Cricket 1893

JUNE 29, 1898 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME; 228 true. At the same time, the alarmist reports whioh have appeared in some of the evening papers this week are in no way justified. As a matter of fact, though Loh­ mann has been indoors for several days now, he is making all the progress that eonld be ex­ pected. Still, for the present, at all events, here is no chance of any real cricket for him. As far as I oan learn, he will in all probability return at a very early date to South Africa, where in any case he intended to spend next winter. A CRICKET ID Y LL . The following verses from the pen of A.J.C. appeared in the Harrow School Magazine. Break ! break ! break ! Thou bowler with action free: And I would thou wert not so pacy, The ball I oan scarcely see- 0 well for the fortunate field That he hasn’t the bowling to p lay; 0 well for tho Fourth Form lad That he scores (and munohes) all day. And the small greedy boys go up To their haven under the hill j But o h ! for the touoh of a W.G., Who the deadliest yorkeroan kill. B reak! break I break 1 I ’ll hit it—perhaps score a three ; But the sorrowful sight of a wicket collapsed Shows well that you've scored off me. TnE Clapton week has latterly become one of the most important functions of suburban cricket, certainly of the crioket on the North side of London. This year’s gathering, too, has shown the olub to be in the best possible form. Of the six matches, five were actually won, and the sixth was a moral victory, time alone preventing the home team winning easily. The ohief features of the week whioh ended last Saturday were the consistently good bowling of Benals, and the smart wioket- keeping of Capt. Orman, who has also made his mark in Rugby football. Special mention should also be made of H. Boyton’ 3 batting in the Hampstead matoh, which was in his very best style. MoEwen’ s batting was of great use throughout the week, and J. H Douglas, though he did not always come off, scored consistently. T h e announcement that the Earl of Sheffield has definitely determined not to undertake the collection of an English team to visit Australia next winter will, I presume, leave the Melbourne Club and the managers of the Association Ground at Sydney free to carry on negotiations with a similar object. Their resolve in the event of Lord Sheffield’s with­ drawal wai notified in “ Gossip ” last winter. As far as I know, some of the leading mem. bers of the Australian team now here have authority to make arrangements to carry out the decision. I b it not just a little too previous to be speculating already with regard to particular appointments in connection with the visit of the Australian team to England in 189S ? The enquiry is suggested by the remarks which appeared in the Sporting L ife of yes­ terday under the heading of “ A Ninth Australian Eleven.” Certain conditions, in the plethora of good cricket In England now­ adays, are essential to the official recognition of any combination, Colonial or other, by the English cricket authorities. What those con­ ditions are it is hardly necessary for me even to suggest. Happily the idea, according to the Adelaide correspondent who furnished the information to the Sporting Life, has nott advanced beyond the vague sphere of “ some talk.” M isfortunes come not--------- Well, never mind, the axiom has found a place in this column before, and recently, too, unless my memory fails me. Still, the quotation is not altogether inapplicable in a reference to Surrey cricket just now. W ith George Loh- Mr. G. H. S. T rott (of the Australian Team)' From a photograph by Messrs. Hawkins and Co., Brighton. m&nn away, and Abel and Wood just recover­ ing from ailments of a different kind, one would have thought the measure of their troubles had been fairly exhausted. The irony of fate, however, had in reserve still another blow as recent events have shown. Richardson whose bowling has been one of the chief if not the chief factor in what little success the Surrey eleven have had this year, is for the moment at least on the sick list. A split finger, the result of a match yesterday, I believe, will at all events prevent him assist­ ing Surrey against Yorkshire to-day. If it be true, as the ancients asserted, that the gods look down with favour on a brave man strug­ gling with adversity and smile, the Surrey captain should be a speoial favourite just now in the highest sphere. T h e appalling accident which cansod the loss of the Victoria, and at the same time deprived the country of so many brave men, has also taken away, in the death of Sir George Tryon, a keen supporter of cricket. For some years, he had been a member of the Surrey C.O. as well as, I should fancy, of other important clubs. When he was in England, he rarely lost an opportunity of seeing a good match, and of my own knowledge I oan testify to the active interest he took in all matters cricketal. The news of his death, too, will be received with additional regret by Australian cricketers, for while he was on the Australian station he was a persona gratissima with sportsmen of all classes “ down under.” By a fortunate dispensation Dr. W . G. Grace and his family were spared the terrible anxiety which might otherwise,even under the most favourable oircnmstances, have been theirs in common with others who had rela­ tives or friends on board the ill-fated ship. A younger son of W. G.’s was actually on the roll call of the Viotoria, I believe, and recently returned to the Mediterranean to re­ join the fleet, having come over for a short time to England to recover from the effects of an attaok of fever. He w as present at the Oval on the ocoasion of the match between Surrey and Gloucestershire, and was then full of his forthcoming return to his naval duties. He had been, it is stated, transferred to the lmmortalite. R ecent developments would seem to suggest that the Oxford eleven have by no means the good thing in the Inter-University match which their supporters had hoped at the commencement of the season, from the number of promising freshmen. As a matter of fact, on paper Cambridge have decidedly the best of the outlook for the great contest to commence on Monday. On publio form they are the better side all round, and under any­ thing like even conditions should be success­ ful. Still, cricket is, at the best, Buch an unknown quantity, that the unexpected, as last year, is always happening. Perhaps the safest thing after all will be the old, old hope that the best side may win. PRIN CIPAL MATCHES FOR NEXT W EEK . June 29.—K ennington Oval, Surrey v. V, rkshire June 29.—Lord's, M.C.C. & G. v. Oxfordshire June 29.—Leeds, Yorkshire (2) v. Surrey (2) June 29.—M anchester, NORTH OF ENGLAND v. AUST KALIANS June 29.—Tonbridge, Kent v. Somersetshire June 29.—Edinburgh, Pcotland v. Dr. W . G. Grace’s (Gloucestershire) Eleven. July 3 —L ord’.', Oxford v. Cambridge July S.—Birkenhead Park, Cheshire v. Staffordbh. July 3.—B radford,York shire v. Notts July 3 —B righton,SU SSE X v. AUSTRALIANS. I nterview with S torer .— An accident to the portrait we had prepared o f Storer, com pe’s us to hold over this interview till next week. In a m atch last Saturday, at Eastbourne the Old Town dism issed the Baht EDd for two. Both of these were extras, so that there was no run m ade from the bat. The Old Tow n in their turn scored 102 without the loss of a wicket, A. Baker contributing 60, R. Leach 86, extras 7*