Cricket 1892

156 CBICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. MAT 26, 1892 LORD SHEFFIELD’S TEAM IN AUSTRALIA. ONE OF THE TEAM INTERVIEWED. L o r d S h e f f ie l d ’ s arrival in London last Saturday night formed the last act in the tour ■which opened with such promise on the departure of the “ Arcadia ” from the London Docks in October, and was conducted with such brilliant success throughout. The noble Lord, the moving spirit of the affair, only stayed one night in London, and his return to Sheffield Park on Sunday evening effectually saved him from the importunities of the interviewer. Our immediate aim, however, was to procure some reliable information on the merits of the leading cricketers of Australia, more especially those likely to play the chief part in the history of the near future, and from one who was not hampered by any official position. With this view we approached one of the chief players of Lord Sheffield’s team—a cricketer of world-wide renown. And as, with the readiness of a true sportsman, he at once acceded to our request, we are able to present C r ic k e t readers with an authoritative opinion on Australian cricket of the pre­ sent, at least, as well as on Lord Sheffield’s tour. The first question that naturally occurred was as to the general results of the tour, and its effect on Austra­ lian cricket. “ Its influence was of course all for good ? ” “ The game had got, beyond a doubt, into a bad state in the colonies. The managements of the leading clubs were indeed in a despon­ dent state with regsrd to the near future. In proof of this 1 need only state that more than one club was anxious to retain the services of one of the bowlers of the team to coach the young players. Peel, Attewell, Briggs, and Lohmann were all approached, without suc­ cess, as subsequent events proved, though the inducements were very tempting.” “ The arrival of the team, though, seemed to have an immediate effect in producing a more hopeful feeling ? ” “ W.G.’s enthusiastic reception on his first appearance at Adelaide was a foretaste of the influence the tour was to have. It was im­ mense, a,nd both Lord Sheffield and he had to walk across the ground to the accompaniment of enthusiastic and long-sustained applause. Throughout the tour, too, the interest was upheld, and the attendances generally were much larger than was the case in the visits of the English Teams of 1886 and 1888.” “ And what about th^ quality of the cricket in comparison with your previous recollec­ tions ? ” “ Round about Melbourne, in particular, I noticed a great improvement in junior as well as senior club cricket, at least since the tour of 1886.” “ And about the players who have come on since that time ? McLeod, for instance ?” “ Well, he is quite up to the best Australian standard, which is of itself high praise. A thoroughly keen cricketer, he is very popular with Victorian cricketers. Lithe of figure, he is something like Spofforth in build. A left-handed batsman, he plays steady cricket with a good stroke on the on side. He bowls right hand round over medium pace, and like all Australian bowlers makes full use of his height in delivering, as high as he can in fact. He is withal an excellent field. I should say he was about 24 years of age. He is in a bank at Melbourne.” “ Callaway of New South Wales, too, seems to be one of the rising players, to judge by the fact that he was selected for all the three test matches ?” “ His all-round cricket is decidedly above the average. He bowls fast right, not unlike Richardson of Surrey, whom ho resembles somewhat in build. He comes a little with his arm and as he is generally on the wicket, is a good man to keep the runs down. If not possessed of style as a bat, he Generally manages to make some runs. Like ail Australians, too, he is a smart field.” “ While on the subject of New South Wales, there was a new bowler introduced into one of the big matches at Sydney I think, one Gould, to w it?” “ He was tried for New South Wales I fancy, simply because Trott, a bowler of the same type, had got two or three of our best wickets just before at a small cost. Small of stature, he is a bowler of the leg-break order, something like Trott, but a little faster. His great local reputation led to the highest expectations in the big match which were not fulfilled. Still, he showed plenty of confidence and as he is a fairish bat will probably make a useful all-round cricketer.” “ And were there any other likely cricketers in Sydney ?” “ We met two very promising youngsters in Driver and Oamphin. Both were young and both good bats, the latter with a particularly effective stroke on the off-side. Both made 71 against us for the Sydney Juniors by thoroughly sound cricket. Wales, who played against the team in 1888, is a really good wicket-keeper and a free hitting bat. Deane, who ought to have come with the last Australian team, and went on to Mel­ bourne only to find himself displaced by Burn, is also very much above the average as a wicket-keeper. He has developed, too, into a good bat. He is an actor by pro­ fession ” “ Gregory played a fine innings against you at Sydney, did he not ?” “ He has, indeed, improved considerably, and his cricket against us was of a very high class. Before parting with New South Wales, I may say that Mr. Victor Cohen, who is to manage the next Australian team, is a good fellow and excellent sports­ man, sure to make friends everywhere over here.” What about the rising cricketers of Vic­ toria?” “ One of the best we met was C. Ross. In addition to being an excellent wicket­ keeper, he is a free and attractive bat, of the order of J1gentle tappers.’ He hits well all­ round, in a style not unlike Mr. Stoddart or Maurice Read. A youngster of about twenty, Mailer, captain of the Coburg Club in Melbourne, a junior club, played two very fine innings against us for the Mel­ bourne Juniors on matting wickets. A steady player, he takes a lot of moving, watching the ball very carefully. A medical student, he is now in Edinburgh, and, indeed, I noticed him playing the other day for Edin­ burgh Academicals.” “ There were of course some all-round cricketers in the other Colonies ?” “ Queensland has a good maninConyngharr, who played for Sixteen of Brisbane. He is a left hand bowler and above the average as an all-round player. There was a general opinion that he would be a likely man for the next Australian team. Tasmania can boast a good bowler in Windsor of Launceston. Right hand, of medium pace, he breaks both ways. Mr. Stoddart thought highly of him. Vautin of Hobart is a useful bat.” “ And now the most important question, what about the three representative matches ?** All wore played in the best of spirit. In the first match,played at Adelaide, the Austra­ lians in winning the toss gained a certain , advantage of course. Still they won fairly on their merits, as the wicket was in pretty good order after four davs and a half. A possible excuse may be found in the explana­ tion that the team were rather out of form after playing up country on matting wickets,” “ Lyons’ brilliant score, of course, turned the course of the second match ?” “ We got the Australians out cheaply in the first innings, as tbe ball did no­ thing, and it was a great pull to get a lead of 1G0 runs. Lyons and Bannerman in their different styles changed the whole aspect of the game. It was the best innings I ever saw Lyons play,with more care than usual. I*annerman’s steadiness, wearisome as it was, proved of immense value, quite the right game for the side. The wicket was sticky during tlje latter part of the fourth day, so muoh s§ that Briggs wag able to do the hat trick. The ground had not recovered when we went in later on with twenty-five minutes to play, and it would have been better if Peel had been sent in under the circumstances. As it was W.G., Abel, and Bean were all dismissed before play ceased. On the following morning the wicket was again as good as ever, but in spite of a fine innings by Mr. Stoddart, the runs were not made.” “ In the third match the luck was all on the English side ?” “ Quite so. We made 440 before rain fell, and the Australians, on a sticky wieket, had no possible chance.” “ The best of feeling seems to have pervaded the tour ?” “ In every way. The members of the team worked well together, and there was the great­ est cordiality. Lord Sheffield’s popularity was universal—it was unbounded ; he was, in fact, quite the most popular sportsman who has ever visited Australia. His grant of a hundred and fifty pounds for a challenge cup has been placed in the hands of the newly- formed Australian Cricket Council, for them to apply as they think best in the interests of Australian Cricket.” “ And another vexed question, the capacity of the umpires ?” “ It must be remembered that they have not the same opportunities of gaining experience as we have in England, with fo few important matches. In James Phillips and Flynn they have, at all events, two thoroughly competent men.” “ And the weather ? * “ We were particularly fortunate in the weather, too fortunate, perhaps, for the bowlers, who only had a wicket exactly to their taste on rare occasions.” “ Your latest experience of Australian cricket was satisfactory on the whole ?” “ Entirely; the greatest courtesy was shown to us on all hands. Even at the races we were most hospitably treated. Australian cricket clubs are more liberal indeed in their policy than those at home. Anyone coming from England is atonce the recipient of honorary member­ ship of the leading clubs as a matter of course Here----- ” But now we are treadiDg on delicate ground. So we will close the in n iD g s . SURREY v. LEICESTERSHIRE. Surrey placed a strong e'even in the field for this match, played on the Oval on Thursday and Friday last. Lockwood, who had injured his foot earlier in the week, was the only absentee of note, and this enabled the executive to give a further trial to Richardson, the young Mitcham cricketer, who bowled so well in the Essex match. Leices­ tershire, too, had its usual eleven though Mr. J. A. Turner was not playiner. Mr. Shuter’s good fortune in the toss was again in evidence, and Mr. Read and Abel put on 47 for Surrey’s first wicket. Walton, who commenced the Leicestershire bowl­ ing. was not at all on tbe wicket, and runs came f'eely, 30 being scored from his four overs. W iih two wiclets down for 51. rain caused play to le suspended, and when resumed the Leicestershire men were under some slight disadvantage, htiil the batting was hardly up to Surrey’s u^ual standard, and though Maurice Read, Hendersoi , and VNood all came out fairly well the tot>'l only reached 181. In spite of a few good hits by their captain Leicestershire began lad y, so much so as to lose three wickets for 38 runs before piny ceaf-ed. On Friday the wicket was faster than could have been expected, and every now and then the ball got up very awkwardly. Chapman and Pougher offered a sturdy resistance to the Surrey bowlers, and the total was raised to 73 before the former, a steady bat, was out. Then came a re­ markable collapse, and five more wickets went down for an addition of ten runs. Pougher. who was splendidly caught by Lohmann at slip off Sharpe, played excellent cricket, and his inn­ ings of 24 was the hiehest on the side. When the laab man came in, five runB were required to save the follow on, and these were_ made amidst some little excitement, and the inninga closed for 104. Sharpe took four wickets for 17 runs. A iel and Brockwell opened the batting for Surrey, wt o were 77 to the good. Both men scored freely, and in thirty-five minutes the total had reached 61. when Brockwell was bowled. At el saw two other Iatsmen depart before being taken at extra third man for a careful innings of 36. Mr. Key and Richardson added 31, and as Mr. Shuter, who had gone away on important business, did not return in time, the innings c]oR<?d with the fall o>t the