Cricket 1892

“ Toge ther joined in cricket’s m an ly to il.”— B?jron, No. 2 09 v o l . x i T T T T T R S D A V M A Y 1RQ9 Registered for Transmission Abroad.l H U I i t J l / i l l , I V lr lX /SO , L O u £ . P R IC E 2d* MR. SYDN EY THOM AS C A L L AW A Y . F ro m tlie time that the first English team visited Australia, the connection between cricket in the mother country and in her colony on the opposite side of the globe has been a clo 3 e one. The frequent interchange of visits and the keen rivalry for supremacy have made the names of the chief cricketers of both countries equally familiar in England and Aus­ tralia. The fame of a batsman like Gillen or a bowler like Turner spreads wherever cricket is played, or, in other words, wherever men of English race are to be found. The recent visit of Lord Sheffield’s Team to the Antipodes has brought before the notice of the oricket- loving public the subject of this sketch. He is rightly regarded as one of the most prominent young players in the colonies, and it is not at all unlikely that we in England shall have an opportunity of esti­ mating his capabilities more closely when the next Australian team comes to the “ old country,*’ which, by the way, appears almost certain to be in 1893. Mr. Sydney Thomas Callaway was born in Sydney, N.S.W., on February 6 , 1868. Although no Callaways have made their mark in the world of cricket like the scion of that house whose career is under notice, they have alwajs been a cricketing family. Some have performed very credit­ ably in club cricket, and nearly all are enthusiastic followers of the game. S. Callaway’s first recorded appearance in a match is in 1884. In that year, at the age of sixteen, he joined the Mansfield, a junior Sydney club, and to the distinct advantage of its cricket. He played with them, iu fact, until 1887, and during that time was far and away the best player on the side. Very few of the opposingjclubs could make uny resistance against his deliveries, and in his first season he secured over 100 wickets at an average of 3. Each year—from 1»84 to 1887— he figured at the top of both the batting and bowling averages of the club, and in the Bowden’s Cup Competition he secured the trophy for the best individual performance. Such a promising all-round performer as Callaway was, of course, a welcome addition to the senior ranks. He elected to play with the Carlton, one of the leading Sydney clubs, with which he has been closely identified ever since. Many have been the scores attached to his name when assisting that club, and numerous the wickets which have fallen to his deliveries. His dtbut for the Carlton was a most auspicious one, scores of 22 and 83 being his contributions against the Albert Club, on the Association Ground at Sydney, in which match he also bowled most effec­ tively. When Percy MacDonnell’s Team, which had visited England in 1888, returned home, several matches were played in Aus­ tralia, and Callaway appeared for the first time in really good company, for New South Wales v. The Australian Team. Cricket students may remember that some high scoring took place in this match, which realised 1,000 runs in three days. Callaway secured seven wickets, and although, like the other bowlers, he came in for severe punish­ ment, his average was the best on the side. He soon gave them another taste of his powers. When the Australian Team went to Brisbane to play two matches with Eighteen of Queensland, it happened that Callaway was on a visit to the capital of the eastern colony. In the opening match he scored double figures each time, and took five wickets at an average cost of 6 runs in the first innings of MacDonnell’s Team.. Good performance as this was, he did still better in the return match, commenced two days later. The Anglo-Australians were dismissed for 56, and Callaway’s share was the dismissal of A. C. Bannerman, Turner, Edwards, Worrall, Lyons, and Ferris in 25 balls at a total cost of 11 runs. Moreover, lie took sixwickets—the same batsmen, with the substitution of Boyle forEdwards —in the second innings at a small cost. A fourth opportunity was afforded him when he was selected for the Combined Victoria and New South Wrales Eleven v. MacDonnell’s Team, and again he proved successful, five wickets for b9 runs being his record in the second innings. In 1890 he accom­ panied a team on tour in New Zealand, and bore the brunt of the bowling. How the Islanders fared may be guessed from the fact that he took fifty-one wickets at a cost of 7 runs a-piece, while no less than forty-seven of the fifty-one wickets wrere bowled. Although his services were not again requisitioned by his colony until this season, he con- 1 inut d his successful career witli the Carltons. Iu the season 1889-90 he took forty-two wickets for that club at a cost of 6 runs each, and forty- five at 9 runs each in 1890-91, when he had a batting average of 27. His bowling, indeed, was exception­ ally destructive. C. T. B. lurner is a member of the same club, but two 3 ears out of three he topped “ the Terror ” in the bowling aveiages. It was not until last season that Callaway’s meiits were fully recognised by Australian cricket authorities. He was chosen to play for New South Wales v. Lord Sheffield’sTeam, and so made his first appearance against English bowling. Though he went in low down on the list, he played Attewell and Briggs with confidence, and retired with 12 not out to his credit. In bowling, he took one wicket for 31 runs, but that wicket happened to be the champion’s, so that he had the pleasure of getting rid of “ W.G.” on his first appearance against him. His selection to represent Australia in the first match against the English Eleven was generally approved of. He rendered useful aid with scores of 21 and 13 not out, and although his bowling was not utilised to any great extent, he disposed of Stoddart just