Cricket 1891

SEPT. 17,1891 CEICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME; 427 H a m p sh ire cricket will be distinctly the poorer by the death of the Earl of Southesk, which took place last week. A keen supporter of the game, he was when in town rarely absent from any of theprincipalmatches at Lord’sortheOval- His sympathies, however, were chiefly with Hampshire County, with which his family has been prominently and closely associated for a long time. He took a personal interest in Hampshire cricket, and, unless I am in error, occupied the Presidential chair of that County Club a year or so ago. At the same time it is some small satisfaction to know that his taste for cricket is inherited, and one of his sons, if I remember rightly,was inthe Charterhouse Eleven some five or six summers back. One of his daughters, too, not long ago married Mr. F. E. Lacey, who has played sucha conspicuous part in Hampshire cricket during the last few years. T h e cricketers of Ceylon had the ex’ citement piled up for them in themiddle of August during the last stage of the annual match between Colombo and Up Country. The Colombo team at the finish had to go in with 145 runs to win, and only two hours left for play. When only forty-five minutes remained there were still 52 required, and the general impression was that in the face of the good bowling and smart fielding of the Countrymen theywould at the close have just a little the worst of the clock. As it was, however, E. Gatehouse, who will no doubt be remembered as one of the Charterhouse School eleven of 1888, and W. Courtenay fairly settled the question in favour of the in-side, aud the latter had the satisfactionofwinning the match when only three minutes were wanting of time with a spanking boundary hit. T h e score of the match, which appears in another part of the paper, will be of interest to .C k ic k e t readers, if only for the fact that it includes the names of several amateurs who have made names for themselves in Public School and University cricket. Gatehouse’s all­ round play was one of the best featuresof the game, as besides scoring 63 for once out, heassisted inthedismissal of fourUp- countrywickets in the second innings at a cost of only thirty-two runs. On the same side, M. H. Paine, the old Oxford athlete, was also fairly successful with bat and ball, while for the Countrymen, A. 0. Whiting, the old Oxonian, and P.P. Hadow, of Harrow fame, were the prin­ cipal scorers. My correspondent adds that therate of run-getting, particularly at the finish, when eighty-five runs were got in the hour, was much faster than anything as yet recorded on the slowgrounds to be found in the Colony. W h i l e on the subject of Ceylon cricket, I may add that the residents are already lookingforwardwithpleasant anticipation to the visit of Lord Sheffield’sEleven,who areto leave London on the second of next month for Australia. The Hon. Sec. of the Colombo C.C. informs me that Lord Sheffieldhas positively consented to meet a local team, that is, of course, provided the Captain of the “ Arcadia ” is able to make suitable arrangements to admit of the game. At all events the executive of theColombo Clubaremakingall necessary provisions in anticipation of the match. T h e approaching visit of the Earl of Sheffieldand hisparty is, too, it goeswith­ out saying, attracting more interest in the Australian Colonies in proportion as the time for their arrival draws nearer and nearer. It will be of particular interest, perhaps,toknow what special importance is attached to the trip by some of the chief critics ofAustralia byreason alone of W.G.’s presence. “Observer,” writing in the MelbourneArgus of August 8 on the subject of Lord Sheffield’s Eleven, assurestheMaster of asplendidreception. In anticipation he says: Good men come and go, but Grace com­ paratively goes on for ever. Exclusive of this season, he has played cricket for thirty years, being asked to play for All England, then the height of a cricketer’s ambition, when but sixteen years old. During that long period he has scored 100 and over no fewer than 106 times, and all, save 13 of these scores, in first-class cricket—a wonderful record, truly. And because of his fame as a cricketer, and the wonderful influence he has had on the game, not less than beoause he is a fine type of the athletic Englishman, all Australians will give him an enthusiastic welcome. Very few lovers of the game will, if they can help it, miss his first appearance on the M.C.C. ground. A very much inferior team to that he has organised would be sure of popularity here with W . G. Grace at its head. M o r e o v e r he concludeshis articlewith a fitting tribute to the remarkable in­ fluence of W.G.’s personality wherever cricket isplayed. It has been made a cause of complaint that the visit of the English team is likely to affect the popularity of club cricket here. No doubt of it. But even though there was a marked improvement in the attention given to pennant matches last year in Victoria, it never at any time reached the limit of enthusiasm. Were it not that \V. G. Grace is one of the visiting Eleven, the wisdom of the undertaking might be questioned, but everyone will be glad to make some sacrifices for a chance of seeing the great cricketer. It would be as reasonable to discourage the visit to Australia of such an artist as Madame Bernhardt on the ground that it spoils public taste for inferior actors. M r . J. C. P a t t e r s o n , father of the excellent all-round cricketer G. S. P. of that ilk, who was the most conspicuous member of the combination which repre­ sented the Gentlemen of Philadelphia in England two years ago, is returning to the States in tho “ City of Now York,” which conveysLord Hawke and the other English Amateurs to America. Mr. Patterson, who spent a great part of this summer in this country, was present at many of theprincipal matches inLondon.' A prominent member of theGermantown C.C. of Philadelphia, whose guests Lord Hawke and the rest of the party will be during their stay on the other side of the Atlantic, he is naturally anxious to be at home again in time to assist in the reception of the English team. The “ City of New York” is due to depart fromQueenstown this afternoon, and the tourists, who are to be received at New York by Messrs. D. S. Newhall, Captain of thelastPhiladelphianteam, andT. Eobins, who acted as scorer for its immediate predecessor, will, all going well, have got their land legs and settled down on American soil within the next ten days. Everyone will wish them heartily a pleasant and successful trip. Of the warmth of their welcome “ over the way ” there can be no possible doubt. C ir cu m s ta n c e s have hitherto prevented me giving the notice it deserves to Mr. W. A. Bettesworth’s latest production in the way of comic literature. It has been an error of omission, and one I the more regret because, as a matter of fact, there is no reasonable explanation unless it be that ofsheer forgetfulness. Anyhow, I can confidentlyrecommend “ The Eoyal Road to Cricket ” as a source of entertainment andamusement, more especiallynow that in a very short time all chance of active employment will be lost to cricketers for some months. In his day Mr. Bettes- worth was one of the chief supports of Sussex cricket, and his workat all events bears the hall-mark of a practical hand, and one thoroughly capable of treating his subject properly and accurately. The sketches which accompany the letter­ press are full of humour and of a quaint conceit. To see oursel as ithers see us is at times not altogether anunmixed gratifi­ cation. The following description of Mr. Ferris’ action which I have just come across in a contemporary will no doubt, however, amuse the Australian bowler asmuch as it assuredly will the majority of C r ic k e t readers. Ferris, the left-hander, starts his long run with his bowliiig- hand close to his le g ; when he has got over three or four yards he brings both hands together almost on a dead level with his chin, and looks as if he were kissing the tips of his fingers to the crowd. l)owu goes the hand again, another trot of four yards and he brings his hands together above his head; and just as you get a little bit excited and wonder when he is really going to bowl, his arm disappears behind with startling rapidity to deliver the ball. J. W ilson, jun., playing for the Granville (Lee) C.C. in the match “ Tourist v. the Rest” at Lee on Saturday last, went in first and carried his bat right through the innings for the “ Tourists.” In the same match the club professional, J. Perch,bowled remarkably well. His analysis was 15 overs, 10 maidens, 8 runs, 6 wickets.