Cricket 1891

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron . RegSered2for5TranS&s8im‘Abro»a. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1891. PRICE 2d. careful tuition of Lord Bessborough and Mr I. D. Walker enabled him to make a better show under similarly unfavourable conditions in the following summer, his record at Harrow hardly came up to the average. Still the lessons he had received from the two old cricketers mentioned had not been lost, on the contrary, they had assisted him to learn how to bat on a slow as well as on a fast wicket. The result was evi­ dent in his marked success last year. Throughout the season, in­ deed, he was consistently effective, as can be seen by an enumeration of his principal scores, 20 and 73 v. Mr. E. E. Bowen’s eleven; 84 v. the Earl of Bessborough’s eleven; 140 v. I Zingari; 53 v. Old Harro­ vians, and 76 against Eton. His form in Harrow matches was quite good enough to warrant the most confident hopes of his success in a higher class of cricket. These expectations, too, were soon and amply fulfilled. His introduction to county cricket last August was remarkable for one of the very best performances ever recorded for a first appearance. His innings of 108 against Sussex, at Brighton, was in every sense a brilliant display of batting for a youngster altogether strange to first-class matches. His watchful cricket on that occasion gained for him a reputation which has been fully confirmed by sub­ sequent events. Unfortunately, the requirements of business prevented him assisting Lancashire this year as much as was hoped. The form he showed, too, was more than good enough to emphasise the general regret that he was not able to become a regular member of the eleven. His highest innings in 1891 was his 89 against Kent, at Gravesend, in the latter part of August. In point of quality, how­ ever, perhaps his most noteworthy performance was earlier in the sea­ son, at Old Trafford, against Surrey. His two scores of 51 and 19, both not out, on that occasion, were indeed displays of exceptional merit, the more so that they were got under great disadvantages, and on a wicket which was all in favour of the bowler. Standing 5ft. llin . in height, Mr. McLaren has everything in his favour as a cricketer. Playing with an upright bat, he makes full use of his opportunities, and not only watches the ball carefully, but when occasion arises hits total of 52 against Aldenham School. The summer of 1886 found him at Harrow, and the following year a fine score of 100 against the Earl of Bessborough’s Eleven secured him his colours. His place in the School Eleven, too, was more than justified by his two brilliant innings in the great match of the year. Many C r icket readers will no doubt still remember his exceptionally good cricket against M R . A R C H IB A L D C A M P B E L L M A C L A R E N . S hould he only be able to devote his time, as seems fortunately just now to be very probable, to County cricket, at least for the next few years, Lancashire will have in the young Harrovian whose portrait we give this week, a batsman of quite the front rank. Though one of the youngest cricketers taking part in important matches he has already, indeed, made for himself a reputation as one of the best amateur players of the day. The instances of cricketers engaging in first-class matches before the completion of their eighteenth year are, as most students of cricket lore know, not very numerous. This rare distinction can be claimed by Mr. Maclaren. Born at Manchester on December 1st, 1872, he had not, in fact, long entered on the second half of his eighteenth year when he made such a remarkable first appearance in County cricket at Brighton last summer. It may truly be said of him, too, that his exceptional capacity as a cricketer was clearly foreshadowed by unusual promise at a very early age. When only ten years old he had already made his mark at Elstree School, which has done good work in shaping the style of many youngsters who have not only figured prominently in Harrow cricket, but taken honours subsequently in the higher branches of the game. A score of 82 not out against Finchley School (under sixteen) was the means of securing him a place in the Elstree Eleven in 1883. Nor was this his only performance out of the ordinary even at the commence­ ment of his career. On the contrary his promise was quite exceptional. His first innings of a hundred, a score of 109 against the village lads at Elstree, was the result of his earlier years at School. The record of his cricket at Elstree was along series of successes, which were fittingly closed during h is.Captaincy in 1885. His scoring that year was consistent, and among many good inniugs may be mentioned 59 in the first match with Finchley, and 51 not out in the return, 56 not out against Cheam School, 25 and 36 not out against Highgate, and 30 out of 65 in the return, and 26 not out in a Eton in 1886. A youngster not yet fourteen, he played with all the confidence and judg­ ment of a veteran, and his scores of 55 out of 101 and 67 out of 204 rank among the very best achievements in the history of the Eton and Harrow match. A succession of soft wickets placed him at a considerable disad­ vantage in 1888, so much so that he was not credited with one big innings. Though the