Cricket 1892

“ Toge ther joined in cricket’s m an ly toil.”— Byron . RegisterecMor^TraDemission Abroad. T H U R S D A Y , J U N E 2 3 , 1 8 9 2 P R IC E 2d. eleven in the near future were evidently attractive. Commencing his residential qualification at once, he completed it, at all events, in time to be available for Mid­ dlesex at the beginning of the season of 1889. Meanwhile, he had visited Australia as a member of Mr. Vernon’s team, and presumably it was a good innings of 78 not out against Australia during that tour which led to the belief that he might be of use to Middlesex. Still he only had a poor trial in 1889, and in the four matches in which he did take part his cricket was dis­ appointing. The summer of 1890, too, only found him a casual member of the Middlesex eleven. Moreover, his chief success that year was as a batsman. His performance against Lancashire at Manchester was of quite an exceptional character. Scores of 51 and 88 not out, against the bowling of Watson and Mold, are not easily obtained. They were themselves a testimony to his capabilities as a batsman, and at the same time enabled him to take a high position in the batting averages of the year. The bowling of J T. Hearne and Rawlin was one of the chief factors in the development of Mid­ dlesex cricket last year. Though Hearne’ s exceptional bowling put all other perform­ ances into the shade. Rawlin’s record was very noteworthy. Opening the season well with seven wickets of Somersetshire for thirty-five runs, he leDt Hearne useful assist­ ance throughout, so much so that in 498 overs he took 65 wickets at an average cost of under 13 runs. Rawlin played an important part in the early successes of the Middlesex eleven this year. In the opening match against Sussex, at Lord’s, his batting was of great use, in fact, his 49 was the second highest score in the first innings of Middlesex. Against Kent, as well as Somerset­ shire, his bowling proved very effective. It was indeed the chief factor in Somersetshire’s defeat, for his eleven wickets were obtained at a cost of just over six runs a piece. The Kent batsmen at Lord’s, too, found him far from easy to play, and again he was very successful, taking eight wickets for 66 runs. During the last two or three weeks the hard wickets prevalent in the South have been in favour of the bat rather than the ball, as the frequency of high scores fully attests. Rawlin has only suffered as other good bowlers have before, and will again suffer. When the ground is hard, the ball travels fast and the boundaries are not very difficult. The recent matches in which Middlesex has figured have found none of the bowlers in quite their best form, and the batsmen of Surrey, Yorkshire, and Notts have all been able to im­ prove their averages accordingly. Still, though as a bowler he has been less successful, as a bats­ man he has been of great use on occasions. Against Gloucester­ shire, in particular, he was seen to marked advantage. He helped Mr. Stanley Scott to add 160 runs in two hours, and his score of 64 was without a fault. Rawlin bowls fast with a fairly high delivery, and as he is well on the wicket, if inclined at times to be a little short, requires careful watching. As a batsman he plays very straight, and with plenty of power when set he scores fast, hitting well all round. In the field, though a trifle slow he is fairly good. Our portrait is from a photograph by R. W. Thomas, of 121, Chcapside. JOHN THOMA S R AW L I N . •O n l y a few summers ago and the managers •of Middlesex cricket were still crying out loudly for the bowler for whom they had been waiting so pal iently through such a long term •of years. There had been amateurs, several of them of more than ordinary merit, of course. Still they were mere casuals, not capable of supplying the want, a bowler or bowlers available at all times and likely to be ■of use for any lengtti of time. “ Farmer” Burton had partially filled the void, and his career was •an excellent record of good, honest work. But it was not until the advent of Rawlin, Phillips, and Hearne that the Middlesex eleven came to be regarded as a formid­ able all-round side. Rawlin’s bowl­ ing, too, had very much to do with the marked improvement in Mid­ dlesex cricket last year. Born at Geasboro’, in Yorkshire, on Nov­ ember 10, 1857, he first came into prominent notice as a member of the Yorkshire eleven. Though he did not blossom till rather late as a cricketer, he played off and •on for his county for some years till his final appearance in 1884. Emmett and Peate were that year the mainstays of the county’s bowling, with Peel just beginning to come prominently to the fore. Though Rawlin, with the three just named, as well as Ulyett, all in good form, had little chance as a bowler, still he could hardly complain that his merits had not been fairly tested. He took part, indeed, in seven matches, and even if with no great success, there was yet some warrant lor a ■certain amount of belief in his capacity as a bowler. Whatever the reason may have been, at all events tbe season of 1884 saw the end of his connection with Yorkshire cricket. An engagement with the Lincoln Lindum Club kept him away from important cricket for the next year or two. Still his stay •atLincoln was not without its value. On the contrary, the excellent all-round cricket he showed for the Lindum against the Harrow Wanderers and other strong sides proved the best introduction he could have to some of the most influential personages in the cricket world. At all events, the result was his translation to London in 1887 to join the ground staff of the Marylebone Club, at Lord’s. Nor was he slow to recognise the advantages incidental to such a position. The prospects of a place in the Middlesex