Cricket 1891

To ge the r jo ined in c r ick e t ’s m an ly to il.”— Byron. „ No. 2 6 7 . VOL. X . Kegistered for Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, MAY 14, 1891. PRICE 2d. M R . E R N E S T S M IT H . O xford University has found in Clifton Col­ lege a useful as well as a fertile recruiting ground of late years. A. H. Evans, the Tyle- cotes, and more recently, J. H. Brain and K. J. Key of contemporary cricketers, fur­ nish the most ready instances of well-known Oxonians who have graduated first at Clifton. The Oxford eleven of to-dav has, too, one of its most valuable all-round players in the old Cliftonian whose counterfeit presentment illustrates this page. Born at Morley, near Leeds, on October 19th, 1869, Mr. Smith’s connection with the County of Yorkshire has remained unbroken JP to date. Entered at Clifton College in 1884, when he was in his fifteenth year, his abilities as a cricketer were soon recognised. Kichard Humphrey had at that time the responsibility of moulding the raw material at Clifton into shape, and Mr, Smith proved a very diligent ■pupil. The following y®ar>indeed, found him a member f J 8ecot^ eleven, and he was lortunate enough to make his mark With a score of 130 not out, in a ^ouse match. This early achieve­ ment had an appreciable effect in securing him rapid promotion, for nother season saw him advanced ® a place in the College team. were his two seasons (188G tK? ! *n the Eleven without eir full share of success. In 1886 Was more fortunate as a bats- ^nd though his highest scores ru*? . an<^ SO against the Old o 1,8 an<* 8() against Sher- fJ ? e School, it was his good tinr» 6 have the best bat- ave,ra{?e for the school. The as °i 1?87»however, found him bat . 2 l the ball as with the ronI»S J16 Was one °* th® best all- cricW Pi ayf rs in Public School finaiJL* summer. Though a the 5 ln^s °J183 not out against Was v V* Hattersley-Smith's eleven he annfil mo.st noteworthy achievement, °®pwstently against every kind of S u r r « J r ^ ls 8®cond score of 60 against the of thft hoo? *an Ground at the Oval was one C * f wro t t e l w s o e combinft/? +° S°°d performances which ^earlv ft7 * the excellent average of too j , . urteen innings. In bowling, proved himself to be as useful. In the match against Sherborne School, he was credited with the dismissal of eleven batsmen at a verysmall cost,and his consistency can be judged by his summary of the year, which showed thirty-nine wickets for an average of 15 runs. On his Public School form great things were hoped of him at Oxford in the following season. Still, though he was tried against the Gentlemen of England on May 21, 1888,as well as in two later matches,he did not impress the authorities sufficiently to have a further chance. Nor was his experience of the following year more favourable. Tried twice against the Gentlemen of England and Lancashire, he was only moderately success­ ful, and there was certainly no encouragement to test him still more highly. A big score in the Seniors match at the commence­ ment of last year, however, gave him plenty of confidcnce, which stood him in good stead for the University. His opening per­ formance of 1890 was indeed of a kind to war­ rant the best expectations. His score of 106 was only a part of his success, for in addition he took ten wickets in the two innings at an average cost of just under 10 runs. Through­ out a season of indifferent results for the University, he was never lacking in pluck. His bowling was on several occasions of the greatest use, once notably so, in the first match with Lancashire, when he was credited with thirteen wiokets for a little over 11 runs a-piece. The Lancashire matches, oddly enough, gave him his chief oppor­ tunities, and in the return at Man­ chester, he was the chief scorer with two very useful innings of 27 and 57. ‘ Meanwhile,Mr. Smith had made his first appearance in County crickets His one match for Yorkshire in 1889, against Kent at Maidstone, was,however, not a siiccess. Though they won the toss, the Yorkshire- men in putting their opponents in found themselves with all the worst instead of the best of the wioket. Wright and Martin,moreover, made such good use of their opportunities that even the veterans were unable to do anything, and Mr. Smith was unlucky enough not to score in either innings, though in the second he was run out. Last year, however, he took part in several of the later matches with very satisfactory results. Against Notts, at Notting­ ham, he proved as effective with the ball as with the bat against Derbyshire some ten days later. In the latter match, indeed, he showed to particular advantage, and his scores of 45 and 88 represented the highest aggregate on the side. The Australians at Portsmouth, toot found his bowling very difficult. Though Oxford and Cambridge were very poorly represented on that occasion, they were able to get the Australian team out in the first innings for the small total of 131, a result due in a great measure to Mr. Smith, who took half their wickets for 59 runs. Already this season Mr. Smith has proved himself to be in excellent all-round form. His commencement was promising enough, for in a match against Christ Church on April 24 and 25, he scored 137 for University Col­ lege, in addition to taking eleven wickets for G-.' G . H E A E N E , (MEMBER OF THE KENT COUNTY XI.) M A N U F A C T U R E R O F C R 15 A T S A N D Cricket, Football, and Lawn Tennis Outfitter (Wholesale, Retail, and for Exportation), 140, LEWISHAM HIGH ROAD, LONDON, S.E.