Cricket 1891

94 CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OP THE GAME; MAY 7, 1891 • £ C 0 J ^ E S P 0 P E ] W E ^ CRICKET IN INDIA. T o the E ditor of “ CRICKET,” Sir,—I shoald have craved your permission to make a few comments on a communication under this heading contained in the last issue of your widely read journal before this, but that my copy of C ricket only reached me yesterday. Your correspondent “ S.L. ” would have us believe that cricket in India is in a bad way ; that cricketers find they can get more fun out of other sports; that the game is neglected. He further states that it is not as popular as it was a short time ago, though no explanation is offered as to the cause of this decline. Now although I have no direct personal experience of cricket in India, as hon. secretary of a club which I venture to think has done as much as any club east of Suez to popularize and promote the best interests of the game—I allude to the Colombo Cricket Club—I am of opinion that your correspondent has greatly overstated his case. Having carefully studied the reoords of the game in India for some years past, I think it is more popular to-day, and is played more keenly throughout British India than at any other time. To expect that it will ever approaoh the English standard, is, of oourse, out of the question. The men who play it are men of business and not of pleasure, and can only devote an occasional Saturday or half of Friday and all Saturday to it. Nor are the olubs able to engage the services of professionals. Climatic influences, too, are all against the game, for except in Upper India and part of Bengal the exertion entailed by participation in an all day match is a thing of whioh the English cricketer has no conception. Bearing these things in mind, I do not think it can be said with truth that the game is not popular in India but rather the reverse, considering how small are the numbers of Englishmen in India compara­ tively speaking. The popularity of the game in this case must not be gauged by the strength of the best teams in British India for the reasons already stated, viz., that men cannot give their whole time to it, but rather .by the sacrifices they are willing and eager to make in order that they may take part in it. If evidence on this point is needed I would refer “ S.L. ” to the Secretary of Cricket, Bombay Gymkhana, or to the Hon. Sec. of the Calcutta Cricket Club. Let me answer for Ceylon—a small island which on three successive occasions has sent representative teams on tour in India. The first visited Calcutta and played a series of matches there; the next visited Bombay and from there went on to Agra to play the North WestProvinces of India, whilst the third journeyed to Madras. On all these occasions the hospitality extended to the Ceylon teams was unbounded, and the welcome they reoeived from cricketers most cordial. Not only so, but officials of all orders vied with each other in doing them honour, thus showing in what esteem the game is held on all sides. No other part of India has indeed shown such activity in this direction as has the island of Ceylon, where cricket is keenly followed, and has hundreds of votaries, not only amongst ourselves, but amongst the natives of the island as well, many of whom play the game as it should be played. Not only so, but this last winter witnessed an event of noteworthy record in the cricketing annals of the East. At the invitation of the Committee of the Singapore C.C., a team visited the Straits Settlements from Colombo at the same time as one journeyed thither from Hong-Kong, and so a triangular cricket duel was fought out lasting over a fortnight, in the course of which five matches were played, ending in the viotory of the strong oombinatioi* brought together by the Straits, The Colombo C.C. hope to be able to return the hospitality extended to them by entertain­ ing the Straits team in Colombo very shortly, and later in the year will probably act as hosts to the team which Lord Hawke is bring­ ing to India. Further than this the Australians seldom pass through Colombo without playing a game on our ground, and when I say that in 1884, eighteen of the C.C.C. only succeeded in compiling some 40 runs, but that this year playing only eleven they put on 126, it does not look much as if cricket was “ declining” in Ceylon. I mention these facts as within my own personal knowledge, and I feel sure that if enquiry be made in the proper quarter in India, a similar story will be gathered. The fact is cricket is not “ declining” in India, it is spreading and being taken up and followed by thousands of the youths of India who would go in for nothing which was not assidu­ ously cultivated by the Europeans, and I can only express a hope that this movement may continue to grow in the best interests of the game we all love so well.—I am, Sir, etc., H erbert H. C apper . Colombo, Ceylon. BURLINGTON WANDERERS ELTHAM. Played at Eltham on May 2. B urlington W anderers . B. C. Lindup, st Hunter, b Phillips 20 A. E. Gent, c and b Haywood... ... ... 0 S. Cook, run!out ... 2 F. W. Freeman, c Haywood,bPhillips 20 J.N. Cooper, b Hamil­ ton ........................ 0 W.H.Lunnon, not out 29 A. L. Pattison, st Hunter, b Phillips 14 H. T. Bull, b Hamil­ ton ........................ E.H.Hockley, b Hay­ wood;........................ J.P.Baxter, b Hamil­ ton ........................ M. J. Wells, c Hamil­ ton, b Haywood ... B 6, lb 2 .......... Total . 97 F. Bayley, st Free­ man. b B u ll.......... J.W . Grove, c Bull, b Freeman .......... E. M. Hamilton, c Lunnon.b Freeman G. Hunter, c Gent, b Bull ........................57 R. Haywood, J. Fleming, H. Mortis, J. Hamilton, and J. G. McTaggart did not bat. T. Phillips, not out 18 Yeoman, not out ... 0 B 12, lb 3, w 1 16 105 M. GRANVILLE (LEE) v. MOTTINGHAM. Played at Lee (Kent) on May 2. M ottingham . F. Allen, b Sims H. Field, b Ellis ... H. D. Milner, b Sims E. Smyth, run out ... W. Damson, b Sims A. B. Hutchings, b Sim s........................ H. Muller, c Clark­ son, b Sims .......... J. Pollock, not o u t... T. W. Hutchings, c Harris, b Ellis ... W. Pollock, b Ellis... H. Gaisford, b Ellis... B ........................ Total . , 34 H. L. Harris, Milner .................18 E. Furze, c Milner, b A llen.............................. 4 J. P. Clarkson, b Mil­ ner ... ................. 1 W. Edwards, b Mil­ ner ........................ 3 R. T. Taylor, b Sam­ son ........................ 7 G ranville . b Wilson, not CHARLTON PARK v. POINT HOUSE RAMBLERS. Played at Charlton Park on May 2. P o in t H ouse R a m b l e r s . E. H. Rock, run out 12 F. W. J. Knight, o A llen........................ 3 W. Harrison, b Keats 25 A. J. Livesay, c A. Burnett .................. 1 F. Abraham, c and b D odd.......................... 26 C. J. Carver, c and b Keats........................ 3 G. F. M. Cameroux, b Keats ................. D. Christopherson, b D o d d ................. C. Yeoman, b Dodd Ladyman, not out ... Weaner, b Keats ... B 5, lb 2 .......... Total C h arlton P a r k , A. H. Pease, Abraham.......... E. A. Redman, Carver .......... S. R. Bergent, lbw W. Martin, Cameroux W . C. Burnett, W. J. C. Keats, A. J. Dodd, I Burnett, and a. A. Jolly did not bat. , 10 J. Hunter, not out ... F. G. Allen, not out B 9, lb 2, w 3 ... Total ..100 BARNES v. SURREY COLTS. Played at the Oval on May 1. S urrey C olts . A. Hoar, b B ull... Hatthes, b Bull... Keely, b Bull Ansted, b Bull ... Henderson (capt), Frith, b A. Earnshaw ......... Smith, c A. E. Earn- Bhaw, b B u ll .......... E. Stoner, b B u ll........... 1 Barratt, b Bull........II Neate, c and b Bull... 11 Richardson, c Sis­ sons, b Bull ........12 Osman, not out ... 0 B 2, lb 1 .......... 3 Total ..136 B arnes . First Innings. Josh. out .......... ..........48 S. Ellis, b A. B. Hutchings ..........37 L. R. Glover, not out 4 B 5, lb 1................. 6 T otal . ...128 W. Helder, not bat. A. N. Mooie, and G. C. N. Sims did WIMBLEDON v, MARLBOROUGH BLUES. W imbledon . W . Muir, c Kitcat, b E tlinger................. B 3, lb 1 .......... 26 Total ...105 H. S. Schwann, not out ........................44 T. Westray, jun., o sub., b Rogers ... 30 W. E. Martyn, c and b R ogers................. 1 F. Fielding, B. Hay-Cooper, F. Westray, E' Milner-Jones, F. G. Oliver, Sid. Christophersoni and-Capt. F.L. Sanders did not bat. Marlborough Blues did not bat, H. T. Bull, b Smith 2 C. E. Ratcliff (capt), b Stoner.................21 F. B. Langridge, c Henderson, b Hoar 4 A. Sissons, b Smith 0 A. G. H. Stevens, not J. B.Oakley, c Henderson, b Ansted ................. A. E. Earnshaw, c Smith, b Osman ... P. R. Earnshaw, c Henderson, b ______________ Osman .......... .. 6 out ........................11 C. Nettleton, c B 6, lb 1 .......... 7 Osman, b Hoar ... 5 J. U. Denton, c Total Osman, b Ansted... 12 W. F. L. Frith, c Hoar, b Osman ... 1 In the Second Innings J. U. Denton scored (not out) 9, H. T. Bull, b Neate 11, A. G. H. Stevens (no out) 15.— Total, 85. LYRIC CLUB AND GROUND. May 16—Aldershot, v. 93rd Highlanders May 18—Aldershot, v. Aldershot Division May 23- Hurst Park, v. Hurst Park *May 22, 23—St. Ann’s, Barnes, Colts of East Surrey v. Colts of iWest Surrey. (The teams will be selected by the Committee of tbo Surrey C.C.C., and captained by members of the Surrey Eleven). May 30—St. Aon’s, Barnes, v. Hounslow Garrison June 3—St. Ann’s, Barnes, v. Thespians June 6—St. Ann’s, Barnes, v. M.C.C. and Ground June 13—St. Ann’s, Barnes, v. 24th Regiment June 20—St. Ann’s, Barnes, v. Old Harrovians June 27—St. Ann’s, Barnes, v.93rd Highlanders July 4—St Ann’s, Barnes, v. Free Foresters July 18—St. Ann’s, Barnes, v. Will-o’-the-Wisps ♦July 24, 25—St. Ann’s, Barnes, Old Etonians v- Old Harrovians. (The teams will be selected by the Hon. Ivo Bligh and Mr. I. D. Walker). Aug. 1—St. Ann’s, Barnes, v. I Zingari Mr. C. I. Thornton has kindly undertaken the management of all the Club Matches. On the days marked with an asterisk (*) the Public will be admitted to the Club Grounds. T he Water-Colour Drawing entitled “ The Cricketer,” by W . Hunt, which was exhibited at Paris in 1855 and at Burlington House this year, has been purchased by Mr. Agnew f°r five hundred guineas. ____ _ CRICKETERS— B est QooPS City Agents — bear te is Mabk,— ,!,<■ PASTON & TiESTEB, 94, Q t EEN S t ., C heap 811