Cricket 1891

FEB. 26, 1891 CRICKET: A WEEKLY BECOED OP THE GAME; 31 COUNTY QUALIFICATION FOB CRICKET. There are indications that the question of county qualification for Cricket is again coining to the front. It seems to be fully understood that Mr. Ferris, the Australian cricketer, intends to join the Gloucester­ shire Eleven, and a good deal has been said about the action of the County Committee in hiring a house in his name for the purpose of hastening on his quali­ fication. According to a statement, which needs confirmation, Mr. Murdoch, the Australian batsman, will shortly take up his residence in Sussex, and, when qualified, will play for that county. Meanwhile, the members of the Notting- hamshire County Club have been greatly exercised over the employment in other counties of men upon whom they con­ sider they have the first claim, and at the annual meeting of the Club, the Com­ mittee called attention to the matter, and declared their apprehension that the interest in County Cricket would be seriously impaired if the practice were continued. Lord Belper followed this up by stating that the victory gained by Surrey over Nottinghamshire at the Oval last year was due in a greater measure to two Notts men than to any other mem­ bers of the team. This is perfectly true, for Lockwood scored 94 runs in the match, and Sharpe, the other Nottingham man, took eleven wickets at a small cost. But, after all, it is difficult to see what real cause Nottinghamshire has for com­ plaint. All genuine cricketers will con­ cur with the Committee in condemning any system under which “ prominent county players are engaged to play for other counties.” While a man is engaged with the team of his native county, it would be exceedingly unfair to tempt him to desertion by the offer of higher remuneration. As the case of Surrey was selected by Lord Belper for special reference, however, it may be well to point out that the grievance of Notting­ hamshire is rather of a sentimental nature. Surrey did not tempt Lockwood and Sharpe to leave regular employment in the Notts team, for the good and sufficient reason that they never had that employment, and were not “ prominent county players ” until they were made 80 in the South. As a matter of fact, Sharpe was held in little esteem as a cricketer in his own county, and it is quite possible that his great merit might hare been kept in obscurity if he had remained there. To the Surrey Executive belongs the credit of having discovered the man’s capabilities, and, after taking the trouble to train and develop his natural ability, they have certainly as good a claim upon his services as the Com­ mittee who neglected him. I f they had not possessed the foresight and the judg­ ment which actually led them to qualify him for Surrey, he might have missed his chance of gaining renown and a tolerably substantial income, as a cricketer, and lovers of the game would have been excluded from witnessing several fine exhibitions of bowling. Lock­ wood’s case is very similar, and alto­ gether it does not appear that Surrey has been guilty of unsportsmanlike con­ duct in these instances. Moreover, there are otherconsiderations which should restrain the Nottingham­ shire Committee from resorting to undue severity in the expression of their opinion. They ought to remember that a few years ago Derbyshire had a “ prominent county player” who was “ engaged to play for another county”—in feet, for Notting­ hamshire. The truth is, that there is scarcely a single first-class county which has not taken advantage of the residential qualification, and while it is done, as we have said, without tempting men to desert from one team to another, it is beneficial, and not harmful, to the game. It should be a subject of pride to the people of Nottinghamshire that they can turn out cricketers whose services are sought in all parts of the Kingdom. Their county may fairly be termed the nursery of Cricket. The supply of capable “ professionals ” is maintained in a re­ markable way, and there is hardly a county in England in which there are not several of them employed every summer as ground bowlers. But it is reasonable to suppose that, if restrictions were placed upon their movements, one of the strongest inducements which the lads of Nottinghamshire have to encour­ age them in aiming at a high standard of excellence would be abolished. There never was a time in the history o f Cricket when it was considered the duty of a man to play for his native county alone. Old Nyren and his colleagues were constantly on the look-out for recruits for the famous Hambledon Club, and, proud as the villagers were of the Club’s performances, they must have been aware that many of their champions, not only were not natives of the place, but had never lived there. In later times, an individual cricketer would distribute his favours amongst different counties with a charming impartiality, until the laws of qualification were framed and enforced. One thing is certain, and that is that the laws have no tendency to check the development of cricketing ability in the personswho place themselves under them. A man will play just as well for an adopted county as for that in which he was born; it is a curious fact, indeed, that ho often plays better against his own county than against any other. The instance supplied by Lockwood and Sharpe has already been mentioned, and it may be added that in 1889 Lockwood scored heavily from the Nottinghamshire bowling in the match at the Oval. Last year Mr. Jackson and Mr. Streatfeild accomplished their best tnwling perform­ ances for Cambridge agaiust their respec­ tive counties—Yorkshire and Surrey. In 1886 and 1888 Beaumont bowled with remarkable effect for Surrey againstYork- shire, his native county, and in 1889 he not only took eight wickets in the memorable game at the Oval, but kept up his wicket while Henderson won the match in darkness. Mr. Ferris, of course, is outside all the considerations which apply to the resi­ dential qualification under ordinary cir­ cumstances. He is a native of Australia, and if he take up his residence in Glou­ cestershire, that may be regarded as the county of his birth as an English cricketer. When Mr. Spoffortli settled in Derby­ shire an attempt was made to alter the laws so that he should be immediately available for County cricket, but it was very properly pointed out at the time that such an alteration .would tend to encourage abuseB not contemplated by the originators of the proposal. Mr. Ferris, therefore, will be obliged to qualify himself by residence in the usual way. In cricket, however, a liberal interpreta­ tion is put upon the word, and, although Mr. Ferris has been living in Australia during the winter, he has also managed to be a resident in England. A house was taken for him near Bristol last summer, and as his qualification begins from that time, his services will be available for Gloucestershire during a part of the season of 1892. His appearance as an English cricketer will be heartily welcomed. He is undoubtedly one of the best bowlers living, he is active in the field, and he bats in a plucky, if somewhat unconven­ tional style. To Gloucestershire he will be invaluable, for that county, though tolerably fertile in batsmen, finds it diffi­ cult to produce bowlers, and for years it has been waiting for somebody to support Woof. Amongst the cricketing public of England Mr. Ferris is a decided favourite, and he may be sure of a cordial reception even outside the limits of the county whose adopted son he is to be in the future. If it be true that the Gloucester1 shire committee have made themselves responsible, so far, for the rent of the house taken in his name, it may be argued that he is in danger of crossing the unde­ fined line which divides the gentleman from the player, to adopt the terms in use; but the departure is modest in com­ parison with what has occurred in the lives of some amateurs, and nobody, we should think, will be so ungracious as to question Mr. Ferris’s position. As to Mr. Murdoch, he appears to have passed his prime as a cricketer, but his services even now would be of enormous advantage to Sussex. In view of the long scores that have been made against that county in recent seasons, however, a player who decides to share its fortunes must be possessed of indomitable courage.— liven­ ing Standard, Feb. 20. A sp le n d id game betweer >Jorth and South Tasmania, on December 26th and 27th, ended in favour ol the latter by three wickets. B o yle and Scott’s Association (Melbourne) team defeated the South Australian Metro­ politan Association team at Adelaide by eight wickets. S e v e r a l members of the Seventh Australian Team, who did not show to great advantage over here, have been playing well at home. Hugh Trumble has been bowling very success­ fully, whilst Gregory has scored 50, Walters 48, and Burn 50, in important matches. C r ic k e t e r s .— B e s t < C C B « - G o o d s BEAR THIS M a HK. —Advt. NEXT ISSUE, MARCH 26.