Cricket 1891

AUG. 6,1891 CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME; 823 F e w b e tte r p e r fo r m a n c e s h a v e b e e n c h r o n icle d in m in o r m a tc h e s d u r in g th e se a so n th a n th a t r e c o r d e d to V . E . A r c h e r - B u rto n fo r S o u th H a n ts v . V e n tn o r, at S o u th a m p to n , o n F r id a y last. Y e n tn o r w e re g o t o u t fo r ‘z 3 , a n d th e d is m is s a l o f e v e r y o n e o f th e te n w ic k e t s w a s d u e to th e b o w le r n a m e d . O n ly tw o r u n s w e re m a d e o ff h im , a n d w h ile th e la st b a ts m a n w as ca u g h t a t th e w ic k e t a ll th e first n in e w e re c le a n b o w le d w ith o u t a r u n b e in g s c o r e d fr o m h im . A n o ld I n c o g ., th e H o n . J . S. U d a l, n o w A tto r n e y -G e n e r a l o f th e F iji Is la n d s , se n d s m e a n a c c o u n t o f th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f th e g a m e in th o s e p a rts w h ic h c a n n o t b u t b e o f in te re s t t o C ricket re a d e rs h e re . We have been able [he writes] to get our new cricket ground here ready by Easter this season (our season more or less corresponds with yours, we playing in our cooler, you in your warmer (!) weather), and it really looks uncommonly well for a ground that has been absolutely ploughed up, and sown down with “ conch” grass in considerably less than a year. It was practically “ bush ” before. Of course it is rather “ dead,” more especially so as it lies low, near the beach; but there, it is grass , which is saying a good deal in the tropics. We have played several club matches, Married v. Single, North v. South, and have had one foreign match with H.M.S. “ Cordelia” a fortnight ago. They are fairly strong as they “ carry midshipmen,” but we managed to beat them -ju st in the nick of time—with only four wickets down. The climate appar­ ently has not yet affected me, as I was 60 not out at the finish. We are looking forward to a return against the “ Cordelia ” and “ Gold­ finch ” combined on the former’s return from Tonga, where I hear they have fallen victims to the capital native eleven they have there— an eleven whose “ colours ” we are burning to lower. la s t E n g lis h te a m , a n d a ls o d id g o o d s e rv ice fo r th e C o lo n ie s a g a in s t V ic t o r ia a n d N e w S o u th W a le s la st w in te r . H e is m o r e o v e r a la ir b a t a n d a n e x c e lle n t fie ld . T h e r e is e v e r y p r o b a b ility th a t th e C r ic k e t C o u n c il o f A u s tra lia w ill be fo r m a lly in s titu te d in tim e to u n d e rta k e th e s e le c tio n o f th e A u stra lia n te a m w h ic h it is p r o p o s e d to se n d to E n g la n d n e x t s u m m e r . W ith th e a ssu ra n ce o f th e c o ­ o p e r a tio n o f a ll th e C o lo n ie s in th e fo r ­ m a tio n o f th e C o u n c il, its fo rm a tio n s h o u ld b e a m e r e q u e s tio n o f tim e , a n d it w ill b e a fa v o u ra b le a u g u ry o f su cce s s if th e firs t fru its o f its la b o u r s s h o u ld b e , as th ere is e v e r y re a so n to b e lie v e w ill b e th e c a s e ,a th o r o u g h ly re p re s e n ta tiv e te a m . S o fa r as th e n e g o tia tio n s h a v e g o n e , I h a v e r e a s o n to b e lie v e th a t th o s e in te re s te d are s a n g u in e o fc o lle c tin g an e x c e e d in g ly p o w e r - fu l c o m b in a tio n a n d o n e w h ic h w ill d o fu ll cre d it to A u s tra lia n c r ic k e t. T h e re are on e o r tw o c rick e te rs w h o h a v e la te ly c o m e to th e fr o n t, in w h o m e v e n a t th is re m o te d is ta n ce th e E n g lis h p u b lic h a v e b e e n led to ta k e s o m e in te re s t. S id D e a n e , w h o it w ill b e r e m e m b e r e d w a s le ft o u t a t th e la st m o m e n t a fte r a c tu a lly c o m in g o n to A d e la id e , s h o u ld h a v e a g o o d c h a n c e fo r a p la c e in th e te a m , as, in a d d itio n to h is q u a lific a tio n s as a r e lia b le w ic k e t-k e e p e r , h e is n o m e a n b a t, h a v in g a n e x c e lle n t a v e ra g e fo r th e E a s t M e lb o u r n e C lu b last se a so n . A n o th e r lik e ly c a n d id a te o n p a p e r s h o u ld b e C o n y in g h a m , th e Q u e e n s ­ la n d p la y e r . A fa st le ft-h a n d e d b o w le r, h e p r o v e d s u c c e s s fu l a t B ris b a n e a g a in st th e THE CRTCKET ON THE HEARTH. “ It is Summer, it i 3 Summer, o h ! how beautiful (?) it looks,” W ith the floods upon the meadows and the overflowing brooks ; W ith the crashing of the thunder and the splashing of the rains, W ith the lashing of the hailstones, nearly smashing window panes, With the washing and the dashing and the plashing of the wet, And the dripping of umbrellas on the sloppy parapet, Just as if old Pluviosus had determined thus to wreak All the floodgates of his anger on the Canter­ bury week I It is Monday at the Oval; it is Surrey versus Notts; They have pitched a pair of wickets on two inundated spots. It is Monday in the precinots of old Canterbury town; To inaugurate the festival have Grace’s men come down. It is Monday at Old Trafford, and Essex men are there, But Aquarius reigns supreme, and still his rain is everywhere. 0 , the dreary, dismal downpour! 0 , the dark Bank Holiday! Come the wires to C r ic k e t office “ Rain came down and stopped the play 1 ” It is Tuesday at the O val; it is Surrey 1, 7, 6 ; It is Notts have got to 70, then the Rain has drawn the sticks! It is Tuesday in the Kentish town, with Gloucester 1, 0 ,1 ; And Kent get three-and-twenty in an interval of sun. It is Tuesday at Old Trafford, where from hour to hour they wait Till the rain holds off a moment, making Essex 1,1, 8 . O, the dreary, drizzling downpour! for the rain rains every d ay ; Come reports to C r ic k e t office “ Rain came down and stopped the play !” It is Wednesday at the Oval; it is Wednes­ day everywhere; And the sun presents his features—now and then, and here and there. Shine and shadow, shower aud shimmer— here and there, and now and then— Fall on 'irafford, oa the Oval, and the Canterbury men. And “ Unsettled” is the weather, as the weather-glass proclaims; While unsettled as the weather are the prospects of the games. Scarce a match can now be finished, after all the long delay From the incermittent rains that interfered and stopped the play. Ye spectators, who have journeyed to the Oval in the wet, Muse upon your rash proceeding with a great, though vain, regret. Ye who go to see the glories of the Canterbury match, Be prepared to mourn your folly while ye nurse the colds ye catch. Ye who, scorning influenza, went with Essex to the North, Go, repent in rum and blankets, and be more discreet henceforth. Save your cash and contributions; and let each enthusiast Draw a moral, take a lesson for the future from the past. It is Thursday,—fine or showery—it is Thursday ! Would you know, W ith the maximum of comfort, how the cricket world doth go ? Would you learn without exertion, at the minimum of cost, All the scores of all the matches,—who has won and who has lost ? Safe in shelter, free from trouble, would you like to stay indoors And behold a panorama of the matches and the scores ?— You have but to plank your twopence, and reclined at ease the while, Take your “ C r ic k e t ” on the hearth, all in the good old Dickens style ! L ord H a w k e , w h o , o n th e a b a n d o n ­ m e n t o f th e p r o p o s e d I n d ia n to u r, u n d e r ­ to o k th e w o r k o f c o lle c t in g a n a m a te u r te a m t o v is it P h ila d e lp h ia n e x t m o n t h at th e in v ita tio n o f th e G e r m a n to w n C lu b , is as fa r as I c a n see n o t lik e ly to h a v e a n y d iffic u lty in g e ttin g a fa ir ly g o o d sid e , e v e n i f th e o u t-c r ic k e t m a y n o t p r o v e to b e q u ite g o o d e n o u g h fo r its ta sk . I n a d d itio n t o L o r d H a w k e , M e ssrs. G . F . V e r n o n , K . J . K e y , J . H . J . H o r n s b y , a n d L . C . H . P a la ir e t are m e n tio n e d as c e r ta in tie s , a n d o f m y o w n k n o w le d g e I c a n s a y th a t s e v e r a l w e ll-k n o w n a m a te u r c r ic k e te r s are d is p o s e d to m a k e th e trip . M r . C . W . W r ig h t o f th e N o tts C o u n ty e le v e n a n d G . W . R ic k e tts m a y b e m e n ­ tio n e d as lik e ly s ta rte rs. T h e fo r m e r w o u ld s u p p ly o n e p o s s ib le w a n t, th a t o f a c a p a ­ b le w ic k e t-k e e p e r . T h e te a m , it is sta te d , a r e to le a v e E n g la n d in th e “ C ity o f N e w Y o r k ” o n th e 16th o f n e x t m o n th . I n a d d itio n to tw o o r th re e fix tu r e s in P h ila d e lp h ia , t h e y a re lik e ly to a rra n g e a fe w m a tc h e s in o th e r p a rts o f th e S ta tes. T he fo llo w in g w ill s h o w th e r e s u lts o f th e m a t c h e s p la y e d b e tw e e n th e n in e le a d in g C o u n tie s u p to d a t e : riayed. Won. Lost. Dwn Surrey ................. 10 ... 9 ... 0 ... 1 Kent........................ 8 ... 3 ... 1 ... 4 Notts .................. 10 ... 5 ... 4 ... 1 Lancashire .......... 10 ... 6 ... 4 ... 1 Middlesex .......... 10 ... 4 ... 5 ... 1 Somersetshire ... 7 ... 2 ... 4 ... 1 Sussex .. ........... 9 ... 2 ... 4 ... 3 Yorkshire .......... 11 ... 4 ... 7 ... 0 Gloucestershire ... 11 ... 2 ... 7 ... 2 PRINCIPAL MATCHES FOR NEXT WEEK T h u r s d a y , A u g u s t 6—Canterbury, Kent v. Surrey; Bradford, Yorkshirev. Somersetshire; Clifton, Gloucestershire v. Sussex; Leicester, Leices­ tershire v. Essex. F riday , A ugu st 7— Norwich, Norfolk v. Herts. M onday . A ugust 10— Brighton, Sussex v. Kent I Sheffield, Yorkshire v. Middlesex; Manchester* Lancashire v. Somersetshire ; Clifton, Glou­ cestershire v. Surrey; Lord’s, M.C.C. & G. v. Devonshire. P la y in g against Tottenham College at Tot­ tenham on August 1, Holmwood, of Syden­ ham, were dismissed for 14 runs, of which 2 were extras. F. W . Barnes bowled five overs for seven wickets, and T. Benson four overs and two balls for four wickets, each at a cost of 6 runs. R evised “ Laws op C r ic k e t ” for 1891, together with Hints to Young Players, an instructive treatise illustrated by seven special engravings, five diagrams showing how to place a team in the field to different bowling, and copy of rules for guidance of those forming clubs, &c. Post free 4 stamps, of Wright and Co., 41 Bt, Andrew’s Hill, Doctors’ Commons, E.C