Cricket 1889

MAR. 21, 1889. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 48 THE ENGLISH TEAM IN SOUTH AFRICA. Reprinted from the Sporting L ife by permission. ( Continued from Page 30.) Those who visited the Colonial Exhibition will remember Buffalo Bill’s coach. Let them picture twelve individuals jammed inside— three on a seat, with shoulders overlapping, with shinbones and seats in contact; eight men, including the two drivers, outside, and some 6,0001b. of baggage on the top. Let them imagine that coach being drawn by twelve horses at a gallop, over a rough road, on a piping hot day. Let them picture all this, and they will have some faint conception of the pleasures our festive cricketers derived from their journey from Kimberley to Johannesburg. The scenery outside Kimberley, too, had no charms to draw our attention from our dis­ comforts. A flat plain, fairly green, and a mimosa tree here and there; in the heat of the day a mirage ; skeletons of oxen or hordes alone, and a bird or two served as the sole objeots of attraction. Johnny Briggs, how­ ever, contrived to derive some amusement from the dreary waste. He had brought a “ gun ” to shoot lions by the wayside. His lions proved to be Cape sparrows and mere- cats. His gun was a huge catapult, which he used with a rashness that cast terror into the hearts of his fellow passengers. Our team took us along at, considering the road, a fairly fast pace, which seldom slackened owing to repeated changes every ten miles. About mid-day we reached the Yaal River, whose banks were lined with beautiful and large willow trees. On the north side, in the Transvaal, we found the verdure far more plentiful, but the road very heavy, owing to recent rains ; and here and there some culti­ vated land afforded a pleasant change to tlie perpetual monotony of the Karoo, near Kim­ berley. Christiana was reached about dinner time, and from there we experienced the most trying heat inside the coach. In vain we tried to enliven our spirits by song, and, at last, found ourselves at Bloemhof, wearied out. Here we outspanned for four hours’ sleep, starting again shortly after daybreak, more or less refreshed. Wednesday was again hot and monotonous, sing-song and Nap helping to pass the long hours. The roads were very heavy, all clay, and several very narrow squeaks of upset occurred, we being obliged on two or three occasions to get out, when the coach stuck fast in the mud. After darkness arrived we came to what appeared to be an abrupt stoppage to our journey—a little stream with steep banks. The coach got down into the water safely, but never an inch could the horses, though twelve in number, move it up the opposite side. We had to get out as best we could, but to no purpose, the coach was immovable—six miles to walk to Klerlesdorp, and off we started. However, before we had gone far we were overtaken again by the coach, took our seats once more, had another shave of an upset—“ another coat of varnish,” as Fothergill put it—and reached Klerlesdorp in safety at nine o’clock. Supper, a short sleep from 10.30 to 2.0 o’clock, and off again for the last day of our journey. The day, too, showed a great improvement in scenery and climate, the country being far more hilly and the climate more bracing. Breakfast time saw us at Potchefstroom—such a pretty little village, being blessed with many trees, gum trees, and willows, and little streams of the clearest water running throughout the township. A large market green is the principal feature of the place, surrounded by quaint Dutch houses. We saw also the fort which the Boers beseiged for some six or eight weeks during the last war. Leaving Potchefstroom at eight o’clock we found the scenery somewhat hilly and more thickly wooded, while here and there we passed a hamlet, a contrast to the first part of the journey, where the only huts or houses we saw were the hovels or “ hotels ” at which we outspanned. Stage after stage was got through till four o’clock found us in sight of the witwatersraudt, and our spirits rose in consequence. We passed here two or three Kaffir kraals, near which the women could be seen working in the fields, while Messrs. Kaffir smoked their pipes and chattered as they sat beside their huts. The blacks here have not yet taken up the question of women’s rights Seven o’clock brought a welcome termination to our heavy journey, outside the Johannesburg Club, where a large crowd received us heartily. We had travelled 300miles in sixty hours, with but little rest and sleep, and sought our bedrooms pretty well worn out. It was Thursday night, and, as the first match was to commence on Saturday, we had but one day to get rid of the stiffness caused by a continuous cramped position. SEVENTH MATCH—v. TWENTY-TWO OF JOHANNESBURG. F ir s t D ay— Satu rday, January 26. Our boys fully expected to meet two and twenty Dutchmen in th3 Transvaal match, but not so, two and twenty Englishmen were pitted against them, and not a very bad lot either, including several old public schoolboys, among them being L. Winslow, who played for Gentlemen v. Players, and for Sussex some ten years back. Beautiful weather favoured the commence­ ment of the match, and, in fact, throughout the contest. The Englishmen found that tre­ mendous preparations had been made to receive them. The ground was of red sand, of a somewhat deeper colour than at Kim ­ berley, but the authorities had acceded to a request made by telegram by the Englishmen, and had provided green matting, which, while it played perfectly, prevented the glare which is thrown up from the ordinary straw-coloured matting. ] n order to make the ground level cutting had had to be made to the depth of 6ft. or 7ft. in one corner. A splendid stand had been erected at a cost of £3,000, and £450 had been spent for mere hire of galvanised iron to surround the ground. All these pre­ parations had been made in the last two months, in honour of the English visit. Play commenced shortly after twelve, Major Warton and Mr. Malraison being the umpires. Harrison, the captain of the Johannesburg Twenty-two, having won the toss, sent in Schuurman and Melville to face the bowling of Briggs and the English captain, Mr. C. A. Smith, Wood being at the wicket. Briggs’s first over was a maiden, and Smith then took the ball, with Hearne at point, and Briggs at cover-point. In the eighth over Schuurman got a single, shortly after which that player was bowled by Smith with a “ shooter,” hav­ ing made 1 (10 runs for a wicket). Morkel was next man in, and was clean bowled by Briggs for a duck. Newby then joined Mel­ ville, when the latter cut Smith for 3, and was splendid caught the next ball by Bowden off Briggs, having played a good innings for 15, the telegraph showing 20 runs for three wickets. Fleischer here joined Newby, when the latter made a drive for a single, followed by a boundary hit for 3. Smith gave the ball to Fothergill, who starled his left-handers at the town end. Fleischer here gave a very difficult chance to Grieve, which was not taken advantage o f; he then made a snick for 2, and drove the next ball from Fothergill to the boundary for 3. In the next over Newby got Briggs to the boundary for 3, and Fothergill in the following over to leg for 2. Fleischer drove Fothergill for 3, and in the next over got a single from Briggs. Newby was then caught by Smith in the slips off Briggs, retiring after a well-played innings for 17. (52runs for four wickets.) Greathead followed next, and Fleischer got Fothergill to the iron boundary for 4. In the next over Greathead was bowled by Briggs without scoring. (56 runs for five wickets.) Allsopp, jun. joined Fleischer, but was run out second ball for a duck. (59 runs for six wickets.) Winslow then came in, and it appeared as if a stand would be made, but he was bowled by Fother­ gill, after running up 6. Score—seven wickets for 69 runs. Harrison (the Johannesburg oaptain) then joined Fleischer, who hit Briggs right into the Pavilion for 4, after which the two teams adjourned for an hour after luncheon. During the interval the English team were photographed in the Pavilion enclosure by Messrs. Harris and Davies. Play was resumed at half-past two, when Fleischer was caught by Hearne at point, after the best performance of tbe day—a well- played innings of 26. Although he gave two chances, he played good cricket, and was received with an ovation on his return to the Pavilion. The score now stood at 81 runs for eight wickets. Ogden then joined Harrison, who, after making 5, was caught at the wicket by Wood. (84 runs for nine wickets.) Hor- wood had no sooner joined Ogden than the latter was bowled by Briggs, after making a couple of runs. Edwards taking his place, Ilorwood then got a single to leg, and Edwards, after doing the same, was stumped by Wood. Although only making 7, his form appeared superior to any of his predecessors. Dold was joined by Sergeant, who drove Fothergill for 2, which made the total score a century. Dold had got Briggs for 3, Fother­ gill for 3, and Briggs again for a single, when Sergeant was given out l b w with a ball from Briggs. (106 for fifteen wickets.) Allsopp, sen. then came in, and was stumped by Wood. (116 runs for eighteen wickets.) Cooley joined Wishart, and was bowled by Briggs after making a {well-played 12, English carry­ ing out his bat for 3. This completed the Johannesburg’s first innings, the total score being 138. After a short interval, the Johannesburg team went to the field. The English captain (C. J. Smith) and Coventry started the batting for the visitors. Cooley opened the bowling for the local team with a ball to Smith, Harrison being at the wickets. Wishart started his really remarkable bowling at the other end with a maiden to Coventry. Smith then got Cooley to the slips for a single, and in the next over sent one from Wishart to the iron boundary at leg for 4. Cooley’s first ball in the following over took Smith’s wicket, tre­ mendous cheering from the Stand and the whole field hailing the fall of the English captain’s stumps. The score stood at 8 runs for one wicket, Smith scoring 7. Abel went in, and got a single to the slips off Cooley. Coventry also got the same bowler to the Pavilion boundary for 3. In Wishart’s next over Coventry and Abel each got a single. Abel was then bowled by Wishart, after making a couple. The cheers which followed the disposal of this famous batsman were very hearty, the score showing only 15 runs for two wickets. M. Read then joined Coventry, when that batsman got Cooley’s third ball to square-leg for 4. In the next over Read got Wishart for a single, and in the following one sent Cooley to the boundary for 3 ; after getting another single off Wishart, he was easily caught by Morkel at short slip with a ball from Cooley. It was disappointing to those who expected some tall scoring by the famous English batsmen to see them disposed of so quickly, but the Johannesburgers rejoiced exceedingly. The score stood at 24 runs for three wickets. Bowden had no sooner joined Coventry than the latter was splendidly caught by Greathead at long-leg, the score remaining at 24. Hearne then joined Bowden. Scoring now came very slowly. The players seemed to have got their eye in, and to be about to make a good stand. But the fates ruled it otherwise. Wishart and Cooley had each bowled a maiden, when Bowden was smartly caught by Allsopp, jun., at mid-wicket off a ball from Wishart. The score then stood at 31 runs for five wickets. Briggs joined Hearne, and sen Cooley to the boundary at leg for 3. NEXT ISSUE, APRIL 18.