Cricket 1890

MAY 1, 1890. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 91 reputation made by their predecessors. In one respect our present campaign stands alone. Judging only from the engagements already under negotiation, I foresee that the coming season will be one of the heaviest yet entered on. Our programme is, perhaps, one of the most extensive ever laid down on a similar occasion, and already includes thirty matches, besides others which are pending. We hope to be able to return home in Sep­ tember, so that, supposing we did not arrange any more matches than those already fixed, we should have, during the four and a-half months of our visit, to play, on an average, two matches a week. This is the more notable, from our point of view, inasmuch as we shall have to play the entire strength of England. It would, of course, be absurd to suggest that we have the faintest hopes of winning every match. For my own part I am exceedingly anxious that we shall be able to hold our own in the three England matches, to which I attach the greatest possible importance; indeed, in the event of our being able to win these, I should be content to return to Australia with the knowledge that our visit has not been in vain, even if we did nothing else. What our actual performances will be remains to be seen. I have not had so many opportunities for comparing form as I should have liked, but, going on what I have noted since my arrival here, I certainly believe that, if my team plays up to its full form, it should be at least able to equal any eleven in England. Our policy has never been to rely on the ex­ ceptional prowess of any particular man; our aim is to get rather a collection of men above the average who shall play skilfully into one another’s hands, and I venture to think that in this we have succeeded. Our batting and bowling are much on a par. The former will, I think, be found stronger than on our last visit, while I have four first-class bowlers with me, any of whom will, I believe, compare favour­ ably with predecessors. My men are, I am glad to know, all in excellent form; indeed, I am the only one who suffers from any ail­ ment ; and I am sorry to say I have, since my arrival, had a succession of those headaches to which I have been subject since my attack of sunstroke; but this will not in any way interfere with my play. With regard to the personality of the men, several of them are already well known in this country. Blackham, Boyle, Ferris, Jones, Lyons, Trott, and Turner, as well as I myself, have all been to England before, and the public are aware of what our form is. Individually, I do not think my play has changed much, and fancy it will be found much about the same as five years ago. Lyons has improved beyond all knowledge, eipecially on the fine wicket, and I think will be one of our most successful batsmen. He had a narrow escape during the voyage, which might have put an end to his play, having fallen from a trapeze on to the deck ; but he has quite recovered, and is fortunately none the worse. Boyle is at present acting as manager, but can play at any moment if necessary; he is still as good a bowler as ever. Blackham is also sound, which Jones is quite recovered from the illness contracted during his last visit to England, and is now at his very best. Turning to the new men, I am naturally disposed to be rather more cautious in my predictions; but I have every confidence in them, and do not think they will falsify my expectations. Barrett is a “ Stonewaller,” and, I consider, a fitting successor to Alec Bannerman; he is a left-handed batsman, and a good man, and has been very success­ ful in Australia, making some of the best scores on record. Burn is a Tasmanian, and a new-comer, but a first class all-round man. Charlton is one of my proteges ; he is the nearest approach I have yet come across to Spofforth, and delivers the ball very like Lohmann, of Surrey. I should not be at all surprised if he came out at the top for bowi­ ng, and what is also to the point, he is still improving. Gregory, the junior of the team, is the smallest man in the company; he is only twenty years of age, and is a nephew of the captain of the first Australian team, which came over in 1878. I have every reason to believe that he will prove a credit to the name he bears. It only remains to mention that Trumble and Walters are two very successful players, both of whom will, I feel sure, turn out a oredit to the team. THE ESSEX COUNTY CLUB. The following is the annual report for pre­ sentation to the general meeting to-morrow (Friday):— Your Committee beg to submit to you the following report and balance sheet for the past season. They feel that they cannot commence a review of the Club’s proceedings during that period withoutfirst testifyingto the Irreparable loss the Club sustained at the close of last year by the death of Mr. G. A. Sedgwick, and they feel certain that the members would desire to join with them in placing on record their appreciation of the valuable services he rendered the Club. The County matches last season resulted in 2 wins, 3 losses, and 4 drawn games. While the percentage of successes was not as high as your Committee could wish, they feel satisfied that all cricketers will acknowledge the de­ cidedly improved form shown by their eleven in these matches, especially in the latter part of the season, when they obtained a very creditable victory over the county of Surrey. The Club and Ground matches gave the very satisfactory result of 25 matches won, 4 lodt, and 3 drawn. By the list of fixtures which has already been forwarded you, you will notice that home and home matches have been arranged with Surrey, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire, a much stronger list than your county has ever before attempted, and your Committee trust that this new departure will be the means of attracting an increased attendance of the general public. In addition to the above matches your Com­ mittee are pleased to inform you that they have arranged for a visit from the Australian team on August 7, 8 and 9, when they will be opposed by a team of the Past and Present of Cambridge University. Altogether the prospects of a successful season for your county eleven seem very en­ couraging, and with the young talent at their disposal your Committee feel confident the county team will render a good account of themselves. The two Athletic meetings and the Fire Brigade Fete, which your Committee had every reason to anticipate would materially assist the revenue of the Club, unfortunately, owing to the unfavourable weather experienced on each occasion, resulted, in the first named meetings in a serious loss, and largely affected the success of the Fete, Your Committee however feel confident that meetings of this character are so popular with the general public that they havedecided to hold a summer Athletic Meeting on June 14th. Your Committee are glad to be able to announce to you that the Tramway is now running between Leyton Station, Lea Bridge and Walthamstow, passing the gates of the Ground, and thus making the latter more accessible to their supporters and intending visitors. The last six months has been a time of such grave anxiety to all concerned in the welfare of the Club, that it is gratifying to your Com­ mittee to be able to announce to you that thanks to the very generous manner in whioh their appeals have been responded to by Members and the public generally, the esti­ mated deficit of £3,851, which at one time threatened to overwhelm the Club has now been promised. To this result the Club is very largely indebted to the generous support afforded it by the cS.. C.C., Surrey, Lancashire, and Middlesex County Clubs, as well as the handsome contributions voted it by the Cor­ poration of the City of London and some of the City Companies. The estimated amount of receipts for the past financial year has not been reached by close on £800. This is entirely under the heading of Subscriptions, and has been caused by many Members not paying their subscrip­ tions for the current season until after the 31st March, as well as by a considerable number of subscriptions for last year being still outstanding. Since the last General Meeting 312 gentle­ men and 43 lady Members have been elected, while the Members’ Roll has been decreased by 157 resignations and other causes, and is left at present at a total of 1,175, exclusive of lady Members. Now that the Club is practically able to start for the first time free of debt, your Com­ mittee would most strongly urge on all Mem­ bers the great importance of augmenting the Club’s income by such an increase of Members as to bring the list of the latter to 1,500. If this can be done during the current season, accompanied by an average amount of good fortune in the way of weather for the most important fixtures, there seems'every prospect of a satisfactory balance sheet being laid be­ fore you at the end of the working year. The annual general meeting of the Club will be held in the pavilion on the County Ground, at Leyton, on Friday, May 3rd, at 5 p.m. The annual dinner will take place in the pavilion after the meeting. As the number of seats must necessarily be limited, members wishing to have seats reserved for them are requested to communicate with the secretary not later than the first post Friday. The following members of the Committee retire by rotation, viz.: Messrs. C. D. Buxton, G.Buxton, J. Conquest, and H. Fowler, and all offer themselves for re-election. Your Committee beg to suggest to you the election of Mr. A. P. Lucas to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. G. A. Sedgwick, and would propose to you the name of Mr. A. A. Timbrell to take the place of Mr. A. G. O. Kennedy, who has reluctantly been compelled to resign his place on the Committee owiug to the pressure of private business. The ground will be opened to the members on Saturday next, May 3rd, when the lawn tennis courts will be prepared, and the follow­ ing ground bowlers will be in attendance at 2 p.m. at the nets: H. Carpenter, J. Cutts, G.Littlewood, and T. Russell. In conclusion, your Committee beg to call the attention of those who have not already paid their subscriptions to the latter part of Rule X IV .:—“ No Member can be allowed to participate in any of the advantages of the Club until his subscription be paid ;” and to request such members to remit the same as soon as possible to the Hon. Treasurer, Mr. J. J. Read, 4, Austin Friars, E.C. E v e r y C r ic k e t e r should send 7 stamps to the office of this paper for this year’s “ Cricket Calendar ” (22nd year of publication). It contains chief fixtures for the season arranged in chrono­ logical order, table for registration of players in matches to come, pages for insertion of other en­ gagements, laws of cricket, etc., etc. Handy size for the pocket, bound in cloth; in leather wallets, gilt lettering, Is. 6d.