way to India, will be pleased to learn that the P. and O. Steamer “ Bengal ” arrived at Colombo to time on Tuesday last, with Mr. Vernon and his brother cricketers on board. An interviewwith Lord Hawke, reproduced inthispaper fromthe Bombay Gazette, shows the Yorkshire captain had landed in India, and was apparently in the best of spirits. The occasion of the visit of the EnglishmentoCeylonhasbeen utilisedbythemanagementoftheColombo Club to furnish a series of entertain­ ments in their honour, and to judge by the programme which has been sent me, the travellers will have no reason to com­ plain of any lack of amusement. From the 4th to the 12th of December there will be plenty of gaiety in Colombo. On the evening of the 4th the Gordon High­ landers give a ball, and on the following day will be held the Sky Meeting ot the Gymkana Club at Galle Face. The 6th and 7th December are fixed for the match between the English team and the Colombo Club, and each evening will furnish an entertainment, in the shape of a ball given by Major-General Massey on the 8th, and a dinner by the Colombo Club to the Englishmen on the following night. The round of festivities will close with amateur theatricals in the Garrison Theatre on December 10, 11, and 12. A c u r io u s in stan ce o f the en forcem en t of the rule terminating an innings has been sent me by a friend in Colombo. While the steamer “ Kaiser Wilhelm IJ.” was at that port, some of the passengers seized the opportunity of playing amatch against theGordonHighlanders quartered in the Island. The latter sent in Lieutenant Gardyne and Lance-Corporal Gilham, and when 153 had been scored without the loss of a wicket the closure wasapplied. It proved successful, too, for the passengers were all dismissed by Gilham and Peak for thirty runs. If I remember rightly, last summer the Tyne­ mouth Club secured a very similar victory overSunderland, gettingthelatteroutvery easily after terminating theirinnings with 162 up for no wickets. I n view of the meeting of the County Cricket Council, to be held at Lord’s on the 9th prox., it may be well to point out that the only motion to be brought for­ ward respectingthe visit of theAustralian team to England next year is in the name of Lord Harris, and to the effect “ That it will be convenient if in the future cricket teams proposing to arrange a tour first obtain the consent of CountyCricket Clubs.” It will remove any possiblemis­ apprehension, perhaps, if I add that there have beenpractically no real difficulties in the way of the arrangement of a pro­ gramme for the Seventh Australian Team. For the benefit of all concerned it will be best that some definite and official expression of opinion should be given on the subject of these cricket visits. The possibility of friction will be removed if the sense of those interested is taken in the manner suggested by the president of the Council, and no one can possibly take exception to any such pro­ position. In the interests of English oricketers,though,it must be emphatically stated that since it was understood that actual arrangementshadbeenmadeonthe other side for this tour of 1890 there has been no disinclination ot any kind to make fixtures with the coming team. T h e opening match, I understand, will be against the Earl of Sheffield’s Eleven at Sheffield Park, and the news that Lord Sheffield has again offered the Australian cricketers his boundless hospitality has given great satisfaction in the Colonies. Two matches will be arranged with the Players, and one in all probability with the South. As far as I can hear, though, no fixture has been so far made with the Gentlemen, but it will be a seriousreflec­ tion on our Amateur cricketers if they do not meet the Australians, and I feel con­ fident that this omissionwill be rectified. T h e committee of the Marylebone Club have granted the use of Lord’s for three matches, M.C.C. and Ground, Players, andEngftmd, and as Mr. Boyle is anxious that the team should play once with the object ot giving the entire proceeds to the Cricketers Fund, it ia morally certain that the Colonials NEXT ISSUE, DECEMBER 87.