Cricket 1891

82 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME; April 3 0 , 1891 complement again in 1891 by the inolusion of Somersetshire. Or, mayhap, we shall have promising combinations like Essex, Hamp­ shire, Warwickshire (to be strengthened ap­ parently by the accession of Davidson from Derbyshire and possibly one or two others), and ;Leicestershire making a bid for senior honours. Derbyshire has, indeed, been un­ fortunate, as after raising herself by persistent efforts to the front rank, she has had the mortification of seeing her best players drop away one by one to join neighbouring Shires. Time was, when men like William Mycroft, Platts, Foster, Hay, Messrs. L. C. Docker (a painstaking captain, and a brilliant batsman to boot), R. P. Smith, Evershed, Maynard, and Shuker worked hard to keep Derbyshire in the front rank. At the present time, no pains are spared, we have been pleased to note, to discover any likely Colts. W e have wandered far from the theme with which we opened this paper—the “ worthies ” of Kent and Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex, in bygone days. A return to the glorious days when the Hambledon Club was at its best may have been dreamed of by a few enthu­ siasts, on the temporary elevation of Hamp­ shire to the first-class several years since ; but that this was nothing but a dream was evidenced by the indifferent form displayed by the Hants men when pitted against the champions of Surrey and Yorkshire; and in 188Lthey receded into the second class. As for Kent, Nottingham’ s loss was her gain ; for it was undeniably a stroke of luck for the former when Walter Wright’s disagreement with the Notts Executive led to his settle­ ment in the South. For the rest, Kent is by this time strong enough all-round, possessing her full complement of reliable professionals, and'often having fourteen or fifteen good men available. In July and August, indeed, when Mr. W. H. Patterson is able to take command, the eleven is second to none. One has only to point to their performances against Notts and Surrey last summer, in order to verify this statement. Kent is well up in the running for 1891. As an additional proof—if any were needed —of the influence of Professionalism upon good cricket, there is the place that the great Northern Shires, Yorkshire, Notts, and Lancashire, were enabled to retain for so long. During a considerable period, there was pre­ sented the curious phenomenon of a big county like Yorkshire depending upon the same five men (and all professionals !) to win its matches —viz., Ulyett, Emmett, Peate, Bates, and Lockwood. Justprevious to this time they had been playing three of the best men in Andrew Greenwood, Allan Hill, and Louis Hall—the latter destined to develop into one of the finest batsmen of the day. Again, in 1883, the prowess of G. P. Harrison with the balliaised Yorkshire to the top of the tree ; but, on his original form of a fast bowler his triumph was short lived. As Peate faded out of first-class cricket, his place was taken by Robert Peel, a player who straightway achieved the most signal success, despite that many people believed the similarity of his delivery would militate against his chances. As for burly George Ulyett, he is still a lead­ ing light of this yet powerful eleven; and it was at the close of last season (we believe) that he was heard to express the wish that “ it was going to begin all over again.” As for Notts and Lancashire, the former still can boast a quintette of fine bowlers, in addition to a batting list headed by Shrewsbury, Gunn, and Barnes; whilst the County Palatine has acquired in Arthur Mold the most difficult fast bowler we have. Attention may here be drawn to the fact that in ’81, when Lancashire passed through the summer without a defeat, Barlow, Watson, Nash, and Mr. A. G. Steel took two hundred wickets between them for just over 10 runs apiece; and that in ’82, when she was again Champion County, Crossland, Barlow, Nash, and Watson captured 220 wickets at almost the like cost. But in the meantime, there was taking place in Surrey cricket that “ great revival ” which in the first instance was the outcome of a new regime and an uncommonly energetic Execu­ tive. The year 1860 had found Surrey challenging all comers, having at her disposal amateurs like Fred Miller, C. G. Lane, Fred Burbidge, and E. Dowson, players like Mort- lock, Caffyn,TomLockyer, Sewell, Stephenson (“ H .H .” ), Griffith, and Julius Caesar—truly, a side wherewith to defy the world. Then later came the Humphreys, Henry Jupp, and James Southerton; the games between Surrey and Gloucestershire produced some of the most splendid fights, each side being resolute to win. Only a few short years had passed away, though, when the Southern County found itself slipping backwards for want of fresh professional talent to fill up the laces vacated by these men. In 1882 we nd them succumbing to Sussex and Middle­ sex, only defeating Middlesex in the other match by 25 runs, and allowing Notts to amass the huge total of 501! Certainly few people would have believed, after reading the record of Surrey Cricket in 1881-2-3, that two or three years hence would see them playing the magnificent team that Mr. John Shuterhas the honour to command. Well may the enthusiastic crowds who flock to the Oval cheer the performances of the Reads, Lohmann, Abel, and those who by sheer hard work and real merit have raised Surrey to the proud position she now occupies! That she would have been able to claim the Championship, wresting it from the supremacy of the Northern shires to remain in the South for who shall say how long — that in so brief a period she would have been able to depend upon fifteen or sixteen players of the very first class—could never have been conceived. Truly the heritage of Caffyn and Caesar, Jupp and the Humphreys, has de­ scended to the Lohmanns, Reads, and Sharpes of to-day; and proud indeed should these nineteenth century cricketers feel, when they reflect that it is due to the all-round excellence of themselves, and such as themselves, that the sceptre of County Cricket is swayed by the shire that an English poet has fittingly denominated “ The garden-like County of Surrey.” MY FIRST APPEARANCE FOR THE COUNTY. I am getting old and stiff now, and the world requires me to be too much with it, for a hard fate has made me an accountant; so that my cricket is inter­ mittent, and apt to be inglorious. But on a Saturday evening, when the match is over, and I have calculated my average and found that it is still under double figures, I like to lean back in the dusk, and think of my first appearance for the County. I was a day boy at a school in Sussex in those days, about 15 or 16 years old, I suppose. Cricket was less popularthen, and the crowd which came to see the Kent eleven was small; but my brother Tom and I were as eager for the game as any boy you will find at the Oval to­ day, cheering the Surrey men till he is hoarse. AVe had begged a holiday to see the match, and of course we were on the ground in our flannels an hour before it began, and we had a ball with us in case there would be a chance of bowling to the great men at the nets. That was the height of a boy’s ambition. Harris junior, who once achieved the feat, had been made captain of the second eleven in consequence. Fortunately when the first batsmen came out to practise there were few people on the ground, and I had a chance. Several times I was hit right over to the other end of the ground, but once I managed to touch the stump. The batsman said he was not ready, and told me not to bowl till he was looking. I said I was sorry, of course; but I didn’t believe him, and I had never felt so proud in my life. When the time fcame for play, the captain of the visiting eleven was talking to two or three of his men ; they were one short—the eleventh man had tele­ graphed that he could not come. Sussex had won the toss and elected to go in. The Kent captain had telegraphed back for another man, but it was doubtful if he could play ; certainly he could not be on the ground till late in the day. Tom and I stood listening excitedly._“ Ask him if we can play for them,” I whispered. “ No,—you,” said T om : but I dare not. Tom found courage. “ Can either of us field for you, sir ? ” said Tom. “ We were born in Kent.” This audacity took his breath away; he hid himself behind me. The captain turned with a smile. “ Wouldyou like to play for a b i t ? ” he asked, thinking it was I who had spoken. I was too delighted, and frightened, and astonished to disclaim Tom’s proposal. “ Ye-es,” I said, and felt worse than at a viva voce examina­ tion. Before I knew what had happened I had given Tom my jacket and was taking my place in the field. And what a day’s'fielding we had! In our school matches we thought 60 a huge total; but now Jhe B core went up to 100 before lunch ana no one seemed to think it much. Isupposel did fairly well,for our drill sergeant, who was our cricket coach, too, insisted on smartness in the field. After the interval for two hours no wicket fell, the score was 250, the bowlers were hit all over the field. The captain and his men held a consultation; all the avail­ able bowlers had been tried. The man I had bowled at practice pointed to m e; we knew by this time that the reserve man could not come. “ Try an over,” said the captain. Before I understood the situa­ tion I was placing the men deeper in the field. Nowadays I bowl left-handed, slow, and possess a break from the off of a yard and a half, with a pitch that is a little uncertain. When I go on to bowl on the Heath, where they all know me, the batsmen tighten their belts, and feel there is a good time coming. They stand in front of their wickets, and hit all the off-breaks to leg. Mullens landed one ball on the railway line yesterday, and they ran eight! But in those days the break was less developed, find more effec­ tive. How it was I got the crack caught at cove);, and broke up tho stand, I never understood, except on the principle that a bad bowler makes a good change. This happened in my second over, and Tom, who had been kicking himself all day in vexation at having missed the c r i c k e t e r s - b e s t G oods City Agents— b e a r t h is M a r k .— A d v t. B a r t o n & L e s t e r , 94, Q u een S t ., C h e a p s id e .