Cricket 1890

66 CRICKET,; A WEEKLY BECORD OF THE GAME. APRIL 24, 1890. ore young blood than previous teams, six of the fplayers having never visited England before. For all that was known they all might be Murdochs, or Spofforths, or Turners. He was quite prepared to stand or fall by their play, and he was very confident that they would bring back an excellent record. He was muoh gratified by the kindness that was being showered upon himself and his companions, and he hoped to be as warmly received when they came back. Mr. Blackham said they had a fine lot of youngsters, and it was a shame that the Eng­ lish Press should have condemned them with­ out seeing them perform. Mr. Jones said that Gregory was a worthy son of the old lion on their side. He was the best field he had ever seen in his life. He was confident that they would be more than fairly successful. The other members of the team also re­ turned thanks. In recent numbers of C r ic k e t we have reproduced the opinions of the principal Australian critics on the team as the announcements of its composition have been made. The comments which have appeared on the combination as finally constituted are mostly in favour of a good record. Indeed, with, as far as we have seen, one notable exception, the cricket writers in the different Colonies are sanguine that the team will render a good account of themselves. “ Felix,” one of the most capable members of the craft, gives a careful analysis of the men and their prospects, which we venture to think will be read with interest. At last the team has been finally chosen, and Boyle no longer dreams of telegrams, no longer sinks back in his chair with a nervous clutch at his forehead to feel for the extra furrows begotten of the recent weary time he has had. I am glad for Boyle’s sake that it is all over, for his appetite was gradually failing, while his wonted gaiety of disposition had al­ most completely left him. That last notion of sending for Kenny Burn I like very well. Readers of this column may perhaps remember that two years ago I wrote very Btrongly in Kenny Burn’s favour, but those who were organising the 1888 Australian eleven would not take the popular Tasmanian simply because he failed to make a big score in the couple of test innings which the promoters of that team saw him play. Indeed, the very man (Blaokham) who has now got Burn into the team was one of the verymen who rejeotedhim in 1888, when Burn had scored in Tasmania just as well as he is scoring now. Bum keeps wicket fairly well, and he is a capital batsman. It was rather amusing at the meeting of the Victorian and Sydney contin­ gents on Monday to notice how they differed as to the merits of Deane and Harry, and then subsequently to note how they all went in favour of Kenny Burn when Blackham got up and said, “ If you ask me, I know a better man than either Deane or Harry, and that is Percy Lewis; but as you won’t take Percy Lewis, then I go straight for Kenny Burn, of Tasmania.” After this pithy speech all was settled right away, and the hopes of Deane and Harry had fled for ever. Then came the trouble of picking a man in place of Bonnor, who at the last moment deserted his comrades iu a manner thoroughly Bonnorian, and we all know what that means. M‘Leod was chosen, notwithstanding that Sam Jones fought hard and ably for Donnan. M'Leod found that he could not go— beauty draws him with a single hair ”—and when everyone, thought Donnan would be the lucky man, behold they E ick the colt S. Gregory, because they reckon im a far better fieldsman than Donnan. Alick Bannerman admits that Gregory is up to Alick’s best form of his palmiest fielding days,fand] that Gregory has an advantage in being fleeter of foot than Alick ever was. This is all very well, but so far as I have abserved Donnan is a sound field and has a batting record, whioh places him head and shoulders above the colt. At the same time I am free to confess that Gregory is a most promising bats­ man, and I trust that he will come out with creditable figures, and prove in every sense a worthy scion of the old stock. The team now stands thus :—J.Blackham, K. Burn, J.Barrett, P. Charlton, J. Ferris, S. Jones, S. Gregory, J. Lyons, W. Murdoch, H. Trott, C. Turner, H, Trumble, F. Walters, with H. F. Boyle as manager. This includes six who have never visited England, namely, Barrett, Burn, Charlton, Gregory, Trumble, and Walters, and I venture to say that if they show true form in the old country, lovers of the game in England will cheerfully acknowledge that the new men are sound cricketers, and that the condemnatory remarks of the London papers concerning the composition of the team were uncalled for and unjust. Bonnor may be looked upon by some as a loss, but if the giant did not improve greatly upon his recent formhe would many a time and oft walk orest- fallen away on the fields at home. In true form, however, he is a splendid man for his side, his powerful hitting at times being simply invaluable. Taking the men who are going, we find able batsmen in Trott, Jones, Walters, Burn, Murdooh, Lyons, Barrett, Blackham (if he retain his present form), Turner, Gregory; and Ferris, Charlton, and Trumble form a trio who will, no doubt, do fairly well, too. In bowling there is ample variety, and, as I pointed out a week or two back, if all the men show their best form, the results of the tour, from a cricket standpoint at any rate, will be first-class, though I do not consider them able to beat England except with a bit of luck. I am very pleased to see so much new blood introduced, and the people in England will like it, too, for even Englishmen grow weary of seeing the same old faces every trip. In an emergency the veteran Boyle will be able to show that his right arm has not forgotten its cunning, and, should occasion require it, he will also show that at mid-on close up he is as plucky as ever, and quite able to “ throw ” one of those old “ pictures ” which used to convulseCharlie Bannerman and Jack Conway with laughter. I hope the team will be wafted home by favouring gales, that they may have a pleasant and successful tour, that they may meet with all the old hospitality and kindness on English shores, and that they may come back to us from the happy homes of England with a grand record, ana with a few well- earned shots in the looker. MR. W IL L IAM LLOYD MURDOCH. N ext to the “ Grand Old Man ” himself, no cricketer has perhaps enjoyed such a world­ wide reputation as the brilliant all-round performer who is paying his fifth visit to England this year. Mr. Murdoch's name has been so long and prominently before the public that to many he would seem to be a veteran of veterans. Yet though it is six years since he last appeared in this country, he is only now in his thirty-fifth year, a junior of W.G. by seven, and of A. N . Hornby by eight years. Bom at Sandhurst, in Victoria, on the 18th of October, 1855, Mr. Murdoch was not yet of age when he made his first appearance in an Intercolonial match for New South Wales, It was oddly as a wicket-keeper, that he made a name originally, and it was indeed mainly his proficiency in this department that led to his inclusion in the pioneer Australian team visiting England in 1878. Full details of his career up to date appeared in C ricket of September 28,1882, and we do not propose to go over the same ground again. Moreover, his chief feats as a batsman, are stamped too forcibly on the recollections of C ricket readers to justify any recapitulation were we even so disposed. A brief glance, though, at some of the best of his many great performances would hardly be out of place just now, when the British public is looking forward with no small anxiety to judge for themselves whether he retains to the full the extraordinary mastery of the bat which, ten years ago, left him with hardly a superior, either in England or Australia. His remarkable display at the Oval for Australia against England in 1880 will still be vivid in the recollection of those who wit­ nessed the game. His second innings of 163 not out was the highest score of an in­ teresting match, beating Mr. W. G. Grace’s by a run, It was in every sense a grand exhibition of batting, and as such was well worthy of the recognition it received from the Australian residents in London, who commemorated it by the presentation of a massive silver cup. His best achievement of all, though, wras in the extraordinary run- getting Inter-colonial match at Sydney in the early part of 1882. On that occasion he very nearly surpassed the highest innings in a first-class match and, indeed, was only 23 short of Mr. W. G. Grace’s 342 not out for M.C.C. against Kent at Canterbury in 1876, which still constitutes the record. During the tour of 1882 in England he fully upheld, if he did not add to, his already high reputation. In proof of this it is only necessary to recal bis score of 286 not out against Sussex, one of not a few good scores. Nor did his tour in 1884, his last visit to England, show any deterioration. On the contrary, his score of 211 against England at the Oval was a remarkable exhibition of bat­ ting—a display of perfect timing such as we have never seen surpassed. During the last five years he has been practically out of cricket, and the problem to be solved is whether he has really lost to any material ex­ tent his exceptional powers of batting. Ac­ cording to competent critics who have seen him at practice this winter in Australia his style is as perfect as ever, and he himself is sanguine that he will show all his old aptitude with the bat. Should these anticipations prove correct, the younger generation of English cricketers will have the pleasure of seeing perhaps the most scientific batsman of modern times. Of iron nerve, no difficulties ever unsteadied him, no wickets, no bowlers shook his confidence. A captain, too, of great judgment and infinite resource, the Australian team will have in him one of the chief essentials to success. Mr. Murdoch, who married some five years ago MissWatson, a daughter of one of the mining kings of Australia, hastwo children. They are now on their way to England to meet their parents, who have taken a house close to the river at Richmond. English cricketers will heartily wish them a pleasant time of it during their stay in the old country. Our portrait is from a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Co. S outh Melbourne scored 700 against St. Kilda, at Melbourne, February 22, March 1 and 8. F uture A ustralian T eam s . —At the monthly meeting of the New South Wales Cricketing Association, held at Sydney on March 10, the following proposal was submitted by Mr. Victor Cohen :—“ That in order to secure a thoroughly representative team of Australian cricketers when playing abroad this Associa­ tion considers that all teams should be selected by a committee appointed by the Cricketing Associations of the colonies, and no team in future shall be deemed representative unless so selected.” After a short discussion the further consideration of the resolution was deferred for a fortnight, when it will be dealt with by a special meeting.