Cricket 1890

84 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. MAY 1, 1890. THE SEASON IN NEW SOUTH WALES. [From the Sydney Mail.] The season for big cricket is over, and we have time to turn round and see what has been done in the arena of sport. The season has been without doubt a good one. There have been six or seven intercolonial matches, to say nothing of minor engagements, like the matches between the schools and universities of New South Wales and Victoria. We have had enough without a glut—enough to show us that we can find our own amusements without the aid of the not always welcome supply from the old country. Going back to December, a start was made with the thirteenth match between Victoria and South Australia on the Adelaide pitch, which Lilly- white once said ranked amongst the first in the world. The result was a win for Victoria by 18 runs, the scores being—Victoria 320 and 221, South Australia 282 and 241, It was in this match that Giffen refused to go out after knooking the bails off with his foot, because he considered that the ball was dead when the umpire was appealed to. Blackham showed batting powers which did not desert him later in the season, and Jarvis’s brilliant wicket-keeping was noteworthy owing to the fact that subsequently he did not receive a position in the Australian team when places were almost going begging. The North and South match in Tasmania, played during Christmas week, merely interests us on account of K. Bum’s score of 98; the return match in March bringing him another big total of 130 (not out), and putting him, so far as averages are concerned, at the head of Australian batsmen. The end of December also witnessed the forty-third inter-colonial match between Victoria and New South Wales in Melbourne, Victoria winning by eight wickets and a run. We have seen numerous theories advanced for the defeat of New South Wales, but on going through them they all came back to the darkey’s ex­ planation of why his pup was whipped in the canine dispute—viz., “ he’d have won only for that other dawg.” The Victorians scored a fair win on the merits of the game, but the sudden break-down in their batting was worthy of note, They had scored five wickets for 202 runs—and then, pop, down went the other five for 10 apiece. Once more Blackham asserted his batting capacity, and J. Barrett and Bruce with him made over 60 each. W’ hat a wretched stand the New South Wales men made, to be sure. Out of 109, Moses made 20, and there were 15 sundries; and as the visitors were 142 behind, they had to follow on. Then they did much better, scor­ ing 251, Bannerman making his big score of the season, 117. In their second innings the Victorians wanted 120 runs to win, and two wickets put on the number, Trott making 71, and J. Barrett 29, both not out. So far as the bowling was concerned, it showed Turner and Ferris in a bad light, Turner securing three for 95, and Ferris two for 86, while Hugh Trumble got ten for 107. A half-and-half team from Victoria next went over to Tas­ mania in the early part of January and beat the islanders (not Highlanders) at Hobart by an innings and 147 runs. The Victorians scored 338, Over making 91, and R. M’Leod 60 (not out). The Tasmanians could make no stand against the bowling of Trott, who took six wickets for 10 runs. The Tasmanians batted with only eight men, some of the team having strolled away with the idea that the innings would not be finished for some time, but when they got back they found the innings finished. Out of the wretched total of 39, Gatehouse made 22, and J. Wilson 9. The second innings answered for only 152 runs, Trott Itaking six wickets for 81. On January 25 the return match between New South Wales and Victoria was commenced on the Association Cricket Ground, Sydney. In this match the tables were turned, as the heavy score of 349 runs made by New South Wales in the first innings compelled Victoria to follow on. They added 237 to their first score of 210, and the New South Wales players, requiring 105 runs to win, made 106, with six wickets down. Sam Jones scored 100 on a rather difficult wicket, and his innings was nob excelled by anything in batting shown during the season. Blackham played the best “ gallery” crioket seen here for many a day. He knocked the bowling about in a style that necessitated the retire­ ment of both Turner and Ferris, and it was not until he had made 66 that he was taken at slip. The second innings was practically made up by Trott, Bruce, Blackham, and Worrall, who scored 184 runs out of 237, Turner getting six wickets for 97 runs. The concluding part of the game was very in­ teresting. New South Wales had lost six wickets for 92 runs, and wanted still 13 runs to claim the win. The wicket was very soft, owing to the rain, but, unfortunately for Vic­ toria, it kept so soft up to the last that the bowlers could do nothing on it, and Moses, whose contribution of 45 practically saved New South Wales in the second innings, got the required runs with Garrett. The next big match on the Association Ground was the Intercolonial between New South Wales and South Australia, played in the middle of February. The game was valuable, as it showed what are the possibilities of batting on a sticky wicket. How New South Wales ever made 240 against even fairly good bowl­ ing on what was really the worst wicket we have ever seen is still a mystery. Sammy Jones stuck to the old adage of patience and a straight bat, and came out with 68 to his credit, but Donnan went resolutely at the bowling, punishing it in a most determined way. Ginen kept himself on bowling with strange persistance all day, but his whirly deliveries had very little effect, and the three wickets he secured were responsible for 110 runs. His batting, however, was beautifully easy and finished, and he obtained 52 runs out of a total of 155, Richardson and Garrett getting the wickets. The visitors had to follow on, and in the second innings Lyons played a fine hard-hitting game for 63, G. Giffen’s contribution being 32. The others shaped badly at Charlton and Ferris on a bowler’s wicket, and seven batsmen contri­ buted only 18 runs, Charlton’s seven wickets costing only 44 runs. In the second innings New South Wales required only 64 runs to get to win, and 66 were obtained for the loss of one wicket, Moses and Bannerman knocking up close on 60. Giffen was again unfortunate in bowling, his one wicket costing 30 runs. This brings us down to the fourth inter­ colonial match between New South Wales and Queensland, played here at the beginning of this month. So far the latter have not yet risen to the dignity of evens; and in the last two matches against New South Wales the Northerners played with fifteen men. This, however, is a distinct advance from their form of twenty-five years ago, when they used to ut twenty-two men in the field against New outh Wales. The match was spoiled by bad weather, but it is doubtful if the visitors would have done better under any circum­ stances. Harry Donnan, who showed brilliant form all through the season, made 49—top score on his side—and the first and only innings of New South Wales brought in 272 runs. Charlton’and Ferris went through the Queenslanders for 36 runs, and in the follow on they made only 125, Conningham contri­ buting 61 by sterling play. New South Wales thus won by an innings and 111 runs. There is no doubt that the Queenslanders have a rattling good man in Conningham. He is a patient bat, a smart field, very nimble on his feet, and a good left arm bowler with lots of pace. He is sometimes inclined, however, to try and jam one in too fast, and then away it C r ic k e t e r s .— B e s t <-CQfr« G o o d s b e a r t h is M a rk .— A d v t. goes to leg for ever andever. Having finished up here, the Queenslanders went on to Mel­ bourne to play the Melbourne Cricket Club. Conningham again showed up in batting, making 43 out of 116, a very good score when it is remembered that one of his hands had been badly knocked about here. The M.C.C. made-243, and in the second innings Queensland had scored 41 for the loss of two wickets, when play stopped at the end of the second day. The game was not resumed, and the M.C.C. won on the first innings by 127 runs. Looking back over these records, we think that in batting Harry Donnan has come most rapidly to the front, and next seasonhe should be alongside Jones and Trott. We are doubtful of the value of Burn’s averages andwe do not look on J. Barrett as a valuable bat in first-class company. Jones has played a magnificent season, and Giffen is still at his usual high standard. Trott has not continued the improvement he showed with the bat when he returned from his trip home, and Moses appears to have gone off a little. In bowling, we look to Charlton for great things, but we think M'Leod is an uncertainty. Ferris has not done well, and it is possible that the change he made in his style the last time he went home had something to do with the decreased value of his bowling averages, WIMBLEDON CLUB. F ix tu r e s for 1890. May 3—Wimbledon, v. Marlborough Bluea. May 10—Wimbledon, v. Hornsey. May 17—Wimbledon, v. Chiswick Park. May 24—Wimbledon, v. Leatherhead. May 26—Wimbledon, v. M.C.C. May 31-Oatland8 Park, v. Oatlands Park. May 31—Wimbledon, v. Esher. June 7—Wimbledon, v. Upper Tooting. June 7—Esher, v. Esher. June 14—-Wimbledon, v, Golf Club. June 21—Wimbledon, v. Surrey Club and Ground. June 28—Chiswick, v. Chiswick Park. June 28—Wimbledon, v. Wimbledon School. July 5—Wimbledon, v. Mr. W. E. Martyn’s XI. July 5—Merton, v. Merton. July 9—Willesden, v. Willesden. July 12—Wimbledon, v. Surbiton. July 12—Teddington, v. Teddington. July 19—Tooting, v. Upper Tooting. July 19—Wimbledon, v. Blackheath. July 23—Richmond, v. Richmond. July 26—Wimbledon, v. Ne’er-do-Weels. July 31—Surbiton, v. Surbiton. August 2—Blackheath, v. Blackheath. August 4—Leatherhead, v. Leatherhead. August 9—Wimbledon, v. Richmond. August 16—Wimbledon, v. Willesden. August 22—Wimbledon, v. Wimbledon'Spencer. August 30—Streatham, v. Streatham. BEAUMONT CLUB. F ix t u r e s fo r 1890. May 3—Crouch End, v. Highgate Bohemians May 10—Crouch End, v. Hornsey Rise May 17—Crouch End, v. Hendon May 24—Ashley Ground, v. Ashley May 24—Stroud Green, v. Stroud Green May 26—Edmonton, v. Edmonton May 31—Crouch End, v. Stoke Newington June 7—Walthamstow, v. North Metropolitan Tramway Company June 7—Crouch End, v. Holly Park June 11—Stevenage, v. Stevenage June 14—Crouch End, v. Edmonton June 21—Priory Park, v. Finsbury Polytechnic June 21—Highbury Park, v. Highbury Park June 28—Crouch End, v. East Finchley Alliance July 5—Gospel Oak, v. Olympians July 12—Stoke Newington, v. Stoke Newington July 12—Crouch End, v. Ashley July 19—Crouch End, v. North Metropolitan Tramway Company July 26—E. Finchley, v. East Finchley Alliance Aug. 2—Crouch End, v. Stroud Green Aug. 4—Stevenage, v. Stevenage Aug. 9—Hendon, v. Hendon Aug. 9—Highbury Park, v. Highbury Park Aug. 16—Crouch End, v. Hornsey Kise Aug. 23—Highgate, v. Highgate Bohemians Aug. 30—Crouch End, v. Holly Park Sept. 6—Crooch End, v. Olympians Sept. 18—Crouch End, v. Finsbury Polytechnic