Cricket 1892

s e p t . 1,1892 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 411 THE DUTCH CRICKETERS As far one can judge, the first visit of Dutch cricketers to England has been in every way successful. In the matches they have played in Yorkshire during the last few days they have shown pro­ mising form. The opportunities they have had of testing for themselves the quality of English cricket, with such keen sportsmen as they have shown them­ selves to be, are not likely to be thrown away. We hope presently to be able to give some particulars of interest in connection with their visit. Meanwhile, it will be of interest to C r ic k e t readers to have a brief account showing the development of the game in Holland. It is reproduced, we may add, from the ScarboroughEveningNeivs. L o rd S h e f fie ld , knowing the anxiety of the Dutchmen to become better acquainted with the game, took a team to Holland in 1888. Among the players were Tate, of Sussex, Greenfield, Payne, and others equally well known. It is now some sixteen years since the first cricket club was formed in Holland, at Deventer. Its formation arose through the return to Holland of a Dutch gentleman, Mr. Romiju, who had formerly been a Dutch Consul in England. While living here he became attached to the game of cricket, and on his return to his native country he deter­ mined to form a cricket club. He did so, but after struggling for a time, the club did not run long. One of the causes of its lapsing was due to the fact that the players had no one to instruct them in the game, at least no one practically acquainted with it. Mr. Romiju was not a cricketer, but he did all he could to further what he had at heart. The players were thus left to themselves, and it is not surprising that the club could not pull through the adversity of playing without know­ ing exactly how.In 1878, however, the great club, and which is now the chief club in Holland, was formed at Hague, and so the good seed sown by Mr. Romiju was not thrown altogether away on stony ground. He had set the ball moving, and it has gone on ever since. The Deventer club became defunct, but the Hague club gradually increased in membership. Its early days of nursing were carefully watched over by Mr. King and Mr. Paramor, both English­ men living in Holland, and who knew the game from person al practice. The growth of the club at Hague led to the formation of other clubs at Haarlem, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leyden, Rotterdam and other places. These clubs, however, did not take the name of the towns in which they were formed, but named themselves either the Red Club, the White Club, the Olympia, and other such names, but the Hague took the name of the town as being the premier club. The knowledge of the game became more general, and although few spectators could be induced to take suffi­ cient interest in it to watch it, the enthusiasm of the members was very gratifying. By the year 1881 reports from Holland to the old country were encouraging, and it was thought that a visit of English cricketers would perhaps act as a healthy stimulus to the Dutchmen. An English team did visit Holland, and found cricket a very different thing there to what it was at home. In some of the places they had to play on a wicket covered with cocoanut matting, and a score of three figures seemed almost impossible. The first English eleven played matches with twenty-two and eighteen, just as the Austra­ lians did at one time in this country. The results were by no means favourable to the Dutchmen, but they played with the pluck of enthusiasts, and often made a very good fight of it. From 1881 to 1884 the home teams in Holland set about copying the ways of the visitors, and bowling was practised more than ever. In 1884 a team known as the Tunbridge Rovers visited Holland under the captaincy of Mr. Hubbard, the team in­ cluding such well-known players as Mr. Rash­ leigh and Mr. Le Fleming, now of Kent county fame. The visitors reported a marked im­ provement in the form of the Dutchmen in all departments of the game, their bowling es­ pecially having improved very much. Two years later in 1886 a team from London known as the Dalston Albert went to Holland, and on this occasion they met equally eleven to eleven in the various clubs. They did not meet a combined Dutch eleven on that occa­ sion. The same London club sent a team in 1888, and in this year theDutchmen won their first match against an English club. The scores were 42 for the Englishmen and 62 for the Dutchmen. These low scores will give some idea of the kind of wickets to be met with in Holland. It ought to be mentioned, how­ ever, that a team under the captaincy of Mr. Webber visited Holland for the first time in 1887, and succeeded in defeating the Dutch­ men. The Hollanders were naturally elated at their victory over the Dalston Albert Club, and this] it was which put new life into the cricket enthusiasts there. The result was that the following year an English pro­ fessional was brought over and attached to the Hague Club. The clubs of the various towns being under an amalgamation, it was decided that the professional should visit the clubs alternately and coach all alike. This has been done now for the past three years, and the result is seen in the improved form of the Dutchmen in bowling, batting, and fielding. The advantage of a proper coach has proved a great boon to all, and in a few years there are certain to be some good cricketers in Holland. The efforts of the Dutch Cricket Union to popularise cricket among tbe young men were eminently successful, and having realised that they could win if they chose, the Dutchmen gave themselves to the game with great enthusiasm. The professional cricketer everywhere met the warmest welcome, and he found apt pupils in the enthusiastic young Dutchmen. It was an easy matter to work the clubs in the mat­ ter of coaching, as the towns are only a short distance from each other. It will thus be seen that various combinations have visited Holland during the past few years. Last year a capital company of cricketers got together and went over to Holland to play a series of six matches, and among them was Dr. Conan Doyle, the famous author. Among the other members of the team were Mr. J. B. Hatt, a well-known cricketer and personal friend of Dr. Doyle, Messrs. Sharman, Webber, Marriott, W. Neilson, the famous international Rugby player; Richmond, of the Suffolk County team, and one or two of the Fettesian- Lorettonians; Dwyer, a nephew of Captain Darley; and J. Spranger Harrison, captain of the Johannesburg Club, who kept wickets so well for South African teams against Mr. W. W. Read’s Eleven out there. The team of which Dr. Conan Doyle was a member last year played six matches during their tour, of which they won four, one was drawn, and the other lost by eleven runs. Recently the Dutch Cricket Union decided to send a representative team so that they might not only see some of our best teams, but get a trial both at bowling and batting on English wickets, which are so hard and fast as com­ pared with the wickets in Holland. To give a faint idea of the strange kind of wickets in Holland, the chief club at the Hague plays on the historical ground known as the Maliebaan, the ground used for cavalry drill. On one occasion, while a match was in progress there with an English team, the cavalry troops came in to drill, and, galloping over the ground at a furious pace, the cricketers had to whip up their stumps and make way for the soldiers. The ground is also used for public firework displays and other like purposes, so that the club labours under disadvantage. A score of three figures on such a wicket is considered a great feat. Mr. Hatt well remembers play­ ing two matches last year on cocoanut matting, which is stretched over the crease and extended some distancebehindthe wickets. Altogether cricket is played under the utmost disadvantage by the Dutch, and there is every credit due to the plucky little band of enthusiasts who have come here, not with a view to securing victories so much as to learn even more and go back with increased know­ ledge of the game. To come to the individual members of the team, we find Mr. Posthuma is the chief bowler. He is a fine stalwart looking cricketer, and bowls round the wicket. He is left handed, and has a high overhand delivery, and can break both ways, varying his pace at will. It is impossible to tell from his movements before he delivers the ball how or what style of ball he will give you. He is the representative of Haarlem Club, and besides being the mainstay of the team in the bowling department, he is a good bat. The other bowlers are Messrs. Schroder, De Haas, and Van der Bosoh. Mr. Spranger is the wicket-keeper of the team, and his success in this department is too well known to require comment here. Of the batting strength of the team, which, by the way, is not so strong as it might have been, but some of them could not get away, Schroder is perhaps the best. On the 14th of last month, playing against Olympia for Amsterdam, he made a score of 92. Against a representative English eleven at the Clingeldaal in August, in the first match tho Englishmen made 127 first day, and the Dutchmen put on 128. On the second day the English eleven compiled 71, and the homo team replied with 70, thus making the match a tie. In the return match the Dutchmen made 116, and the Englishmen were all dis­ posed of for 39 and 49, thus leaving the Dutchmen victorious bv an innings and 28 runs. This was a well-earned victory all round. Mr. Posthuma contributed 56 in the first match, and Mr. Van der Bosch 36 in the second matoh. Among the English team thus defeated we may mention the names of the Hon. W. Mansfield, Mr. C. B. Foley, and Hon. C. Yorke. Among their number is Dr. Gorter, a poet, who is known as the Browning of Holland. He is one of the well-known literary men of Holland, and has published several volumes of poetry in the Dutch tongue. He belongs to the new sohool of native poets. Most of the team are young men, the oldest among them being but twenty-six years of age. Buttheyare wonderfully enthusiastic and what they lack in years and experience they make amends for in energy, earnestness, and enthusiasm. They have the making of good cricketers among them, and given the same advantages that we enjoy in playing cricket they ought to give some of our teams a good game. M.C.C. & GROUND v. STAFFORDSHIRE. The season at Lord’s was brought to a close on Tuesday with the completion of this match. Staffordshire, who had the benefit of going in first, were seen to advantage at all points, and won in the end easily by an innings and 48 runs. S t a f f o r d s h ir e . Mr. C. H. Allcock, Brookes, b Needham 39 Roberts, c Farmer, b Needham ..........25 W.Brown, c Latham, b Pickett................65 Hawke, b Needham 17 Mr. C. R. Durban, c Pickett, b West ... 3 Mr.T. H. Richardson, c Gooch, b Pickett 19 M.O.C. First Innings. Mr.Cyril-Gooch, b Turner 1 Mr. D. D. Pontifex, b T. Brown ........................28 Francis, b West ... 11 Turner, b Needham 2 Briscoe, b Pickett ... 19 T. Brown, not out ... 16 Booth, c Gooch, b West....................... 7 B 7, lb 3 ..........10 Total ...233 Second Innings, b Turner .......... 1 c Brookes, b T. Brown J. E. West, b Turner ... 10 c Turner, b T. Brown .......... 9 Capt. F. A. Curteis, b Turner ... ....................10 b T. Brown ... 1 Mr. A. M. Latham, c Brookes, b T. Brown ... 13 b Turner ......... 6 Mr. C. K. Francis, c T. Brown, b Turner .............11 c Booth,b Turner 18 Pickett, b Turner .............12 c Booth,b Turner 13 Mr. J. H. Farmer, c All­ cock, b Turner .......... 1 b T. Brown ... 6 Com. Muggeridge, not out 1 not out ......... 1 Mr. H. Thornber, b T. Brown......... . ................... Needham, c and b Turner B ............................... st Brookes, b T. Brown .......... b T. Brown Total ... 90 Total ... 95