Cricket 1891

452 CRIOKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME; OT. 29, 1891 1888—171 v. Earl’s Barton. 1889—211 v. Bedford ; 155 v. Dunstable Gram­ mar School; 108 v. Northampton Enterprise; 106*, Dunstable v. Luton. 1890—125 v. Quom House, Leicester ; 109, Dun­ stable v. Chevrells Park. 1891—301 v. Luton; 112 Y. Market Harborough ; 106, Great Elm v. Longleat. As an all-round cricketer Mr. Challen has shown himself during the last two years to be quite in the front rank of amateurs. W ith excellent style he is a sterling bat. While he has plenty of hitting powers, and can score fast when set, he watches the ball well, and his sound defence has stood him in good stead when others have failed. He has, too, few if any superiors at cover-point, a position in which he is indeed brilliant. As a football player Mr. Cliallen’ s record has hardly been less honourable. At his best there were few better forwards at the Association game. With plenty of pace and thoroughly unselfish, he was always to be relied on. A conscientious worker at all times, and very keen, he has done good service not only for his School, but also for the Corinthians, as well as for Wales in its Inter­ national engagements. His family home is at Nunney Rectory, Frome, of which parish his father has been vicar for many years. Our portrait is from a photograph by Messrs. Sinco & Holmes, of Wellingborough. LOED SHEFFIELD’S TEAM FOE AUSTRALIA. O n Friday, the second of this month, the eleventh English team to visit Australia started on the first stage of their journey. The munificent hospitality shown to Aus­ tralian cricketers in England by the Earl of Sheffield was, of itself, a guarantee that a tour in the colonies under his auspices would be a great success. The first intimation of a visit of an English team under his personal direction evoked such a hearty response from all parts of Australia that there was no difficulty in arranging the preliminaries. The acceptance of an invitation to Mr. W. G. G rice to captain the team, too, made the assurance of a hearty welcome doubly sure. From the outset, indeed, there was no hitch of any kind. The selection of the players to form the team, too, settled any doubt about the representative character of the team, and, as the names of the thirteen which are given below will show, they are sure to render an excellent account of themselves in Australian grounds. R. Atel, Surrey G. A. Lohmann, Surrey J. W. Sharpe, Surrey J. M. Read, Surrey W. Attewell, Notts R. Peel, Yorkshire J. Briggs, Lancashire G. Bean, Sussex Dr. W. G. Grace (Glou­ cestershire) Capt. Mr. O. G. Radc iffe, Glou­ cestershire Mr. G. M’Gregor, Cam­ bridge University Mr. H. Philipson, Oxford University Mr. A. E. Stoddart, Mid­ dlesex The P. and O. steamer “ Arcadia ” —perhaps the finest of al! the steamers making the voyage from England to Australia - had been ssleeted by Lord Sheffield to carry the party, and she left the Albert Docks to tho hearty cheers of a numerous as well as influential gathering of cricketers. There was a very large as emblage at Liverpool Street on the departure of the train from that station, and the enthusiastic greeting accorded to the team as they left London was a substantial proof not only of the popularity of the various members, but of the interest the cricket public has taken and will take in the team. A con­ siderable number of cricketers accompanied the travellers to the Albert Docks. Among them were Messrs. W . L. Murdoch, J. J. Ferris, It. J. Pope, W. W . Bead, C. I. Thornton, G. F. Vernon, C. C. Clarice, C. A. Smith, C. VV. Alcock, Sec. Surrey County C.C., and J. A. Murdoch, Assistant Sec. M.G G , and Edwin Ash, of Richmond, were there among others. Professional players were there, too, in force —R. Henderson, H. Wood, W. Brockwell, and G. Watts, of Surrey, Alec Hearne and G. G. Hearne of Kent, W. Mycroft of Derbyshire, Walter Humphreys of Sussex, and H. Fickett of Essex were all in evidence, while the umpiring element was represented by H. Draper and W. Clarke, ground superintendents by Walker of Trent Bridge. Mr. H. Philipson, who joined the “ Arcadia” at Brindisi, was the only member who did not go on board in London. Lord Sheffield, in particular, received a hearty reception from the spectators as the engines of the “ Arcadia” began to set the huge vessel in motion, just before one o’clock. All the other members of the team who were visible, however, met with an equally cordial demonstration. The eleventh English team certainly set sail for Australia under the most favourable auspices. At least they were sped on their way with a degree of enthusiasm which should prove a good omen for the reception they are sure to meet on every side in Australia. We had almost forgotten to add that Mr. J. S. Robinson, the Old Harrovian, who was tried for Cambridge University and has played occasionally for Notts, was also a passenger by the “ Arcadia.” Alfred Shaw goes with the team as manager, and Lord Sheffield is accompanied by his nephew, Mr. Arthur Harcourt, and Major Warren. From the Sportsman of October 13, we have an amusing account of the condition of the principal members of the party up to the time of their arrival at Gibraltar:— The passage up to that time had been lovely, notwithstanding a long swell in the Bay of Biscay, which affected Attewell, and induced benevolence to the fishes on the part of Briggs, who offered them sustenance. “ The Doctor ” pinned his faith to a remedy of his own—mysterious drops to be taken at short intervals—and while he stuck to it he was safe. In an unguarded moment, however, and to oblige another specialist, he took a sip at a different mixture, and promptly fell ill; yet the pantry gained an advantage of only one missed meal. Bean wras uncomfortable for a time, but stuck manfully to the victual­ ling department. Although Radcliffe started well, the Sunday in the Bay of Biscay was too much for him, and he remained below— “ though lost to sight, to memory dear.” An amusement committee was elected before the Arcadia had been out many days, with Dr. W. G. Grace as chairman. Alfred Shaw was also on the committee, and Mr. Radcliffe repre­ sented the ladies. A concert was soon agreed upon, and there were rumours of a fancy dress ball to bo brought off ere long. Last Tuesday, the Lascars having rigged up suitable netting, there was a game at cricket, such as is possible usually in the Indian Ocean alone, from which the calmness of the passage may be gauged. Lord Sheffield turned out a good sailor. His berth is not exactly sybaritic, being near the ever-throbbing engines, while an adjacent baby cries most of the night, and in the morning at daybreak the Lascars start pounding the curry powder in mortars over­ head. The two letters which follow describe the chief incidents of the voyage from Gibraltar to Brindisi, furnished by the Special Corres­ pondent of the Sportsman : — Our voyage out since leaving Gibraltar has been of the most enjoyable character, the weather being perfect, and the vessel being free from the slightest roll from the Tuesday to the Friday. The team have been busy each afternoon with practice on cocoa-nut matting on tho deck, the other passengers showing very great interest in the proceedings. The play was not carried out without difficulties, anu Lohmann found the awning above inter fere considerably with his “ dropping ball,’ Alfred Shaw, in case his services may be required, has been having a turn with the others with the ball, and, from what I have seen, his hand has by no means lost its cunning. “ W.G.” is as active and energetio as the rest. We reached Malta on Friday, and the team donned their colours—purple, crimson, and gold—for the first time against eighteen of Malta, the latter consisting of nine sailors and a like numher of soldiers. The match was )layed on the Naval Ground, which has been evelled out of the yellow rock, and is of very fair size, the pitch is of asphalte with cocoa- nut matting stretched over it. A large number of soldiers and others witnessed the match, in which some capital form was dis­ played on the part of the visitors both with )at and ball. In the former Grace, Stoddart, Abel, Radcliffe, and McGregor all came off, but the best form was shown by little “ Bobby” Peel, who, when the innings was declared closed with the fall of the ninth wicket at 200 , was still not out with 46 to his credit. Moon claimed six of the wicket®. None of the Mal­ tese, except Gore and Collins, reached double figures, but time did not admit of the side being got rid of, the score at the close being 88 for thirteen wickets, of which Sharpe claimed five and Lohmann four, and Briggs and Attewell two a-piece. The ball of course travelled very fast, and made fielding a matter of considerable difficulty and no little danger. Under the circumstances the display of the team in this department was very good, but the home side lost several points by indif­ ferent form. After the match the amateurs were entertained by the garrison, and event­ ually escorted back to the ship by their hosts, and after a slight delay we steamed out of the harbour at 1 a.m. on Saturday. There was a slight roll, and Grace, Attewell, and Bean were absentees from last night’s dinner table, We are now nearing Brindisi, where we are to be joined by Mr. Philipson. Our stay will be but short, and noon to-morrow will find us en route for Port Said. I append the full score of the match at Malta. L ord S h e f f ie l d ’ s T eam . Peel, not out ..........4 lo Lohmann, st Clieve, b Swinton .......... 0 G. M’Gregor, b Bentlnck.................25 Briggs, c Arbuthnot, W. G. Grace, c Ache- sod, b Moon ..........20 A. E. Stoddart, c Clieve, b Moon ... 23 Abel, c Luckham, b Moon........................34 O. G. Radcliffe, c Lomax, b Moon ... 25 M. Read, b Luckham 0 Bean, c Acheson, b Moon........................ 2 Attewell and Sharpe did not bat. E igh teen of M alta (F leet and G arrison ). b Moon Extras... Total , 14 . 11 ...200 Barlow, c Attewell, b Lohmann................. 5 Luckham, c Bean, b Attewell ................. 1 Clieve, c Grace, b Lohmann .......... 2 Moon, c Attewell, b Lohmann................. 0 Gore, c Abel, b Briggs 25 Bentinck, b Sharpe... 8 Swinton,hw,b Sharpe 0 Arbuthnot, b Sharpe 0 Collins, c M’Gregor, b Attewell ..........15 Anson, b Sharpe ... 0 Sitwell, b Briegs ... 5 Vandeleur, b Sharpe 3 Bush, b Lohmann. Hale, not out ... Acheson, not out Extras.......... Total ... 4 11 3 We were detained at Brindisi for some hours owing to an accident to the mail train, of which you will have heard. On Monday we left that port, and next day we played cricket on deck, Philipson making his debut. Mr. Stanley, the explorer, his wife, and her mother, Mrs. Tennant, are on board. He uses a crutch owing to lameness. Dr. W . G. Grace and Radcliffe have not been very well. We continue to have most splendid weather. It is just like steaming on a lake. W e had some sports yesterday afternoon, The 60 yards race was finally won by M. Read. “ Slinging the Monkey ” by a passenger named Wagner, who beat Stoddart. Mr. J. S. Robinson was runner-up to Lohmann for putting potatoes into a basket. “ Cock- fighting,” and the High Jump standing, fell respectively to the Williams’s, two brothers, from Jesus College, Cambridge. Dr. Grace’s daughter, Miss Bessie Grace, won the Ladies’ Race (egg and spoon). M ’Gregor and B. Gracc took the Needle and Cigar Race, and R. Peel the Whiskey and Soda Race. The sports were very well-managed, and the passengers took a keen interest in them. The prizes were useful and appropriate. A Reuter’s telegram from Colombo, under date of Monday, gives particulars of a match played there on that day between the English NEXT ISSUE NOVEMBER 2G