Cricket 1890

74 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. APRIL 24, 1890. need to be reminded, is the 803 of the Non-Smokerg against the Smokers on the East Melbourne ground on March 17, 18, 19, and 21, 1887, and I have before me the handsome souvenir prepared by the Secretary of the East Melbourne C.C. in commemoration of a great historical event. The picture is made up of two photographs, the one including the members o f the Non- Smokers’ Eleven, who were responsible for the huge total o f 803, with the tele­ graph board showing the figures at the fall of the last (the ninth) wicket— 9-4-803 ; the other giving the pavilion with all the players and their friends in the fore­ ground. In the centre is the full score, with bowling analysis, printed on satin, appropriately headed— L a r g e st S c o r e in th e W o r ld In a single innings in a first-class m atch. The picture is altogether a most interest­ ing memento of an extraordinary per­ formance. EL T r o t t , who is just arriving at Plymouth, contributed 162 to the South Melbourne total of 700, against Saint Kilda, and, indeed, all the eleven, with the exception of the dusky Sam Morris, who had to be satisfied with the un­ enviable “ duck,” got into double figures. The most noteworthy performance o f all, though, was that o f Graham, a young player just promoted from the second eleven. With Bains he raised the score from 4G7 for eight, to 086 for nine wickets, and after helping during this partnership to add 220 runs, was not out at the finish with 161 to his credit. This is not the first long outing St. Kilda has had at the hands of South Melbourne. It does not require a great effort o f memory to recall a match between the clubs in 1883, when the South, for the loss o f six wickets, scored 529, of which J. Slight contributed 279 and Bosser 192. O n ly recently I had the gratification of calling attention to an interesting function — that is the correct phraseology for such an event, I fancy— in which General Fred Marshall, a good cricketer in his day, and still an enthusiastic supporter o f the game, was the principal figure, an imposing one too, as those who know him can testify. The General, who was President of the Surrey County Cricket Club, though, has latterly been better known on the hunt­ ing than on the cricket field, and it was the presentation o f his portrait by the members o f the Chiddingfold Hunt, of which he is master, to which I am now alluding. Since that time, however, another distinction has fallen to him, and one of greater significance. H is appointment to the Colonelcy o f the First Dragoon Guards, unless I am much mistaken, dates from Friday last. T h e news o f Charles Pardon’s sudden death on Friday last will have been re­ ceived with universal sorrow by C r i c k e t readers all over the world, He was an entity in the cricket world, better known, in fact, than the majority of the players whose doings he had been accustomed so graphically to recount for several years. It was my fortune to know him when he first became identified with the sporting press, under the auspices o f the late George Kelly Ring. It was in a great measure to him that the public owes the vastly improved style o f cricket reporting of late years. I can, indeed, bear testi­ m ony that he was the first to attempt something like a practical criticism of the play a n i players in place o f the wearisome and minute details which used to pass muster for an analysis of a match, and he undoubtedly did very much to improve the whole tone of sporting reports. As a cricket writer he had no superior, combining freshness as well as vigour of style with a close observation, and, withal, practical knowledge o f the game. For some years he was on the staff o f the Press Association, and, indeed, after he had ceased to belong to the office, retained his connection outside, acting as Sporting Editor until the time of his death. Though he was an excellent all-round journalist, it was in connection with cricket that he was best known, and there was hardly a player o f any note, English or Colonial, to whom he was not thoroughly well known. Q u ic k in guagingthe public feeling, his personality was soon felt, and this was never more forcibly exemplified than in the great improvement he made in “ Wisden ” during the last four years. A contributor to many papers in his time, he was always impartial as well as fearless in his comments, a writer certainly with­ out fear or favour. The name o f C. F. Pardon is known all over the cricket world, and the news of his death will be the subject for general regret. Kind- hearted to a degree, as I can vouch of m y own personal knowledge, he will be greatly missed by hundreds of friends in all parts of the country. H e was only forty years of age. T h e visit of the Queensland cricketers to Sydney and Melbourne seems to have served some useful purpose, at least, in in­ troducing a very promising addition to Inter-Colonial cricket, in the person of Conningham, of Brisbane. H is all-round cricket against the Melbourne Club as well as against New South Wales was very much above the average, and as it is said that he is settling in Sydney, the public there is looking forward very hopefully to the assistance of a valuable recruit. “ Felix,” the contributor o f the Australa­ sian newspaper, declared him after the Sydney match to be quite good enough for the Australian Eleven. He is a really good cricketer [says Town and Country ] who only requires a little extra polish to stamp him as one of the hest all­ round players in the colonies. He enters into the game with an earnestness that is pleasant to behold; and no matter how he gets knocked about, his determination to re­ main at the wickets while batting never fails him. His bowling, which is much superior to that of the average trundler, would no doubt improve if practised against better batsmen than he has been accustomed to. As a batsman, he has some fine strokes, his best, perhaps, being a drive to the off between the bowler and long-field off. His snicks to leg are also cleverly done, and he hardly ever lets a ball rise in the slips, like the great majority of his companions did in the late match. T h e recent movement for the provision of increased accommodation in the way of conveniences for recreation has found a practical supporter in Mr. Y. E. Walker, who was not only for many years one o f the very best all-round cricketers, but is still one o f the greatest authorities on the game. Mr. Walker, who is the senior of the three surviving members of the remarkable brotherhood of cricketers, originally numbering seven, has just presented to the Southgate Local Board 15 acres of land situated at New Southgate for the purpose o f laying out public recreation grounds for the in­ habitants of New Southgate, which town comprises portions of the districts of Friern Barnet, Southgate, and East Barnet Local Boards. The value of the lancHs estimated at about .£5,000. T h e critic o f the Town and Country Journal, of Sydney, too, is equally sanguine of Conningham’s future. T h e fund for clearing off the liabilities o f the Essex County C.C., which everyone will be glad to hear are now nearly removed, is to be supplemented by the proceeds of a match between Gentlemen and Players of the South, to take place on the ground of the Clapton C.C. at Pond Lane on Saturday next. As the follow­ ing names will show, the sides will be strong, and all that is wanted is fine weather, which is sure to bring a large attendance. G e n t l e m e n , C. E. Green W. W. Head C. J. M. Fox F. Fielding E. P. Sewell F. A. Bishop E. O. Palmer J. Bascow H. Boyton and two othera P l a y e r s . Maurice Bead Lohm&nn Abel Wood Henderson Burton Bowley Burns Littlewood Beaumont West, of Middlesex T he following is from my old friend and trusty gossip, “ The Old Buffer ” :— ABOUT A HOLE IN A WALL. S ib , —For the last forty-nine years I have been backwards and forwards to Lord’s, and never found out till last year that outside the corner bouse one side of which faces Maida Vale and another comer faces the St. John’s Wood Road, there is a money-box in the wall, with a slit in it, over which is painted in small letters an appeal to the passer-by to put in one penny. The Charity which asks for the small dole is “ the Hospital for In­ curable Children.” The name is quite suffi­ cient to move cricketers’ hearts, and I hope this par. will call attention to this “ hole in the wall” which escaped my notice for so many years, and may lead to “ a shower of browns,”—Tours, &c., “ F.G.”