Cricket 1892

JU LY 7, 1892 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 2 7 5 have recovered sufficiently to allow him to play there will be two more “ gentle tappers” to increase the interest in the Players’ side. So far as I have heard, the eleven to do duty for the Gentlemen has not been finally made up. I have reason, however, to believe that the Universities will be well represented, with the two captains, F. S. Jackson and L. C. H. Palairet, as well as E. C. Streatfeild, whose all-round cricket was certainly the best feature on the Cambridge side in the recent Inter-University match, in the team. I t will give no small satisfaction, too, to C r ic k e t readers generally, to hear thac county cricket will have the advantage of E. C. Streatfeild’s assistance. He has already done good service for Surrey, for which he has a birth qualification. That his all-round cricket will add strength to the Surrey eleven goes without saying. W as M. R. Jardine’s capital second score of sixty for Oxford against M.C.C. and G., at Lord’s on Tuesday week, the shadow of coming events ? It was, at all events, a fore taste of his success in the Inter-University match two days later, success which gave him the dis­ tinction of highest aggregate in Oxford and Cambridge matches. His four innings at Lord’s last week were as follow :— v. M.C.C. & G......... 18 and 60—78. v. Cambridge...... 140 39—179. These give an aggregate of 257 for the four innings. Hitherto Jardine had been mostly regarded as a slow wicket batsman. His recent performances at Lord’s are a striking if rather late confirmation of the brilliant form he showed at Fettes at the close of his school career. N o r would a mention of Jardine’s perform­ ance be complete without a reference to Y. T. H ill’s fearless hitting, which so completely demoralised the Cambridge field on Thursday afternoon. Singulaily enough, too, the two Oxonians had given a fore-taste of their part­ nership against Cambridge in the previous match against M.C.C. and Ground. It was in fact their stand, following on that of> Phillips and Jones in the second innings which very nearly conduced to a viotory of Oxford in their last trial match. As most C r ic k e t readers know, Hill is an old Wykehamist. When he was in the School eleven in 1887, ’ 88, and ’89, he was, though, better known as a bowler than as a batsman, and in his last two years he had the second bowling average. As a Freshman he does not seem to have been tried, and it was not until his second year (1891) at Oxford that he had a chance as a Senior. He had, however, been played for Somersetshire in 1890 and !91, and the knowledge the Oxford Captain gained of his all-round cricket last year in County cricket naturally assured him a good trial at Oxford this summer. O n the form the Eton Eleven showed against Winchester a fortnight ago, Harrow should by no means be without hope for the great match to commence at Lord’s to­ morrow. Of the nine matches played by the Harrow boys this year, four have been won, three lost, and two drawn, not a bad record considering the strength of their opponents on more than one occasion. V. R . H o a r e (Eton Captain). I n the early part of the season they gave the impression of being a run-getting side, and though a week or two ago one or two of the best bats appeared to be a trifle stale, they are coming on again and seem likely to render a good account of themselves. Still Harrow’s successes of this year have been due mainly to good bowling backed up by excellent fielding, and their strength has been more in their out cricket than in batting. T h e Harrow eleven, I may add, will con­ sist of six old choices—M. Y. Barlow (captain), B. N. Bosworth-Smith, A. J. Paine, F. G. Clayton, C. S. Rowe, C. L. Rudd; and five new, E. A. Philcox, K. A, Woodward, A. A. Torrens, A. M. Porter, and J. T. Ferris. Rudd, who played in 1890, stood down last year in favour of C. S. Ridgeway. I t is something of a rarity for a club to go through half the season without a defeat. Kensington can claim this distinction up to M. Y. B a r l o w (Harrow Captain). date, having so far an unbeaten record this season. A curious feature of their match with Harrow, last week, was that although tbe Harrow men made 75 for four wickets, the whole side were out for 76. A s i n g u la r feature of the annual match between Woolwich and Sandhurst, at W ool­ wich at the end of last week, was that b o th sides should have made the same total (804) in the first hands, and in each case with a score of a hundred. The collapse of the Sandhurst Eleven in the second in n iD gs for 66 was a considerable surpiiee. Of the eight wickets which fell to the bowlers six were due to C. Wigram, last year’s Winchester Captain. His bowling had a good deal to do with the easy victory of his side. THE BAT1LE OF THE BLUES. Pavilion “ gossips ” watch the strife, W ith critical and earnest gaze— “ Old boys ** whose cheery chat is rife W ith memories of bygone days; And as the runs mount up apace, Their brows a pensive aspect wear. The while they “ yarn ” of what took place In Yardley ’ s year. A las! that batsman bats no more, No more doth grace the cricket-field— He’s better known at dark stage-door, And where the pressmen’s pen they wield. But not forgotten is his fame, And gossip e’en to-day we hear From these old boys of that great game In Yardley’s year. In Yardley’s years , of course we mean— Did he not score the hundred twice ? The Dark Blue bowlers found, we ween, His wickets cost no “ job lot ” price. Ah, w ell! the new ones—Jardine, Hill, And Streatfeild—come toclaim our cheers, And show this year we’ve batsmen still, As Yardley’s years. C. P. W a in w r ig h t ’s all-round cricket for York­ shire has been, this season, of such an excep­ tional character that his place in the Players eleven was assured. It is not often, though, that a cricketer is fortunate enough to vindi­ cate his County form so thoroughly on his first appearance in the greatest match of the year. Wainwright’s share in the victory of the Players this week was by no means small. On the contrary, his score of 56 not out, in con- j unction with his record of six wickets for 63 runs, represented distinctly the best all-round performance on the side. “ I know that man, he comes from Sheffield,” is appropriate in Wainwright’s case. Sheffielders have special reason to be proud of him, for he was not only born but learned his cricket there. T h e figures which follow might fairly be described as County Cricket of 1892 at a glance. They not only represent the posi­ tions of the nine first-class counties up to date, but show in a comprehensive form the rela­ tive merits of the different candidates for county honours, both as iun-getters and run- savers. Facts are stubborn things, and the tables which give the runs scored by a side as well as those made against it, offer a reliable and conclusive test of the capabilities of the respective elevens. T h e averages in important County matches, too, seem to give a far fairer idea of the relative merits of cricketers than those which deal with so-called first class matches, from the mere fact that an analysis has