Cricket 1892

APRIL 21, 1892 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 75 had to be reversed, so that the Oval match will follow instead of as hitherto preceding that at Lord’s. The week fol­ lowing Oxford and Cambridge will be devoted to Gentlemen and Players, and Eton and Harrow. Otherwise, excepting for the revival of the match between Married and Single which is to be played for .Clayton’s benefit, there is no great novelty in the Marylebone programme. Board, who kept wicket so well for Glou­ cestershire last year, Mead the slow bowler of Essex, and Geeson of Lincoln­ shire are the latest additions to the ground staff at Lord’s. The arrangement of matches between Notts and Somersetshire makes the com ­ petition between the leading Counties now complete, each one of the nine having to meet the eight others. Somer­ setshire’s gain in its inclusion in the card o f Notts has been Derbyshire’s loss, resulting in the latter’s removal to make way for Somerset. The ar­ rangement of a match between Notts and Warwickshire at Birmingham would only seem to aggravate Derbyshire’s feeling of disappointment that it cannot meet Notts this season, particularly after the excellent all-round form the Derby­ shire eleven showed last season. As Middlesex and Gloucestershire restrict their programmes exclusively to matches with the other first-class Counties, there is nothing to record in the way of novelty. Notts, as already stated, has made a new departure in the shape of an out match with Warwickshire, while it visits L ord’s as usual to play M.C.C. and Ground. While Kent has only one fixture outside the limits of first-class county cricket—with M.C.C., at Lord’s— Somersetshire has been fortunate enough to get on matches with both University elevens. Sussex is down to play both Oxford and Cambridge as last year, with, in addition, home and home matches against Hampshire, and the usual fixture at Lord’s, this year the actual commence­ ment of the Marylebone season. Lan­ cashire, Surrey, and Yorkshire have been left to the last for the reason that neither of them loses an opportunity of extending their programmes by the addition of any fixture likely to be of use or interest. Lancashire, though it does not meet Cam­ bridge, plays Oxford University twice. These, with a couple o f fixtures with Warwickshire, the same with its neigh­ bour o f Cheshire, the old engagement with M.C.C. & Ground at Lord’s, and one match with Durham at Norton, re­ present, in addition to the sixteen first- class County contests, a heavy pro­ gramme. The withdrawal of Hampshire from the list o f Surrey’s opponents has been met by the substitution of a new and very interesting attraction in the shape of home and home matches with Scotland. Another novelty is provided in the match against the North of Eng­ land during the Scarborough Festival. Bringing back, as it does, pleasant memories of many well-contested matches at the Oval in the days of Fred Miller, Burbidge, Caffyn, Stephenson, and other Surrey giants in the old days, thej revival o f the old fixture is sure to be popular. It is satisfactory, too, to notice the re­ appearance of the Oxford match on the Surrey card, though one would have pre­ ferred to have seen it at the Oval. Two matches with Derbyshire, Essex, Leicestershire, and Warwickshire, one against Cambridge University at the Oval, these, with the annual fixture be­ tween Gentlemen and Players, will pro­ vide plenty of work for the executive of the Surrey County C.C. during the season. Even then, no notice has been taken of the minor matches in which Surrey will take part, for instance, those against Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Yorkshire’s season promises to be quite as busy as that of Surrey. In their list, in addition to the eight leading Counties, Cambridge University, Derbyshire, Dur­ ham, Essex, Leicestershire, and Stafford­ shire, as well as M.C.C. and Ground, all find a place. As of late years, the home matches will be played in various parts of the County. This arrangement will allow Dewsbury' and Halifax each a fixture though the principal matches have been divided between Bradford, Leeds, and Sheffield. So much for the programmes, now for brief comments on the probable consti­ tution of the various elevens. Gloucester­ shire is looking forward with great hope to the completion of Mr. J. J. Ferris’s residential qualification, which will be in the latter part of June. His brilliant success in South Africa, during the winter, shows that he is equal to any amount of work, The addition of his bowling ought to strengthen the Glouces­ tershire eleven very materially. Murch, who bowled with considerable success in more than one match last year, has been engaged on the County ground at Bristol. W ith more experience it is quite likely that he will be of use. Kent, as far as can be seen, expects to rely mainly on its last year’s players. Pentecost, no longer able to keep wicket, in consequence ■of defective eyesight, is to have a benefit, the Surrey match at Tonbridge. According to present ar­ rangements Mr. F. Marchant is to Cap­ tain the Eleven until the end of July, and Mr. W . H. Patterson in August. Gloucestershire and Notts will form the attraction for the Canterbury week. The fact that Burton is to have the proceeds of the Surrey match at Lord's seems to be the chief leatu! e in a forecast of Middle­ sex cricket just now. Mr. McGregor will be available, it is said, under the residential qualification, and if he should play regularly his wicket-keeping will add very considerably to the strength of the side. Notts found a valuable recruit last year in the stripling Bagguley. He commenced the season moreover this week in a way suggestive that his bowling will be of great use to the County. The executive are acting wisely in re­ taining the most likely young players in the County. Of these some are above the average, although none of them may give promise as yet of great excellence. Somersetshire fortunately retains the valuable services of Mr. S. M. J. Woods, who is, after all, not returning to Aus­ tralia as soon as he expected. A. J. Fothergill, who bowled with some success for the County for several years, is to have a benefit in the Middlesex match at the end of August. In spite o f the regularly recurring rumours of disin­ tegration, the Surrey eleven of last year will be again to the fore. Several young players o f promise are in reserve for this or next year, among them Baldwin, who came from Suffolk, a batsman who has done well in Surrey Club matches, and may probably have a trial. Much is also hoped of Eichardson, of Mitcham, a home- born Surrey man, who bowled with re­ markable success at Kingston this week. Lord Hawke, the Yorkshire captain, is returning from India, where he has been spending the first three months of the year, in time to get to work about the middle of May. As our object is only to give material information our remarks on the remaining Counties must be brief. Mr. H . B. Bromley Davenport, the Eton captain o f 1889, will be captain of Cheshihe County,which has been recently re-formed and has a fairly good card. Davidson’s determination not to exercise tho resi­ dential qualification he had completed for Warwickshire will be a great boon to D erbysh ire, which on its form of 1891 deserves more support from the first-class Counties. Surrey and Yorkshire alone figure on the Derbyshire list, Notts having withdrawn to meet Somersetshire. The management of the Durham C.C. are looking forward hopefully to a good season. Mr. A. B. Crosby, the Old Shir- burnian, will captain the eleven, which will have the services of Anderson, the left-hand bowler, who has now left the Army. Matches with Yorkshire and Lancashire are on the list. E sse x , with a good all round side at its best, has likely youngsters in J. C. Bevington, of Harrow, and H . M. Taberer, who was tried for Oxford last year. Hampshire, which has taken on Derbyshire and Oxfordshire in place of Surrey and Staf­ fordshire, has a fairly strong selection of amateurs. Mr. H . W . Forster will cap­ tain the eleven. The H er tfordsh ire eleven will be, as far as we can hear, much the same. Mr. C. Pigg will again be at the head of affairs and with an in­ complete match list, this is all that can be said. L e ic e ste r sh ir e has prospered considerably o f late years, and with a well-filled exchequer cricket will soon look up. The eleven, who will have a busy season, are sure to be seen at their best under the charge of so keen a sports­ man as Mr. C. E. De Trafford. A benefit is to be given to Wheeler, who has done loyal service to the County for many years. Mr. C. J. E . Jarvis is succeeded in the captaincy of the N orfolk eleven by Mr. W . B. Hoare. The prospects are fairly good. N o rth am pto n sh ire , which will miss Mr. J. P. Kingston, an excellent all-round cricketer, has reduced its card this year owing to lack of funds. The only matches are with Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, and M.C.C. S taffo rd ­ sh ire is not likely to go back with en­ thusiasts like Mr. A. H . Heath as captain, and Mr. T. C. Slaney as hon. sec. Much is expected of a Lancashire bowler