Cricket 1893

MAT 4, 1893 CRICKET: A WEEi£LY RECORD OP THE GAME, 105 RICHARD DAFT. shows, too, that he is likely to be in the vein for run-getting this summer. It is to be hoped that his all-round cricket will be seen at its best for Yorkshire, when the University season is over. I t is reported that 0. I . Thornton, the mammoth hitter, has backed himself to hit a ball over the new pavilion at Lord’s. This probably accounts for the largely increased attendance at the houses of call for glaziers in the neighbourhood. T h e Surrey authori­ ties are evidently de­ termined to secure real Colts — yearlings we might almost call them, if we may judge from their juvenile appear­ ance in the Colts’ match against the Surrey Eleven on Monday. Ninety per cent, were in their teens, 'and the majority under eighteen years of age. What a contrast to the good old —old with a venge­ ance—days! There is a story of an a n t i q u a ted player, bearded like a pard— who came to the Oval in the harmless guise of a Colt. In those days, Surrey was a bit impecunious, not in the flourishing state it is at the present time. At all events, the funds were not sufficiently good to admit of the payment of more than five shillings for each player who came up to the Oval to be tried. The late Fred Burbidge was on this occasion the admin­ istrator of the Surrey doles, and in due course the sum was handed to the player in'question. His reply was at least to the point. *•What is this for ? ” he said, tossing the money in his hand, “ Five shillings for a man with five children 1” And the worst of it is that the story is strictly true. B u t I am digressing. In other words we must return to our (Surrey) muttons. It was a treat to see the face of Nice—a real Surrey youngster born and bred—when he returned to the pavilion, after making twenty runs. He was brimming over with fun and merriment. His boyish appear­ ance had_ won the crowd, and he appeared quite satisfied with the rise—rise in every way, for he had “ hit ’em blooming high ” —he had taken out of Brockwell, who was just beginning to be dangerous,and making havoc among the wickets. J u d g in g from what one saw at the Oval on Monday, Surrey has not for F. L a v e r , the Vic­ torian cricketer, to whose high scoring I have had occasion to refer more than once just lately, has been at it again, Since I wrote last week, news has come to hand of an­ other big innings of his. It was for the East Mel­ bourne Club against the University. The latter had a long outing, for in about six hours the East put on 581 runs,of which Laver’s share was 118 and Vautin’s 164. many years had such a good supply oi young cricketers likely to train on. Hol­ land, another Surrey boy, who is only seventeen, played a really fine innings against the bowling of Sharpe, F. Smith, Brockwell, and Bailey. This young­ ster is full of promise, with I venture to think a useful cricketing career before him. Braund, of Bichmond, Plaistowe, Baker, and Lees, too, are all distinctly above the average. T h e Sydney Mail of April 1—rather a suggestive date, by the way—makes reference to a strange decision which was given in the final match for the Union medals in that city. The batsman was bowled beyond dispute, as the stumps were scattered about in different directions. But the umpire on appeal gave the batsman not out, on the ground that the bowler had obstructed his (the umpire’s) view, by running in front of him when bowling. T h e Mail pertinently asks how there came to be an appeal under such circum­ stances, with the wicket so unmistakably disarranged; It is unnecessary to suggest that in some hands the possibilities in the way of umpiring are endless. Moreover, some batsmen have a constitutional objection to leaving the wicket. I mention no names. This incident recalls an old story in which the late Henry Jupp was the principal actor. Jupp, as all well-informed C r i c k e t readers know well, was a native of Dork­ ing, and it was his habit to have a benefit match there. On one occasion when he had only made a very few runs he was slick bowled. But H.J., like J.B., immor­ talised by Dickens, was devilish sly, and in spite of frequent requests to retire he pro­ ceeded to re-arrange the stumps even to the extent of replacing the bails with the greatest care. And when it was pointed out to him that he was out, he replied, “ Out, not me, not at Dorking ! ” And he was allowed to go on with his innings. He used to relate, too, with great glee, how he put on over seventy runs before he had finally to retire. H. V. B a t e , the hon. sec. of the Wan­ derers, who have dropped the prefix of Clapham since they have ceased to have any real claim to a local title, Metropoli­ tan C r ic k e t readers will be sorry to hear, will, in all probability, not be able to play this year. He was unfortunate enough tobreakhis arm somethree or fourweeks I t is less than a month ago since I had to call at­ tention to Laver’s per­ formance in breaking the record for the high­ est individual score in the Colonies. With­ in a little over a fort­ night he followed this up with a fine score for Victoria v. South Australia and the 118 men­ tioned above. Mr. Victor Cohen, the manager of the Australian cricketers now here, is of opinion that Laver will have to be reckoned with by the selectors of future teams coming from the Colonies.