Cricket 1891

APRI3V 28; 1891 GRIOKETV A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 75 CRICKET IN INDIA. [B y A n A n g l o - I n d ia n ] . Cricket is not popular in' India. How is this, and how is it that so little interest is taken in cricket by men who in England were promising youngsters at the game ? It is delightful Cricketing weather in India between the middle of November and the end of January, so that unfavourable weather can­ not be the cause. It is not that the grounds are not worth playing on, for, as far as the wicket goes, one of the best in the world is on the Calcutta ground, and that at Allahabad would be very hard indeed to beat anywhere in England, while most stations such as Lucknow, Agra, Cawnpore, Fyzabad, Bareilly, etc., can show one a very fair wicket, and could with a little more trouble, which should be taken chiefly during the rains, also turn out a pitch on which W . G. himself would be proud to play, and on which he would score heavily against the best bowling. The worst of cricket out .in India is that during the oricket season there are so many other kinds of rival sports that the1majority of the men who would and who cOuld play cricket prefer to occupy their spare time on other amusements. This is the real secret why the game is not popular in India, although, of course, the visit of Mr. Vernon’s team last year did much to popularise cricket', both with natives and Europeans. Men have gone out as keen as mustard about cricket, but have gradually come to the conclusion that they can get better fun out of shooting, polo, and such things than cricket. It is an impossible thing sometimes to get up a match, even at large stations, and when men do some­ times tal»e it into their heads to play, they often get disgusted with what they experience. Cricket, as it is in India, is not oricket; it is skittles pure and simple. The cricket secretary advertises a match to begin at eleven, and half the side, for ho reason at all except that they will not be punctual, keep away till after twelve, arid so dishearten the men who have come up to time to play cricket and not skittles. Then, too, it is not at all necessary that more than three quarters of an hour should be given up to lanch, for a match in India does not often extend over more than one day, and the more time that can be got to play, the better will be the Cricket. For these reasons, many men who are keen cricketers, and who can really play the game, never touch the bat in India. There is, moreover, no doubt that cricket among the upper olass is not so popular as it was only a comparatively short time ago, and there must be reasons why this is the case. A few years ago Calcutta and Bombay used each to send a team to Allahabad, where they used to meet a team from the North West Provinces, and areal enjoyable week’s oricket was played; but since 18b6 this annual “ week” seems to have died a natural death. In 1886 even Bombay did not send a team, and those of Calcutta and the North West Provinces were by no means representative. The popularity of polo over cricket accounts partly for the fact that the latter is being played less among the cricketing class than formerly. If more of the men who can play cricket would do so the noble game would become more popular. At present there are only very few men in the North AVest Provinces of Bengal who really play the game and who keep up the same keenness for it which they used to in England. In the batting line Messrs. Water- heW, French, Wynyard, Quinton, MacKenzie, &hd Bateman-Ohampion, are about the only ones worth naming; in the bowling line, that most important element in the game, it would be hard at the present time to pick out more than Corporal Godfrey of the Buffs, Major Davidson, and Messrs Hoare, Elliot, Horne and Couper; while behind the stumps the only rnan who is much good is Mr. Wynyard of the Hampshire eleven, who on his day is really brilliant. .Xhq above is about the pick in ; Upper India, yet a team comprising them were unable to hold their own against Mr. G. F. Vernon s Middlesex team. There is some talk about a team from India visiting England during the next cricketing season, but it will probably come to nothing. It would be far more advisable to induce one or two good English elevens to go out to India with the view of improving and popularising the noble game in that part of the Queen’s dominions; and Anglo-Indians are much indebted to Mr. Vernon’s team for what increased popularity has attached to cricket in India since their visit. ________ S. L. MB. 0 . G. BADCLIFFE’ S ELEVEN v. LEIGHTON. As is usually the case at the opening of the season, even when the. wickets are good and the players first-class, the bowlers held the upper hand throughout this match, which was played on the 15th and 16th inBt. on Mr. W. H. Laverton’s pretty ground at Westbury, Wilts. The sides, as the result (a drawn game) proved, were very well matched, and it will be seen that some of the best players we have were engaged. A large attendance witnessed the play on both days, and the weather was all that could be desired for the time of the year. Mr. Laverton’s side batted first, but shaped very badly against the deliveries of Sharpe and Mr. Ferris. Five members, indeed, failed to get a run between them, and it was only the steady cricket of our old friend Dr. Barrett, and the vigorous hitting of Attewell, that redeemed the innings from utter failure. These two were respon­ sible for 46 out of 64 runs from the bat. Dr. W . G. Grace and Mr. Ferris made an excel­ lent start for the other party, and with the assistance of the Cantab, Mr. A. J. L. Hill, who contributed a useful 25, managed to lead by 47 at the close of the first day. The second innings of Leighton was a decided improvement on the first, though Dr. Barrett was unfortunately run out when well set. The good cricket of the younger Palairet, who carried out his bat for an admirable 44—the highest score of the match—gives rise to the hope that he may be seen to advantage this season both for Oxford University and Son.er- setshire. The local team required but 79 to win, and when 39 of these had been got by Messrs. Grace and Ferris, it looked like their match. At that total, however, the Australian had to leave, and at 44 Dr. Grace Was lbw to Martin. The last named continued to bowl in line form, not only keeping the runs down but taking several wickets. The end came, amidst considerable excitement, without definite result—Mr. Badcliffe’s eleven still needing 13 runs with one wicket to fall. Martin’s, Sharpe’s, Attewell’ s, and Mr. Ferris’s analyses will all repay perusal. It will be seen that Mr. B. J. Pope, another Australian, played for Mr. Radcliife’s team. Mb. 0. G. B adcliffe ’ b E leven . First Innings. Second Innings. Dr. W. G. Grace, c W. H. Laverton, b Lohmann... 30 lbw, b Martin ... 21 Mr. J. J. Ferris, c and b Attewell ... .................21 c and b Attewell 12 Mr. O. G. Radcliffe, b Attewel ... ......... ... 6 c F. Laverton, b Attewell.......... 2 Mr. C. Wreford Brown, c and b Attewell ........... 1 stRoss,bAttewell 1 Mr. A. J. Ii. Bill, st Ross, b Attewell... ... ... ... 25 b Martin ........... 0 Mr. R. J. Pope, b Atte­ well ................................. 3 c Lohmann, b Martin .......... 2 Mr, A. E. Leatham, c and b Lohmann ................. 8 c Boss, b Martin 8 Mr. W. G. Grace, jun., b Attewell ... ................. 1 c and b Martin 4 Sharpe, b Attewell ........... 2 not out ........... 5 Board, not o u t .....................12 b Martin ... ... 5 Mr. E. A. Everett, c W. H. Laverton, b Lohmann 0 B 1,1b i ............. . ... 5 B ................ 8 T*ttf „. ... „ai7 , i ., Total * i « L eighton E leven . Dr. J. E« Barrett, b Ferris 24 run ont .......... 19 M. Read, cPope, b Sharpe 0 cSharpe.bFerris 5 Mr. L. C. H. Palairet, c Leatham, b Ferris.......... 5 b Sharpe .......... 0 Mr. R. C. N. Palairet. c Leatham, bFerris.......... 0 not out .......... ii Mr. Hamilton Ross, st Board, b Ferris 0 c Board, b Ferris 2 Lohmann. c Radcliffe, b Sharpe ........................ 0 c Leatham, b Sharpe .......... 11 Attewell, c Pope, b W. G. G race................. .......... 22 b Ferris .......... 4 Mr. H. S. Laverton, b Ferris........................ ... 9 b Sharpe .......... 0 Mr. F. w. Laverton, b Ferris.,. .......... .......... 0 b Ferris .......... 14 Mr. W. H. Laverton, c Sharpe, b W, G. Grace 2 c Ferris, b W. G. Grace .......... 3 Martin, not out... ... ... 2 cFerris, bSharpe E3,lb2,wl,nb2 15 B 3, lb 3, nb 2 .......... 6 8 T otal... ... ... 70 Total... ...125 BOWLING ANALYSIS. L eighton E leven . First Innings. Second Innings. O. M. E. W. O. M. E. W. Ferris... ...31 17 31 6 .......... S6 14 II 4 Sharpe ...16 10 15 2 .......... 27 7 68 4 W. G. Grace 16 5 18 2 .......... 10 6 9 1 Hill 6 3 6 0 Ferris bowled 8 no-balls, and Sharpe bowled a no-ball and a wide. M b . E adcliffe ' s E leven . First Innings. Second Innings. O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W. Martin ... 5 1 26 0 .......... 10 2 3 21 6 Lohmann... 18 4 56 3 .......... 8 2 14 0 Attewell ... 14 6307 ..................... 188 233 Mb. G. V ig o r , President of the Hastings Cambridge Hall C.C., died on Sunday last at Hastings. He had been in a critical condition for some time past. W. C. L it t l e , one of the Gentlemen of Canada who visited England a few years ago, had highest batting as well as bowling average for the Ottawa C.C. last summer. T h e Surbiton Week, commencing on July 27th, includes matches with Gentlemen of Surrey, Byfleet, Streatham, Wimbledon, Kensington Park, and M.C.C. and G. T he following sides have been selected o take part in the Notts Colts' match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on June 8 and 9 :—The C ounty: Mr. J. A. Dixon, Mr. C. W . Wright, M r.B. H. Howett, Attewell,'.Carlin, Flowers, J. Lowe, Gunn, Shrewsbury, Shacklock, and Sherwin. The C olts: Walter Attewell (Key- worth), T. Attewell (Buddington), H. W. Biddulph (Nottingham), B . Badaley {Bud­ dington) A. Cragg (Burton Joyce), F. A. Crossland (Nottingham), James Fewster (Bulwell), William Ford (Eastwood), J. J. Hibbert (Nottingham), Samuel Hootton (Old Basfordl, John Hootton (Bulwell), H. Morley (Gedling), B. Bowler (Eastwood), George Scrimshaw (Hucknall Torkard), A. Shrews­ bury, jun. (Nottingham), A. E. Scott (Hyson Green), Albert Shacklock (Hyson Green), T. Shaw (Hucknall Torkard), John Terry (Arnold), G. E. Whainby (Sutton-in-Ashfield), J. E. Wood (Bingham;, Walter Marshall (Notts Castle) (captain). T he ground bowlers engaged for this season at Oxford University include Bendall, Bruton, and Curtis of Gloucester; Webb and Good- barn of K ent; Wilmshurst and Hearne of Middlesex; Hay of Derbyshire; Wright of Leicestershire; Glossop of Y ork; Henwood of Berks; Boberts of H ants; and A. Smith. CRICKETERS— B est G oods City Agents — b e a k t h is M a b k . —Advt. P a r to n & L e s t e r , 94, Q u een S t ., C h e a p sid b .