Cricket 1889

MAE. 21, 1889. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 41 am ou n t to th e b atsm en i f th ey a c c o m ­ p lish ed th e feat. For th e sake o f tw o m ost d eservin g p la y ers, CRiCKET-readers w ill h o p e that the story is true. T h e recent death of Sir Charles Du Cane will bring, no doubt, to many cricketers, as it does to me, most agree­ able memories of enjoyable days spent on the pretty cricket-field attached to his residence, Braxted Park, near Witham. Some 20 years since Braxted Park was one of themost popular grounds for Essex cricketers, and it was my good fortune to take part in more than one of the ex­ ceedingly pleasant cricket gatherings at which Sir Charles extended such graceful hospitality. Very fond of the game throughout his life, he was a member of the Surrey and Essex Clubs at the time of his death. He represented Malden in the House of Commons in 1852-3, and North Essex from 1857-68. He was sub­ sequently appointed Governor of Tas­ mania, and on his return to England became Chairman of the Board of Customs, a post he retained until the last. He was in the 65th year of his age. CaicKET-readers of every kind will hear with unmixed satisfaction that cheery news of Mr. W. E. Boiler has just come from across the seas. Only a week or so ago came the intelligence that Mr. Boiler, who has been wintering in Australia, contributed a brilliant score of 185 not out to a total of 232 for the Visitors against the Locals at Hobart Town. Now I am able to state, on the best authority, that the Surrey amateur is about to take part in another match, and one in which he will have the best and heartiest wishes of his English friends, whose name is legion. Mr. Boiler, in fact, is to be married on the 26th of next month. On his marriage he will return to England with his wife, "and there is every reason to believe that he will be performing in the Surrey County Eleven next summer, and with his old success. It is more than a mere form of words to say that English cricketers offer their hearty congratulations to one of the best and most genuine sportsmen the game has produced of late years. A good friend in South Africa calls my attention to what he describes as a curious experience in connection with Major Warton’s tour, the fact that the game was stopped by rain on one day during the visit of the Englishmen to Natal. My correspondent, in proof of the singularity of the occurrence, points out that, though h9 has played in South Africa for ten years, he can only remember one match during that period in which play has been interfered with from that cause. M y informant, who by the way is one of the best cricketers in the Cape Colony, writes in very high terms of the capacity of the young bowler Innes, who, as some will remember, showed excellent form both with bat and ball for Fifteen of Cape Colony in the second fixture of the English tour. In a match played on Feb. 9 against a pretty strong team, Innes not only took five wickets at a cost of only six runs, but in addition got forty-seven runs by excellent cricket. According to my correspondent, who is an excellent judge, this youngster, with good English coaching, would in all probability have developedinto an exceptionally fine player. T h e Hon. Thomas Allnutt Brassey, Lord Brassey’s only son, has taken unto himself a mate of keen cricket sympathies in the person of Lady Idina Nevill, third daughter of the Marquess of Abergavenny, of Eridge Castle. A good sportswoman in every way, Mrs. Brassey has always shown great interest in cricket, and has taken part with her team in many a match. At the marriage, which took place at Holy Trinity, Eridge Green, on the 27th of last month, the dresses of the bridesmaids were designedly suggestive of cricket costumes as a compliment to the bride in reference to her well-known fondness for the national pastime. Their bouquets of pink carnations fringed with green orchids, and tied with white ribbon, possessed the same significance, these three colours being those adopted by the bride’s eleven. P rin ce A lbe rt of S c h le sw ig H ol - st e n , the second son of Prince and Princess Christian, it is understood, so says the Daily Telegraph, is about to enter the German Army, as a Lieutenant of the Hessian dragoons. Like his elder brother Prince Christian Victor, the young Prince is very popular, and like him, too, has been noted for his devotion to English sports, particularly to cricket. He was last year in the Charterhouse eleven, and as a batsman showed no small promise. He was present on the occasion of the visit of the American Base-ball players to the Oval nine days ago, and apparently experienced great satis­ faction in the company of Doctor W. G. Grace, who, hke many other leading cricketers, showed much interest in the performance of the two Base-ball nines. G eo rg e G iffe n , the well - known cricketer, has been doing some pheno­ menal scoring during the Australian season just drawing to a close. He has never, indeed, been in better form with the bat during his career than he is at the present time. A performance of his in January last is worthy of particular mention. Playing one Saturday on the Adelaide Oval, assisted by Blinman, he finished off a match between Norwood and Adelaide begun a week before, carrying out his bat for 128 out of a total of 219 for two wickets. When this game was com­ pleted, the Norwood team began a second match against South Adelaide, and here the former scored 223 for three wickets, of which Giffen contributed 140 not out, so that in one afternoon he was credited with jwo innings of over a hundred. Though in jhe second match he was badly missed w h en h e h a d o n ly m ad e fou r, the p erfor­ m a n ce w a s a rem a rk a b le one. “ P o in t ,” the cricket critic oftheAdelaide Observer, gives particulars of Giffen’s batting during the present season. He has made, says “ Point,” in the order given :— 80 v. Adelaide, 138 not out v.Modbury, 125 v. Hindmarsh, 3-33 not out v. Australian Eleven, 135-19 v. Victoria, 5 v. South Adelaide, 22 v. Northern Fiftteen, 128 not out v. Adelaide, and 140 not out v. South Adelaide. This gives him in all 827 runs for 7 completed innings ; average 118.1. In Association Club matches he has made 447 runs—the highest total made by a senior player in a single year—for three completed innings, average 159, th- highest ever held by an Adelaide player ie Association matches. These are phenon menal figures. “ F e l ix ,” the writer of the cricket notes forthe Australasian newspaper,may fairly be excused when he urges that Giffen “ is the best all-round man that has ever trodden on Australian soil.” “ Felix ’’ pleads further that “ no single player,native or imported, has ever exhibited equal skill with the bat combined with such won­ derful command over the ball and so much dexterity and agility in the field.” At the same time, some of us would venture to suggest that this is rather a bold claim mindful of a cricketer or two, one in particular, whom we have seen in the Old Country. T he following announcement in the wedding columns of the Standard of last Friday will be read with interest :— HEASMAN—PAWLE.—March 13, at Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, by the Eev. Canon Cazenove, William Gratwicke Heasman, M.E.C.S., L.B.C.P., London, eldest son of Allred Heasman, of Court- ■wick, Littlehampton, to Helen Margaret younger daughter of F. C. Pawle, J.P. of Korthcote, Eeigate. Mr. Heasman, I need hardly add, is well- known as a cricketer of no small ability, and the intelligence of the change in his state will be received with gratification by his many friends. I am afraid the executives of some o f the County Clubs will not be disposed to bless the enterprising Major who under­ took on himself the duty of pioneering the first English Cricket Team to South Africa. The development of cricket in that Country may be and is, no doubt, a very desirable consummation in the abstract, but if the first step is to be at the expense of the removal of some of the best exponents of County Cricket in the Old Country, I fear the public verdict will be that the cost is a little too heavy. T he following extract from a letter, written by one in authority, in connec­ tion with the English tour will certainly convey intelligence of a somewhat start­ ling character to the cricket public here : The folks at home will open their eyes at the following : Grieve, Smith, and Bowden go NEXT ISSUE, APRIL 18.