Cricket 1893

JUNE 1, 1893 CBICKET: A WEEKLY BECOED OP THE GAME. 168 THE GREAT L.B.W. LAWSUIT. By E dmund B. V. C h ristian . -(L a n e v. B a r n e s : Tim es,r15th Jan., 1853). Now, Cricketers should ruver let Their angry passions riqe ; Their bats and stumps were never meant To gouge the umpire's eyes. Lives there a man who never said, “ It broke a foot, old dunderhead !’’ Or something worse, and never swore When umpires gave him leg before ? He doth not live ! He were “ too good For human nature’s daily food ” Who stifled thus his wrath and grisf, Or else a duffer past belief. R ain! rain ! spattering the pane, Driving the cricketers fast from the plain Into the tavern, the “ Cricketers Twain.’’ There they stayed, calling for ale and cham­ pagne, And a small lemonade for the good Mr. Lane. Passing the time with a lusty refrain, Till the fumes of the wine mounted up to the brain Of young Barnes, the fast bowler, who boasted amain. Then the shower in a hour passed away, and again ’ The sun shone and they hastened away, away, To finish the game ere the close of the day. The batsmen took middle, the umpire called “ Play! ” From Dr. White’s the fielding side Had come. (Now Dr. White supplied To sons of gentlemen of station A cheaj) commercial education.) Their rivals in the pastime pleasant Were pupils either past or present., Of famed Westminster’s Normal School; And with the team was one James Lane, Who[d put aside his two foot rule, Paint-pot and paste-brush, and again . A boy, he trod the sportive plain. The fortune of the shilling’s spinnings Had given the boys from White’s first innings; And now in turn they take the field Intent to win the game nor yield The prize whioh waits the conquering team, A ball, a Duke, of treble seam. First champions came the brothers Lane, And John a careful guard had ta’en. Barnes seized the bail and bowled amain It hit the batsman’s leg. With pain lie felt that ball and heard the shout, “ How’s that?” and it’s prompt answer, “ O u t!” (The umpire, cause of all the bother Was son of bowler Barnes’s mother; In fact, he was the bowler’s brother, And brothers should help one another.) The batsman at the bowler’s end Was prompt his brother to defend ; “ That leg-before! You call that cricket ? His fo o t’s a foot outside the wicket!” Nor would the bowler be outdone In siding with his fathei’s son; He answered with fraternal fire, Whereon the batsman called him “ L iar! ” Now can the reader e’er suppose That words like this, and taunts like those Barnes could contaiu ? His anger rose ; He struck the batsman on the nose ! Nor did James Lane his wrath restrain; Proudly clefiant, though in pain, He said, “ You, just—do—that—again ! ” This challenge Barnes could not resist, Yet was he armed but with his fist. A bat he from the umpire took, Advanced, and fierce his weapon shook. Lane fled : but not in fear. Perdie, Twere grievous want of charity To think an Englishman could flee jo r very fear. ’Twas that he thought His foeman might too dearly pay His rashness. Both would rue the day H on that foejnan young he brought His bat—he .flung his bat away, Jbor ’ twere a thing unknown before A ? the bowle'r’s riteIf for fbtjr. m fled but i m Mtiis ttflbk ; He slipped, Barnes gave a sounding smack; He.fell, Barnes dealt another thwack. Lane on his ankle felt the crack ; Then writhed in pain upon his back! “ The ball the stout cricketer urges Clears a pathway of peace o’er the plain^' But his bat. when applied as a scourge, is Productive of strife and of pain. And the strife now provoked was tremendous Tremendous the fuss and ado ; And tbe wrath of James Lane was stupendous, For his ankle was red, black and blue. The ball, however, made the peace. For when the batsmen wished to cease The play, White’s boys declared they claim To keep the ball and win the game. Lane then resumed, this scheme to baulk, His innings, with a man to rur; And then, with one to help him walk, Limped homeward when the game was done. But when he reached his humble dwelling His swollen ankle still was swelling ; And, crippled by his ankle’ s thickness He languished on abed of sickness, The doctor’s aid was sought, and woe Descended upon Pimlico. Its walls unpapered, and its floors Unstained, and all unvarnished doors Bore witness to Lane’s hapless plight. ’Twas when the roses breathe delight Midsummer saw tbe direful blow'; The roses long had ta’en their flight, Chrysanthemums had come and gone, The winter sun but feebly shone, The dreary streets of Pimlico Were flecked by the first fall of snow, Ere Lane ag:in to work could go ; Or that he could, in sooth to speak, W ork more than three days in the week. And Lane upon his couch reflected. ’ That l^tvys the citizens protected ; ' 0 That he was suffering from a to>t “ Whereas,” he said, “ I didn’t ought That for each wrong a remedy The law will certainly supply ; That actions do for trespass'lie; His doctor’ s bill was seventeen pounds ; In short, that he had ample grounds Of action, and that he would sue him Who caused these injuries unto him, And latitat and curt^i fa Redress the wrongs Barnes did that day. ’Twere tedious to tell each part, Each detail of the pleader’s arty How plea succeeded declaration, Rejoinder followed replication; Sufficient to be noted by us The parties met at Nisi Prius, I»i Middlesex to w it; where sat His lordship, Mr. Justice Platt, And twelve good men and true, to try This case of cricket battery. Till then Barnes had as stout resisted lu law as lawlessly he’d fisted ; But now, at length, his courage fail?, His hasty temper he bewails; And when he hears the panel called Desires that he had been no-balled ; And when he sees the jury sworn He wishes he had ne’er been born. He hears what’s for the plaintiff said, He sees the tears the jury shed : His counsel whispers “ Compromise Defeat as a drawn game disguise.” And Barnes, “ I’ll do as you advise.” . The light of victory surrounds The martyred Lane; and by consent Those jurymen intelligent A verdict find for sixty pounds. And as Lane left that ancient place You knew him by his radiant face, The hero of a leading case. The'moral of it all is this ; Don’t drink while you’re at p lay; Heed not the liquid homage of the crowd— although they pay, And if the batsmen tempt you, accept not any drink of them. If umpires give you leg-before, Think twice, think thrice, I beg, before You tell them what you think of them. And if the batsman cheeks you, and you strike him with a bat, You’ll h^ve to V ay him' sixty pounds, and d6bienhi&B tHor6 ttiati that. B ARNE&v. TEDDINGTON Played at Tedding­ ton on May 27. T eddiwgton . F. W. Earnshaw, - Frith, b Hackman... ffi J. A. Groves, b Rat­ cliff ........................ 44 T. D. Crichton, b Rat­ cliff ... ;.. ... ... £7 G. Pout, c Hackman, b Stevens ... ..v ... 18 E.Co liuson.b Ratcliff 5 W. Collinson, run out 1? Ackary, b Ratcliff ... 6 B arnes . V. Coalbank, b Stevens ... .......... C. Howard, not out A. Frampton, b St/evens................. E. P. Shearm,- & Stevens................. M. feiefert, b Stevens B 2, w 4............... Total ...177 C. E. Ratcliff, c Crich ton, b Ackary .. ... 13 E. w. waterer, c Frampton, b Groves 15 W. F. L. Fritb, c Stearns, b Achary... 2 C. L. Crickmay, b Grove3 ... .......... 0 J.W. Denton,c Howard, b Gioves ... ... ... 9 G.R.Mossop.b Ackary A; G. H. 8 tevens, run out ... ... ...^...-11 J. .J. Franco, lbw, b W. Coll nson ... 3k J. A. Walker, notout 1SJ H. Shireff, b W. Col- linson ... ... ... 0 B 8 , lb l .......... Total .V1 8 C. E. Sissons and 0. Hackman did not bat. GRANVILLE (LEE) Lse on May 24. G ran ville . ERRATIC9.—Played at J. Wilson, ju n , b Clarke ...• ... ... W. Morris, c Clarke, b Palmer................. Perch, b Palmer 4 ... C. J. M. Godfrey, not oat ... *............... '. F. George, c and b Palmer ................. J P. Clarkson, b Claike ................. F. E, Lauder, b Kempson ,t -C. •• 49 B. F. Taylor, b Kempson . ‘ ..* 0 Jos. Wilson* b Kemp- ^ son ... ................. 2 W. Greer, c Fa&t- * nedge b Kemps _>n 7 J. Edward, not out.;. I** Extras......... A. J. C.arke, b Perch G. Bliziid, b eerch .. A. Y. baxter, c and b Edward ................. E. A. Watson, b Perch ................. C. A. Kempson, run out ... ............. N. V. Norman, J not bat. Total Innings declared c’oscd. E rra tics. .17) 0 . Cori E C. Palrrer notout 23 C. D. Fastnedge, not out .............. •• & Rev. P. H. Clarke, Ibw, b Morris .. ... 4 Extras.................12 Total ... . V?:» allis. and L. Ryder did GRANVILLE (LEE) v. CRYSTAL PA.' j V PJaytd at Lee on May St7. C rystal P alace . A. C. Paterson, c Godfrey,b Edwards 26 S. C. Barch*rd‘ c and b G lover.................30 J. H. Todd, b Green 2 C. Mitchell, c Lay­ man, o Hull .......... 49 L. S. Welis, b El is .. 2j A. A. Knight, c Lay­ man, b Edwards ... 8 G iu h v il l e . G. Cosens, not out 19 G. Forrester, b Bull 0 A. B. Cipriani, b Bull' 4 C. M. Orme, b Green 1 P. P. Lincoln, C Green, b Bull ... 15 E xtras................ 9 Total .. 18 i J. Wilson, jun , lbw, b Paterson .......... 3 W. Morris, b Pater- K»n ...........................29 W. Edwards, c Lin­ coln, b Paterson .. 10 F. George.b Paterson 21 J. P. Clarkson, c Wells, b Cosens ... 2 C. J. M. Godfrey, b Knight .................22 A. R; Layman did not bat. r. a. Eull, b Knight £7. Rev. J. _W. Green, b Knight S. Ellis, nob out L. Glover, not o u t. Extras.............. Total ... .,.119 GRANVILLE (LEE) v. BLACK HE vTS SCHOOL —Played at Mai c-r Way on May 27. B la c k u e a th ::ch o o l. F. C. W'elherell, run N McDougall, b out ........................ 1 Helder ................. 0 G. H. Latham, b G. C. Lee, c Davis, b Edward ................. 3 Helder ................. 8 W. 11. Whately, b F. S. Jackspn, c Edward ................. 0 Hollingworth, l» A. W. Lewis, bHelder 3 Edward ................. 24 R. A. Brandram, b H. E. Whately, not Helder .............. 4 out ... ................. 8 W. Auld, b Helder ... 0 Extras................. VI A. S. Jackson, b — Edward ................. 3 Total ..*• ... 63 G ranville . B. T. Lloyd, b Hon H. Fraser, b Wethereli ........ . 2 Wethereli ... ... 0 F. E. Lauder, b Auld 7 C. E. E. Lee, not B. F. Gordon, b Lee 32 out ... ................. 23 R. F. Taylor, b G. Helder, b Auld ... 24 Wethereli .......... 2 A. Davis, c and b E. Furze,c Wethereli, Lee ........................ 16 b Latham .......... saj 1 iSxt’ a s ................. 5 J.Holling worth, cand — b We&herell .. ... 9 Total ......... 165 J. Edward, c and b Latham ... .......... 2