Cricket 1892

OCT. , 1892 CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OP THE GAME. 469 T he averages of the Hong Kong O.C., kindly sent me by a prominent member of that club, which appear in another part of the paper, present a melancholy inter­ est just now, when the shock of the news of the loss of the Bokhara has lost little of its force. As every one knows by this time, the eleven of Hong Kong Club were returning in that steamer, after a match at Shanghai, and with the exception of Dr. Lowson and Lieut. Markham, it is to be feared all went down in the wreck. U nless I am {misinformed, E. W. Maitland, who heads the batting averages, is at the moment in England, and his brother was fortunate enough to miss the trip, being unable to go with the team owing to business arrangements. Among those who it is to be feared are lost, is Captain J. Dunn, a cricketer well-known in every part of the United Kingdom. In the Harrow Eleven at the end of the seventies, he played occasionally for Surrey during the season of 1881, and with some success. A fine field, as well as a batsman of great power, he would have been sure, had opportunity allowed, to make a high reputation for himself in county cricket. The require­ ments of the military profession, however, prevented his continuance in first-class cricket, and he had to be content with minor matches. H ere hewas quite inhis element,and the Cricket Annuals contain many evidences of his brilliant bitting. Hardly a year but saw soveral big scores to his name, and one season (in Ireland) there was quite a long list to his credit. Only just before the Hong Kong teamleft for Shanghai on their ill-fated journey, in a speech eulogistic of the services he had rendered to cricket, at a dinner he had been described as “ The Grace of the East.” It was this Gossip’s privilege to know him from his Harrow days onward. By his death the game is the poorer in the loss of a more than ordinarily keen and straight-forward cricketer. B y this time Lord Hawke and the amateurs who are accompanying him to India on cricket thoughts intent, should be well on their way towards their port of disembarkation. Except Lord Hawke, who had been suffering from a severe coldjust previously, and J. H. J.Hornsby, who went overland to Naples, the party left London on the P. and O. steamer Kaisar-i-Hind last Friday week. Several well-known cricketers were at Liverpool Street Station that forenoon to wish them good-bye, and they started at all events under the most favourable auspices. A ccording to all advices, too, as far as Gibraltar, where they were yesterday week, the voyage had been exceptionally pleasant, and as by that time they should have got their sea legs, the outward trip is sure to be enjoyable. A t Colombo, they are down to play three matches, so that they will have a little practice before they reach India. The last news which comes from over the sea is that in all probability the team will play two matches, one against the North Western Provinces, the other against All India, at Allahabad, and in all likehood at the end of January. A ccording to all accounts, the Irish cricketers who have just reached home from their tour on the American Con­ tinent were near, dangerously near, in fact, to a terrible experience on their journey from Lowell to Toronto. The passengers by the train which imme­ diately preceded them were the victims of a more than usually distressful acci­ dent, which resulted in some forty deaths. W ith this exception, though, the tourists had none but agreeable recollec­ tions, and all of them speak in appre­ ciative terms of the hospitality they received everywhere when on the other side. The result of their matches in Philadelphia was of course a disappoint­ ment to the local cricketers, who on the previous form of the Irishmen expected *o have something like a walk over. Instead of this they had decidedly the best of the deal, as they won the first match by a larger margin than they lost the second, and were also ahead in the last and drawn game. O f the Irishmen personally it might be enough to say they made themselves at once popular. Still, it may be of interest to reproduce an extract from a letter written by one of the leaders of Phila­ delphian cricket to show the impression the team generally made. “ They were great favourites here [writes my cor­ respondent] , indeed, they made many friends. One could not help liking them, they are good sportsmen and good sorts. Meldon sen. was also a splendid fellow. He is very fond of whist, and on his introduction to the Hamilton Whist Club, declared that he would be a sure find there every evening. There he had the opportunity of playing with the best talent of the club, and expressed himself as highly delighted with his experience.” T h e scoring all round in the match between Home and Colonial Born on Sept. 22 at Johannesburg on the 22nd of last month would have been of itself note­ worthy even had it not produced the dis­ tinction of a South African record. It is rarely indeed that three individual scores of over a hundred are registered in a day’scricketwith only eightwickets down. This, though, was the result of the day's cricket. The Colonials, who batted first, closed their innings when the eighth wicket fell with the total at 349, of which A. B. Tancred had contributed 105. T h is , though, waa the last wicket down during the day, as when play ceased Halliwell and Boutledge, the two first batsmen of the Home Born, were still in with the score 289 of which Halliwell had made 139 and Boutledge 147. The two not outs, who share the distinction of a new record in African cricket, were both of them well known in England, and both of them won the good opinions of some of the most experienced members of Mr. W. W. Read’s team during their African tour last winter. Mr. Bead spoke of Halliwell as one of the best wicket­ keepers he had ever seen. T he nineteenth International match between the United States and Canada, played on the ground of the Germantown C.C. at Philadelphia on the 16th and 17th of last month, produced the most decisive victory as yet recorded since the first match of an international character between the two nations was instituted forty-eight years ago. The Canadians, who were not without hope that they might make a good show, were, indeed, outclassed, and a defeat by an innings and 222 runs fairly satisfied them that on this occasion they had met a combina­ tion superior at every point. Still, some small explanation may be found for their poor show in the fact that they had to play on a fast wicket, while they them­ selves are accustomed to very slow grounds. T h e Surrey eleven, or rather the full team with two of the first reserves, were the guests of Mr. G. W. Busden, a well- known member of the Surrey CountyC.C., at a dinner at the Criterion on Monday week. Mr. Busden, who is a Surrey man by birth, is just returning to Australia, where he has spent most of his life, for the benefit of his health, and took the opportunity of wishing the team good­ bye in this very agreeable fashion, The absence of anything like formality made the entertainment very enjoyable. It was a happy thought of a [good sports­ man, and the Surrey men, one and all, expressed their hearty appreciation of the kindly feeling which prompted the gathering. M essrs . J. C h affin & S ons of Taunton have recently issued two very interesting souvenirs ofthree of the leading cricketers of the day. The first portrays the heroes of the record for first wicket partnership, L. C. H. Palairet and H. T. Hewett stand­ ing below the score board, with the figures (346.1.201. 132.) of their big performance against Yorkshire on Aug. 26, at Taunton, in bold numbers. The other is a group of three with the Grand Old Man sitting down between the two Somersetshire batsmen. All are excellent likenesses, and the pictures will be valuable as per­ manent records of a fine trio of cricketers. The excellent portrait of Surrey’s great cricketer, G. A. Iiohmann (from a photo­ graph by G. W . Bradshaw, Robertson Street, Hastiogs), is the first of a series .we intend to give of the same high character. The necessity of interting the averages of the principal Metropolitan Clubs has caused us to hold over some special con ­ tributions on current and past oricket. W e shall, however, give in forthcom ing numbers several articles by the best writers on subjects of interest,