Cricket 1890

JUNE126, 1890, CRICKET: A WEEKLY EE CORD OF THE GAME. 217 Club. The boys do what they can, but there is not a single resident gentleman, and when they leave the factory they go to the cricket field. It would be a real charity, Mr. Crawter adds, to send him any cricket “ properties.” He will gladly acknowledge as well as pay the carriage of such parcels as may be forwarded. Mr. F. H. Fawcett of St. Thomas’ Vicar­ age, Bethnal Green, also asks for donations of cricket materials to help a Working Boys’ Club in the East of London. He will of course acknowledge the receipt of any parcels. P a r r is , not Parrish, as his name has been erroneously given in some papers, the youngster who was unfortunate enough to make his first appearance for Sussex, at Brighton, at the end of last week, and had to field out while the Cambridge eleven were enjoying them­ selves in breaking the English record in a first-class match, comes from Ringmer. He bowls medium pace, well over the shoulder. The ball comes a bit both ways, but he is inclined to be rather short in pitch. He was tried last year as well as this in the Sussex Colts’ match, and with moderate success. At present he is not much of a bat. By the way, mention of Cambridge’s huge score of 708 for nine wickets, reminds me of one very note­ worthy feature which does not seem to have attracted the notice it deserves. Butt, the Sussex wicket-keeper, only allowed one bye to pass during that long innings. This is an achievement of which that County stumper has good reason to be proud. It may interest some of your readers who like to hear of coincidences in the cricket world [writes “Nemesis” ] if youwere to remind them of the matoh played at Chichester, June 26—28, 1882, between the Australians and an Eleven of England. The reBult was that the Australians won by an innings and 263 runs, exactly the same by which the Australians were beaten on Saturday at Lord’s. In 1882 the scores were— Australians ......................................501 England—1st innings .................166 ,, 2nd „ ................. 72 — 238 The Australians won by an innings and 263 runs. Saturday’s scores were— Flayers ............................................. 526 Australians—1st innings ..........156 2nd „ ..........107 — 263 The Players won by an innings and 263 runs. G lo u cestersh ire ’ s match againstKent, at Gloucester last week, introduced a young amateur who, on the form of his first trial, ought to be of some use to the County. Mr. C. F. Belcher, who played so well for Gloucestershire in each innings, is, I believe, a native of Gloucester. At all events, he learned all his cricket there, and as he is only twenty years of age, there is plenty of time for him to develop. When he was only sixteen he played for Thornbury, at Cheltenham, and showed considerable promise, taking four wickets and carrying out his bat for 28. He had taken part in two of Gloucestershire’s Colts’ matches, but the fixture with Kent was his first match of importance. He plays with a straight bat, and while very careful, can hit hard when the bowling is loose. For the last three years he has not only scored well for the Gloucester Club, but has also done good service with the ball, particu­ larly last season. He bowls medium pace, with a slight break both ways. He is a little slow in the field, but in good com­ pany is sure to improve. “ I h ave had a question given to me in cricket ” [writes Mr. D. Scott, the well- known cricket enthusiast of Melbourne, and partner of Mr. H. F. Boyle, the manager of the Australian team] “ which you might kindly ask Mr. Thoms, the well-known umpire, to express an opinion on. It is as follows :—‘ If a batsman, in playing at a ball, goes out of his ground, and the ball rebounds off the wicket­ keeper’s legs, would it be stumped or run out? The batsman has not played the ball or touched in any way.’ Well, the custom generally out here has been to call it stumped. Rule 23, however, is very distinct on the subject, namely, that the wicket must be put down with ball in hand or arm. Well, now, off a man’sleg is neither. I am under the impression that, correctly, it should be run out according to the strict interpretation of the Buie. Kindly answer in next C ric k e t and oblige." As Thoms’ decision was asked, the question was referred to him, with the only result that could have been foreseen. “ ’Tis stumped out ” is the reply of the R.T. (see the joke) veteran Jin the case named. When the ball is played or touches the batsman’s body it is runout. T he name of Hewitson,who made such a successful appearance for Lancashire against Oxford University, at Old Trafford at the end of last week, will be familiar to followers of the Association game of football as a member of the Bolton Wan­ derers team. I heard some months since that he was also of considerable promise as a cricketer, and his performance against Oxford fullyjustified the assertion. He bowls slow left hand, with a very high as well as good delivery, and what is of the greatest importance, bowls with his head. He is, in addition, a very good field, and by no means a bad bat (left hand). As far as I am able to judge, ho is about 5ft. 9in. high, and I should say about twenty-five years of age. Nor is it the least satisfactory point in connection with the latest introduction to Lanca­ shire cricket that he was born in Bolton. The County is fortunate in having so likely a cricketer born and bred within its boundaries. T he writer of the “ World of Sport ” in British Sportsmen of Thursday last, which, by the way, gives an excellent photograph of Mr. John Shuter, the Captain of the Surrey Eleven, for its supplement, recals an amusing incident, in which W. G. and another grand old sportsman, the late George Fordham, were the principal actors : Fordham [writes “Alulah”]was a great lover of cricket, and went frequently to see Mr. Grace play, but, unfortunately, could never find the great batsman at his best. He said to him once, *•Well, I have come to see you play cricket now six times, and yon have never made double figures,” to which the veteran champion’s prompt reply was, “ Well, George, I have been to see you fifteen Derbies, but I have never seen you win one yet.” T h e records which the Surrey eleven and some of its members have enjoyed for some years were beaten all along the line at the end of last week. In the first place, Cambridge overtopped by five runs the Surrey aggregate of 698 against Sussex, at the Oval, in 1886, with its 703 against Sussex, at Brighton, on Saturday, having still a wicket to go down when the innings was closed. Then again, the credit of another best was taken from the Surrey Ground on Friday by Gunn, whose 228 for the Players, at Lord’s, beat J. M, Read’s 186 for Surrey in 1886, hitherto the highest individual score against an Australian team, by 42 runs. Surrey has, though, still the consolation that it retains the record for the highest total in purely Inter-County matches. Lord’s, too, has to cede the distinction of the largest aggregate in an English match of importance, which it gained by the tall scoring between Middlesex and York­ shire in June, 1889, to the Sussex County Ground at Brighton, on which 1,399 runs were scored at the end of last week in the match between Sussex and Cambridge University. T w e n ty runs in an over is, happily for the long-suffering fraternity of bowlers, a rarity in the way of cricket records. Such a feat, though, was performed by one of the Thespians on Friday last in a match against the Cane Hill Asylum on the latter’s ground. The smiter was F. D. Williamson and the bowler a well- known cleric, whose name begins with a big, big C. Nothing was scored from the first ball, and then came two fours, fol­ lowed by two sixes. Five balls were bowled to the over, but the umpire appears to have lost count while the field were searching for the lost ball, and in this case gave a sixth, from which, happily for the bowler, nothing was scored. T h e following are the results of the matches so far played by the eight principal Counties. Drawn games do not count, and the losses are deducted from the wins. Played. Won. Lost. Dwn. Y orkshire........................ 5 ... 4 ... 1 ... 0 Notts ............................... 7 ... 4 ... 1 .. 2 Surrey............................... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ... 0 M iddlesex........................ 5 ... 3 ... 2 ... 0 Kent ............................... 6 ... 2 ... 2 ... 2 Lancashire........................ 4 ... 1 ... 2 ... 1 Sussex............................... 4 ... 1 ... 3 ... u Gloucestershire .......... 7 ... 0 ... 6 ... 1