Cricket 1892

SEPT. 8, 1892 CKICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 421 should only play bona-fide elevens, or, as they mean it, only men born in the County, to give a few names, taken at random from the teams playing now for the nine leading Counties, of men who would be lost to first- class cricket of any kind if birth were to be the sole qualification for a County. U nder such an arrangement the following well-known players would disappear entirely from the stage of first-class cricket, and be relegated to the comparative obscurity of minor matches:—J. A. Dixon and Shacklock from Notts, Lord Hawke from Yorkshire, Sugg, Watson and Mold from Lancashire, Hen­ derson and Baldwin from Surrey, Newham, Humphreys and Marlow from Sussex, 0. G. Radcliffe and J.J, Ferris from Gloucestershire, Tyler, J. B. Challen and S. M. J. Woods from Somersetshire, Stanley Scott, A. E. Stoddart, P. J. T. Henery, G. McGregor, Phillips, T. C. O’ Brien, and J. T. Hearne from Middlesex, W. H. Patterson, 0. J.M. Fox, and W. Hearne from Kent. This list, I may add, only includes players who would be disqualified by the fact of their birth in a minor County or elsewhere from a place in any first-class County eleven. T r u e , Notts could easily fill her vacancies from the number of Nottingham men playing for other Counties. Still, she would have so many to select from that many a cricketer who is delighting spectators by his all-round play would be lost altogether to important matches, which would hardly be a consummation devoutly to be wished from any standpoint. No! there is an old axiom to “ leave well alone; ” and in no case does it apply more forcibly than in the present County qualifica­ tion, which has stood the testof many years now and on the whole given general satisfaction. RONDEL. The very last ball has been bowled, In pavilions they gossip no more ; Of catches that Jones failed to hold, Of Jenkins’s big hits for four, Of Tomkins’s wonderful score, No more is the history told— The very last ball has been bowled, In pavilions they gossip no more. Though spring-time will come and unfold Fresh cricketing joys as of yore, When the pitch once again shall be rolled— A t present (as hinted before) The very last ball has been bowled, In pavilions they gossip no more. C.P. T h e following appeal will bespeak; the sympathy of C r ic k e t readers without any words of mine:— Working Boys* Ladder, 101, Stamford Street, S.E. May I crave your assistance as in former years to help our poor lads, 80 in number, who are very keen in their pursuit of the noble game, but are entirely dependent on volun­ tary help to enable them to enjoy the same. At this time, when most of your readers are throwing aside old cricket bats, balls, &c., as well as flannels as of no further useto them,may I be allowed to inform them that no matter how old they will be of the greatest service to our lads, as it is only by the aid of such gifts that they can take part in the game. Their own earnings are barely sufficient to pay for their maintenance. In all cases the sum they pay has to be supplemented from the funds of the Society. These are not sufficient to meet such calls made upon them, and even if they were, they would not be available to provide cricketing materials for the lads. If you can help us among your readers I shall be extremely grateful, and will gladly acknowledge all contributions sent to us. Parcels may be sent to me at the above address, and thanking you in anticipation for your help, C. A. S t e in , Hon. Director. O v e r h e a r d during the recent cricket match between Gentlemen and Players at Scar­ borough ; R e : All their players come from other counties. Their Captain ’.used to play for Kent, but not being good enough played fer Surrey by resience. He was born in Kent. She: He ought to go in greatly for gam­ bling, he would make his fortune. H e: Why ? She : Because he always wins the toss. Fact! T h e latest indication of the development of cricket in the United States will be found in the announcement of a fixture between Gentlemen and Players on American soil. The first match was down for [Monday and Tuesday last. There is a suggestion that two of these games should be played annually. The proceeds of this week’s match are to go to the Professionals playing, and in all prob­ ability, if the two sides meet twice a year, the receipts on one occasion will be devoted to che same purpose. The Professionals engaged with the American Clubs are a fairly strong combination, and Amateur cricket in the States should benefit considerably by such useful tests. T h e ground of the Forest Hill seems to have a strange attraction for the interesting burglar. It is not so very long since Peter Morley, the caretaker there, was instrumental in bringing to justice a man who had removed a good deal of valuable cricket material from the Pavilion. And now history has been repeating itself in an equally unpleasant fashion. The facts, too, present so many features of interest to secretaries of cricket clubs that it will be of use if I give the full particulars of the incident as it has been officially furnished to me. I t appears that on the night of August 27, after awet day, Morley did not pay his usual visit to see that all was safe on the ground. Before turning in, however, he felt that he could not have his record broken, and though it was half an hour after midnight he sallied forth to make his usual inspection. On approaching the ground he noticed a faint glimmer in the pavilion, and at once saw that something was wrong. Going round to the back he gave the alarm by blowing his whistle, and, on the thief making his escape, after a chase succeeded in running him down. A d e s p e r a t e struggle ensued, but with the assistance of a constable he was secured and taken to the Police-station. On examination, he was found to have on his person seven sweaters, three shirts, three pairs of trousers, and sundry other articles belonging to the club. The man, William Knight, a coal- porter of Deptford, who gave his age as fifty, was broughtbefore Mr. Kennedy at Greenwioh Police Court, and after pleading guilty was remanded. On a second appearance on Monday last, he was less fortunate, and as he is now undergoing a sentence of four months’ hard labour, his researches into other people’s cricket wardrobes will be over for a time at least. T h e Irish Gentlemen who are just now starring on the other side of the Atlantic have opened the tour this week at Boston. The last number of the American Cricketer to hand states that the arrangements for their programme had not been definitely settled at the end of August. They were to play in Boston and the vicinity during this week, and then move onto Toronto for a match there on Tuesday and Wednesday next. Unless any alteration is made at the end of this month they should be in Phila­ delphia, where they will have to play the two most important matches of the tour. F. S. J a c k s o n , the Cambridge Captain, owing to an injury, has had to ask to be excused from taking part in the Hastings and St. Leonards Cricket Week as promised. His place in the Northern eleven in the opening fixture, whioh begins to-day, is to be taken by F. R. Spofforth, whose reappearance at Hastings will be by no means unwelcome. An excellent substitute,too, has been found for the Gentlemen in L. C. H. Palairet. The addition of the latter should be particularly popular, and the presence of the two heroes of Somer­ setshire cricket, Hewett and Palairet, ought to give general satisfaction to the habitues of the Hastings Festival. T h e revised teams for the two matches are as follow:— N o r t h v . S o u t h . — North— Messrs. S . M. Crosfield, F. R. Spofforth, A. T. Kemble, C. W. Wright, with Attewell, Chatterton, Gunn, Peel, Ulyett, A. Ward, and Wain­ wright. South— Messrs. W. G. Grace, J. J. Ferris, H. T. Hewett, T. C. O’Brien, W. W. Read, A. E. Stoddart, S. M. J. Woods, with Abel, Lohmann, Martin, and Wood. G e n t l e m e n v . P l a y e r s . — Gentlemen — Messrs. W. G . Grace, S. M. Crosfield, J. J. Ferris, H. T. Hewett, L. C. H. Palairet, A. T. Kemble, T. C. O’Brien, W. W. Read, A. E. Stoddart, S. M. J. Woods, and C. W. Wright. Players —Abel, Attewell, Bean, Chatterton, Gunn, Lohmann, Martin, Peel, Ulyett, A. Ward, and Wood. I t has been left for the close of the season to break a record which has remained un­ broken for seven years. The credit of the best score for the first wicket since 1885, until last week belonged to L. Wilson and W. G. Wyld, who put on 470 without the loss of a wicket for Beckenham against Bexley on August 1 that year. Their achievement, though, was outdone on Wednesday of last week on the Devonshire Park Ground at Eastbourne. On that occasion, S. Colman and P. Coles put on 472 runs for Devonshire Park v. Mr. G. W. Morrison’s Eleven, before the former was bowled. The innings was declared closed with his dismissal, and Devonshire Park subsequently succeeded in getting their opponents out for 92. “ The cholera’s coming’’ —we mustn’ t pooh- pooh it, Though it’s patent to every “ follerer ” Of orioketing records that Somerset Hewett Has come} and of bowling’s “ the collarer.’*