Cricket 1892

490 CK1CKET; A WEEKLY EECOED OP THE GAME. NOV. 24, 1892 KENT COUNTT CLUB. The Autumn meeting of the committee of this club was held at the Golden Cross Hotel, Charing Cross, on the 14th inst. The Hon. Ivo Bligh, the president of the club, was in the chair, and he was supported by Sir Charles Oakeley, Lord Throwley, Colonel Hartnell, Captain Lambert, and Messrs. Akers-Douglas, P. S. W. Cornwallis, George Marsham, W. H. Patterson, S. Christo­ pherson, W. B. Patterson, and K. McAlpine. The amount collected for Pentecost, to­ gether with the gate money at the Surrey match at Tonbridge, came to ±‘118 12s. Od , and a cheque for this slim was handed to Pentecost by the president. Pentecost ex­ pressed himself as being yery grateful for what had been done for him. It was decided to play home-and-home matches wilh the eight other first-class counties, viz., Notts, Surrey, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Middlesex, Som­ ersetshire, and Sussex, and two matches with the Australians, provided the team which is expected to visit England next year should be a really representative one selected by the Australian Council. The home matches will probably be decided at the following places :—The Australians and Notts at Canterbury, Yorkshire at Black­ heath, the Australians and Gloucestershire at Maidstone, Lancashire and Sussex at Ton­ bridge, Surrey at Catford, Middlesex and Somerset at Gravesend. A letter was received from Mr. Marchant in which he stated that, owing to the ill- success attending his efforts as captain of the eleven last season, he wished to place his resignation in the hands of the committee. In answer to this it was unanimously decided that Mr. Marchant should be asked to withdraw his resignation. Captain Austin submitted a plan and esti­ mate for levelling part of the bank on the south side of the ground ; this would make it possible to put up four additional rows of seats, without interfering with the view of those standing behind* and would be the means of providing extra seating accommoda­ tion for 760 people. It was decided that this work should be done. It was decided to re-appoint Walter Wright as ground bowler at the Mote, and Walter Hearne and Easby as ground bowlers at Canterbury, on the same terms as last year. T h e b e are now 2812 names on the member­ ship list of the Melbourne Cricket Clul: O w ing to want of funds, the New South Wales Cricket Association has decided not to send an inter-colonial team to Queensland this season. G. L. W i l s o n , the Old Oxonian, who played for Sussex last year, is now in Mel­ bourne. He intends to play for the Melbourne Club while there. F. I r e d a le made the first big score of the season in New South Wales, on Oct. 8th, for the Warwicks against tlieBelvederes. He was still in with 165 when play ceased for the day. J. Wo k r a i . I., who was over here with the Melbourne Club Australian team in 1886, and is likely to come here next year, made 180 for Filzroy against the Melbourne C.C , at Mel­ bourne on Oct. 8. T iie Victoria Working Mens’ (Richmond C.C., held an annual dinner at the “ Station Hotel,” Iiew Gardens, on the 14th inst. The prizes were presented by the secretary of the Surrey Club, assisted by G. lohmann. A. Coningham, the Queensland bowler, wl o is mentioned as a likely candidate for a place in 1he coming Australian team, took five wicketB for 19 runs at Biisbane, on October 8, for the Stanleys against Corinda. No fewer tb*n eight of the Ceriuda fulled to «e»re. THE COMING AUSTRALIAN TEAM. A C hat u p to D a te . No one who has any knowledge of Secretary Alcock will venture to de­ scribe him as an idle man. Though, like most workers, the idea of universal adoption of an eight hours movement would not be congenial to one of his active temperament, it would no doubt come to him as a boon and a blessing as to all kinds of men. Still, unlike Martha, he does not seem to be troubled about many things. It is the busy man, as a rule, who manages to find the most time for business of public interest. My experience, at all events, is that he is the most accessible where information is to begot, always providing—what a saving clause this is—that the information is sought in a business-like way, and with­ out unnecessary waste of time. More­ over, as I had been singularlysuccessful on a similar errand, in anticipation of one of the earlier visits of Australian Cricketers, I had no doubt that I should be able to get full and reliable informa­ tion respecting the forthcoming Austra­ lian team from the only person who could speak with authority on the subject “ at home.” A recent biography of the Surrey Secretary concluded with the important statement that “ he lived in a pretty villa overlooking Kew Gardens.” This brought him within focus of anyone who knows the district, and one evening last week I ran him to earth without any difficulty. I found him in the best of company, in a comfortable arm chair, and one of historic interest, bearing a silver plate with tho inscription “ Ye Olde Buifer’s Arm Chair, from E.G. toC.W.A., 1890.” “ This is one of my valued possessions,” he said: “ it was the gift of my good friend F.G. when he left England for Canada, and this was the veritable ‘ Old Buffer’s Arm Chair ’ in which he penned most of the charming essays he contributed to the Sporting Life under that name. In it, too, I do all my work, and some people are rude enough to suggest that there should be a change in tho inscription, that it should be re-christened *The Old Duffer’s Arm Chair,’ with a big big D. T h e E ig h th A ustralian T eam , “ But to be serious, you want to know something about the prospects of the Eighth Australian team. All I can say is you are welcome to every information I can give without reserve. ’ That I knew. “ Well, I will go straight to the point. The tour, I suppose, is practically assured—as least there is as far as you know no likelihood of any hitch? ” “ None on this side at least. The objection to the presence of a team last year was reasonable, everyone I think will frankly admit. The feeling was not so much against the frequent recurrence of the trips as against the quality of the cricket that had been shown by the later teams. Of course many cricketer?, and among them some of the best supporters of the game, were of opinion, and with reason, that English cricket suffered considerably by the biennial visit of Australian cricketers. County cricket has taken such a strong hold on the public that, in the interests of the game here, it should not be interrupted more than was absolutely necessary—in fact that there should be a longer interval between the visits of Australian teams.” “ This feeling of course found voice in the strong expression at the last meeting of County Secretaries, when it was declared to be undesirable to welcome the Australians in 1892 ? ” “ Quite so ! But circumstances were altered a little by the success which at­ tended the Australians in the test matches against Lord Sheffield's team last winter. This was an effectual reply to the objections of some of the leading players, that even the best eleven of Australia could not make [a show against a picked English team. T he A u stralian C o uncil . “ Since that time, though, the position has undergone another change by the institution of the Australian Council, has it not ? ” “ At least, to my mind, it removes the great and, I must own, well-founded objection to recent tours. The general complaint has been that the teams have not been representative, or that they have not been certified by some responsible body in Australia. That is distinctly right, but the formation of the new Coun­ cil provides and was intended to provide the guarantee that is required by English cricketers.” “ It is representative, I take it ? ” “ Quite representative. It consists at least of delegates duly accredited by the Cricket Associations of the three leading Colonies, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.” “ And the guarantee, where does that come from ? ” “ The essence of its constitution is to regulate the visits of Australian cricketers to England, and English cricketers to Australia. Its constitution, too, provides that any outgoing team must have the certificate of the Council that it is representative. More than that, the manager cannot be appointed without its formal approval. This ensures that the team shall be declared to be representa­ tive of Australian cricket by a properly constituted and responsible cricket tribunal. The effect will be that before it can leave England the team must have the official imprimatur of the new Council.” T he P ersonnel of th e T eam . “ It has been stated in some of the sporting papers that some of the leading Australian cricketers will positively not come next year. For instance, it is said that G. Giffen, Moses, and Bruce are certain not to join the party..” “ Giffen, I may say, is, and always has been, an unknown quantity in these affairs. I have no information that he has actually refused—on the contrary my latest adviee i« that it is by no means