Cricket 1891

JULY 23, 1891 CEICKET A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME, 285 o f th e m a tc h h in g e d o n th e a d m is s io n o f a w id e w h ic h w a s c a lle d b u t n o t e n te re d o n th e s co re sh e e t, a n d th e o m is s io n o f w h ic h w a s n o t o b s e r v e d u n til a ft e r p la y h a d ce a se d fo r th e d a y . I n a n y c a s e th e p o in t w a s w h e th e r th e s c o r e c o u ld b e a lte re d b y th e in s e r tio n o f a r u n w h ic h h a d b e e n p r o p e r ly c a lle d , b u t a c c id e n ta lly o v e r ­ lo o k e d , a n d th a t t o o a fte r th e o fficia l sco re rs h a d g iv e n u p th e ir w o rk . A s a m a tte r o f fa ct, B r u c e , th e M e l­ b o u rn e C a p ta in , a d m itte d th a t th e w id e w as ca lle d d u r in g S o u th M e lb o u r n e in n in g s . I t w a s th e s e c o n d o f tw o w id e s, but n e ith e r th e s c o r e rs n o r th e o th e r u m p ir e h e a rd th e s e c o n d ca lle d . T h e r u n o u g h t to h a v e b e e n r e c o r d e d d u r in g th e co u r s e o f th e firs t d a y o n S a tu rd a y , D e c . 13, bu t th e S o u th M e lb o u r n e C a p ta in d id n o t c la im it u n til p la y w a s r e s u m e d o n th e fo llo w in g S a tu rd a y . E v e n t u a lly th e s u b -C o m m itte e a p p o in te d to a d ju d ic a te o n a n y d isp u te s, a w a r d e d t h e m a tc h to M e lb o u r n e o n th e g r o u n d th a t th e ir o p ­ p o n e n ts s h o u ld h a v e h a d th e w id e r e c o rd e d o n th e o p e n in g d a y , w h e n its o m is s io n fr o m th e s c o r e -s h e e t w a s firs t n o tice d . T he c a s e w a s, h o w e v e r , r e fe r r e d b y M r. J . M . B la c k h a m to M r . C . I . T h o r n to n , w h o w a s a t th e t im e in S y d n e y , so th a t h e c o u ld g e t th e o p in io n s o f tw o e x p e rts in E n g la n d . T h e re su lt o f th e r e fe re n ce , w h ic h w a s e n tru ste d to tw o o f th e m o s t c a p a b le ju d g e s w e h a v e , th e E a r l o f B e s s b o r o u g h a n d M r. V . E . W a lk e r, th e P r e s id e n t o f th e M a r y le b o n e C lu b , w ill b e fo u n d in th e ir w ritte n r u lin g as u n d e r. “ To the best of my j udgment there can be no doubt upon the answer to your question. The score oannot, in my opinion, be altered after the scorers have completed their duties, The unrecorded ‘ wide ’ could not be added, I give this opinion on the facts as stated. I do not enter into the question of recounting by mutual agreement. Signed, B e ss b o r o k g k .” “ At Mr. C. I. Thornton’s request I give my opinion on the scoring case in a m&toh between Melbourne Club and South Melbourne as fol­ lows :—I do not think any run whatever should be added to the score after the innings is over; if allowed it might cause much dispute. I look upon the scorers in the same light as I do upon umpires, viz., that their scoring is final. In this case, therefore, the Melbourne Club, in my humble opinion, won. Signed, V. E dw ard W a l k e r .” ’ D ear S i r — I n c o n n e s tio n w ith S h r e w s ­ b u r y ’s p e r fo r m a n c e in c a r r y in g h is b a t th r o u g h th e in n in g s in tfie r e c e n t m a tc h , C e n tle m e n v . P la y e r s , it is in te re s tin g [M r . S . W . H it c h in , o f N o ttin g h a m , W rites] t o n o tic e h o w v e r y s e ld o m th is fea t h a s b e e n a c c o m p lis h e d in th e g re a t co n te s t at L o r d ’s a n d th e O v a l, b e tw e e n th e A m a te u r a n d P r o fe s s io n a l stre n g th o f th e c o u n tr y . W h e n it is r e m e m b e re d th a t th e first m a tc h b e tw e e n th ese te a m s w a s so lo n g a g o as 1 8 0 6 , a n d r e g u la r ly fr o m a b o u t 18 2 0 , it is , I th in k , r e a lly re m a rk a b le th a t o n ly three p la y e r s h a v e a c h ie v e d th e d is tin c tio n o f g o in g rig h t th r o u g h a c o m p le te d in n in g s , v iz E . L o c k w o o d , w h o at th e O v a l in 1 87 4 s c o r e d 67 ; M r . A . P . L u ca s, a t th e O v a l in 1 8 8 3 , 4 7 ; a n d A . S h r e w s b u r y , th is y e a r , a t L o r d ’s, 8 1 . A s fa r a s th e r e c o r d s s h o w , th e se a re th e o n ly in s ta n c e s I c a n d is ­ co v e r , d u r in g a b o u t 150 c o n t e s t s ; b u t I s h o u ld b e g la d i f a n y C r ic k e t re a d e r c a n su p p le m e n t m y lis t, b y s u p p ly in g a n y in s ta n c e I m ig h t h a v e o v e r lo o k e d . THE FALL OP SURREY. A T a le w ith a T e m p e ra n ce M o r a l. Come hither, gentle offioe-boy, and stand beside my chair; Why dost thou gaze so fearfully at my dishevelled hair ? This altered mien is but a sign of dire and bleak despair. Hand me that blotting-paper, b o y ; I fain would dry a tear; And seeing I am doomed to mourn, bring forth my mo(u)rning beer. And now my grief I will unfold; perpend, and lend thine ear. Perpend! hast heard of Surrey, boy ? ay, Surrey used to be A County of as rare a sort as ever man might see; But —Trojafuit, Surrey was ; —and that’s what troubles m e! Perpend 1 when great Lord Harris ruled the roast, it came to pass A County known as Derbyshire was classed as premier class; But in the course of years it fell that Derby went to grass 1 And Derby weak and weaker grew, and second-class became; While Surrey grew till almost due the championship to claim, And I myself was “ gone ” on them, and prophesied that same. And when upon a fixture card I read it must befall How at the Oval on a day these two would ply the ball, Methought I had a deaily snip; and, boy, I staked my a ll! But 'mark the sad denouement, boy, observe the dire event 1 With faith in Surrey’s winning powers, to watch the match I went What time the Captain of the team forth issued from the tent. I will not speak of Davidson, though he was bad enough, But Porter bowled for Derby, too (and porter’s deadly stuff!) The way he cut those wickets up was really something rough. Though Abel made a goodly stand and Brockwell scored a soore, Though Lockwood totalled up 18, before the day was o’er The innings closed while Surrey’s sum was but Five-score-and-four. Conceive my trepidation, b oy ; that “ little all ” of mine Seemed lost when Derby’ s Chatterton ran up to Fifty-nine, And Bagshaw made a four-score soore, ere Lohmann stopped his line. Imagine my disgust, 0 boy I that “ Second- class ” eleven, Before the sun beyond the roofs sloped down the western heaven, In spite of Brockwell, Sharpe, and Read, knocked up Nine-score and-seven ! Then Surrey’ s second innings, boy, wa 3 in no better fix, Though Henderson achieved a score and made up “ 46,” And Brockwell up to “ 22 ” contrived to guard his sticks. I will not speak of Davidson, though he was still about, ’Twas Porter, Porter, Porter still, who Surrey put to rou t; (Beware of lethal porter, boy, or it will bowl you ou t!) On Tuesday Derbyshire went in at something after three; They wanted twenty-nine to win—and got them easily; And all my hopes had petered out, hincilie lachrymceI I iveep and gnash my hair, 0 boy, because of Surrey’s fa ll! I growl and howl, and trowl the bowl, I squeak and squeal and squall, I squirm—because my “ little all ” is not a “ little haul 1 ” M oral . Be wise from my experience, boy, and gather from my tale That P o r t e r is a deadly thing, and hence this bitter w ail; And when thou slakest in thy cups, shun porter, stick to A l e ! I t w ill c e r ta in ly n o t h a v e b e e n th e fa u lt o f th o s e w ith w h o m h e h a s sp e n t a g o o d p a rt o f h is le isu re s in c e h e g a v e u p a c tiv e p u rsu it o f th e g a m e i f o u r o ld frie n d “ F . G-.” le a v e s E n g la n d fo r h is fu tu re h o m e in th e fa r N o r t h W e s t w ith o u t a p le a sa n t fe e lin g th a t th e re w ill be m a n y sin c e re frie n d s , h o p e fu l, a t le a s t, o f o n e d a y s e e in g h im a g a in in th e O ld C o u n try fit a n d w e ll. T h e e n th u sia stic r e c e p tio n h e m e t w it h at th e O v a l o n th e o c c a s io n o f th e fa r e w e ll d in n e r g iv e n to h im b y th e S u r r e y C o u n ty C lu b w a s a p a c tica l p r o o f o f th e h e a r ty g o o d w ill in w h ic h h is w o r k o n b e h a lf o f S u r r e y c r ic k e t is r e g a r d e d b y th o s e w h o h a v e h a d th e b e st m e a n s o f g u a g in g its v a lu e . T h e “ O ld B u ffe r ” w ill ca r r y w ith h im , w h e n h e le a v e s E n g la n d in th e m id d le o f n e x t m o n t h , th e h e a rtie st w is h e s o f all cla sse s o f c r ic k e te r s . PRINCIPAL MATCHES FORNEST WEEK T h ursday, J o lt 23—Oval, Surrej (2nd Eleven) v. Bedfordshire; Manchester, Lancashire v. Gloucestershire; Tonbridge, Kent v. Notts; Taunton, Somersetshire v. Yorkshire; Loyton, Essex v. Warwickshire; Oxford, Oxfordshire v. Bucks. F r id a y , J u l y 24—Barnes, Old Etonians v. Old Harrovians; Lincoln. Lincolnshire v. Dur­ ham; Lord’s, M.C.C. & G. v. Scarborough. M onday , J uly 27—Oval, Surrey v. Sussex; Lord’s, M.O.O. & G. v. W iltshire; Sheffield, Yorkshire v. Gloucestershire; Watford, Herts v. North­ amptonshire. W ednesday , J u l y 29—Lord’s, Rugby v. Marl- lorough; Watford, Hertfordshire v. M.C.C’ and G.