Cricket 1890

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. ^ T — ‘mmm — — — — ■— — — — - ■ — - i - --- ii_i~■ ■ R egist«cdf(?r Tr'anMni^io^Abroad. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1890. PRIOE MR. A L E X A N D E R C. K. MAC- K E N Z IE . T h e biennial visits of Australian teams to England during the last twelve years have naturally invested everything of any real im­ portance in relation to the cricket of Greater Britain with general interest “ at home.” The composition of every new Australian combination booked for the old country is a subject for common talk among cricketers on this side for months before even the final selection is made in the Colonies. Particular curiosity is evinced as the time draws nigh for their departure as to the possibility of the inclusion of new men in the coming team. Speculation has been busy in English cricket this winter, as it was two years ago, whether Harry Moses, the batsman who de­ servedly enjoys such a high reputa­ tion in New South Wales, and whose fame is well known to everyone who follows the game at all olosely, will again be able to resist the temptation offered him by the managers of showing his form on English grounds. Nor is he by any means the only cricketer as yet strange to England whose doings have given rise to great expecta­ tions in the old country. For­ tunately, too, for Australian crioket, the dismal forebodings which were heard everywhere last winter of a probable lack of rising talent, and the possibility of a corresponding reduction of public interest in the game, have proved to be the mere fanoies of desponding critics. As a matter of fact, as far as one can judge from the records of the season now in progress, there is certainly no lack of young oricketers of pro­ mise in any of the colonies of Australia. Victoria in particular seems to have discovered a new seam proliflo of and rioh in useful material, and it is gratifying to notice that the game itself seems to have entered on a new lease of public favour in Melbourne. New ^outh Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania have all, too, plenty of available talent in spite of the poor show made by the Tasmanian team in their recent match against Victoria. N.S.W. has of late years had a sufficiency, at least, of young players oapable of development into first-olassmen. Of these, the names of Charlton, Richardson and Mac­ kenzie will be perhaps the ippst familiar, apd as each and all of them may be said to have been in the running for a place, or places, in the Australian team to visit England in this present year of grace, some particulars of their performances may not be without in­ terest to C b ic k e t readers. For purposes of our own, priority has been given to A. C . K. Mackenzie, the junior, we are inclined to think, of the trio. Born in Sydney, on August 7, 1870, he is only a few m onths over his nine­ teenth "birthday. Educated at the H igh School, Sydney, under the watchful eye of a good old inter-colonial cricketer, Mr. J. Coates, who represented the N orth against the South, if we remember rightly, at L ord’s, and also topk part in a few m atches ftt the Oval several years ago, he had every chanc# of being well grounded in the rudiments of the game. For three seasons he played as a Junior in three different Clnbs, and with uniform success, winning the first batting average for two of them and the second average in the third. The season of 1887-8 saw the close of his career as a Junior, and he finished it in a way befitting his promise. Against “ Our Boys ” he was credited with a big score of 206 not out, and in the next match did another good performance, contributing 112 and 22 not out. On the formation of the Sydney Club in 1888-9, Mr. Mac­ kenzie was asked to join, and his introduction to the ranks of Senior cricket was attended with the best results. His average for the Sydney C.C. for the season was over thirty- six runs, and in proof of the con­ sistency of his batting, it is worthy of remark that he only got less than twenty runs in two out of sixteen innings. His first big match was for New South Wales against the Sixth Australian team at the commence­ ment of last year. Here, too, he showed excellent cricket, in fact:, his thirty-four was one of the best played innings on the side. In the match against the Melbourne Club, the same season, when the Sydney team won by one run, he also acquitted himself well, making the top score. During the Australian season now drawing to a close he has been remarkably successful. For a long time, indeed, he could do no wrong in the matter of run- etting, as his first scores of 26, 66, 7, 112, 53, 45, and 30 in succession will fully prove. Great things were naturally expeoted of him in the Inter-colonial match, begun on New Year’s Day at Melbourne, but unfortunately, on the occasion whereon he was naturally most anxious to distinguish himself, luck did not favour him, and in his two innings he only got 12 runs. Still, as he is yet but a youngster, there is plenty of time for him to prove his undoubted capacity, and the best judges of the game in the Colonies are confident that he has a bright future before him. A biographer in the Town and Country Journal, of Sydney, credits Mr. Mackenzie with the possession of all the elements of a first-class batsman. He is, the writer adds, a stylish and vigorous bat, hitting finely all round. He is a bril­ liant cover-point, but oan field anywhere, with clean pick up and wpart threw m, Be