Cricket 1890

JUNE 19, 1890, C R ICK E T : A W E E K L Y E E CORD OP THE GAME . 201 is a cousin of Mr. M. 0. Kemp, of Harrow, Oxford, and Kent fame. He began his cricket experience at Denstone College, Staffordshire, and at the present time he is about twenty-two or twenty-three years of age. A cu rio u s incident occurred during the latter part of Surrey’s first innings against Cambridge University, at the Oval, on Saturday, of which I have seen no mention. Lohmann had hit a ball from Mr. Jephson clean out of the ground, and over the Harleyford Road into an adjoining garden. As it was not quiokly forthcoming again, Bowley, the umpire at the batsman’s end, with a view to save time, ran into the pavilion to obtain a new one. Unaware that he had retired, Mr. Jephson bowled again, and the ball had been delivered and passed the batsman before it was discovered that one of the umpires was missing. The point is, Ought the ball to have been counted in the over, or ought it to have been reckoned as not bowled ? In the former case, of course, the batsman should have been liable to the ordinary risks, but in the event of an appeal, say for stumping, how could he have been given out with no umpire in evidence ? S a tu rd ay last was productive of more than one cricket curiosity. From infor­ mation I have received, an incident at the close of the match between the Crystal Palace and Beckenham Clubs, on the ground of the former, will bear comparison with a good many of the eccentricities which have had to be recorded in connection with cricket lately. When Beckenham wanted about 10 runs to win, with two wickets to fall, G. E. Bicknell bowled a ball which the Beckenham umpire, without hesita­ tion, called wide, before the ball had E assed the stumps. The batsman hit it, owever, and was palpably caught at the wicket. The umpire, who was appealed to, gave it not out because he had already called wide, and in so doing was not watching the bat. Favoured by this piece of good luck, the batsman soon afterwards knocked off the requisite number of runs, and in consequence Beckenham won the match with four runs to spare. Umpiring, it seems to me. may be classed in some parts at least as one of the lost arts. W. G . h as been having a good old time of it during the last week, in un­ conscious imitation of the bucolic cricketer whose idea of the best way to enjoy the game was to hit the ball “ blooming hard, blooming high, and blooming often.” The grand old man's elevation seems to have been a little faulty just lately, if his own versions of the luck which has fallen to him be correct. The memory of his misdoings, or mishits, morever, does not, it is sad to relate, seem to weigh at all heavily on his conscience. He was actually chuckling on Tuesday at the Oval over the thought that he had been let off fourteen times during the last four days. F orsaking conventional custom, Mr. S. M. J. Woods, the Captain of the Cambridge eleven, decided to give all the members of the team which opposed Surrey, at the Oval at the end of last week, their colours on the conclusion of that match. Many, no doubt, will be sorry that Mr. H. J. Mordaunt, who played such a remarkably fine innings against Oxford at Lord’s last year, will not have the opportunity of repeating the performance. Some, too, will he of opinion that, as an all-round cricketer, he would have the best of a comparison with more than one of those who have got their blues this year. A t the same time, beyond a doubt, the general feeling will be strongly in favour of the principle on which the Cambridge captain has acted. In their reoent matches the selected eleven, though some, perhaps, have been a little—well, more than a little—out of luck, have shown themselves to be not only a strong batting team, but what is of more importance, a good working side. Under such circum­ stances it would be obviously unfair, not to say unwise as a mere matter of policy, unless there was some powerful reason to the contrary, to deprive those who had shown themselves to be of consistent use a chance of proving their ability in the best match of the year. Mr. W oods , the captain, an Australian by birth, plays for Somersetshire under the residential qualification. His prede­ cessor in office, Mr. Ford, is a native of London, and has done good service for Middlesex. Mr. McGregor is a Scotch­ man and Mr. Gosling, as everyone knows, plays for Essex. Mr. Foley, if I am not mistaken, hails from Worcestershire, and Mr. Hale, if I remember rightly, comes from one of the Australian Colonies— Queensland, I fancy. Of the five Fresh­ men three, Messrs. Streatfeild, Douglas, and Jephson, are qualified to represent Surrey; one, Mr. F. S. Jackson, who is a son of the Financial Secretary of the Treasury, Yorkshire, for which County he will play, I understand, later in the season. T h e occasions on which a ball has been hit out of the Oval in matches of any importance have been so rare that it may be worth while to perpetuate the latest instance of the kind. I refer, of course, to the square leg hit of Lohmann off Mr. Jephson in Surrey’s first innings. against Cambridge University on Friday. It was “ a hit, a palpable hit,” and no mistake, for the ball went urging on its wild career over the fence into the road, and thonce into a neighbouring garden, from which it had to be extricated. It gave rise, too, to a peculiar incident which has already been noticed in a previous paragraph. The wicket was pitched, of course, more to the west­ ward than usual, but, none the less, it was a very fine hit. Mr. Bowden, who has been for some time now in Africa, was, unless my memory plays me false, the last batsman to issue a writ of eject­ ment from the Surrey ground in this particular form; T he competition for the pride of place among the leading Counties is already beginning to create a considerable amount of excitement, and there is, apparently, every probability that the interest will be maintained at a high pitch during the season. Up to yesterday Yorkshire was the only one of the eight shires which had not sustained a defeat. The viotory of Notts, at Sheffield, however, puts that County, Yorkshire, and Surrey on an even footing, so far, at least, as the number of lost games are concerned. The two Northern Counties have, though, the best of a comparison, as Notts has played six and Yorkshire five against three of Surrey, and each of them can claim four wins to two of their Southern rival. Lancashire has been unfortunate enough to lose two of the three fixtures it has undertaken as yet. Mr. W. G. Grace has, so far, not been able to get anything like a representative eleven together to represent Gloucestershire, and the County has been singularly unlucky in having the worst of all its five matches. CRiCKET-readers may be reminded that at the meeting of County Secretaries at Lord’s in December, it was ruled that drawn games should not be reckoned at all, and that the losses should be deducted from the wins. Played. Won. Lost. Dwn Yorkshire .......... Notts ................. Surrey................. Lancashire.......... M iddlesex.......... Kent ................. Sussex ................. Gloucestershire PRINCIPAL MATCHES FOR NEXT WEEK. T h u rs d a y ,J u n e 19.— Lord’s,Australians y.Piayers; Brighton, Sussex v. Cambridge Univer­ sity; Gloucester, Kent v. Gloucestershire; Halifax, Yorkshire v. Warwickshire; Man­ chester, Lancashire v. Oxford University; Newcastle, Northumberland v. Lincolnshire F r id a y , June 20.—Leyton, Essex v. Kent; Sun­ derland, Durham v. Lincolnshire. M o n d a y , Jonf. 23.—Lord’s, M.C.O. and G. y . Cam­ bridge Univ.; Bradford, Australians v. York­ shire; Brighton, Sussex v. Oxford University- Briscol, Gloucestershire v. Surrey; Notting; ham, Notts v. Lancashire; Sunderland, Dur­ ham v. Warwickshire.